Digital Lifestyles has an interesting bit of information on the Pacemaker device.
Search for a tiny mixer
One thing a PDA device can't (currently) do is to mix multiple input signals. I found one possible candidate for a portable mixing solution, the Samson Mixpad 4 which, from what I can gather, is almost exactly what I'm after. But of course they're not being made any more.
So, if you know of any really small battery powered mixers, please let me know.
So, if you know of any really small battery powered mixers, please let me know.
TuneStudio almost ready to ship
According to eMusician the TuneStudio is almost ready to ship.
"When I wandered by Belkin’s booth (Belkin at NAMM? That’s news!), I discovered that the TuneStudio is almost ready to ship. Just in case you didn’t notice all the publicity it got when it was announced, the TuneStudio is an iPod-based recording studio that goes a bit beyond any other iPod-recording device, and it looks pretty neat, too."
I'm looking forward to the release in the UK, which will be after the US release in the Summer.
"When I wandered by Belkin’s booth (Belkin at NAMM? That’s news!), I discovered that the TuneStudio is almost ready to ship. Just in case you didn’t notice all the publicity it got when it was announced, the TuneStudio is an iPod-based recording studio that goes a bit beyond any other iPod-recording device, and it looks pretty neat, too."
I'm looking forward to the release in the UK, which will be after the US release in the Summer.
First Steps: TRG Pro & SG20
Well, I've hooked up my TRG Pro and SG20, and started to use some of the older applications I've got which will run in Palm OS 3.5.
The Applications I plan to use are:
- BeatPad
- NotePad
- SpinPad (demo)
- Egg (demo)
- Hedgehog
- Burrito
- Tractor
- Meedy
Plus any others I can conjure up.
The Applications I plan to use are:
- BeatPad
- NotePad
- SpinPad (demo)
- Egg (demo)
- Hedgehog
- Burrito
- Tractor
- Meedy
Plus any others I can conjure up.
PDA Museum
There was an Apple Newton museum, which eventually got broken up and sold off on eBay (great shame really). So I am going to start a Palm / PDA version, it will probably take quite a lot of time and effort. To start with I've managed to get hold of a TRG Pro, which is a wonderful pam device that wasn't made by Palm. It was built by a company called Handera. In many ways it was like the Palm IIIxe, but it had a CF card slot as well. Here's some of the specs:
TRGpro™ Built-in Applications
Palm OS® 3.5.3
Palm OS extensions for accessing CompactFlash cards
CardPro® utility for moving applications to and from CF memory devices in TRGpro
FlashPro™ - data safety/memory utility software
Backup
CPU
Motorola DragonBall-EZ™ MC68EZ328 operating at 16MHz
Memory
8MB EDO DRAM
2MB FLASH (standard) contains the Palm OS and built-in applications. When using FlashPro® software (included) it is capable of storing user applications and data which are retained even in the event of a total loss of power for extended periods of time
Card Slot
One CompactFlash™ Type I/II card slot (for adding additional storage, modem3, ethernet3, etc.)
Sound
Internal audio amplifier and speaker
So, what's the really big benefit of an old OS4 device? Well, it will work with an SG20 (a MIDI module) tha twill clip directly onto the base of the unit.
Anyway, I'm quite pleased with the start of my PDA Museum.
TRGpro™ Built-in Applications
Palm OS® 3.5.3
Palm OS extensions for accessing CompactFlash cards
CardPro® utility for moving applications to and from CF memory devices in TRGpro
FlashPro™ - data safety/memory utility software
Backup
CPU
Motorola DragonBall-EZ™ MC68EZ328 operating at 16MHz
Memory
8MB EDO DRAM
2MB FLASH (standard) contains the Palm OS and built-in applications. When using FlashPro® software (included) it is capable of storing user applications and data which are retained even in the event of a total loss of power for extended periods of time
Card Slot
One CompactFlash™ Type I/II card slot (for adding additional storage, modem3, ethernet3, etc.)
Sound
Internal audio amplifier and speaker
So, what's the really big benefit of an old OS4 device? Well, it will work with an SG20 (a MIDI module) tha twill clip directly onto the base of the unit.
Anyway, I'm quite pleased with the start of my PDA Museum.
