And not a bad price I'd say. Take a look here.
Netaudio Taster April 11th
Netaudio have a taster event on the 11th.
Netaudio’08 presents its first Taster event on Friday, 11th April 2008. For the occasion we have prepare a special feat of networked creative production, the Netaudio Ping Pong.
Netaudio Ping Pong is partly music performance partly a game for everyone to join in. It is based on “run around” table tennis, but it ain’t no ball game, instead players can lay hand on some cutting edge technology and produce some wicked beats.
There will be two session at 9pm and 10pm. You are invited to take part and if you book ahead you can even bring along your very own samples loops and sounds. To book your place in the game, send us an email. Please tell us briefly who you are and if you want to contribute some sound material. Note that places are limited, first come – first serve.
Before, between and after the Ping Pong sessions, we have got some wicked Netaudio acts booked. Jon J-Lab and Alex Fisher will play a joint live set as Super Sonic Transport. And with Andi Sparks and Russell Skellon, two residents of Netaudio’08 will play you the hottest of free internet music, flavours range from dubstep, tech-house and dub.
Lineup:
you! -live (takeing part in Netaudio Ping Pong)
SST -live (SST are J-Lab & Alex Fisher)
Russell Skellon (Motronic, run, Netaudio London)
And Sparks (After-Dinner, Netaudio London
When: 11th April 08 8pm-2am
Where: 161-165 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AL
map
free entry
Sounds fun.
Netaudio London
Networked Music Review posts on Netaudio London 08 which is in October this year. looks interesting.
New post on the Korg DS-10 blog in Japanese
I tried using Google translate to understand what this post was about, but to be honest I think I might have been better off reading the Japanese!
iPhone SDK beta 2 is out
According to TUAW the latest iPhone SDK beta has been released. Before you go downloading, be aware it is a 2.1gb download, and the Apple servers are being hammered.
FilMobile
I picked up on this via the Mobile Sound blog. It looks quite interesting especially if you're in London of course.
FILMOBILE is a network project bringing together the mobile phone industry, filmmakers and artists working with mobile devices. FILMOBILE is organising a major event in the spring of 2008 consisting of a three parts: a gallery exhibition, cinema screenings and an international conference. This event will explore the cultural impact brought about by new mobile technologies and initiate debates between artists, the media and the new mobile industry.
Conference and screenings at The Old Lumière Cinema
309 Regent Street, London W1R 8AL (tube Oxford Circus)
Friday 4 April
16:00 – 18:00 FILMOBILE conference
18:30 – 20:30 FILMOBILE cinema screening
20:30 FILMOBILE wine reception
Saturday 5 April
10:30 – 18:30 FILMOBILE conference
The events are free to attend but registration via email or text-message is essential. Email to info@filmobile.net or text FILMOBILE to 81707 including your name and email address to register (texts cost 1 standard message).
Good feedback on TrakAx Mobile
The TrakAx blog has a bunch of comments from various sites (including Palm Sounds of course) on just how good the application is, and at a price of $19.99 you really can't go wrong in my opinion.
If you haven't taken a look as yet then you really should.
If you haven't taken a look as yet then you really should.
Tenori-On price rise to £629!
According to Dolphin Music's blog the price rise is due to exchange rates.
Concrete Dog videos
Concretedog MachinEMANCIPATION from concretedog on Vimeo.
Concretedog the colour fourteen from concretedog on Vimeo.
Here are some excellent videos from ConcreteDog. Fantastic.
Is hand held music greener than other electronic music making?
That's my question for today?
I was reading something at work today about turning off lights and appliances that you're not using and it struck me that maybe not only is mobile music making very handy in terms of being able to work on your stuff wherever you are, but also 'greener' than other forms of electronic music making.
I don't know if I'm right or not, I guess you'd have to work out the amount of power required to charge a laptop battery against a PDA battery and how much music production time you'd get from each, but it is one of those things that just feels like it should be right. It kind of makes intuitive sense that these devices use less power.
I could be wrong, but until someone tells me otherwise I might just feel good about it for a while.
I was reading something at work today about turning off lights and appliances that you're not using and it struck me that maybe not only is mobile music making very handy in terms of being able to work on your stuff wherever you are, but also 'greener' than other forms of electronic music making.
