Digital Motion dot net

Summer NAMM started yesterday and already there are a couple things worth mentioning…

This is the one that I’m most excited about. I’ve coveted the original Space Echo for quite a long time, but never could put down the cash to make one happen. Now, I can get somewhat close to it without having to get it repaired constantly or fretting about taking it out of the studio. This may be the first pedal I’ll have bought in years. [via harmony-central]

When I’ve done Intonarumori shows for the last couple of years, I’ve relied on my PowerBook and some external processing gear, mostly so I can run Live. I always fret over this, wondering if it makes for a boring show (it does) and worrying about a reboot or crash (hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve seen it happen to others). For the decade or so before I switched to my laptop, I’d used all gear to produce similar stuff live. Periodically, I think about being able to do that again. I’ve been following the Roland SP series for years, but haven’t plunked down the money yet. This one looks like it could be the one to make me switch back… [via Harmony-central]

This doesn’t come from NAMM, CDM posted about it. Trinity are working on a portable DAW based on linux and with a bunch of audio apps included. This is a kind of neat idea. I could see it useful for some folks, but for me the platform itself is more interesting than the DAW. It could also become my laptop replacement. A computer customized for audio that was really portable could be a game changer for musicians. Now, with a touch screen, and softsynths and a reaktor-like thing (Pd or whatever)… drool. The next step would be a similar device for VJs…

Apple – Pro – Profiles – Alan Pollard

These Apple profiles are usually interesting reads, even if they are the web equivalent of infomercials. I’m always a fan of reading about some of the interesting setups that the big-time musicians use. Bjork’s set-up isn’t too goofy, but it is interesting that she is integrating the more abstract UIs from the various tools that her band is using to make the electronic stuff more compelling to her audience. Also, it must be nice to be able to borrow one of the two react-tables in extistance and then bring it on a tour.

link: Welshs Synthesizer Cookbook: Analog Synthesizer Programming

Over 140 pots, pans, kettles, lids, bowls, containers and more

More unique than conventional drum samples

Multiple hits: bottoms, sides, rims with mallet and light stick

Recorded with a Marantz EC-335 split-stereo microphone

I’ve been waiting for years for a device that will let me use my iPod for field recording. Being able to record on a moment’s whim without buying a separate device or lugging my mini-disc or portable DAT around would be nice. I was jazzed when it was reveiled that the 5G iPod would record at CD Quality stereo and even more jazzed when I read the review of the micromemo on iPodLounge. I finally got one last week and I have to say I’m really disappointed. I mean, it is probably fine for recording voice memos, but without more settings options, it is useless with external mics.

I did a little test with my two main, unobtrusive, field mics: a SoundPro SP-BMC3 dual-binaural setup, which is unpowered; and a Sony ECM-909A stereo mic that is self-powered. I also tried the included, mono, mic.

I did a little test sitting at my computer with Big Black playing at low volume in the background. I spoke into the mic and than just held it while the music played.

The results?

With the SoundPro: Silence, zero, zilch. XtremeMac says that you should use powered mics, so this isn’t completely a surprise, but I expected at least something. It does demonstrate how weak the attenuation is in the unit itself.

(linked files are the original WAV files produced with the recorder)

With the Sony powered Mic: Test with Sony Mic (3.4 MB) I was a bit underwhelmed here. Now, I wasn’t speaking in a “radio” voice. I was speaking somewhat sotto voce. I’m not bootlegging bands, I’m trying to capture ambiences. The sound of a market or church bells in the distance. I’ve often used this mic with my minidisc to do just that. There isn’t enough power in this Micromemo for this at all. You can barely hear the music coming out of the speakers less than two feet away from the mic.

With the included Mic: XTremeMac MicroMemo test with included mic (2.1 MB) The relative attenuation here is surprising. The included mic has a third ring around the jack, which I’m assuming is for supplying power. There is a lot of noise with the included mic, but it is also much brighter than my trusted Sony.

I didn’t bother using an extra booster inline with the mic because that defeats the whole purpose for me.

The gist? The MicroMemo is fine for recording memos. It doesn’t have enough power to do field or location recording, so I wouldn’t bother. I might carry it around in case I come across an interesting sounding construction site, but for Pike Place Market or down by the waterfront, I’ll continue to bring the mini disc.