Nullsleep
I previously posted on Nullsleep's performance in NYC. This attracted the following comment:
"i'm not familiar with the gameboy-music interface, but it didn't seem like this guy had any control over what was playing. his tinkering with the grey gameboy didn't seem to alter the sound being played. does anyone know how much of this performance could be 'live'? it seemed pre-sequenced, like the gameboys were simply playing and not being tweaked. "
So, I thought it would be worth seeing if Nullsleep had a site, which he does. There's quite a bit of information, but I'm not sure that the question above is answered.
Anyway, it is worth checking out the Nullsleep site. It has details of the software he uses too.
"i'm not familiar with the gameboy-music interface, but it didn't seem like this guy had any control over what was playing. his tinkering with the grey gameboy didn't seem to alter the sound being played. does anyone know how much of this performance could be 'live'? it seemed pre-sequenced, like the gameboys were simply playing and not being tweaked. "
So, I thought it would be worth seeing if Nullsleep had a site, which he does. There's quite a bit of information, but I'm not sure that the question above is answered.
Anyway, it is worth checking out the Nullsleep site. It has details of the software he uses too.
Tascam CD Trainer series
Tascam have added some new devices to their range. These portable trainer devices are not much bigger than a pocket CD player and give the user plenty of functionality, such as flash back function (instant replay of last 5 seconds), 3 octaves oscillator, footswitch connector, 10 banks for user effects and mono (left & right, only left or only right) and split (left channel for CD and right channel for mic/instrument) monitor modes. They also contain the same features that the MP3 versions had, like variable speed audition technology that can change pitch without affecting key, instrument/voice canceling, metronome, tuner, mic/instrument input, line and headphones outputs.
Take a look at the Tascam site for more information.
iPhone as a controller
Another CDM find. This time the iPhone makes it to be a music / multimedia controller. I guess it is a step forward toward using the real potential of the device.
Trinity device gets Ardour
Another favourite read CDM have a story on a new development on the Trinity Audio device. It is now going to include the Ardour DAW software. Even so, it is still pricey at $999.
Also, there's some new pictures of the device as well!
Also, there's some new pictures of the device as well!
More Chiptune Busking
One of my favourite reads is Music Thing which picked up on Nullsleep playing in NYC. They pointed to this video of Japanese Chiptune busking.
miniMusic Pro Suite
I know a good deal when I see one, and this really is a good deal.
Minimusic have two product suites, and this one is an excellent bundle. Here's what their site says:
"The miniMusic Pro Music Suite combines all of our professional applications into a powerful mobile workshop for music. Included are our leading NotePad, BeatPad, and SoundPad applications. All three rely on the Krikit Audio Engine for rich polyphonic sound. Sounds designed in SoundPad can now be used in all of our other sequencers to play songs and patterns. Everything you create on your handheld can be exported as standard MIDI files to be incorporated into your projects back at the studio. Never be caught without your music software again!
NotePad lets you work directly on music staff, or step record from an on-screen piano or place notes on a graphic piano-roll. MixPad is a powerful MIDI file player/mixer/viewer. BeatPad lets you interact with the music as it plays, changing and swapping patterns to evolve your music over time. AxisPad turns the touch sensitive screen of your handheld or phone into a flexible control surface. SoundPad offers multiple oscillators, each with its own ADSR envelope, white noise generators and modulation.
Also in the box are additional demos, a quick start guide, and a registration card to ensure you get the latest upgrades and technical support. Bought separately all of this would cost $130 US!
Buy Today for Only $89.95 US"
I think that's a really great deal from miniMusic
Send your PDA Music Story to Palm Sounds
If you you have a PDA music related story, send it in to palm dot sounds at mac dot com. Any stories are welcome.
kBang Game Boy Drum Machine
kBang I picked this up from CDM. Jowan Sebastian has built a brilliant, elegant app for Game Boys called kBANG.
Wire up a Game Boy to other objects — like solenoids, simple mechanical devices that can perform a tapping action — and you’ve got a real-world drum machine. Enough glitchy beats: physical objects become percussion.
Dedicated Hardware Poll Results
Well, I've taken down the poll. There weren't many responses, but all of them went for dedicated hardware everytime. Interesting.
Pocket Piano Pro
I found this the other day and I'm really not sure what to make of it. Is it for children / learning? I can't tell.
