If you are like me – an audio gadget fanatic – then you’re going to be in love with the Buddha Machine. It’s a simple device that contains a bunch of audio loops, an amp and a speaker. The Buddha Machine is a project started by audio artists Christian Virant and Zhang Jian. They’ve put together a set of audio loops that represent the type of ambient sounds one might expect in a Buddhist temple.

Each loop is only about six seconds long, but you get the choice of choosing your tone from up to nine different ones enclosed in this beast. A switch on the side lets you flick through each loop randomly.

What makes the device irresistible is that audio is played through a cheap sounding amp and speaker. Adding to this, the cheap plastic casing is available in a variety of colours. The lo-fi quality also adds to the unique ambient feel you get when listening to it. It even has a volume control and headphone output. Now where are my Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting Speakers?

By Timothy Wong, July 2006

Korg’s original Electribes appeared in 1999, and caused uproar. Musicians everywhere tried to get their hands on these ultra portable, pattern-based step programming and tweak-friendly knobbed devices. In 2001, Korg released the first of the Electribe family, designed as an all-in-one dance music production device. This device however, was split into an ES-1 synth device, and an ER-1 drum machine. Now, with the EMX-1, synths, drums and more are combined into one sleek blue machine.

Functionally, the EMX-1 has several similarities with its predecessors. The first thing you will notice when you take it out of the box however, is the more modern backlit display, and the most distinctive feature – the Valve Force vacuum-tube circuit, which consists of 2x 12AX7 tubes, placed like trophies behind a small panel of glass. The Valve Force vacuum tubes are tied directly to the analogue circuit, which is in turn connected to the Tube Gain control to the right of the Master Volume knob. With this knob, you can add as much warmth to your overall sound as you wish. When you power on the device, you will notice that the tubes begin to glow. However, looking further, I noticed that these tubes weren’t actually glowing themselves, but instead by two orange LED’s connected to the circuitry behind the Valve Force vacuum tubes. This was obviously placed for cosmetic purposes. Also, Korg’s use of the words Valve and tubes in the set up is rather ambiguous – are they tubes or are they valves? Both are quite distinct devices.

The rear of the machine is fitted with the standard three MIDI connections (In, Out, Thru), a mic/line gain switch, two individual ¼-inch outputs for independent bus routing, a pair of ¼-inch outputs for your monitors or mixer, and a ¼-inch mono (why not stereo?) audio in. Inside the device, there are 207 PCM drum sounds and 76 PCM synth sounds. The previous EM-1 held only 16MB of song memory; the EMX-1 has been boosted to 64MB. The EMX-1 runs on an engine Korg calls Multi Modelling Technology (MMT). This engine allows the user to choose from 16 different synthesis types, allowing both analogue simulations and digital synthesis types. There are plenty of synth filters too, including the notable lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and an additional bandpass type that adds the dry signal back into the sound. Indeed, the EMX-1 is covered in plenty of sounds for the average user, however, it lacks the inability to load samples onto it, and so you’re going to be stuck with the Korg provided sounds. Nevertheless, plenty to tweak and work with.

The top panel is well divided into different sections – the main section, which contains all the mode and control (play, pause, record) buttons. This area also holds the very useful BPM Tap Key, which allows you to manually select your sound tempo. Alternatively, the Auto BPM Scan button can be switched on, which syncs your music with the tempo coming from the audio in jack. The ‘restart’ button is great fun to play with, sections can be repeated and mixed as though you are on turntables, by simply hitting the button. The machine seems as though it lacks a rewind / fast-forward button, but in fact, Korg cleverly placed these with the bar select buttons. Holding shift and a direction button will do as required – less buttons, less clutter.

The Part Common area contains all the things you need to tweak both drum and synth sounds. Effects allow you to make and adjust all your sounds, giving you the power to create truly unique patterns. There are three effects processors that handle individual effects – a unique feature of the EMX-1 is that you can chain up such processors, so that multiple effects work together, in any order. When changing any settings on the EMX-1, the display shows ‘Original Value’ when you return to it – another handy little feature. One problem I found when constantly editing different parts was that values would jump. For example, if I set my piano synth pitch to 50, and I switch to edit my formant pitch, it would instantly jump to 50, and begin changing accordingly. Pressing shift whilst turning the knobs prevented this – at times annoying, but probably the product of physical limitations. Effects are currently turned on or off. An effects fader would have been much cooler. An easily overlooked feature, the 16 step keys are set up in way to represent a keyboard – with black and white keys. With this, pianists rejoice!

