Linux side note – Launchpad getting ported to, you guessed it – LINUX! Here is the article. Relevancy? We got it. Her you go:
One day Ableton will run on Linux! (probably not)
The algorithms are getting more widespread and the “uniqueness” of Ableton is diminishing. This means open source software will start getting projects dialing in these ideas
Ableton is not the ONLY program.
Linux is Cool
I could go on, but I would be geeking out too hard.
FREE STUFF – some live packs on Groove Packs site – click here for a zip file. Get it while the link works!
As promised! Cache Flowe will be joining us for an evening of Live visual processing. This is going to be an amazing evening for all!
Those of you interested in adding a visual element should check out Processing.org, the source for much of the scripting and framework Cache Flowe uses in his live sets. Beyond visual Cache Flowe will be performing music and explaining his set up and approach to a full Live A/V set. A few key topics:
Real time MIDI & audio
Rendering music videos
Use of the Eclipse IDE
ChucK (audio programming language for real-time synthesis) and vocal processing
Cache FLowe Bio : Mashing up idm, hip hop, funk, drum and bass, trip hop, experimental, jazz, techno, and dubstep, CacheFlowe creates genre-skewing electronic music that has received acclaim from local and international press. Producing with a computer since 1996, he’s honed an original style that’s defined by stuttery, complex breakbeats, deep analog basslines, techno-flavored synths, organic instrumentation and contorted samples. Working on the same Ableton Live set since early 2004, CacheFlowe’s live show is a fast-paced smorgasbord of chopped breakbeats and analog synths on 8 channels of audio. He bobs and weaves through an array of electronic genres and tempos, using nothing but sounds and loops from his own productions. Appearing on official record label releases alongside the likes of Twine, Ladytron, Daedelus, Ulrich Schnauss, Starkey, Machinedrum, ISAN, Submerged, Fog, and sharing the stage with Amon Tobin, edIT, Machinedrum, Dizzee Rascal, Mochipet, Jeff Parker (Tortoise), DJ Olive (MMW, Sonic Youth), Nels Cline (Wilco), and countless local talents, CacheFlowe continues to freak the beat in new and exciting ways.
I missed some emails this weekend as POP email crashed for my provider (I aggregate). So if there was something crazy interesting/important/similar – resend! I will be going backwards through emails.
On other news – we are having fun! I will be releasing a review** of the NIIO Analog Iotine Core in the next week. We teamed up with Chase to get some instructional videos on the unit. We are currently editing.
We got some good tape from Darwin on Max, I am open to ideas on how to get them online. YouTube limits are 10 minutes. The 10+ minute videos are a special feature I just don’t see how to get! Vimeo? Hosting on my server will probably get me some heat (because the bots will trigger mass bandwidth, plus there is not sharing/embed).
I have been spending time with Final Cut and Celemony DNA. Nothing too impressive to talk about in Final Cut, just another software package. But DNA is SICK!
As for the summer – thoughts (feed back very welcome!). Our summers in Denver/Colorado/Boulder are some of the best anywhere in the world. I am looking to scale back the meet-ups after April (through the summer) so we can enjoy our evenings. Hell, even I want to ride around town with my wife on our cruisers. Instead of larger formal meet-ups I would like to invest in smaller gatherings all over and include our community in festivals (supporting) and do various levels of out-reach before shows and to similar groups.8
**On the topic of review – the term “review” is not totally correct. As there are a few companies looking to work with Ableton Colorado already, another round of “cleaning the air” is called for…
Our goal is to extend the use, functionality, and overall exposure of gear that is not on the radar (cough***Guitar Center***). There is a certain “departure” from journalistic integrity (if that is still a thing anymore). Our goal is to build community and knowledge in an academic manner with users (producers) and producers (of gear in this instance). The policy is simple:
If it is crap, send it back
Don, in the context of this “review” has a “filter” that is so freaking cool we need to help get the word out (I am using some bass sounds I generated in my standard set). So great.
I hope everyone had a good New Year. I am still battling a sinus infection (or alien experimentation gone wrong).
We are still excited to have Darwin speaking at the next meet up. This will be your #1 opportunity to get you Max for Live off to a sloid kick. The details for that evening start here.
Our studio at Colorado Music Lab is moving along. Yesterday I invested a nearly complete 8 more hours doing wiring and minor details. We hung a ton of pictures as well. The place is looking good! Photos and video coming soon! Open house 23Jan2010!
The MIDI Fighter has arrived! I am working on a review right now. It is pretty awesome!
