Palm Sounds

RJDJ coming to Eyebeam NYC

2009-11-27T21:41:00.000Z

The lovely people from RJDJ are coming to Eyebeam (of reware fame) at NYC on the 11th and 12th of next month. Sure to be a great workshop.

As if that wasn't enough, they've got the RJC1000 up their sleeves too. It looks very interesting.

BassLine is one year old today

2009-11-27T20:50:00.003Z

BassLine is one year old today. Happy birthday! I can't believe it is one year since I first bought this application, which was one of the early bunch of synth applications on the app store.

BassLine at the app store

Synthtopia on Musical Instruments for under $100

2009-11-27T20:37:00.000Z

Synthtopia has a great post on cool instruments for under $100. The trouble is I think I'd like to buy the lot which would set me back for a lot more than just $100!

Euno on sale

2009-11-27T19:09:00.000Z

Euno has been around for a while now, and whilst I did have a quick try out with the lite version I always felt that the full version was just too much money.

However, it is now on sale and for just £1.79 ($2.99) so I think I'm going to treat myself to it and see if it is worth it!

Euno at the app store:

3G Music Apps

2009-11-27T18:06:00.001Z

Interesting video showing off NLog, Guitar and DigiDrummer.

2 New RJDJ scenes from Acid Pauli

2009-11-27T12:52:00.004Z

If you're an RJDJ user then you might want to check out the two new scenes from Acid Pauli over at the RJDJ blog.

Sonorasaurus: More 1.0 and beyond

2009-11-27T11:38:00.000Z

More from Sonorasaurus on their 1.1 release.

Sonorasaurus at the app store:

Milkytracker tip from Concretedog

2009-11-27T10:57:00.000Z

Concretedog responded to my post on re-loading my Axim with this tip

"milkytracker..... tip of the day....milky can load any file type as a raw sample....see what your jpegs/docs/exes/dll/anythings sound like!"

I never knew it did that!

If you've got any tips or tricks for any application or platform then let me know and I'll be glad to publish them.

BassLine in Tokyo

2009-11-27T10:23:00.000Z

This is a nice little video of BassLine being used live. I especially liked the guys playing along although I couldn't really hear the bongo player.

BassLine at the app store

SoundTrends get a nice new web site

2009-11-27T09:31:00.000Z

SoundTrends has a new website, which is a big improvement on their previous site, and you can follow them on twitter too.

What is Mixtikl? (part 2)

2009-11-26T23:23:00.000Z

I've been try to put into words what Mixtikl is as a music application, or rather how I see it. When I first used Mixtikl V1 from Intermorphic I really enjoyed using it, and that was because I could make something quickly and easily with this application and for me that's what mobile music is all about.

V1 was a great little app and I used it a lot on my Axim. Now that Intermorphic have not only ported it to the iPhone but updated it too it does a lot more than before, in fact, sharing has become a big part of Mixtikl V2. Mixes can be pasted into emails, webpages and forum posts. Users can also expect another real surprise on launch day.

In V1 I used Mixtikl mainly as a kind of loop mixing app, and it worked very well like that. Now there are lots of apps like this on the iPhone app store at the moment. Most of them will let you mix loops together to make a track. Some will let you bring your own loops in too.

Mixtikl can do both of these, but gives you a lot of control over each loop in terms of volume / pan and assignment to effects. Mixtikl uses a 12x4 matrix of cells, and each cell can contain different content, loops, MIDI, and now generative content as well (more on that later).

Mixing loops is all well and good, but being able to assign effect to a specific set of 4 loops is very useful. Effects processing in Mixtikl can be as easy or difficult as you like really. There are basic effects available or you can create your own FX network. Obviously using a network takes up more resources on the system you are using, but it can give you a degree of flexibility that isn't present in other application.

Using MIDI is one area I've not really delved into a great deal with Mixtikl and is something I should probably do a bit more of at some point.

The best thing (as far as I'm concerned) is the use of generative audio. The generative content included in the app is excellent. It is like having a far more tweakable version of Bloom or one of the other Brian Eno apps.

You can combine generative audio and loops together to make some really nice ambient sounding pieces right there on your iPhone, which is great, and hopefully was demonstrated by the piece I made here. But there is also potential to go much wider than ambient, and some of the included content points to that future. More of that in the next few days.

Obviously the best way to show this app off is to do some video for it, but at present I can't do that and won't be able to for another week or two, but when I am able to get back to making some videos I will.

I hope that gives a better explanation of Mixtikl, here's to seeing it released on the 8th of December.

Watchlist time again

2009-11-26T22:07:00.001Z

Well, still hoping to get this lot in by the end of the year. What are the chances?

Stuff I'm hoping for:

Mixtikl which has some features that are going to be great fun to use!
The next Noise IO update, which I hope won't take much longer now
A new (music) app from Yonac although I did like their beer app
A little more on whatever 'DMD' is, the next big thing to come from Amidio
DopplerPad synth and FX editing
FourTrack with snap to bar! That'll be fantastic when it arrives
An update to MultiTrack and I hope that they'll go for Audio Copy / Past with snap
The big update to Jasuto. How about Audio copy in there?
Hitchcock video export coming soon to all devices
Beatmaker 2.0! (an outside chance I guess)
Knowing what Olivier's new project is. Hopefully in early December
A working version of BeatSequencer as the last update still crashes on my 3G

Stuff that's arrived:

Sonorasaurus, has arrived at last!
Touch DJ, finally arrived yesterday!
FourTrack and DopplerPad integration, and isn't it great
Auteureist (it has, but you still can't get it, and thanks Apple for billing me for it even though I can't download it!)
Slice which I love
RecTools08 has had a good update although no synths or drum machine as yet.