At the bottom left is the Arpeggiator, which features a smooth feeling ribbon controller and slider. On synth parts, the ribbon controls note duration and the slider controls the pitch. With drum parts, the ribbon controls the drum duration, and the slider nothing. This is a truly unique feature that definitely adds touch to your music. However, it’s a part that with much more potential. Although users can select the note range the slider works with, and alternate functions between the two, its about as much as it can do. Korg could have thrown in a little more to this, for example assigning the ribbon the control tempo.

Pattern making is easy – you can hit the record key, and jam along in real time, or place notes / drum beats manually on the 16 step bar – there are 8 bars that can be used per pattern. The EMX-1 is great for live performances too; each of the 16 step keys can be assigned to a pattern, so patterns play at the press of a button. After hitting off some patterns, they can be strung together to create full compositions or songs. A total of 64 songs, each with up to 256 patterns can be stored on the EMX-1. Song creating is fun, but can be tiresome, as it requires a lot of knob turning. Real time effects and changes can also be recorded in songs – so all knob movements and adjustments are recorded and played back in the final song.

The EMX-1 is undoubtedly one of the most user-friendly music production devices I’ve laid hands on. Included in the box is the user manual and quick-start guide; I only had to refer to these once or twice. Making music is an absolute breeze – sounds can be a bit ‘digital’ at times, but, but accents can be used. Velocity pads would also have been a much-welcomed feature; but for beginners and intermediates, the buttons are enough. Although an ace at producing techno, hip-hop, DnB and house music, it is equally gifted in producing jazz music a like.

The endurance of the Electribe line seems to be holding fast, and with the addition of the EMX-1, Korg has taken another step toward winning the continued devotion of users who don’t necessarily feel that software provides all of the answers to their tone-generation needs.

By Timothy Wong, January 2006

Maximize musical ideas on-stage or in a home studio setting with the new Akai MPK49 performance controller. The Akai MPK49 ushers in a new era for USB/MIDI controllers by combining a high-quality, 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and 12 MPC-style drum pads. 48 total pads are accessible via 4 pad banks. The pads feature popular MPC Note Repeat function and Swing parameters, and the Akai MPK49 performance controller has its own arpeggiator, for creating quick, creative riffs in seconds.

The Akai MPK49 features MPC-style Full Level and 12 Levels functions on its pads, and MPC Swing can be applied to both Note Repeat and Arpeggio functions. Tap Tempo and time-division buttons allow for real-time control of Note Repeat and Arpeggio clock speeds. The Akai MPK49 delivers an amazing 72 assignable controls, with assignable inputs that include an expression pedal, footswitch, pitch bend and modulation wheel.

Key Features

• 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch
• 8 full-sized, 360 degree rotation pots, each with 3 banks for 24 pots total
• 12 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads
• MPC-style note repeat and all new arpeggiator
• 8 full-sized sliders with 3 controller banks for each for 24 sliders total
• 8 assignable backlit switches with 3 controller banks each for 24 switches total
• MMC/MIDI Start Stop transport buttons
• Large, easy-to-read custom LCD display

Akai Pro MPK49 Musik Messe 2007 Sonic State Video here.

I have been looking for a new MIDI Keyboard / Drum Pad controller for a while now, and when I found this in early April I was glued. Since then, various sources have said it will be released on 1st July 2007 - the date came and went, with no sign of its grand debut. So yesterday, I went and emailed Akai Pro asking for an official release date and retail price. Here was the reply:

Hello,

Currently this information is not known as the MPK49 is still in
development. Once this is ready for release we will pricing information on
dealer’s websites and a full manual on our site.

Best Regards,
Justin Baro

So I guess it’s back to blindly waiting. Although I might give up waiting (which would be a shame), and settle for a Korg Kontrol49, or a Korg K61P and Akai Pro MPD24. Yes, I’m a Korg fan; before anyone says, the padKontrol just doesn’t seem right for my needs.

Full energy from start to end. That’s what Trance music is about.

