Following their hugely successful MBase 11, Jomox is set to release another earth shattering dedicated drum unit - The M.Brane 11. This time they're tackling the ever elusive membrane drums - Snares, Toms, Bongos, and the like. The unit can even offer up respectable Kicks and Hats, as the unit has a dedicated noise oscillator. Along with 2 of what Jomox calls T-Osc, or membrane oscillators, 2 analog envelopes, and an LFO with 8 waveshapes the unit is a percussionists dream. The unit has MIDI controls and has room for 110 patches.
A T-Bridge oscillator is actually something like a band pass filter which is working close to the resonant frequency. Because it becomes an actual sine oscillator at perfect tune-up, you call the deviation of ideal resonance dampen. In this case, the oscillator decays in form of an attenuated vibration if it's exited - similar to a single membrane that is hit.
You can read more about the M.Brane 11 and listen to a few audio demos on the M.Brane 11 page. This unit looks to be a perfect compliment to the MBase or a great intro to Jomox drum synths. I know I'll be there on day one to grab my hands on this little beauty.
If you've ever dreamed about building your own x0xb0x 303-clone but wanted a little more modularity, or more synth features, than Doepfer has the kit for you.
Doepfer,the minds behind the huge A-100 modular system, will be unveiling a new DIY analog synth kit at this year's NAMM conference. The kit ships with only a PCB board, so the user will have to supply a case and power supply as well as knobs, switches, and sockets. You can even combine two or more units to get extra VCOs, LFOs, VCFs, VCAs, etc.
VCO: sawtooth and rectangle output (with variable pulse width), several frequency CV inputs, several PW/PWM CV inputs, linear FM input, hard sync input VCF: multimode filter, lowp, highp and bandpass output (optional low-notch-highpass with external potentiometer), 12dB/oct, several frequency CV inputs, several audio inputs, manual resonance control, resonance up to self oscillation VCA: exponential control scale, several CV inputs , several audio inputs , audio output ADSR: connections for attack, decay, sustain and release controls, connections for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display, ADSR output LFO: triangle and rectangle outputs, connections for frequency control (optional different controls for up/down time), connection for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display Slew Limiter: connections for slew control, input, output Inverter: input, output
The kit will begin shipping spring 2010 at a super low cost of 100 euros or about $140. You can read more about the kit in the PDF file on Doepfer's page.
I know I'll be all over this kit as soon as it's available stateside. I've been on the x0xb0x waiting list for a little over a year, so have yet to build my own synth. Yet I feel the desire to build my own musical instrument a huge driving force behind learning to solder building electronics. That, and I've wished the x0x had more expandability.
So not much happening in the last, well damn, 4 days. Seems I'm failing on all fronts, once again. I just can't seem to do anything consistently, or with any purpose. I haven't really worked on any tracks this week, but I might be able to get one done.
I played Half-Life this week. I've been wanting to get into Half-Life 2 again, but decided to play through the first again. It's not really as great as I remember it being. Sure it was a genre defining game back in 98, and a fine GOTY, but it doesn't hold up as well as I remember it. In my opinion, Deus Ex, while not quite the same, has aged a little better. Not so much in graphics or gameplay, but in terms of storytelling.
I have fond memories of a semblance of a story from Black Mesa, but replaying it seems to crush those memories. There's no backstory, you get no depth, no character development. Whereas JC Denton goes through a immense transformation and comes out a changed man by the end of the game. Half-Life 2 has a much more fleshed out story. There's life in that game. There's just not as much in the original. You seem to make your own story in Half-Life, which isn't a bad thing by any means.
But now I'm playing through Opposing Force, and then Blue Shift. Gearbox seemed to give you a little more atmosphere - or maybe just giving the world more flesh. After all, in the intro you get to relive a few moments from HL1, and get to see a few memorable, key events through the other end of the spectrum. I especially enjoy playing a GOOD marine. Some guy was testing a scientist for information and wouldn't let him leave without it, so I killed him and let the scientist go. Well, he kinda sat there saying he was wounded, but in my head I let him escape.
And school is getting on my nerves. Scheduling is turning out to be a total pain in the ass. But I'll get into that tomorrow, hopefully with good news.