I don't know if I'm right or not, I guess you'd have to work out the amount of power required to charge a laptop battery against a PDA battery and how much music production time you'd get from each, but it is one of those things that just feels like it should be right. It kind of makes intuitive sense that these devices use less power.
I could be wrong, but until someone tells me otherwise I might just feel good about it for a while.
Sad day ...
It is a very sad day indeed. My SG20 MIDI tone module is no more. I was putting the batteries in and got a sudden smell of burning. When I tried to see if it still worked, nothing. Not a thing at all. Big shame.
So I thought I'd open it up to see if there was anything obvious wrong with it, but nothing jumps out at me. Any suggestions as to what to do with it would be gratefully received.
No MIDI on DS-10
The Korg DS-10 blog confirms that there will be no MIDI on the DS-10 but that they will look at it for a future product.
Also, they again confirm that they are looking at a US and European launch, which is good.
Also, they again confirm that they are looking at a US and European launch, which is good.
Pixelh8 Music Tech Pro Performer Cart now available
Pixelh8 Music Tech Pro Performer Cart is now available for £30 plus £5 delivery. Is that too much? I don't know, maybe, maybe not.
Pixilang 1.5
PixiLang gets updated to version 1.5 as follows:
- added support of the SDL library on Linux;
- added support of fullscreen direct draw access on PalmOS;
- optimized code for direct drawing (SDL, DirectX, OpenGL, GAPI...);
- fixed bugs with bitmap drawing on Windows Mobile;
- fixed bug with pixi-loading after file_dialog();
- speed optimization;
- many bugs fixed.
Useful AxisPad review
I was looking for something else, and found this instead which is actually not a bad review at all.
More experiments ...
Another video from the other day. The technology is all the same as before. The only difference is that with this track Bhajis Loops is running in live mode.
Thoughts on PDA instruments ...
I was thinking about PDA based instruments again and specifically the likes of AxisPad and Theremini / Theremidi. In my last video I used both these apps. Whilst I think they worked fine it made me realise that I could do so much more with these apps by simply investing some time and effort into setting up instruments that work well with the slates in AxisPad and fit with the overall piece.
Sounds straightforward doesn't it, but as I've started it is less easy than I thought it would be. SoundPad is a fantastic appplication and it allows a lot of control over a sound. It takes time to get a sound working right and I think sometimes I rush to get a sound finished.
AxisPad slates are easy to make, but fine tuning them to a point where they really work is a bit harder.
So fine tuning settings in both of these apps so they really work together is going to take more time, but in the end I think it will be really worth it and it will make performance much more straightforward.
Sounds straightforward doesn't it, but as I've started it is less easy than I thought it would be. SoundPad is a fantastic appplication and it allows a lot of control over a sound. It takes time to get a sound working right and I think sometimes I rush to get a sound finished.
AxisPad slates are easy to make, but fine tuning them to a point where they really work is a bit harder.
So fine tuning settings in both of these apps so they really work together is going to take more time, but in the end I think it will be really worth it and it will make performance much more straightforward.
Drum Kit Ace
I stumbled over this video and it reminded me of this app which I looked at ages ago. At the time I thought it was ok but nothing really special, but the video makes me think that it might be worth another look.
Software used in experiments video
Thanks to NightRadio for asking about the software used in the little video experiment I posted yesterday. Here are some answers:
T3 - Running Bhajis Loops
Treo 650 - Running AxisPad with sounds made using SoundPad
TRG Pro - Running Theremini (follow link and Theremini is about halfway down the page)
The TRG Pro was plugged into a Yamaha MU15 Tone Module. The whole thing was sent into a Korg Kaoss Pad Mini.
I have some more videos soon, I'm just having some trouble with the YouTube upload at the moment. Any questions just comment them in or drop me a line.
T3 - Running Bhajis Loops
Treo 650 - Running AxisPad with sounds made using SoundPad
TRG Pro - Running Theremini (follow link and Theremini is about halfway down the page)
The TRG Pro was plugged into a Yamaha MU15 Tone Module. The whole thing was sent into a Korg Kaoss Pad Mini.
I have some more videos soon, I'm just having some trouble with the YouTube upload at the moment. Any questions just comment them in or drop me a line.