Tracklist :

01. Jes - Ghost (Phynn Rmx)
02. Richard Durand - Red Alert
03. Filo & Peri - Anthem (Nic Chagall Mix)
04. Under Sun - Captured (Signum Signal Mix)
05. Vincent de Moor - Fly Away (Cosmic Gate Rmx)
06. Remy - Scrap
07. Dogzilla - Frozen (Wippenberg Rmx)
08. Nic Chagall - What you need
09. Cosmic Gate - Analog Feel (Rank 1 Rmx)
10. Louk - Shadow of the beast (Richard Gale Mix)

Elton John should be banned from performing at a jazz festival in Tobago because his homosexuality could influence young people, some Christian leaders on the Caribbean island said on Monday.

A group of Christian churches have failed to persuade the Tobago House of Assembly, which oversees the administration of the island, to join the call for a boycott of John’s appearance at the Plymouth Jazz Festival in late April.

But they said they would pursue the campaign against John, who married his partner David Furnish in 2005.

“We feel it can have a negative social impact. There are some who may not be sure of their sexuality and one has to be careful about how this can create impressions on impressionable minds,” pastor Terrance Baynes told Reuters on Monday.

The singer celebrated his 60th birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, playing more than 30 songs from a career spanning four decades.

Jazz festival organizer CL Communications dismissed calls for a boycott and said the show would go on.

“Elton John is coming as what he is, one of the world’s greatest performers,” said Anthony Maharaj, adding that the country should be honored to have John perform in Tobago, the smaller island of energy-rich Trinidad.

“His band has performed in every country around the world. …. He is not coming here to preach about what lifestyle people should have,” he said.

When I look at music equipment, it takes a lot for me to go “wow, that’s really amazing. I want it”. But when I saw this, I was super-impressed. You’ve just got to watch it. I can’t believe Rico Loop isn’t more famous. He was on fire and rocked the show! Not that I’m his standard, but the Boss RC-50 is probably the next thing I’m going to buy. If I ever manage to save up US$499.

Click here to view the video

Product Description
For those awaiting the arrival of a new industry-leading looper, the wait is finally over. Introducing the RC-50 — the most feature-laden Loop Station BOSS has ever built. It’s the best live looping tool ever built for that matter. Housed in a spacious seven-footswitch floor unit, the RC-50 lets you manipulate three stereo phrase tracks simultaneously, with each track supporting multiple overdubs. In other words, you can record phrase upon phrase, one by one, on each track, resulting in a monstrous stack!

Features
The new industry-leading looping tool for live performance!

7 footswitches for intuitive control; realtime control of playback speed

Play up to 3 stereo phrase tracks simultaneously, all synced to an internal or MIDI clock

Ultra-long recording time (up to 49 min., mono), 99 patches (3 master loops per patch)

Undo/Redo function for recording and overdubbing

Center-cancellation feature, “flat” amplifier simulation feature

Stereo input, dual stereo output, XLR phantom-powered mic input, stereo mini-jack Aux input (for recording from an MP3 players, etc.)

USB port for data/audio backup, import/export of loops as WAV files

Loop, Layer, Rock!
Ready to blow your audience away? With a single RC-50, a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, or vocalist can create a perfectly synced wall of sound live onstage. There are three simultaneous stereo phrase tracks on the RC-50, each with a dedicated footswitch. Each track can contain dozens of loops/phrases that you stack one by one, so you can imagine how massive your arrangements or solos can become!

In Sync
Whether used as a master or slave, the RC-50 can be connected and synced to a MIDI network. For bands that incorporate digital audio tracks, sequences, and/or video elements into their live gigs, sync is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. For scenarios such as these, the RC-50 can be locked to a master sequencer or clock source, ensuring that your loop performances are absolutely locked. Internally, the RC-50 offers Loop Quantize for easy loop recording, Loop Sync (which enables all phrases to start in sync), and Tempo Sync (which matches the tempo of multiple phrases during playback).

Rhythm Guide
To make recording as fun and inspiring as possible, the RC-50 provides a total of 379 play-along Rhythm Guide Patterns in a wide variety of time signatures. Why record to a stale click track when you can jam with rockin’ grooves instead?