Today started with me trying to organize my sample folder. I didn't get very far, but I put a few key sample packs into my main folder, and will be using them exclusively in my future projects. I decided to keep a Korg EMX drum sample pack that someone uploaded to IDMf a little while ago, as well as a pack of Quasimidi RaveOlution 309 drums and the pristine Deadmau5 Xfer sample pack. Those three give me a nice breadth of drums to work with and layer.
After that I loaded up my Live template and started jamming on Synth1. Then I started to look at a panel I never really dug into before - the effects panel. I never touched it as its parameters were never listed in the manual, so I was confused as to how it worked. Low and behold, a simple google search yielded the answers. Here's a write up of the parameters and what they do. Good stuff.
So I started to make some patches. I ended up with a few usable bits. Most of my time was spend noodling about with FM. I even managed to get a couple Crystal Method-esque sounds from Divided By Night. Which is a banging album by the way.
Oh yeah, Doepfer has some exciting news at NAMM this year. The two products I'm the most excited about are the DIY analog synth kit and the Dark Time sequencer. You can see more in this PDF file, on the main site. The concept of a DIY analog synth kit for under $150 is exciting. Granted, that's only for the PCB, but it's still a monster price for the following specs:
VCO: sawtooth and rectangle output (with variable pulse width), several frequency CV inputs, several PW/PWM CV inputs, linear FM input, hard sync input VCF: multimode filter, lowp, highp and bandpass output (optional low-notch-highpass with external potentiometer), 12dB/oct, several frequency CV inputs, several audio inputs, manual resonance control, resonance up to self oscillation VCA: exponential control scale, several CV inputs , several audio inputs , audio output ADSR: connections for attack, decay, sustain and release controls, connections for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display, ADSR output LFO: triangle and rectangle outputs, connections for frequency control (optional different controls for up/down time), connection for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display Slew Limiter: connections for slew control, input, output Inverter: input, output
I've been tossing the idea of building a x0xb0x around for awhile, and have been on the waiting list for over a year. I never got around to trying and sourcing my own parts as I'd rather just buy a full fledged analog synth in the interim. I'd rather have modularity in my DIY kit, and boy does Doepfer know how to deliver on that front.
I failed at my resolution of a song a week last week. But I WILL have a complete song by the end of this week and every week forward. School's coming up the week after next, but I'm dedicated now. The slack is off.
Browsing Matrixsynth today I stumbled upon a new controller that'll be appearing at NAMM this week. It's the 'You Rock Guitar'. It sounds pretty cheesy, but it's a pretty massive controller for the price ($180). I've been wanting to try out a Parker MIDI Fly, or better yet, a Moog Guitar. But both of them are waaay out of my price range - so I figured I'd never get my hands on a MIDI guitar. The You Rock might not be as functional as a Parker, but it's pretty much what I need.
The cool thing is that it interfaces with video games as well. So you can rip it out for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Play strings instead of buttons, et cetra. I dig it's MIDI implementation though.
But even BETTER news was stumbling upon a program that adapts USB-equipped Guitar Hero X-plorer controllers to control MIDI. It's the Zeal Axis program, developed by a Mr. Robert Jarvis.
The buttons of the controller send note information while the D-pad changes key and chord progression. It also sends MIDI CC# for tilt and rotate, allowing expressive control. Using Windows 7 and Live I wasn't able to get the tilt/rotate to work, or, come to think of it, the whammy bar, but it'll be a great piece of live equipment once I do. Keep in mind you'll also need a software MIDI router, like LoopBe (freeware).
I'll have to play around more with the Axis and my X-plorer, but I'm already getting a lot of new ideas.
I've been thinking about what I really need, as opposed to just want, for my studio. I've decided a pad controller would be leagues better for programming drums and have decided on a Korg PadKontrol. I might switch over to an Akai MPD, but I really dig the X/Y pad the Korg offers, along with the footpedal input (for the kicks, ya know!). I also clearly need an audio interface, which I'm still up in the air with. I want to try and keep it under $300, hopefully less if I can get away with it - we'll see. Other than those I want to get a few effects units. I'd love a Sherman Filterbank if I can afford one, along with a Roland RE-201 tape delay. Add a nice distortion unit (or will the Filterbank suffice?) and I should be set. I might think about adding a KP3 to the mix, but only if I ever advance to the stage where I'm doing live shows. I'd rather save up for a nice analog synth first though - still haven't decided what yet. Everything I think about is just expensive (Andromeda, et al).