Here's what Clickgamer says:
"Description :
It just like a small electric piano. No matter where you
are, you can use Pocket Piano to play a song very easily.
You can also use this software to compose a song.
The features of Pocket Piano Pro:
Support ad-lib mode, quiz mode and compose mode
Support 3 octaves
Support 36 keys
Support 3 leves of listensing comprehension quiz
Support metronome function
The beats count of metronome is adjustable
The BPM (beats per minute) of metronome is adjustable.
The metronome click could be disable.
Support editing functions (copy, paste and delete) in
compose mode
Playback speed (tempo) of each song is adjustable
Support play repeated function"
Griff Plugin: Pocket Hat
Another cool plugin for Griff. This time the hihat emulator. Here's what the Griff site says about it:
"HiHat Emulator by Zephod.
It provides you with the same style of hihat sounds a certain famous drummachine does..
The controls:
OH Decay: Sets the duration of the open hihat
CH Decay: Sets the duration of the closed hihat
MODE: When set to Mono, only 1 hihat can sound at a time, like on a real drumkit. When set to duo, both hihats will sound at the same time when played at the same time, and won't cut off."
Zephod's Griff Beta Buzzmachines
Zephod made some of the best plug ins for Griff. Here's his site. Worth a look.
Handango sitewide sale - up tp 20% off
Just a quick pointer to say that Handango have a site wide sale up to 20% off until the 31st of July.
miniMusic Handheld music suite
I've been a big fan of apps from miniMusic for years and years (honestly), so their Handheld Music suite is a great way to get to know these excellent apps and buy them at a really reasonable price.
The suite includes:
NotePad - Notation
BeatPad - Pattern sequencer
AxisPad - Theremin
BugBand - Notation teacher
EarTrain - Learn intervals
The miniMusic Handheld Music Suite contains everything you need to turn your Palm Handheld into a powerful and portable music toolkit. Included are our leading NotePad, BeatPad, BugBand and EarTrain applications. This is a great software suite for a music student, a song writer or traveling musician. Never be caught without your music software again!
The simple and responsive interface is ideal for the beginner, but all of the tools you'll need to get some serious work done on the road are here too. Songs composed in NotePad can be played on the Palm or exported to your desktop computer. BeatPad lets you interact with the music as it plays, changing and swapping patterns to evolve your music over time. AxisPad turns your handheld or phone into a musical instrument, draw sound on the screen. BugBand helps you learn to read music for many instruments including piano, guitar (right or left handed!), trumpet and tuba. EarTrain trains you to recognize musical intervals--a fundamental skill for learning chords and scales.
Also in the box are additional demos, a quick start guide, and a registration card to ensure you get the latest upgrades and technical support. Bought separately all of this would cost over $100 US!
Buy Today for Only $69.95 US
Register for free upgrades of all four applications and free e-mail support!
Griff Plugin: mdaLeslie
I think that this is the only Griff plugin that I haven't bought as yet. The design is lovely, and I guess you'd have to say that the interface is very simple!
The Griff site says this:
"A recreation of the Classic Leslie speaker effect, mdaLeslie will add warmth and movement to any instrument. It is particularily effective when used with the mdaOrgan."
Mixx Mobile: Update
I decided that I didn't want to have the same thing happen to me as happened with miniMIXA, i.e. I never got around to buying a copy and no there's no way to buy it anymore. So I bought my copy of Mixx Mobile today and played with it a bit more. So far I can report that the time stretch works well. More later.
P.S. It does seem strange that only a few months ago I was really looking forward to having a multi-track on my PDA, and now I have two!
If you can't beat them, or join them ...
... then maybe the next best thing is to make some small beeping type applications yourself?
Well that's the plan anyway. Palm Sounds will be releasing a series of Palm applications entitled Sound Toys, and that's exactly what they are and nothing more.
Sound toys applications will mainly make some little beeping noises and not much more at this stage, because they are just toys after all.
In effect they are my way of starting to learn to write simple programs again (the last time I did that was at school)! I decided that I would share the results of this with you as some of these apps might be fun to play with. Might be!
The first in the series will be very simple indeed (honestly, very very very simple) and will be more like some of the early palm music making applications which allowed you to make beeps in a sequence (if you were lucky).