[addendum: just saw Robin Hamman’s review. Sounds like he is in complete agreement]

Using dummy clips for automation
Making a wet-dry control for the rack

In the “do it because it is there” category…

The Covert Operators

My favorite live blogging is always from Engadget.

My summary:

• New Final Cut Digital Asset Management/Transcoding Server: $999/10 users or $1999 for unlimited users (available summer)
• Final Cut Studio 2
  • Final Cut Pro 6
    • ProRes 422: compression for HD (1TB -> 170GB “at same quality”)
    • Support for Sony’s new HDCAM SR 1080p60, Silicon Imaging’s Red Camera
    • Aja-built IO-HD input box for encoding ProRes 422 in real-time on external box ($3495)
    • Open-format timeline: mix formats, resolutions, framerates
    • Smooth-cam camera shake elimination (from Shake)
    • Better Motion integration
  • Motion3
    • Match-moving
    • more 3D
    • Paint
    • Audio-driven animation
  • SoundtrackPro2
    • Better 5.1 support
    • 5.1 and stereo in same project
    • frequency spectrum editing (ripped off from Audition/Soundbooth)
    • Video HUD for better synching
    • “conform” feature (not sure what that is yet)
  • Compressor3
    • Faster
    • More codecs
    • Preview overlays and watermarks with a before and after slider
    • Integrated chapter markers
    • Better multi-threading
  • $499 upgrade, $1299 new, $699 to upgrade from FCP
  • Available May
• Color (new application)
  • Color grading
  • looks like this what at least part of the Shake team is doing now (my guess)
  • Same UI for 3-way color correction with
    • RGB and luma curves
    • lift
    • gamma
    • gain
    • visualization of color in 3D space
  • Mattes from chroma, luma, saturation, custom vignettes, hue and saturation curves
  • Color effects — string them together with a node tree
  • Geometry
  • included in Final Cut Studio 2

Wow, so FCS 2 was expected, but a lot more was also expected in this announcement given that Apple announced the 8-core MacPro a couple weeks ago with crummy video cards and no new iLife for ’07 and lappys and iPod designs getting a little stale. Wonder what else would have been announced today if Apple hadn’t announced the delay of Leopard earlier this week?

I just realized that there was no update to DVD Studio Pro. Hrm, wonder why…

[added links to the apple website and comment about DVD Studio later at 3:51 pm]

Ableton and Cycling 74 are going to be collaborating on new products. This is pretty major. Ableton is well established at creating software that is musical and easy to use. Cycling 74 know how to create really powerful, configurable stuff. Both companies claim that their work together will create new products and that their current product lines will continue. This is very exciting, hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to find out what they will be producing.

Here is Cycling ’74’s take on the agreement
Here is the release from Ableton

So, Daniel Gross in Slate read the same article that I did in the NYTimes and came away with a very different conclusion.

He thinks that the CD (and the album) are alive and well, it is just the music business model that is bad. He points to several (of my favorite) small chain music stores that cater to more of a musical niche and says that since their business is booming, the CD must be doing just fine.

This argument makes no sense. It is like saying that because dance music companies and some independent record labels still produce and sell vinyl that the record is still alive and well.

The folks that shop at Rasputin’s, Wall of Sound, Other Music, and other are fanatics. How do I know? I’m one of them and I recognize the glint in the eye of my fellow shoppers when they come across that obscure Radboud Mens disc in the rack. We will continue to buy CDs (and vinyl) for a long time to come. Long after the rest of mainstream America has switched to digital downloads completely and the stores that cater to us will continue to thrive.

That said, this ballgame is nearly over. The fat lady has sung. Even the independents are moving to downloads. Shipping shiny discs around the world makes even less sense when you sell fewer of them and are completely dependent on your livelihood on the customer paying the store, the store paying the distributor, and the distributor paying you and then you recouping all the costs of manufacturing those shiny discs.

The business model for downloads is SOOO much more compelling than the business model for selling physical product. The only reason the majors haven’t switched is because they have so much invested in the infrastructure and can’t understand where things are going well enough to get in front of it. (Suing their customers isn’t helping too much either).

Lets bury this thing already, but first, please buy as many Unit Circle CDs as you can. I don’t want to store these things forever…

[my previous article]

SonicBirth

Yesterday, Sonicbirth version 1.2 was released, and it was announced that it is now freeware and open source. SonicBirth is a tool that helps you build your own AU plug-ins reaktor or MAX-stylie.