Oh, and it was suppose to snow a bunch today, or so Kristina told me this morning. Now the weather report says we'll get 1-3 inches tonight. And here I was expecting around of foot of snow. :(
I played a bunch of TF2 today. I snagged another Natascha and reached Demoman's Milestone 1 which scored me a Chargin' Targe. It's a pretty decent sidearm, although I haven't managed to score a kill with it yet. I've gotten leagues better with the Grenade Launcher and learned to detonate sticky bombs in the air. Even though I had over 20 hours as Demo I never really learned those two skills. So far I have 7 achievements on both Demo and Soldier. I'm hoping to reach 10 on both tomorrow.
Pretty boring blog posts, but at least I'm still posting once a day. Pushing onwards with my New Year's Resolution!
Are hard to sell! I'm sitting on so many of them it's not funny. Sure, you buy them for $80-100 a pop each semester, but the bookstore neglects to tell you that you're buying an older version that won't be used by ANYONE come next semester. Not even online bookstores will buy the things back.
So I tried to sell some on Amazon. Most have 100+ used copies waiting to sell all around $2 or less, not even worth it. I have 2, out of 9 that are worth anything - one at $80 and the other at a whopping $100, which surprised me. Hopefully I can get them on Amazon and make a few bucks.
Which brings me to the process of selling things on Amazon. Most people, aside from my household, have phones. Amazon requires you to answer a call from them (why, I don't know) to validate your selling account. Now I have to wait around till someone I know comes over with a phone and hopefully I'll remember to validate my Amazon account. All to sell 2 textbooks...
At least it's money. I still have a couple computers I'm sitting on that need sold, a pair of routers, and a couple old, possibly broken game systems that are collecting dust and taking up space I don't have. Craigslist ahoy!
Why can't making money be as easy as it is in video games? I wouldn't mind going into some sewers and collecting rat hides for some gold. In fact I think I'd be pretty good at it with all the practice I've had. Someone needs to make a gameshow for people like me. I just want a way to make money that doesn't require me to sell my soul to some soulsucking company. I swear I'll find one someday. Until then I'll remain broke as fuck - it's the only way to live.
New year, new blog - kind of. Well, at least I have a resolution this year: complete 1 song a week for the next year. So 52 songs by the year's end, hopefully more. Kind of channeling Deadmau5's Project 56. I'm going to try and blog once a day also, even if it's about nothing.
Today I started on a little Dubstep-type of thing for my weekly project. It's moving away from dubstep into some other plane, but we'll see what happens with it. Regardless, it's a song for the week and a stepping stone to better things.
I'll hopefully be sticking with, and learning, Ableton Live throughout these projects. I'm sick of FL Studio limiting me and not knowing any other programs. I'm also using Guru for this project, along with Arturia's Minimoog V and, of course, Synth1. I'll also have used TAL-Dub II far too much for this project, as it's got the dub vibe I'm going after. Maybe one of these days I can get my hands on a Roland RE-201 Space Echo. That would be mighty fine.
Trine, a magical new gaming experience, is coming our way courtesy of Finnish developers Frozenbyte, makers of the acclaimed Shadowgrounds. In Trine, players take control of a band of adventures and guide them on a journey of soul-shaping proportions. In this co-op enabled experience you'll take control of Pontius the Knight, Zoya the Thief, and Amadeus the Wizard.
Watch the Trine trailer.
Each character has a distinct set of moves that enable them to solve puzzles and traverse the 2D landscape. Pontius is the master of combat, taking on the undead with a fury. Zoya is light and nimble while using a grapping hook to avoid spike filled chasms. Amadeus is able to conjour boxes and move platforms about with his levitation magic.
Trine has a marvelous sense of style and utilizes NVIDIA's PhysX technology for breathtaking detail. The world comes alive as you bound from platform to platform, break passages with battering rams, and take the high road using rotating floors.
I've finished up a track I've been working on titled BeeLine (previously Ente Ente). It will be released on NeoGAF's upcoming GAME 5 summer album. I'll post an update as soon as the album is released.
As always comments and critiques are very much appreciated!