All the applications (however many there end up being) in the Sound Toys series will be free as I don't think I could ever justify charging for them. So when they appear, download them, play with them, laugh at them, delete them as you wish.
The first one or two should appear soon(-ish), maybe in a couple of weeks.
At least initially the Sound Toys apps will be palm OS only, but I might (if I'm lucky) get them to run on StyleTap. At some point I may venture into making bad Windows Mobile apps as well, who knows!
REMEMBER: Don't expect too much at all! None of these applications are going to make you stop using Bhajis Loops, or any of the miniMusic applications. They are going to be really really simple!
One day I hope to progress to doing something more interesting, but until then, Sound Toys it is!
Well that's the plan anyway. Palm Sounds will be releasing a series of Palm applications entitled Sound Toys, and that's exactly what they are and nothing more.
Sound toys applications will mainly make some little beeping noises and not much more at this stage, because they are just toys after all.
In effect they are my way of starting to learn to write simple programs again (the last time I did that was at school)! I decided that I would share the results of this with you as some of these apps might be fun to play with. Might be!
The first in the series will be very simple indeed (honestly, very very very simple) and will be more like some of the early palm music making applications which allowed you to make beeps in a sequence (if you were lucky).
All the applications (however many there end up being) in the Sound Toys series will be free as I don't think I could ever justify charging for them. So when they appear, download them, play with them, laugh at them, delete them as you wish.
The first one or two should appear soon(-ish), maybe in a couple of weeks.
At least initially the Sound Toys apps will be palm OS only, but I might (if I'm lucky) get them to run on StyleTap. At some point I may venture into making bad Windows Mobile apps as well, who knows!
REMEMBER: Don't expect too much at all! None of these applications are going to make you stop using Bhajis Loops, or any of the miniMusic applications. They are going to be really really simple!
One day I hope to progress to doing something more interesting, but until then, Sound Toys it is!
Griff Plugin: mdaFilter
I think that this is another Griff plugin that I haven't bought as yet. The design is lovely and clean, which is always good.
The Griff site says this:
"mdaFilter is a 12dB/oct filter operating in either LowPass, BandPass or HighPass mode."
Mixx Mobile: First Look
I got around to playing (albeit very briefly) with Mixx Mobile this afternoon. Only a very brief look I have to say, and so far I've only messed about with the demo track that comes with the application.
So far, I've found it to be an interesting little app, which is basically a small multi-track recorder / editor. In the demo song there are three tracks and a bunch of relatively short clips contained in those tracks, so I don't know how it will cope with recording longer pieces of audio.
You can use up to 6 tracks of audio for a project. Audio clips can be edited and have effects applied to them such as:
· Bass Optimizer
· Equalizer
· Chorus
· Reverb
· Echo
I only tried out the echo and reverb, but I did like the reverb controls.
I haven't tried out the export functions, or used any of my own clips to see what it can do. However, I think that at this stage it is worth a closer look, and when I get a chance I'll do just that and post again.
Abadja Rhythm for Palm 1.0 on Palmgear
Here's a nice app for Palms with flash player installed.
The application description at Palmgear says:
"Interact with an African percussion ensemble, and learn about West African drumming music with your Flash enabled handheld computer. Play the Abadja rhythm ensemble by turning instruments on and off during playback.
You can store combinations of instruments for instant recall. Read about each instrument and its role in the ensemble. For best audio quality, try listening with headphones.
Supported devices:
HVGA (320 x 480) Palm 5 devices
Sony CLIE TH55 - UX50, 40 - NZ90 - NX80V, 73V, 70V, 60 (Flash 5 pre-installed)
Palm LifeDrive and Palm TX,T5,T3 or Tapwav Zodiac with Flash 5 player for Palm installed."
Worth a play, although I'm not sure it will work on Windows Mobile?
Giff Plugin: mda Organ
This is a great plug in for Griff. It has a really rich sound, and is more versatile than you might think.
Here's what the Griff site says:
mdaOrgan is an virtual classic drawbar organ with 9 drawbars and a percussion switch.
Use with the mdaLeslie speaker emulator for best results.
Drawbar sizes:
16'
5 1/3'
8'
4'
2 2/3'
2'
1 3/5'
1 1/3'
1'
Created by mda. I have a personal soft spot for this sound, but over and above that the interface is fantastic.
