robot voice control via Android cellphone

Some people use an Android phone for robot voice control. Interesting is that the voice recognition is done online, the phone send a recording into the 'cloud', read to Google, for analysis, getting back a textstring. But pretty powerful Api anyway, just one line of code for doing this.

http://androidcommunity.com/cellbot-diy-android-robot-gets-voice-control-video-20100331/

vhs covers

I already posted it a while ago on my Facebook account, but I really spent some time here, browsing through old 80s VHS covers discovering known and unknown trash movies.
"The covers in this section may contain violent themes." . Yeah.

http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/vhs-videos

screencast tutorials on CSound editor QuteCsound

More screencasts, remind me to do some for Minicomputer and AMS. Alex Hofmann shows how to work with Csound through QuteCsound editor:

The others

First instrument:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0AEok0FlS0

Using MIDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFx5QPLW6Cg

About configuration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFnZytyNuWc

basic Linux synthesizer tutorials by Leigh Dyer

Leigh Dyer made some basic synthesizer tutorial screencasts on Linux:



Check out his blog for Flash free Ogg Theora videos:
http://blag.linuxgamers.net/?cat=117

Icon Midi controllers

Never heard before from this company, Icon. Because I build my own software instruments I tend to drool more over controllers than the current boring synthesizer offerings. So far I missed some news about controllers from Musikmesse, but Icon seems to build some USB class compliant devices so that they run under Linux, unlike the epic fail Novation Launchpad.


Their I-Stage and I-Creative are most destinct, I wonder of the quality and wether the leds can be controlled via Midi to give optical feedback, would be cool for stepsequencers!

They also offer a MackieControl clone called QCon for 500.- €, only downside: only 1 of the 9 motorized faders is touch sensible.

http://www.icon-global.com/music/music/index.php

reverbscapes with Csound

Ever reverbed a signal, pitchshift the reverb, apply delay and bandpass to it and feedback to reverb? Instant Eventide feel, just done with Csound on Linux. Nice resonances and reverbscapes. Going to provide the patch soon...

Elektron +Drive memory upgrade

I dont like to make advertisement for free but as a Machinedrum owner I was curious, here is the text from Elektrons collapsed site:

The +Drive divides a machine in 128 Snapshots, which allows for thousands of patterns, sounds and songs to be stored internally and more or less instantly recalled. The +Drive also makes it possible for the Machinedrum SPS-1UW+ MKII to host over 6000 ROM samples. The Monomachine SFX-60+ MKII can be loaded with more than 8000 DigiPro user waveforms.

A Machinedrum Snapshot can contain up to 128 patterns, 64 kits, 32 songs and 8 globals. If the Machinedrum is a UW model, each Snapshot also contains a sample bank. A UW MKII sample bank consists of 48 ROM sample slots. A UW MKI sample bank consists of 32 ROM sample slots.

A Monomachine Snapshot can contain up to 128 patterns, 128 kits, 24 songs and 8 globals. In the case of the Monomachine MKII, a Snapshot also contains a Digibank consisting of 64 DigiPro user waveforms.

Either load a completely new Snapshot or a single Machinedrum sample bank/Monomachine Digibank. When loading a new Snapshot, all data will replaced by new content. Loading a new sample bank/Digibank means all other content of the current Snapshot stays intact. Load times for both options are just a few seconds.

The +Drive gives the enormous advantage of having thousands of patterns and kits available. Change Snapshots during a live performance for a completely new session. Load a fresh Machinedrum sample bank or Monomachine Digibank and experiment with new sounds in your currently active patterns and kits. A +Drive opens up a world of new possibilities.

All Machinedrum and Monomachine models are possible to upgrade with a +Drive. When you buy a +Drive, you will receive detailed instructions how to send in the unit for the upgrade. Shipping back to you after the upgrade has been carried out is included in the price.

If you have bought a new Machinedrum UW/Monomachine after Feb 1st, you are eligible for a 30% discount on the +Drive upgrade price. This offer is valid until August 1. Mail us for more info about how to obtain the discount.

Elektron Octatrack at the Messe

Musikmesse is open and the news roll in. While Roland release just another virtual analogue synth, Korg surprises with a toyish analogue pocketsynth, basing on MS20 technology they said:

http://www.production-room.com/korg/korg-monotron/

Elektron presents their Octatrack which is a 8 track sampler/sequencer with realtime timestretch and warping, someone said already its Ableton in a box.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/musikmesse-2010-elektron-octatrack-prototype-video-241309

Their website collapsed but interesting was a note about socalled +Drive which gives more machines in Monomachine or Machinedrum, sounds like a softwareupdate but not sure for now.

new poly synthesizer by Radikal Technologies

Radikal Technologies presents a new digital polyphonic synthesizer at Musikmesse, the Accelerator. Soundengine uses the digitial osc and filters from Spectralis, unfortunately not the analogue filters. Its subtrative synthesis again but with some expanded modulation goodies.

http://www.spectralis.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1717