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Oct 19

Moog shows off LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype on an acoustic guitar

Moogfest isn’t happening for another week, but the synth-maker couldn’t wait to take the wraps off of its latest bit of technology. Still in the early days of beta-testing ,the LEV-96 is a far cry from the classic analog instruments we’ve come to associate with Moog. The company is showing off the sensoriactuator in its early stages by affixing it to a guitar, with two pickup channels beneath each of the acoustic’s strings. The strings’ vibrations trigger the sound, with the device “bring[ing] out hidden modes of vibration that have always been there, but were never energized in a direct manner,” according to the company — in all, the system is capable of managing up to 96 simultaneous harmonics. On the LEV-96, you’ll find touch-based control sliders, which let the player adjust intensity, harmonics and note duration. Additional triggers let you change arpeggio presets and modulation (tremolo and random harmonics), while a lock button makes sure you don’t adjust anything by accident.

Moog is careful to point out that the LEV-96 we’re seeing (still being referred to as a “concept project”) is just the tip of the iceberg, and “could easily be affixed to any surface or material.” The company has promised to show the concept in action soon, including an appearance at Moogfest on October 26th and 27th in the company’s home of Asheville, North Carolina. For more info consult the source link below.

Gallery: Moog unveils LEV-96 prototype

Filed under: Misc

Moog shows off LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype on an acoustic guitar originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 18

Covet: The Best Three Gadgets for Geek Musicians

Posted in: Today's Chili

Music isn’t all strings, strumming and brassy blowing these days: the average geek can now produce the sort of tracks that would’ve previously demanded an Amon Tobin or Mr. Scruff. So what musical gadget should be on the workbench of any aspiring digital musician? Check out our top three picks after the cut, and a sneaky bonus for those on a budget at the end.

Alesis iO Mix

In its third incarnation, the iPad has demonstrated its chops as a musician’s friend; apps like GarageBand are more than enough to create professional sounding music. What the iOS slate lacks is inputs, and that’s where Alesis steps in. Slide the iPad into place and the $299 iO Mix turns it into a 4-channel recorder ideal for studio work and live performances. It’s compatible with any Core Audio iOS music app.

Roland Jupiter-50 Synthesizer

Roland’s latest Jupiter synth may not, at $1,999, be an impulse purchase for most but, in distilling the same sound engine from the highly-esteemed Jupiter-80 but at $1,500 less, it manages to be something of a bargain. The multi-colored buttons of classic Roland drum machines like the TR-808 nustle with the company’s clever Behavior Modelling tech for mimicking real instruments, paired up with effects, USB connectivity for storage and hooking up your computer, and of course the awesome sounds that Roland is known for. If you want the benefits of a standalone workstation with the flexibility of integrating soft-synths and more, the Jupiter-50 has your back.

Korg Kaossilator 2 and mini KAOSS PAD 2

Twin music mangling gizmos small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, Korg’s touchpad pair are descended from the estimable Kaoss Pad adopted by Muse, Radiohead and more, but tailored for mobile musos. Each priced at $160, the Kaossilator 2 is a combo synth and recorder that doesn’t care if you don’t know the black notes from the white, letting you pair up your digital twiddlings with vocals and external instruments, while the mini KAOSS PAD 2 lets you drop the remix with its 100 effects and integrated MP3 player.

… and the Budget Bonus:

Propellerhead Figure ($0.99; iOS) – Making music generally isn’t something you do on the move, but iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users with idle fingers on the train or bus could be creating tracks in seconds with Propellerhead’s addictive Figure app. Borrowing the sounds from grown-up soft-synths like Reason with a pared-back UI and easily applied effects, it’s a musical scratchpad, ideas notebook and commute distraction all in one.

What are you favorite music geek toys? Let us know in the comments!

Jul 07

Figure iPhone music app graduates to true instrument after v1.1 update

Posted in: Today's Chili

Digital music app maker Propellerhead has given its iPhone beatbox tool Figure a much-anticipated upgrade, elevating the “three minute music” app to legitimate instrument. The v1.1 update, released back in April, has granted users one of the most-requested features: the ability to export audio. Previously, while Figure’s pared-back interface made creating crunchy loops ridiculously straightforward, there was no way to actually enjoy them outside of the app.

That meant Figure was a great way to distract yourself while waiting for a bus, but not so useful in a studio setting. Figure 1.1, however, allows audio to be exported to iTunes File Sharing, meaning you can bring it into a more comprehensive music app (such as Propellerhead’s own Reason).

The update also introduces the ability to save your creations, then reload them later on – until now, you’ve had to delete any track altogether if you wanted to change style – and the method of recording has been streamlined to remove a few steps in the process. It’s also now possible to set the length of the loop, to either 1, 2, 4 or 8 bars.

The usual bugfixes and performance tweaks round things out, and altogether Figure has gone from “neat toy” to “real tool” in one fell swoop. You can download Figure for iOS here [iTunes link], where it’s priced at $0.99/£0.69.

Hasta La Gadget!

Moog shows off LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype on an acoustic guitar