I miss my old Libretto
I got rid of it a while ago, and even when I had it I didn't really use it for anything, even so I begin to miss it for no reason I can adequately explain!
It really wasn't up to making music with at all, but some of the later Libretto's were almost useful if you know what I mean. They still fetch a reasonable price on eBay as well. The 110CT models could go up to 64mb of RAM and a 4gb hard drive. I know that by today's standard this is nothing, but the size of the thing is fantastic.
I half want to buy one again, but it is a silly idea really.
It really wasn't up to making music with at all, but some of the later Libretto's were almost useful if you know what I mean. They still fetch a reasonable price on eBay as well. The 110CT models could go up to 64mb of RAM and a 4gb hard drive. I know that by today's standard this is nothing, but the size of the thing is fantastic.
I half want to buy one again, but it is a silly idea really.
Developer Focus: Clearec
The developer of Mixx Mobile, Clearec, is an interesting developer. Before Mixx Mobile came out I'd never heard of them at all, but it seems that they're looking for more than just retail sales of their product and code according the OEM page on their site.
Let's hope they continue to make new audio apps too.
Let's hope they continue to make new audio apps too.
Alesis iMultimix iPod mixer
Is the Alesis iMultimix shipping? The Alesis site puts it in their new product guide, so maybe it is?
Really useful miniMusic FAQ
I stumbled on this whilst browsing the miniMusic site, and I've learnt quite a lot from it already.
Mixx Mobile
I just found this app as I was looking around PocketGear. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it as yet. The PocketGear description is as follows:
Application Description
Mixx Mobile is a stylish and user-friendly audio editing software for smartphones and PDAs. With Mixx Mobile you can create ring tones, record sounds, mix them and edit them in the integrated audio editor. There are numerous effects to fine tune the sound, like voice modification, bass enhancement, reverse, reverb and much more. Produce creative ring tones and sound projects from MP3, WAV, FLAC and OGG files in only a few steps. A fun experience is guaranteed.
But I did a bit more digging (well not much actually) and found the developer's site, which has quite a bit more to say about the application:
Produce ringtones on your mobile phone!
With Mixx Mobile you can create real music ring tones directly on your mobile phone in only a few steps. Use one of the wizards to create your individual ringtone in a second and impress on your friends. Or fine tune the sound with the numerous effects and editing possibilities.
Simple and professional audio editing in one!
• Mix audio with up to six tracks on your phone
• Record concerts or voice notes in lossless audio quality
• Edit the audio clips with the integrated audio editor
• Load MP3, WAV, OGG or FLAC audio files
• Cut, copy and paste entire audio clips or sections
• Apply one of the numerous effects inlcuding
· Reverse
· Time Stretch
· Voice Change
· Bass Optimizer
· Equalizer
· Chorus
· Reverb
· and more...
• Extensive zooming functionality for optimal precision
• Set the output directly as ringtone
• Send output to a friend by Bluetooth (Send2Friend)
• Use your favourite skin for Mixx Mobile
• Download cool Mixx Mobile projects and sounds for free
• Support for landscape mode
• Extensive stylus support on Pocket PC
• Reduced power consumption user interface
Imagine
Imagine having a fully feathered sound editor on your phone. Imagine recording your best friends voice with your mobile phone and making him sound like a small girl. Imagine finally getting a real bass feeling when listening to music on your mobile phone.
Does it sound too good to be true?
Let Mixx Mobile fulfill your mobile audio dreams.
System Requirements
• Phone or PDA running Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 (WM2003), 5 (WM5) or 6 (WM6). Both SmartPhone and pocketPC are supported.
• At least 3 MB free RAM for the software and ideally 10 MB for audio files
• Recommended: Processor faster than 200 MHz for realtime playback
For installation:
• ActiveSync connection between PC and device
I'm going to try it out and see what the application is like and post again about it.
Hardware or Software
I've set up a little poll to see what people think about this question. We'll see how the results look in a week.
Cyber Mod
Nifty little Mod player from Ledset
Here's what the Ledset site says about it:
What is Cyber Mod?
Pocket Cyber Mod is a mod music player for PDA's running Microsoft Pocket PC. Cyber Mod Player is freeware.
What is Mod music?
