Nanoloop Running on a Palm Zire 71

Now that is cool, I really must get around to trying this out. I've been meaning to try two emulations on my T3, firstly running GBulator with Nanoloop and apps by 8 Cylinder inside it (as seen in this photo of GBulator with Nanoloop, and also running Atari ST old music software on CaSTaway.

It has to be worth a go, certainly I think that the GBulator with Nanoloop / 8 Cylinder will work, I think that the Atari ST idea might be harder and less likely yet still worth a try.

So, there's a job for February.

Any other kinds of emulation worthwhile for palm?

tags technorati : GBulator, Cylinder 8, Nanoloop, Emulator, Atari ST, CaSTaway

Tim Cole's Boss Micro BR Review

Thanks to Tim (of miniMixa fame) for this excellent review. I've been wondering about getting one of these to replace my Zoom PS04. Not sure now though.

Maybe I should wait until they've ironed out some of the issues with it, especially the file format.

tags technorati : Boss Micro BR, 4-Track

Palm Sounds Calendar

I've started a calendar which you can find under the "useful links" section on the right hand panel. It doesn't have much on it at the moment, but the plan is to add stuff to it regularly on all sorts of handheld subjects.

Screens Environment: Safire and Music

Here's an interesting post about Screens and Safire and how it all works together for music based applications.

tags technorati : Screens Environment, Palm, Experimental, Safire, Music

RSS Photo feed updated

The Palm Sounds feed has been updated with lots of new pictures of your favourite applications for Palm and PocketPC.

SSEYO miniMixa in action

Here's an interesting video of miniMixa in action live. Stuff like this just makes me more intent on getting to grips with it.

tags technorati : miniMixa, Mobile, Mashup, DJ, PDA, PocketPC

SSEYO miniMixa

I have made abortive attempts to get to grips with this app a couple of times, but I've never been able to get my head around it. However, I gave it another go today. I sat down with the manual and started to try and get my head around it. Well, I didn't get very far at all. I just couldn't get it into my head at all.

I'm not going to let it go though, I will keep at it until I can say for sure whether it is something I want to play with on a regular basis or not.



I'll report back on how it all goes.

tags technorati : SSEYO, miniMIXA, Computer Music, Mobile Music Making, Mobile Studio

Audio Box Micro Composer: A first look...

I had a quick look at this application today. It was interesting to find that the application ran on my old Jornada 568. I had a look at the track arranger and the voice controller. All quite straightforward and easy to use. The pattern arranger was easy to deal with except for using drums. That wasn't so good.

Overall it is an interesting application. In some ways a bit like Griff, and in others like Bhajis Loops.

I think it is a good application from what I've seen so far, but it doesn't have a lot of new features that you can't find in other applications.

I have to say that the interface is very nice indeed. I especially like the VU meters.

tags technorati : Pocket PC, Audio Box Micro Composer, Mobile Music,

Update on Palm Sounds

I thought I'd write about what I'm planning for the rest of 2007...

- A Palm Sounds web site to contain up to date information on projects / links etc
- A download page to get palm apps that can't be found elsewhere
- A photos page of screen shots of applications
- An events calendar for what's coming up during this year and beyond
- Palm Sounds Mac OSX Widget
- Revamp of the Palm Sounds store (boo hiss)
- A regular podcast (well, fairly regular anyway)

That's just the start really, there is more, but it needs more work. Hopefully some of these things will be up and running in the next week or two.

Contacting Palm Sounds

Now you can email Palm Sounds with useful news information, photos, videos or whatever you want. To contact Palm Sounds email at:

palmsounds@googlemail.com

Hope to hear from you soon,

Collaborative Music Creation

Here's an interesting link to a patent that's just been filed by Magix AG (DE). It is for a way of using phones and PDAs to create music between multiple users.

Who knows how long it will take for something like this to get into the public domain, but nevertheless, it is interesting.

MiniMusic Treo 680 problem fixed

The minimusic site reports that they've fixed the issue with Treo 680 devices. Now they can move on to releasing some excellent new applications for this year!