More experiments ...
I had some spare time today, so I decided to set up some devices to make some noises.. Here's one of the results. More to come soon (-ish).
monome: open practice project: launch event
I got this from Cybersonica today. Sounds really interesting. I might just go along.
monome: open practice project: launch event
Thursday, 24th April, 7-10.30pm
SPACE Studios, 129-131 Mare St, Hackney, London E8 3RH: FREE
monomes are beautifully designed, hand-crafted, adaptable minimalist interfaces for controlling and monitoring pretty much anything audio, visual and beyond.
monome are Brian Crabtree and Kelli Cain, Philadelphia based artists who open source all aspects of the units' hardware and sofware to their growing and enthusiastic community of users.
"we're making available devices with which you can have an entirely different relationship... we seek less complex, more versatile tools: accessible, yet fundamentally adaptable... achieved through minimalistic design, enabling users to more quickly discover new ways to work, play, and connect. we see flexibility not as a feature, but as a foundation."
The open practice project focuses on these devices as the vehicle to support and encourage creative collaboration and meaningful exchange between a diverse group of all ages. It aims to create a playful, experimental space and a supportive framework in which users can share work, realise new technological ideas, be inspired, challenged and stretched.
Join us at the launch event to experience monome in action - via its inventors and a selection of existing users and creative agencies, meet other interested and like-minded people and find out more about the project and how to get involved.
Interested? Want to contribute? Want to get involved? Contact Us.
(The monome: open practice project is coordinated by Cybersonica with the support of Cybersalon & Kinetica Museum. A funding application is in progress.)
monome: open practice project: launch event
Thursday, 24th April, 7-10.30pm
SPACE Studios, 129-131 Mare St, Hackney, London E8 3RH: FREE
monomes are beautifully designed, hand-crafted, adaptable minimalist interfaces for controlling and monitoring pretty much anything audio, visual and beyond.
monome are Brian Crabtree and Kelli Cain, Philadelphia based artists who open source all aspects of the units' hardware and sofware to their growing and enthusiastic community of users.
"we're making available devices with which you can have an entirely different relationship... we seek less complex, more versatile tools: accessible, yet fundamentally adaptable... achieved through minimalistic design, enabling users to more quickly discover new ways to work, play, and connect. we see flexibility not as a feature, but as a foundation."
The open practice project focuses on these devices as the vehicle to support and encourage creative collaboration and meaningful exchange between a diverse group of all ages. It aims to create a playful, experimental space and a supportive framework in which users can share work, realise new technological ideas, be inspired, challenged and stretched.
Join us at the launch event to experience monome in action - via its inventors and a selection of existing users and creative agencies, meet other interested and like-minded people and find out more about the project and how to get involved.
Interested? Want to contribute? Want to get involved? Contact Us.
(The monome: open practice project is coordinated by Cybersonica with the support of Cybersalon & Kinetica Museum. A funding application is in progress.)
Apple Insider on the iTunes API on the iPhone
AppleInsider has an interesting piece on the iTunes APIs being off limits to developers effectively locking in Apple's iTunes store. I guess you could have expected that.
TUAW Updates on 1st iPhone developers
TUAW has an update on the first developers for on the iPhone and the details of what the programme entails.
Sad but true ...
Olivier (of Bhajis Loops fame) confirms:
Never mind, I'm sure there are others working on lots of lovely mobile apps as we speak.
I hope they are anyway!
Sorry guys, but I am not working on anything mobile-music-app-esque
Never mind, I'm sure there are others working on lots of lovely mobile apps as we speak.
I hope they are anyway!
Korg confusion
Now the Korg DS-10 blog says only available from Amazon.co.jp, so will it be international or not? I wish they'd make theire minds up
Interesting TuneStudio review
I found this review of TuneStudio and thought I ought to share it. It is quite handy as it is from the perspective of an actual musician rather than just a technology review.
Whilst I was reading it I noticed that the TuneStudio isn't compatible with the iPhone or the iPod Touch and I wondered a couple of things. Firstly, why not, and secondly, what might Belkin be thinking about for the iPod Touch?
What has happened to Olivier?