The sample files of today like mp3 and wma are only possible thanks to cheaper memory (the kids nowadays don't know how lucky they are... etc...). Mod music was developed at a time when storage/program memory was very expensive. A mod file contains a few tiny samples and some instructions telling the computer how to build a tune out of them. The end result is great sounding music that only occupies a miniscule amount of memory. This is IDEAL for smaller computers like PDAs, after all you won't fit many MP3s on your iPAQ but you'll be able to fit thousands of mod files on it.
No Palm Sounds OSX Widget
Sadly I didn't get around to doing this and now he copy of Dashcode has expired, so no Palm Sounds widget for the time being I'm afraid. Maybe if I get around to buying a copy of Leopard and a new Mac as well I might get it done.
Bhajis creator goes Google
Olivier Gillet, developer of Bhajis Loops and Microbe is off to Google according to him to "... do googly stuff".
So I suppose we should expect some interesting things from Google in the coming months.
So I suppose we should expect some interesting things from Google in the coming months.
Palm Sounds on MySpace
Well, Palm Sounds has joined the Social Networking scene. Mainly this is to help promote music made on handhelds and starts off with a few tracks I made some time ago, but I hope to rotate and update these fairly regularly.
Visit Palm Sounds at MySpace for a listen and to see what's going on there.
Visit Palm Sounds at MySpace for a listen and to see what's going on there.
Useful beginner's guides on CM
There are some really useful guides in the Computer Music Beginners section.
OT: ZX Spectrum Orchestra
I just got a copy of "Basic Programming". The CD release from the ZX Spectrum Orchestra, and it is fantastic. Not really handheld I know, but certainly of interest.
Griff Plugin: Goldfish
The fantastic Goldfish bass synth from Griff
Here's what the the Griff site says:
"Simple and effective design from Zephod. Monophonic bassline synth Designed to be fast but still have a smooth filter. Controls include env mod, resonance, wave, glide, decay and cut-off."
A lovely sound, worth it if you have Griff.
Hardware or Software
I've written a few posts recently about hardware devices and I've found myself lusting after a Boss Micro-BR again. It makes me wonder, what is better, dedicated hardware or software for generic devices?
I like the idea of hardware that is made specifically for one task, but I also want to carry less gear that can do more so that I can do everything I need with the minimum number of devices.
I think maybe a poll to see what you think too.
I like the idea of hardware that is made specifically for one task, but I also want to carry less gear that can do more so that I can do everything I need with the minimum number of devices.
I think maybe a poll to see what you think too.
DJmix2000
Here's a strange looking device from NTI Comodo Inc. A sort of podcasting recorder device. Although it is sort of handheld, I'm not sure who it is aiming at really. Here's what their site says about it:
"DJmix2000 is our latest addition of USB audio product that reproduced digitally enhanced audio/sound technology for empowering music lovers. Dynamic playback out comes sound and record in your desktop/ lap top PC.
......For empowering music lovers as well as Music deejay, karaoke lovers ....
Highlight
1. full duplex sound card inside
2. Microphone with Echo control.
3. Low latency pipe line for music
The DJmix2000 platinum USB audio/karaoke Console also retains the features that made the playback & record with microphone (vocal) echo control.
-. echo control
-. record/stop/play key
-. play/pause, stop. prev, next track
-. master volume control
-. 3 mode key microphone/music/mixed"
Fair enough, it is a Japanese site and the translation may not be all that, even so, who is this for?
Zoom H2
I do like dedicated hardware, and the Zoom H2 is very nice and very small indeed ...
Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering (ENG) and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. The H2 can effortlessly record it in high-quality stereo.
The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules onboard for 360° recording. With 4 mic capsules in a W-X/Y configuration, the audio is decoded instantly, bringing these four signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging.
Here's what the Zoom site has to say about the product:
But the H2 doesn't stop there. For maximum flexibility, you can record from the front of the H2 and at 90° or the rear of H2 at 120° in up to 96 kHz/24-bit WAV format, as MP3 up to 320 kbps. Additionally, you can record 360° in 48kHz/24-bit format which will allow you to convert your recordings to 5.1 Surround.
The H2 is a remarkably robust device that is incredibly easy to use. One button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface mean you can always capture the moment. Set your levels, push record and go. It's that simple. Or use the Auto Start and Auto Gain Control functions to ensure complete capture at the right level. And if you need to fine-tune your levels on the fly, we made it easy with gain control buttons on the front panel.