Mark over at Modulate This! has a great year in review, check it out! He is not only a great guy, but super knowledgeable. We are lucky to have people like him in our Colorado region!Mark has alos done a good job at wrapping up some recent debate on sound quality.
Ableton 8.1 was recently release (we tweeted). Here is a point of entry at Synthopia. Also, as fo 28Dev2009 Live 8 development Halted due to bugs, read more on the forum.
I found this, some how. Video game sounds: http://www.superflashbros.net/as3sfxr/?gaming. Such good stuff, someone needs to make a sample pack! Plus, the interface allows for great control! Good work, who ever you are!
Did you know there was a Steinberg Museum? The site is pretty good, Flash, looks like Paper Vision. Regardless of any behind the scenes geekery, the site is an interesting presentation.
So should we totally saturate this site with Ableton mixes?
I have already received one naked chick x-mas jpg. I think most guys get them. I will not post it, but I will provide a link to Frosty the inappropriate Snowman“. (Yeah, that is Neil Patrick Harris samples).
Conceived as a cool but powerful sequencer to enable Launchpad users to program melodies, leads and basslines quickly in Live, the buttons are configured diatonically (as opposed to chromatically, as with a traditional step sequencer). The degree of the scale and its tonal centre can be set by the user, meaning that, once set up, any note you trigger in your sequence will fit in harmonically with your track, making it really easy to keep within the context of the song.
This is only one of many variants on the LED / programmable interface. There are also a grip of “Macro Controllers” (like the Nostromo Series that I re-program for editing). I would love to talk about the usefulness of something this type of programmable controller.
Here is one example, from my mixing. I have been mapping a standard USB num-pad to may basic transport functions in Cubase for about 5 years. The buttons are always the exact same. I even have a little cheat sheet on the whole thing. The time I save editing via this interface is amazing.
Now I certainly miss the days of a fine console and nice big fat buttons, but I am faster now. Plus, I enjoy distributing my money on smaller quality mixers and other items.
Now, I still very desperately want a Solid State Logic X-Desk very bad. But the nearly $3000US street price makes this a lower priority.
Also if interest – Ableton is spreading. So happy to see this happening. TC Electronics is the latest to jump on the free distro with gear purchase. The brand new Impact Twin is a new break-out box. It looks like an extension on the Konnekt series (my current break-out box for Ableton). So far I am real happy with all my TC gear. The free Ableton version is “Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition”. I suspect it is like the Launchpad version.
Some free plugins anyone? There are a few listed on the Psychic Modulation Plugin Page. Let me know any about any success with these.
Next up – Monome + Max for Live, hell, why write when there is video?
This should be seeing some updates, but I already have one important link for the Novation Launchpad – a PDF matrix of the launchpad to help when you are assigning MIDI. This is part of my presentation for the Launchpad.
Well, I have returned form my wonderful international travel and other assorted excitement and I am proud to take credit for all 10 of the free Live packs available now at http://www.ableton.com/able10-artist-packs. Like is hinted, I have had nothing to do with these free live packs, but I will take credit.
Regardless of my (temporarily displaced) ethos click on over and get your free packs.
As for meet up #2 – James Tobin will be presenting us with information on using Ableton as a sequencer / controller with reason (via rewire). Reason is NOT my forte, but I will be dropping a formal release on James (who has a great resume and experience and is super knowledgeable) and details.
Also – I will be presenting the Novation Launchpad for all to geek out on. If there is anyone out there who has mastered this unit please contact me, I just got mine on hold yesterday (the day of release) and have a big hill to climb.
I have been in contact with various people who want to collaborate and fin help, so be sure to socialize!
We will also talk about Colorado Music Lab’s (pre) birth – where Ableton Denver will find an official home (OMFG we have an office with a studio, lab, and stage).
Get excited and stand by for more…
And, I am summing up all the week+ news (holy crap I got a lot of feeds to eat up).
Week of 19October2009 “Bring the Cold” Edition : The weather is chilling up out there and that means my tube amps and power supplies will turn into heaters instead of the summer sweat lodge.
Events:
Next Meet Up is 22November2009 at the Walnut Room. Watch for the official Post! Put it on your calender right now!
Friday 23Oct2009 at the D-Note [[[http://dnote.us]]] Darren Kramer is live with Live (Ableton). Darren’s site. Here is a snippet:
“ELECTRIC QUARTET” Latest Release! FEATURING “Electric” Horns and B3 Organ. PERFORMING Original Funk, Jazz & Soul A brand new 4-piece DKO group that primarily features improvisation and the use of high-tech electronics and loops to create innovative sounds and unique textures.
