Digital Motion dot net

Create Digital Music » OS X 10.4.9 Breaks Some Audio Unit Plug-ins?

I’ve been hearing a number of reports that the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update causes significant issues with some Audio Unit plug-ins, including those from popular developers Audio Damage and Ohmforce. (See Analog Industries blog for a comment thread and reports on Audio Damage; there’s also discussion on the Core Audio developer list which I hope will yield some revelations. Update: Note that Audio Damage is having only development issues; their plug-ins will work just fine if you’re a user.) This update apparently installs yet another version of the AU validator, which could be one clue. Apple has also made significant changes to QuickTime in recent releases, which can also cause issues with audio software in some cases.

Ars Technica thinks so, and they think that Apple is going to leverage Leopard and Touch Screen displays to do it. On one hand this makes a sort of sense. They point out that it explains the delay in iLife’07 and Leopard details. Especially given how twitchy they have been about revenue recognition with their brush with the SEC, it actually makes a lot of sense. However, you can never be sure of the real truth with Apple until it is announced by Steve on a stage somewhere. NAB? Maybe, sorta, but it seems like this would warrant a Cupertino venue.

We’ll see.

[via Chris Pirillo’s Picks]

Audio Video Edition: Specially Selected Free and Open Source Software | Audio/Video ngo-in-a-box

Nice collection of links to the best Open Source digital media software for all platforms.

The physical ui (the table) is nice, but isn’t new (MIT has been demoing something like this for many years). However, I really like the UI between the different blocks on the table. It is one of the clearest mechanisms I’ve seen for showing the interactions between oscillators and filters and other such analog-y synthesizer pieces. I’d love to see someone code that up in a flash demo or to see Native Instruments incorporate it into a new view for Reaktor. This would be a great tool for teaching synthesis concepts to students.

This is interesting, and I hadn’t seen it in any of the NAMM coverage until today. Zoom unveiled (without a press release it seems) a new solid-state stereo recorder during NAMM. It looks like a pretty simple, direct recorder with one nice feature: multiple microphone capsules with different patterns. It also has an external (I’m guessing 1/8″) microphone input with 5V power. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some of the other portable recorders (XLR and Phantom power would be nice), it also doesn’t have some of the same unnessary crap either (an amp simulator?). The $199 price tag is perfect. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a photo which gives some perspective on the actual size yet. If the A/D and quality of recording is as good as that of the H4, this might be really compelling.

If it is the right size, this may even work out better than the iTalkPro or MicroMemo that I was considering for on-the-go and spontaneous field recording…

Create Digital Music » Recording@NAMM: Zoom’s $199 USB H2 Mobile Mic/Recorder, Found in the Wild

Create Digital Motion » Luxeed Keyboard with Interactive Lighting: Perfect Gigging QWERTY?

Those using Live for doing live audio or similar programs for video (or gamers) are in a constant hunt for the perfect keyboard companion to their exploits. Also, video editors, audio editors and anyone who spends multiple hours of the day in an application with a zillion keyboard shortcuts.

The Optimus keyboard has been long in coming, but was the great hope. If this keyboard actually ships in a reasonable period of time, could it be a realistic option? It looks like it has a multi-color LED under each key, which allows you to set the color of each key separately. That isn’t the same thing as actually having a picture or word on each key, but it can at least remind you that jkl is for your transport and [] is for your begin and end clip by having them be different colors.

also, it looks cool.

So, MacWorld and CES were (iPhone and 108″ Plasmas aside) boring. NAMM didn’t have any major surprises. Here’s the stuff I found most interesting…

Apogee Electronics: Symphony, 32-channel PCI Card for the MacIntosh

Moog Freak Box, New Moogerfooger FreqBox model is in an effect category of its own

Novation announce Automap Universal for SL Series

Arturia Introduces Origin, their first hardware synth

Universal Audio introduces the UAD-XPander

korg’s new mini Kaoss Pad – My Favorite!

Korg introduces the Zero4 and Zero8 Performance Mixer.

Want to learn about remixing, but don’t want to make the investment in software or hardware? Splice is a nice combo between social network and an online flash-based remixing tool. A great way to get started and get advice and support as well.

I’ve been following pure:dyne for a while now. It seems like a great thing for live media performers (music or video) or for those who want to get into production but don’t have the cash to purchase a bunch of software.

In a nutshell, it is a version of linux customized around multimedia with a bunch of open source and freeware audio and video production software included in the installation. It can be booted from a CD or memory stick (so you don’t have to install it on your PC or Mac).

From Create Digital Music, I hear that they just hit a stable build, so it might be time to try it out.

Harts Audition: Soundbooth Beta 2 Now Available

Adobe Labs Soundbooth site

Cool Edit Pro remains my all-time favorite tool for audio editing. It was almost worth keeping a PC around to use it when I switched over to mac. I’m freaking ecstatic that the CEP guys (now Adobe Audition) have finally produced a mac version. Now I can finally blow off the CEP wanna-be soundtrack on my mactel. I’m still bummed that I won’t be able to use it on my G5 though…