StyleTap update

StyleTap has been updated to run on Window Smartphone. Excellent!

It is good to know that it is still getting developed and moving forward. I'd like to see it keep on moving forward. Here's my StyleTap wish list:

- Support for miniMusic applications like SoundPad
- Support for conduits

and here's my dream list:

- Emulation for other platforms like Symbian
- Multiple instances of a palm OS

Let's see how it moves forward.

tags technorati : Palm, Pocket PC, StyleTap, Windows Smartphone

Audio Box Micro Composer

This is (I believe) one of the few Pocket PC music apps / studios I haven't really got to grips with. This is mainly because it requires a 400mhz CPU and my old pocket pc runs at about 230.

Anyway, I decided to load it and see if it runs at all, and it does, although with some limitations.

Visually it reminds me a lot of Griff, although functionally it makes me think of Bhajis Loops. Anyway, I plan to play with it some more soon and see how useful it will be on my old Pocket PC.

Here's some info on Audio Box from the 4Pockets site:

AudioBox is an all in one virtual recording studio and sound creation tool for your Pocket PC. Create your own musical compositions without the need for additional software or dedicated hardware. Inspiration doesn’t always strike whilst sat at your PC, so if you’re a budding musician looking for a quick way to lay down your ideas or want to create complete compositions then this is the only package you need.

The Pocket PC alone does not have the ability to play standard MIDI files. This is because it lacks the necessary hardware support in the form of Wavetable synthesis necessary to achieve this. This means that at best you are limited to playing simple WAV and MP3 files. AudioBox solves this problem by allowing you to create your own virtual instruments which are fully configurable. AudioBox allows you to emulate the sound of classic analog synthesisers which became widespread in the 80’s and are still at the heart of modern music today. Customise the sounds to match your style of music or use the presets, it’s up to you! AudioBox also comprises a digital sampler, a dedicated string pad synthesizer and a drum machine allowing you to create your own customised drum kits and instrument sounds.

Of course having the ability to generate sound isn’t everything… AudioBox is a complete music composition package with both track and score editing. The interface is simple to use, and yet provides a comprehensive range of features.

Audio Box allows you to create up to separate 16 tracks, each track assigned it’s own instrument. An integrated mixing desk allows you to control the overall mix as well as assign multiple effects to each channel. The real time effects include digital delay, reverb, chorus, phaser, low / high pass filters and more.

AudioBox also features the ability to automate instruments, effects and mixer settings using custom controller messages sent from the sequencer. Quite simply this allows you to control settings such as mixer pan and fader settings by simply drawing on a controller graph. During playback these settings are relayed to the mixer in real time.

Audio Box has the ability to work in high quality 44Khz mode or 22Khz mode for some slower models of Pocket PC. The polyphony and number of effects are only limited by the speed of your Pocket PC, so there is nothing to hold you back!

System Requirements

5Mb Storage Space
5Mb Minimum program memory
xScale 400Mhz or better processor

tags technorati : Pocket PC, Audio Box Micro Composer, Mobile Music,

Palm Sounds Widget

Just a quick note to say that I am making a little palm sounds widget for Mac OSX dashboards using Apple's new Dashcode tool. Just for fun more than anything.

TuneStudio: Some thoughts and information

I found this information at CDM, which (in my opinion) is an excellent site for up to date info. CDM were at MacWorld and got to see the TuneStudio first hand. Theire post on it is well worth a read.

I think that the development of the TuneStudio is an interesting development for the iPod. Does this make the iPod a reasonable platform for music recording?

As I understand it the TuneStudio creates a single wav file sitting on the iPod, which is not great for post production work.

But I was thinking. If the TuneStudio was able to create a wav file for each track and then stick those in the iPod, they could be exported to GarageBand or another DAW and then you could do whatever you wanted with them.

Possible? I don't know?

tags technorati : iPod, Belkin, TuneStudio, GarageBand, 4-Track, CDM, MacWorld

iPhone as a platform

I like the idea of the iPhone, but when I heard that t was to be closed off to developers I have to admit that I was disappointed. However, this from iLounge, is a slightly different story.

