Well this afternoon mr. Steve Jobs will get the attention of the world when he will be hosting the ‘Back to the Mac‘ event. Most likely he will be introducing a new version of OS X? Tiny MacBook Airs? iPhone announcements? Who knows… Steve Jobs probably does! On the Apple forums there have been already set up discussion forums for the core components of the iLife suite, iMovie ’11, iPhoto ’11, and GarageBand ’11.
The Denon DN-HC1000S is a dedicated Serato controller enabling DJ’s to navigate around tracks, trigger cue points-samples-loops and effects. Plus with 4 midi page banks it’s also simply to create your own custom templates directly in Serato.
Getting into music production can be a difficult sometimes disheartening subject for many aspiring producers. What to buy from who and what? Presonus is offering a helping hand for these beginners. They have introduced the 1Box Recording Kit.
Digital 1 DJ/ PCDJ announces the release of PCDJ DEX for the MAC computer platform. PCDJ, which stands for personal computer disc jockey – is synonymous with the MP3 DJ revolution. “Releasing a MAC version of our popular DEX DJ software is very exciting for us”, says Ryan Sherr, Digital 1 Audio’s G.M.
Doepfer has an analog sequencer in development intended as an add-on for their Dark Energy synth. This sequencer, Dark Time, originally planned as an add-on for the Dark Energy, may also be used in combination with other Midi, USB or CV/Gate equipment too.
As part of their ongoing customer support, Korg has announced the microSAMPLER Bonus Sample Pack. This expansive collection of professionally sampled sounds is available as a free download to all microSAMPLER users.
Ok it’s already sunday but this just came in and I thought I am gonna share this with you: A video of the band Atomic Tom. This video was filmed unannounced on Friday October 8, 2010 aboard the New York City B Train, over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn and edited from 3 iPhone cameras. All footage is performed 100% live and executed in one take. The band is playing this track on their iPhones with music instrument apps. I am not sure I am believing the story behind it. It seems the band had their real instruments stolen and did an ‘impulsive’ gig on the subway. Ah well, … in the end it doesn’t matter because the ‘fun’ factor of this video is high enough (for my standards). Enjoy!
Native Instruments has started to tour the new S4 KONTROL, Native’s own DJ controller for their Traktor DJ software. Yesterday the dutch importer Amptec gave an exhibition of this much anticipated controller at Bax-Shop in the Netherlands. Gearjunkies was invited to get a first ‘hands-on’ look at this new DJ controller from Native Instruments.
Ask someone to describe hip hop music and they might say “slow beats at 90BPM, gritty samples, and politically charged rhymes from the streets.” They might not know it but they’re describing hip hop as we know it thanks to Hank Shocklee. It’s no exaggeration to say that not since George Martin has a producer had as much influence in the direction and development of a cultural movement. Hank doesn’t stop to reflect on all his accomplishments, however. He just continues to do what he always has… make music. Since the early 2000s, Shocklee moved his elaborate hardware based production workflow out of the studio rack and into the Reason rack.
For this interview, there were too many great stories to fit into a single interview so be sure to check out Hank Shocklee’s deleted scenes. They follow after the artist interview!
The at the MusikMesse of this year announced CTRL-ONE and CTRL-SIX controllers by Gemini have received their final ‘facelift’ and are now shipping with VirtualDJ LE software. Since the advent of the “laptop revolution” in the DJ realm, DJs have had to struggle to find a controller to work with the DJ software that gives them the feel of their traditional decks and turntables. Gemini set out to make these controllers just for DJs, giving them a familiar interface along with their favorite playback, mixer, and song-shaping tools.
Not official yet but RME is about to introduce the Fireface UFX as the new flagship of RME’s audio interfaces. 60 channels of audio! Digitally controlled high-end preamps, reference class converters and full 192 kHz operation. Ultra-low latency operation with USB OR FireWire combined with the legendary RME driver stability and maintenance. Including active jitter suppression, professional reference level support, advanced stand-alone functionality, RME’s unique DIGICheck metering and analysis toolbox and – of course – identical operation on Windows PC and Mac.
Oh come on! Really? … Well it sure looks like it. Moog have entered the world of apps. The brand that represents one of the most ultimate analog gear, entered the other side! The Moog Filtatron is an app that changes your iPhone (iPad?) into a small recording and effects-processing unit alongside your other gear. Wit the Moog Filtatron you can combine several sound sources and apply effects to them in realtime. Sound sources include line or mic input, looping sample playback, and an internal oscillator.
The new 4midiloop controller is a collaboration between FADERFOX and Glanzmann Digital DJ Solutions. It is the first controller which allows an entire and simultaneous control over four decks and four Effect-Slots in Traktor Pro. This ability is achieved by over 600 electronic components, equipped with the world’s best cross and line fader from Eclectic Breaks (Pro X Fade). Only 166 keys and almost the same number of Leds allow simultaneous control over nearly all of the operations in Traktor Pro as well as indicating all the important visual feedback signals of the controller’s software. Each device has a control for every function, which makes operating a mix of four decks most enjoyable. The controller attracts, not only by ergonomics and functionality but also with its revolutionary stylish light-aluminium body. 4midiloop is great new hardware for ambitious DJs, created to provide excitement and inspiration for many years to come.
Akai Professional, the name synonymous with music production, announces the SynthStation25 keyboard controller and the SynthStation music production app, both for iPhone and iPod Touch. Akai Pro will unveil the SynthStation25 and SynthStation app at the 2010 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, January 14–17.
Now and the coming months several big electronics manufacturers are releasing their own touch tablets, all trying to get a piece of the Apple cake. Over the past two, three years the role of the iPhone and, recently, the iPad has matured from gadget to serious tool in a studio or live performance environment. Looking at the first music apps for the iPhone, I personally have to admit, I thought this was just a temporary fad, craze. But with the iPad, and because of its larger format, the HD apps are maturing fast and deserve to be taken seriously.