Beta 23Oct2009 : Mochipet @ Beta BPL w Spectre & Ale Fillman – info at Facebook
Via Gear Junkies : At this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), 365LIVE and Media Satellite present a series of workshops and audiovisual jam sessions, including an introduction to Ableton Max for Live, a fully integrated tool kit for making your own instruments, effects and extensions in Ableton Live 8. More info is available here.
Various
If you are not aware of http://www.remixcomps.com you should be. If you are an infected mushroom fan there is a remix comp going on right now.
2010 Bent festival calling for performers – goto Matrixsynth for information.
Matrix Synth has this link on how to build a synth. I looked over some of this and found it slow moving but interesting. The content is hard to move along without either getting boring or wooshing by too quick. Why do I mention this? Because there are so many people pushing synthesis with no idea of the roots or principles of synthesis (Did you know that a Hammond organ tone wheel is a mechanical synthesizer or additive synthesis)
What is a vocoder? Here is the answer, vocoded of course.
There is a video titled “Mickey Mouse Abuse” I placed here. Well, here is an interview of Kamoni (the artist) on Phuq Radio
Beginning Max Demo (vimeo) “How do you make an application in Max” – Get yourself ready. The Fed’s or duct tape ain’t gonna help you! (Only you can prevent large bears from wearing park ranger hats).
Editors note on Max for Live: There is going to be a lot of fun out of the box stuff available, but I want to say that we are entering a world of programming with this application. Please send me notes on this topic. I am seeing traditional programming ideas in Max more so than any other software packages. I work in this field and I would love to talk more on the topic where it gets deep.
Flame, uhh. Get ready. Well, first off, these are the cats who make the “Talking Synth” (it uses a vocal processing chip instead of a traditional oscillator – way cool). Well, they have some amazing MIDI gear also. Start here the site is harder to navigate than it should be, but there are some real gems.
Live Block control surface (demo) by Livid. Really good stuff! Info via Syntopia.
Is this hardware, hard wear, software, or soft wear? Regardless – This is cool, jump into your own (damn) control surface. . ***Not recommended for anyone with bladder issues***
Music "soft wear" - more here.
New midi controller series from M-Audio. From what I see, this is more like an update of the Oxygen series. I am not too clear on the changes – my use of M-Audio products is almost none. I welcome input or reviews! Send me a message.
Elextro Harmonix has released the Memory Boy “AnalogDelay – 550ms of delay time with Chorus and Vibrato” . Fun stuff. These guys have a warm place in my heart.
Tascam, the steady hitters in the audio interface game have dropped another solid unit – the US-2000
the quote:
TASCAM has announced the US-2000, a new one rackspace 16-input audio interface that’s expected to sell for under $500.
Super major FYI here – Touchprone make a bunch of fringe MIDI and similar items. The ebay store – one handy unit is the In line sync start-stop – here is an auction link . This is somethin every MIDI person should know about. There are several companies out there producing, this is but one option for inline start-stops.
Free SPL attacker plugin (via gear Junkies) “SPL celebrates one year of Analog Code and give away one Attacker per computer.” Direct link.
Free Jazz Guitar pack for Knotakt via Synthopia. Pettinhouse has released WarmJazzFREE, a jazz guitar sample library for Kontakt.
Another case of “show your age” – Remember the Korg M1? In our part of town this keyboard was the total “cat’s meow” for live Latino music in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Well, here is a link for a free sample pack via Synthipoa.
Circuit Bent Sounds library via Synthopia here is the quote:
Loopmasters has introduced Circuit Bent Sounds 2, a collection of bastardized electronics, twisted circuits, rewired technology and warped audio.
Pretty cheap and tons of sounds. Check out this page also.
I do not think I posted this – “The Future of Ableton Live” – interesting twist that came via Synthopia:
Well – I finished my Ableton Rig. This has been going on since February. My goals:
Fit into a “DJ Coffin” amount of space
Push Ableton harder than most – but do much of it in the analog / non-digital / out of Ableton world.
10 minute set up
Minimal wires (about 15 connections split evenly between power / USB – Firewire -MIDI / audio)
Ability to pick up the entire set up and move it on/off stage easily (this gets to be pretty important when playing live)
I have a ton of photos, I will be posting more information soon. This is one of my specialties – I mod gear, cases, controllers, etc and get TIGHT rigs together. My gigging key rig was always a total blast! My Ableton rig is even more killer. Here is a link to a Tumblog I keep regarding audio peripherals and technology. Watch for more links.
Finally – a minor blow to Denver. I am from NY also and aree with Oliver. However, there are a bunch of us whoare pushing the envelope.
