So we had a killer turn out for ILL.GATES – thank you everyone. If you need help or have questions send it into the community!
Some new friends and the whomp truck is in news.
Is this cool yet? Nope, I don’t think so. But not at Line 6’s fault (Jobs is the issue) There is no new media, no mention of iPad (a great gauge to the alert level of L6).
The new (Apple iPhone OS dev agreement still cripples this hardware / software app). Keep watchin, keep hoping, or maybe generation 2 iPads will fix it?
So how about an early trickle of one a slate on Android?
Minimal techno tutorial on YouTube via Dub Spot
Back to Android. There seems to be some ground being made into audio, CDM really gets it good in this article. The ALSA and other libraries are there and totally ready for exploit. Android based multi-touch control is SOOO close – I would drop an iPad in a second for a good Android device (I want to hack). Until then I will use the iPad.
Swing it with your python hanging out Python based swing (thx Cache Flowe)
Some friends at ATX Ableton drop some comment on the Livid block.
I want to get High (pass filter) so High (pass filter) – I use high pass filters in my analog processing (post Ableton) with great success (thank you Borat)
FEA Labs is making a bunch of opto-compressors. I have not used this brand, but the collection looks nice. Dual band optical compressors are wonderful for Ableton as they can keep your sound stable after the D/A conversion.
Dual Band Optical Compressor-Limiter
Dual Band SMX Optical Compressor
Opti-FET Compressor
Let’s drop some serious WTF on Opto
I can (and often do) lecture on compression. In general (and especially in Ableton) they are A-B-U-S-E-D!
Digital compression is a joke, sorry, it is true. Once you work with real compression (mechanical compression is best – using the room to settle your sound) or a killer strip or tube line or a dedicated unit you look at the digital versions as effects processors that mimic the real deal.
Now you can get a lot done with the digital versions, most modern engineering is done in the digital realm (enter Multi-band compressions aka mastering). But this is not the type of compressor I am talking about.
Optical compressors use light to compress the sound.
This is cool because you can not overdrive light (unlimited head room and range). A (real vacuum) tube or valve compressor is close. But the compression is essentially happening with the conversion of sound to a electrons (pure energy) in the context of the vaccum tube (Thermonic Transmission via Wikipedia). This is not optical compression. Although it is often sold as such (ART marketed some of the pre’s as optical at one point – they all got returned).
Here is result #1 and the explanation is not quite developed yet, so here is an a fast diatribe.
In essence your sound is converted to light (energy). No, not SPDIF/ADAT light, but a simple modulation of light based on your input signal.
In total darkness (or else things leak and sound bad) the light is transmitted in open air to an optical cell where it is captured. The optical cell is more or less a solar panel.
So your sound goes form controlled voltage (normal analog audio signal) to light (pushed through a LED let’s say) and the received by a solar cell. While your sound travels as light there is no way you can run out of head room in that environment. So by controlling the “gain” of light you compress or attenuate the signal as light where the curve, control, and performance is very easy to deal with regardless of your sound source.
Usually there is no attack, knee, or ratio. Most of my (many) optical compressors have 2 knobs – pre/post or input/drive.
The change is subtle, but when you are plugged in a loud speaker system or a picky input (no headroom) optical compression is the way to go.
The coloration is minimal, spikes are usually eliminated, dynamic range stays almost unchanged (as long as you are mellow and not driving signals hard). The optical compressor is just damn awesome for controlling your output as it goes from you D/A to PA.
This is very subtle stuff, but the investment is 100% worth it!
The number one place I used opto-compressors in my live keyboard rig was before and/or after filters. If you start stacking filters you can have certain freqs stack and gain 30, 60, 90db (yeah I said 90db,non-linear math my friends).
This would save the crowd’s ears from, well, being destroyed.
If anyone wants to mess around with opto-compressors contact me before the next meet up and I will bring a few. (I collect compressors).

