The H2 records on Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. With a 4GB SD memory card, the H2 provides up to 2 hours recording at 96kHz, 6 hours at 44.1kHz, or up to a staggering 138 hours in MP3. Store your recordings on a PC or Mac with its USB 2.0 interface. And you can use its time stamping function for reference during production. Or use the H2 as a USB Mic or digital audio interface for recording directly to a computer.
The H2 weighs 4 ounces and fits in your pocket for the ultimate in portability and convenience. Two standard alkaline AA batteries will give you 4 hours of continuous operation and a backlit display means it's always easy to use in any situation.
I have to admit it looks good and it very small indeed. Almost the ideal size for a field recorder. All in all a very cool little bit of hardware.
Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering (ENG) and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. The H2 can effortlessly record it in high-quality stereo.
The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules onboard for 360° recording. With 4 mic capsules in a W-X/Y configuration, the audio is decoded instantly, bringing these four signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging.
Here's what the Zoom site has to say about the product:
But the H2 doesn't stop there. For maximum flexibility, you can record from the front of the H2 and at 90° or the rear of H2 at 120° in up to 96 kHz/24-bit WAV format, as MP3 up to 320 kbps. Additionally, you can record 360° in 48kHz/24-bit format which will allow you to convert your recordings to 5.1 Surround.
The H2 is a remarkably robust device that is incredibly easy to use. One button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface mean you can always capture the moment. Set your levels, push record and go. It's that simple. Or use the Auto Start and Auto Gain Control functions to ensure complete capture at the right level. And if you need to fine-tune your levels on the fly, we made it easy with gain control buttons on the front panel.
The H2 records on Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. With a 4GB SD memory card, the H2 provides up to 2 hours recording at 96kHz, 6 hours at 44.1kHz, or up to a staggering 138 hours in MP3. Store your recordings on a PC or Mac with its USB 2.0 interface. And you can use its time stamping function for reference during production. Or use the H2 as a USB Mic or digital audio interface for recording directly to a computer.
The H2 weighs 4 ounces and fits in your pocket for the ultimate in portability and convenience. Two standard alkaline AA batteries will give you 4 hours of continuous operation and a backlit display means it's always easy to use in any situation.
I have to admit it looks good and it very small indeed. Almost the ideal size for a field recorder. All in all a very cool little bit of hardware.
QOTD: What would bring in developers?
It is fair to say that there aren't many developers of mobile music applications. Why is this?
Is it that the market is fairly small? Maybe.
Is it because developing these kind of applications requires a great deal of skill and expertise? Almost certainly?
Is it just not an area that people want to get into? Could be.
So, what would bring developers in?
It is a difficult question, and not one that is easily answered I think. What do you think?
Is it that the market is fairly small? Maybe.
Is it because developing these kind of applications requires a great deal of skill and expertise? Almost certainly?
Is it just not an area that people want to get into? Could be.
So, what would bring developers in?
It is a difficult question, and not one that is easily answered I think. What do you think?
Asus Eee PC
News on the flash based sub-notebook from Brighthand. The article is worth a look, although it doesn't explain how you could get XP on to it instead of the linux based OS, and I'm sure that was mentioned in their previous article on the subject.
The Synth that never was...
I was quite hopeful that this synth project might get off the ground, but it seems like the developer doesn't have time, which is a shame. I'd give it a go myself, although I'm no programmer.
Update from Screens Environment
An update from Screens Environment, not that I understand it particularly, but it is nice to know it is still moving forward.
Casio VL-10 on eBay for £149 now
It must be the same one that was on for £299 a week or two ago, now half price!
The Gadgeteer on miJam Guitar and mini mixer
The Gadgeteer reviews these toys and comes up with similar verdicts so other reviews.
Traxxpad for PSP!
Well this looks like an interesting application for the PSP. So far the PSP has mainly supported homebrew music applications (to the best of my knowledge), but now comes Traxxpad a studio type application for PSP, and it looks really interesting.
Traxxpad, is an application which transforms the PSP into a music studio. You can create, mix and sample tracks on the go with your PSP.