If Apple are going to control what's on the iPhone, then maybe we will see some more interesting applications emerging. Maybe a sort of iLife for iPhone? Maybe something for making ringtones or remixing or something like that?

Anyway, no matter what I think that it is a fair point that you don't want a corrupted platform, and stuff like Palm does suff from that kind of problem. So perhaps it is for the best?

Here's the news from iLounge:

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says Apple fans can expect more mobile applications for the iPhone by the time the device ships in June (Q4 2007 for Europe). Jobs told Newsweek, however, that Apple will control what applications make it onto the iPhone, much like it has done with every iPod. “You don’t want your phone to be an open platform,” says Jobs. “You need it to work when you need it to work. Cingular doesn’t want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up.” During the unveiling of the iPhone, which runs a scaled down version of Mac OS X, Jobs showed off applications for email, web browsing, photos, SMS text messaging, and Google Maps, as well as widgets for weather and stocks. Other icons on the iPhone prototype include Calendar, Camera, Calculator, Notes, Clock, and Settings.

tags technorati : iPhone, iLounge, Palm, Platform, OSX, Apple

TuneStudio

I was really pleased to read this. Belkin's TuneStudio got an iLounge’s Best of Show 2007 Award. Fantastic. I think it deserved it. I think it is a really innovative product, I can't wait for it to come out. Well done iLounge for giving it an award too.

I was especially glad to see one in the picture as well. It is always cool to see these things in the flesh.

tags technorati : iPod, Belkin, TuneStudio, iLounge, MacWorld, Innovation

iPhone :Not OSX in your hand after all...

So it turns out that you won't be able to run third party applications on the iPhone after all. That is a big shame indeed.

Check out TUAW:

"The OS isn't going to be "OS X for real." It's more like a pseudo-OS X and, like the iPod, it will not have a public API and open development."

This is a real let down. No Garageband for iPhone, no pocket Logic.

Perhaps things will change in the future, maybe they'll open it up at a later stage. I can hope about that can't I.

tags technorati : iPhone, Apple, Mac, OSX, TUAW

iPhone - OSX in your hand?

Well, it surpassed my expectations completely. The idea of having a device that is as small as a phone and yet is able to run desktop class applications is fantastic. The hardware is amazing and the way it is integrated into the OS is very smart indeed. I think that this is the real day of the "smartphone".

If Apple can give us a device that will truly run OSX in your hand, what does that mean for mobile music? Perhaps a handheld version of Garageband? A phone version of Logic? Why not?

The ability to use a phone like this to access top quality music applications must be realised. I think that this is a fantastic opportunity to take the handheld music world forward.

Well done Apple, can't wait to get one!

tags technorati : Apple, iPhone, iPod, OSX, Handheld, Garageband, Logic

iPod becomes a 4-track...

This looks interesting. I love the idea of hardware add-ons for devices like iPods that take them completely outside the realm of what they were made for. This is a great idea.

If this comes out I am going to have to seriously re-evaluate my needs for an iPod.

Here's what iLounge say about it.

Belkin has introduced the TuneStudio, a four-channel audio mixer that allows users to create digital recordings directly to a fifth-generation iPod. The mixer accepts up to four different instruments or audio sources, and records the audio to the iPod in 16-bit, 44kHz stereo quality for instant playback; each source has a 3-band equalizer, pan and level controls, and the system offers microphone gain and makeup gain features attenuated to the iPod’s recording needs. According to the company, it can also serve as an external USB sound card for PCs or Macs, allowing PC source audio input and output to a PC from any of its inputs, as well as streaming audio over a USB connection.