Impressive I/O
The RC-50’s rear panel is well stocked with connectors, offering a true stereo input and output path, but that’s only the beginning. There are four ways to get audio into the RC-50: 1/4 in. Inst input (L, R/mono), XLR input with 48V phantom power (great for vocal mics), mini-jack aux input, and USB for importing WAV files from computers. Audio can be output via 1/4 in. main stereo outs (L, R/mono), plus 1/4 in. sub stereo outs (L, R/mono), headphone out, and USB for data/audio backup. MIDI in and out jacks are provided. Two 1/4 in. TRS inputs are also provided to accommodate an optional Expression pedal and footswitches; up to four footswitches can be used simultaneously.

Bonus Features
The RC-50 has plenty of other noteworthy features on offer, for example: Phrases can be played forward or backward. Phrases can be retriggered in “free time” or on a time-aligned grid. Errors can be corrected on the fly with the Undo/Redo switch.

A while back I came across the subject of holophony or holophonic sound, which is an audio recording technique that results in realistic and life-like 3D sounding audio recrodings. Holophonic sound recordings should be played when wearing headphones, and played at a reasonable volume. This improves the listening experience because you can hear the true effect of the recording.

Pink Floyd even used holophony in the album “The Final Cut”.

Download an example here

You will hear someone lighting two matches, first on your right and then your left. You then hear him/her shaking the box of matches all around your head. Listen to it with headphones!

The file above was actually featured on digg several months ago (where I orignally found the file back then), and became subjected to the Digg-effect - that’s how good it is!

Today I spent some time at ’studio timw’ with some friends who were pretty new to the music producing scene. Soon enough, the question of why I mixed with monitors as opposed to just headphones came up. This question has actually become somewhat a legend in the music scene, especially amongst those who are just starting out, as well as those who have a fair amount of experience.

Firstly, let me clarify that headphones are not useless and are valuable tools. They help critical listening for noises, pops and clicking, many of which are often not audible on monitors. They also bring to surface sonic flaws on individual tracks and/or mixes, as well as provide ‘monitoring’ when tracking, where true monitors would cause unnecessary leakage. And that pretty much sums it all up.

You may have noticed I left out the use of headphones in mixing. True, but that is because headphones are simply dreadful mixing tools. In fact, headphones are pretty much useless tools for any tonal or EQ change decisions. Reaching this stage, my friends explained how using headphones would remove any problems with room acoustics, and thus should make track mixes much more consistent. However, we know that audio-engineering is full of clear-cut theoretical techniques that often turn out to be the no-good way to handle things. Undoubtedly, headphones remove problems with room acoustics, but if you think about it, they actually place your ears in two separate, tiny rooms, which surfaces two main problems:

1: Distance and Isolation:
When you use headphones, your frequency response changes because your ears are so close to the drivers. Thus, bass and mid-range waves become distorted. Your stereo imaging also becomes distorted because each ear is separated from the other.

Seeing that my friends were slightly unsure of what I was trying to explain, I pulled out my Korg RADIAS, and tweaked up a patch through headphones, allowing my friends to decide what they considered sounded good. I played the patch again, but this time through my monitors, and we all agreed that the patch sounded awful. In fact, at least 90% of the time you will hear a distinct difference in sound. The example above was used with a simple patch; imagine you were working with an entire mix. Actually, try it yourself: make a mix with only monitors, and then again with only headphones. The headphone mix will definitely always sound completely off.

2: Different ears on the same headphones:
We’ve already established that imaging and response is distorted when using headphones, but it doesn’t stop here. Each set of ears hears differently. This is because one’s cilia (the ear part responsible for distinguishing frequency vibrations) is exclusive to that individual. This point is really important because it means that a single song, when listened to through the same headphones, will sound different to each person. If you felt understanding mixes using monitors was tough, imagine the complications with headphones.

Now you’re probably wondering if there is a difference using monitors, and there is. When you use headphones, you hear a ‘personalized-response’ effect, which is emphasized because of the closeness of headphone drivers with your ears. When using monitors, the room helps balance the sound’s frequency-response, allowing production of a more consistent sound to each person who listens. On the other hand, headphones are typically touching your ears, and so there isn’t a room to help balance frequency-responses.

It’s actually quite simple. Headphones complete their appropriate tasks effectively, but are restricted to these tasks. You wouldn’t use a hammer to unscrew a bolt right? So don’t use headphones when mixing, and get yourself a set of monitors!