So, is there anything I've missed?

Pattern Music in Times Square

2009-11-26T21:38:00.001Z

Nice photo.

ReelMoments: Time lapse for the iPhone

2009-11-26T12:10:00.000Z

ReelMoments lets you take time-lapse video directly with either iPhone 3G or 3GS. No need to download photo sequence to your computer and no need to edit, just frame and shoot.

Set timer and interval
Optionally ZOOM in on the subject
Tap Start and shoot your own time-lapse films!
Share your videos by email or save them to Camera Roll
Battery level is monitored and recording is stopped automatically if battery is low to make sure enough juice left to talk

I've always like time lapse movies and this app works with both the 3G and the 3GS so it looks like it will be great for making some interesting videos on the go.

ReelMoments at the app store:

PocketGear Black Friday Sale

2009-11-26T11:17:00.000Z

PocketGear has a sale on, so it might be a good time if you wanted to get a copy of Aurora or another of the 4Pockets applications.

ReelDirector 2.0 for iPhone (3GS)

2009-11-26T10:06:00.000Z

2.0 adds the ability to record and mix soundtracks, add photos with zoom and pan, trim and split clips, and adjust text duration. Now I want a 3GS again.

ReelDirector at the app store:

TUAW on why Android and webOS need iPod Touch hardware

2009-11-26T08:54:00.001Z

TUAW posts on why Android and webOS should consider hardware like the iPod Touch. So, is this suggesting we should see the return of the PDA? Well I'd be up for that!

Palm OS 3.x experimental software

2009-11-26T08:51:00.001Z

Sounds like Alex (creator of Sunvox and Pixilang) is looking to make some interesting experimental software for Palm OS 3.x devices like the M105.

Read the discussion here.

I really hope that this comes about, and knowing Alex, I bet it will.

PocketRTA Ultra Edition from 4Pockets

2009-11-26T08:24:00.000Z

New Features of the Ultra Edition

PocketRTA Ultra is specifically written to take advantage of the higher resolutions on WM5 and WM6 devices. Boasting a much improved interface and plenty of new features make this a must have for new and existing RTA users.
It is now possible to run the program in either portrait, landscape or even interted modes.
Another new feature is the capture bar, allowing you to capture and overlay up to 3 additional traces over the real time display. These traces can be saved to file, exported for future reference or used in compare mode against live inputs.
New features include a mode for capturing LEQ (equivalent continuous sound levels), and the ability to capture and analyse sounds frame by frame with the new Impulse mode.
Another new feature is the ability to calculate RT60 reverberation times.
Save and Load calibration and FFT settings as profiles.
New Auto Calibration feature.
Comes complete with a PC version of the software, which can display at bigger screen sizes than the Pocket PC version will allow.

PocketRTA Ultra Edition is available at the 4Pockets site

Another brief update on Olivier's project

2009-11-26T08:01:00.000Z

But still no closer to actually knowing what it is he's making! You can read his update here.

iGOG Massive Drums on sale

2009-11-25T19:01:00.000Z

iGog is on sale and is only $2.99 for a limited time as part of a holiday sale.

iGOG Massive Drums at the app store:

Nicolas Collins + Oscillatorial Binnage + Paul B. Davis + Resonance Radio Orchestra

2009-11-25T18:44:00.001Z

News of an event early next year:

Nicolas Collins + Oscillatorial Binnage + Paul B. Davis + Resonance Radio Orchestra
Sunday 31st January 2010
Cafe Oto, 18 - 22 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Time: 8.00pm

Tickets: £6 available on the door or from www.wegottickets.com/event/65050

Nicolas Collins makes his first UK concert appearance since 2004's epic Feedback: Order from Noise tour. He performs three typically extraordinary works which explore draw on a lifetime of building radical new electronic instruments. Since 1997 Collins has been editor-in-chief of the Leonardo Music Journal, and since 1999 a Professor in the Department of Sound at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The second edition of his acclaimed book, Handmade Electronic Music – The Art of Hardware Hacking, was published by Routledge in 2009. www.nicolascollins.com

Working with experimental interfaces, video projection, acoustic devices, biofeedback and destabilised equipment responsive to touch, Oscillatorial Binnage create raucous and compelling compositions based on an exploration of the resonant frequencies of found objects.

The Resonance Radio Orchestra is a floating pool of musicians, actors and technicians based around the award-winning radio station Resonance104.4fm. With an ever-changing, fluid line-up and an aesthetic informed by the imp of the perverse, the ensemble is concerned above all with the development of radio art. Tonight the Orchestra presents a new radiophonic sketch based on surreptitious recordings.

Paul B. Davis works in the duo The Potions with DJ LeDeuce (Thrill Jockey), lectures in Fine Art at Goldsmiths and produces beats for St. Louis rapper Wonton. He is the only DJ to ever get thrown off stage at the Technics/DMC World DJ Championships.

As a reminder Nic wrote the excellent 'Handmade Electronic Music' book below.

Audio Palette

2009-11-25T17:34:00.000Z

Another remix type app, but with an interesting interface. I'm not sure if I'm just taken with the interface and have overlooked the amount of actual functionality in the app. If you've tried this app please let me know what you think.

Audio Palette at the app store:

70% by Michael Nervous using FourTrack / DopplerPad / Vox 3000

2009-11-25T16:02:00.000Z

Nice video with music made just with FourTrack / DopplerPad and Vox 3000.

PalmGear Black Friday Sale, 25% off

2009-11-25T15:54:00.000Z

PalmGear has a sale although there's probably not too much there you might want to buy, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.