I've noticed that he hasn't been around on the Bhajis Garden forums of late. So, my guess / hope is that he's deep deep deep into the iPhone SDK right now and coming up with something as innovative as Bhajis Loops was a few years ago.
Who knows?
Who knows?
DS Band this summer?
We've seen iBand already, and I'm sure there are lots of apps coming there way later in the year, but what about DS Band after the release of the Korg DS-10?
Why not, you'll have synths and drum machines from the DS-10, guitar from Jam Sessions, and other noises from Electroplankton if you wish.
Any takers?
Why not, you'll have synths and drum machines from the DS-10, guitar from Jam Sessions, and other noises from Electroplankton if you wish.
Any takers?
WWDC 9-13 June
I was checking out the WWDC pages at the Apple site and I noticed this:
Which suggests that Apple expect developers (those they've let register that is) to make use of audio and video capabilities.
Create Engaging Media Experiences
The iPhone SDK provides an amazing lineup of technologies for developing media-rich mobile applications and cutting-edge handheld games. Learn from Apple’s Graphics & Media engineers as they reveal the techniques to harness these technologies in the most efficient and sophisticated way possible.
- Animate your user interface so your application can provide the dynamic user experience expected on iPhone.
- Dive deep into the APIs to render interactive 2D and 3D graphics in real-time.
- Experience the features of the built-in frameworks for playing and recording audio.
- Understand how your application can support video download and playback.
Which suggests that Apple expect developers (those they've let register that is) to make use of audio and video capabilities.
WWDC
Apple Gazette points out that the WWDC has two streams now. Mac, and iPhone / iPod Touch. What does it mean? Is OSX going to diverge to and branch out to be a real mobile OS? Who knows, still June isn't long to wait I guess.
iPhone developer rejections
TUAW reports on Apple rejecting iPhone developer registrations! Let's hope there's no budding audio specialists being rejected out there.
DS Fanboy on DS Instruments
DS Fanboy has a good post on the growing number of music making titles for the DS platform ...
Korg DS-10 some thoughts
There's been lots of attention over the Korg DS-10, but it set me thinking about what it really means. Here we have Korg making a new synth product for a gaming platform. That's fairly unusual I would say. So what does it say about the portable device market? Maybe the start of something big? Maybe the start of large music software and hardware companies taking portable hardware / handhelds seriously?
I don't know, perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but with this, and the iPhone / iPod Touch platform I think maybe things are going to change soon?
TrakAx Mobile for VGA now available and price down to $19.99
If you haven't looked into TrakAx Mobile you should give it some thought. It is probably one of the most innovative Windows Mobile apps I've seen in a long time and well worth the money, especially for $19.99
Korg Stylus-Controlled Tablet Synth for Nintendo DS: DS-10 on CDM
This turned up on both CDM and MusicThing. It looks great. It looks like something you've got to import if you've got a DS.
How many apps never get finished?
I was wondering the other day about how many music applications get started and never finished?
Why was I wondering this? Mainly because I had been working on a little drum machine app for ages which has stalled, and although I plan to finish it off you never know.
So how many other apps are there out there which start with good intentions and didn't get much further? Makes you wonder, and in many ways it is a bit of shame. Not that I'm saying I'd take them on, but it would be great if some of these ideas that didn't make it got shared out, like a pool of something similar.
Well, maybe ...
Why was I wondering this? Mainly because I had been working on a little drum machine app for ages which has stalled, and although I plan to finish it off you never know.
So how many other apps are there out there which start with good intentions and didn't get much further? Makes you wonder, and in many ways it is a bit of shame. Not that I'm saying I'd take them on, but it would be great if some of these ideas that didn't make it got shared out, like a pool of something similar.
Well, maybe ...
PixiTracker is great
If you haven't tried out pixitracker (via pixilang), you really should, it is an excellent little applet. When I get a chance I'll post a video of it in action.
Brighthand on iPhone StyleTap
Brighthand has an interesting article on views from both DataViz and StyleTap on the iPhone SDK. DataViz being more positive than StyleTap. I think if StyleTap could get their emulator working on the iPhone it would make a big difference for music types.
More Apple UMPC rumours
AppleInsider has another rumour of an Apple UMPC device coming up. Who knows if this is really on the cards, I can't see it myself as this rumour has been around for a long time.