Traxxpad blends the power of sequencers, drum machines, and keyboards while simultaneously making the equipment easy to use and accessible, allowing anyone to create, mix and sample their own tracks at home or on-the-go. Music making can be as fun and easy as simply pressing buttons, or as in-depth and detailed as the user wants make it.
Equipped with over 1000 stock sounds, the extensive sound library ensures that there is always variety to choose from. Traxxpad can also be utilized as a Sampler, utilizing the PSP system microphone. Sample anything, anywhere, and then use the wave editor to trim, adjust gain, normalize or reverse the recording. Most importantly, Traxxpad allows users to export their songs to mp3 files, enabling production to be as easy as burning to a disc or transferring to your MP3 player.
Of course, now I'm wondering if I can justify getting myself a PSP!
If you've had a chance to play with this or know someone who has, please do get in touch with reviews.
Traxxpad, is an application which transforms the PSP into a music studio. You can create, mix and sample tracks on the go with your PSP.
Traxxpad blends the power of sequencers, drum machines, and keyboards while simultaneously making the equipment easy to use and accessible, allowing anyone to create, mix and sample their own tracks at home or on-the-go. Music making can be as fun and easy as simply pressing buttons, or as in-depth and detailed as the user wants make it.
Equipped with over 1000 stock sounds, the extensive sound library ensures that there is always variety to choose from. Traxxpad can also be utilized as a Sampler, utilizing the PSP system microphone. Sample anything, anywhere, and then use the wave editor to trim, adjust gain, normalize or reverse the recording. Most importantly, Traxxpad allows users to export their songs to mp3 files, enabling production to be as easy as burning to a disc or transferring to your MP3 player.
Of course, now I'm wondering if I can justify getting myself a PSP!
If you've had a chance to play with this or know someone who has, please do get in touch with reviews.
Big iPhone update on the horizon?
This article on PDA Live suggests that there's a really big update coming that may even bring real applications to the iPhone rather than the current web only apps at present.
A Reader Synth Project
Some time ago a Palm Sounds reader contacted me about copies of the Capers applets and demos for a synth building project. Well, the project is moving forward, and there's news and pictures:
"... we've had a few interesting setbacks but things are looking pretty good at the moment. Good news and weird news to say the least. the first test build of the synth literally went up in flames. I suspect it was a short somewhere on the circuit board, the designer of the board insists it was due to an error in my assembly. We argued about it for a few weeks and decided it was best to forget about it and look over all the design and see if there was anything we could improve. We've ended up with a really killer board. It's a hybrid synth using digital sound generation with analog processing. so it's got a beefy filter section, some pretty interesting routing capabilities, and a fairly small size for something built from non-micro sized components. It will feature the palm as it's primary controller but will also allow full midi input. All in a six or seven space shallow rack.
I've got a friend who is a metal fabricator who promises he will cut my control panel just as soon as he gets a chance. I've been traveling quite a bit for work lately so things have been hectic.
I've attached a few photos of all the components.
All told there about 1000 parts. the photos don't really convey just how many parts there are. Way more than anticipated, but my designer friend assures me it is the bare minimum for the desired results...."
Well, it sounds like a really interesting project. Check out the reader's site at Siempre La Luna, and I'll post more on this as I get it.
"... we've had a few interesting setbacks but things are looking pretty good at the moment. Good news and weird news to say the least. the first test build of the synth literally went up in flames. I suspect it was a short somewhere on the circuit board, the designer of the board insists it was due to an error in my assembly. We argued about it for a few weeks and decided it was best to forget about it and look over all the design and see if there was anything we could improve. We've ended up with a really killer board. It's a hybrid synth using digital sound generation with analog processing. so it's got a beefy filter section, some pretty interesting routing capabilities, and a fairly small size for something built from non-micro sized components. It will feature the palm as it's primary controller but will also allow full midi input. All in a six or seven space shallow rack.
I've got a friend who is a metal fabricator who promises he will cut my control panel just as soon as he gets a chance. I've been traveling quite a bit for work lately so things have been hectic.
I've attached a few photos of all the components.
All told there about 1000 parts. the photos don't really convey just how many parts there are. Way more than anticipated, but my designer friend assures me it is the bare minimum for the desired results...."
Well, it sounds like a really interesting project. Check out the reader's site at Siempre La Luna, and I'll post more on this as I get it.