“TuneStudio is compact, portable, and tough enough to withstand life in a rehearsal room or in a garage,” says Belkin. “Bands can easily attach instruments and microphones to TuneStudio and record jam sessions directly onto an iPod. Podcasters can also use this device to record their shows either in a studio or on location.” Belkin said the TuneStudio is expected to be released this summer, priced at $180.

tags technorati : Apple, iPod, Belkin, 4-Track, Mixer, Portable Studio

PsyTexx II 0.4 Update

PsyTexx II has just been updated to version 0.4. New in this version:

v0.4:
* Added RAW-samples loading function
* Some windows redesigned
* Added "Clear comments" function
* Added two timers: working time and playing time
* He he... Multichannel arpeggio (0xx effect) was added. I like it :)
* Click on a channel: left button - mute/unmute channel; right - solo channel/unmute all
* Added new font: 8x13
* Improved sample editor
* Added wave drawing to the channels view
* Fixed many different bugs

I keep meaning to get to grips with Psytexx, both I and II, but never seem to get around to it, which I think is a shame as obviously a lot of work has gone into the software.

I am also really impressed that it is released as open source.

Part of me wants to start looking at their code to try and understand what is going on, but I know that I am unlikely to understand any of it at all.

Still, only January and an updated Palm application already. Excellent start to the year.

tags technorati : Palm, Psytexx, Tracker, Handheld music, Mobile Studio

Here's to mobile music in 2007...

Welcome to 2007. Let's look forward to lots of new developments. Some if this post I used at the tale end of 2006, so you might find it familiar. There's bits and pieces added too!

MiniMusic

I'm looking forward to new applications from minimusic. If you look at their development calendar you'll see what they've got planned for this year.

MixPad has been in beta for a very long time indeed. MixPad is an application for mixing MIDI files.

MixPad is the next application that they plan to release, and, like the others so far it will use the Krikit sound engine. Once MixPad arrives you'll be able to create sounds in SoundPad use them in NotePad or BeatPad and then export them to MIDI to mix them in MixPad. The suite of apps will really take on a new dimension I think with the addition of MixPad.

Next I hope that there will be a new version of NotePad. In version 1.5 I'm hoping for the ability to export a song file as a .wav file onto memory card. Things will become very interesting if that comes about.

In theory you'll be able to create a .wav file in NotePad export it, and import it into Bhajis Loops. That would in effect give you the ability to have sounds created in SoundPad used in Bhajis Loops. Now that would be interesting. Or indeed, if you made percussion sounds in SoundPad you could use them (as .wavs) in Microbe and then export from Microbe to Bhajis Loops. I do like the thought of being about to move sounds and files around between all these apps, and I think that is really on the horizon now.










After NotePad I'm waiting for SpinPad. I have played with the demo of SpinPad for ages, since the day it was actually released in fact, and I find it so interesting. It is a completely unique interface for making music. I don't know where they got the idea from, but it is great. Again, if this uses the Krikit sound engine and has the ability to export to MIDI so you can then pick up your work in MixPad, that is going to be amazing. MiniMusic will have done an amazing job.

Of course it doesn't end there... I'd also like to see updates to SoundPad to include other wave forms, and features like locking banks of sounds. I'd like to see updates to AxisPad to allow recording of performances, and maybe even export to MIDI?










Finally, I'm holding my breath for WavePad the Palm OS multi-track digital audio editor. I don't know how it will work, but the idea is a really exciting one.

Pocket PC Applications: SSEYO

I hope that SSEYO will continue to develop their miniMIXA application, and possibly even port it to the Palm platform? Again, apps like Griff and Syntrax don't seem to be being actively updated, so miniMixa is sort of the only thing left. It would be nice to see more developers joining in.

Hardware:

It is difficult to say what will happen hardware-wise in 2007? Will Apple bring in a smartphone or newton update? Will it have a micro version of Garageband that you can use? That would be fantastic wouldn't it.

New Developers?

I would be great to see some new developers for palm, or pocket PC for that matter. Whilst it is a small market, it is a really interesting one.

What about the blog?

Well, I'd like to add more reviews to the blog and more about development of handheld music applications.

So, all in all, I think 2007 should be a good year.

tags technorati : MiniMusic, Palm, Bhajis Loops, SSEYO, miniMIXA, NotePad, AxisPad, WavePad, SoundPad, Griff, Syntrax, Microbe, MIDI,