Thinking about what people say
When Apple announced the iPhone SDK they said that the developer community would now have access to the same tools that the Apple Engineers had access to. So, what does that mean? Will Apple bring something interesting to the iPhone / iPod Touch platform? maybe.
I'd like to see them doing something like:
I'd like to see them doing something like:
- iLife on the iPhone (GarageBand and iMovie in particular)
- Logic (express or maybe "mini"?)
- Final Cut (I remember that someone got this running on an iPhone ages ago)
Sun to bring Java to iPhone
This post on Macrumurs has news of Sun's decision to bring Java into the iPhone sometime after June.
iPhone SDK 1st impressions from miniMusic
Thanks to Chad for this initial impression on the iPhone SDK. It makes for interesting reading:
I'm still working my way through the SDK, but I thought I'd chime in with a couple issues:Thanks for this Chad, please let me know what else you find.
For security, applications are "sandboxed" meaning they cannot read/write files created by other applications... it is unclear if there is a way to import or export files/data or share them with other applications.
Although the press event Thursday showed that audio frameworks were available (Core Audio, Open AL) they do not (yet!) offer all the features you find in their desktop equivalents (notice how you can load MIDI files into iTunes on a Mac but not onto your iPod/iPhone?).
This isn't OS X on the Mac, but there are still some interesting possibilities. Some advantages over PalmOS but disadvantages too. However this is a beta/"pre-release" SDK, so things can still change!
Would you switch?
Now that real apps are going to appear on the iPhone platform, what would make you switch?
Would it be:
Would you want to run your old Palm applications too? Maybe using something like this from StyleTap?
Would it be:
- Sequencing
- DJ Applications
- MIDI
- Sampling
- Synthesis
- Video
- All of the above please?
Would you want to run your old Palm applications too? Maybe using something like this from StyleTap?
Is the Palm economy in full scale decline?
1src has an interesting take on the news by Motricity that it plans to sell off PocketGear having rolled both palmgear and pocketgear into a single entity.
It makes you wonder if there is much left to play for in the palm economy at all now. PDA Performance have packed up shop and I would guess that other developers will do the same in time, or switch their efforts to a new platform, say the iPhone / iPod Touch arena.
It makes you wonder if there is much left to play for in the palm economy at all now. PDA Performance have packed up shop and I would guess that other developers will do the same in time, or switch their efforts to a new platform, say the iPhone / iPod Touch arena.
Apple iFund
CNET has an article all about the new iFund that has been set up to help developers get going with the new iPhone SDK. $100m is a lot of money, so in theory lots of developers should be interested. However, how many of them will be interested in making innovative music applications? I guess we'll have to wait and see in June with the app store opens.
iDrummer
I guess apps like this just show that there's lots that could be done with the iPhone / iPod Touch. Let's hope Apple do somethings sensible with the SDK when they release it.
DScratch and Kaos Pad
I like it when people use multiple handheld devices to do interesting things ...
PocketGear up for sale!
Not long after the consolidation of PocketGear and PalmGear, it looks like PocketGear is up for sale according to this post at Palm Infocenter.
I have to say that it comes as no big surprise as the combined site dumped all the freeware almost immediately, and doesn't seem to have been much use since it started.
Having said all that it has made it easier to keep an eye out for new and updated applications. I wonder who will buy it and what it will become?
I have to say that it comes as no big surprise as the combined site dumped all the freeware almost immediately, and doesn't seem to have been much use since it started.
Having said all that it has made it easier to keep an eye out for new and updated applications. I wonder who will buy it and what it will become?
Pacemaker community opens 5th March
No news on device shipments as yet though. The site says that their store will open soon.
CM Guide to Chip Tunes
Computer Music have a feature on chip tunes in their March issue including emulators. I wonder if they'll include emulators for handheld devices too?
This is what the email from Computer music says:
This is what the email from Computer music says:
The CM Guide to Chip Music
There are few genres as quintessentially 'computer music' as chip music, born as it is of the bleeping 8-bit ditties found in countless classic video games. We speak to chip-chomping whiz kids gwEm and Goto80 about making music with Atari STs, C64s, Game Boys and more, and show you how to make your own chirpy tunes using emulative software on your PC.