Kids Love Depeche Mode...It's Official

Random & pointless, but fun ;o)

Become a professional musician....in an instant !

"Ever dreamt of being a musician? Of course you have you simpleton. Now you can live that fantasy in your den with DreamOnPro. Music Destruction Software."

A highly amusing spoof from The Internet Now In Handy Book Form ! :o)

"Kill hours and hours of your free time believing that a single piece of good-looking software is your key to stardom. Then, after months of fiddling, end up with a track that sounds exactly like it was stolen wholesale from someone way more talented than you. But from 3 years ago."

- Make music, soundtracks and beats in full studio quality 48-bit surround
- Tinker endlessly
- Get nowhere

;o)

BeatBearing

BeatBearing is a tangible rhythm sequencer. Ball bearings are used to trigger (Roland TR-808) drum sounds. Visual feedback is provided from a CRT display underneath to indicate the current time and the state of each beat.

Created by Peter Bennett, this ingenious creation makes Tenori-On seem positively old skool !

Pete is studying for a PhD at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queens University Belfast

Peter Vogel's Fairlight Audio Archives

Stevie Wonder and his CMI

Peter Vogel's Fairlight Audio Archives

The legendary Peter Vogel, co-creator of the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument, has just uploaded some excellent audio files to his website for all of us to enjoy.

In Peter's own words...

"Here is a collection of audio material including Fairlight demos, radio interviews and CMI pieces from the eighties. There are even a couple of recordings from the Fairlight CMI's predecessor, the Qasar M8, designed by Tony Furse. The M8 did not use sampling, the sounds were generated by additive Fourier synthesis.

Some of the pieces are of unknown origin, or have little information. If you recognise anything and can add some detail, please email me."

There is some awesome stuff in here, so eternal thanks to Peter for this gift :o)

Other Fairlight stuff from Peter can be found here.

New kits for BeatEd, the mobile phone beatbox !

New kits have been added for use with BeatEd, the drum machine that works on S60 3rd Edition Symbian based mobile phones (Nokia N Series, etc).

They include an 808 set, 909 set, CR-78 set and an 8Bit Game Boy set. Lovely :o)

Grab them here.

Original post here

Fairlight Video's

The legendary Peter Vogel has decided to upload and share some really cool Fairlight videos.... Enjoy :)

Via Yahoo Fairlight User Group

Thanks Peter :)

BeatEd - a simple drum machine for S60 Mobile Phones

For all of us with Symbian based Series60 phones (such as Nokia 6120 Classic, N82, N91, N93i, N95, E51, E60, E65, E70, E90 Communicator) programmer Saku Tiainen has come up with BeatEd, a drum machine with support for user samples. It's brilliantly simple to use, clearly laid out, and, above all, works !!

Check it out:

In Saku's own words:

"BeatEd is a simple drum machine application for Symbian S60 mobile phones. It was originally developed in couple of nights to get a drum machine and metronome application for personal guitar playing purposes. After getting a lot of new ideas and positive feedback, I decided to improve it a bit and make a decent public release of it. So here it is, have fun!"

Feature highlights:
- Easy to use beat editor, even easier beat player.
- Change tempo and volume while playing.
- Edit beat on-the-fly while playing.
- 16 bit 16 channel audio mixer.
- Extremely accurate beat timing (1-999 BPM).
- Real-time VU meters.
- 16 different drum tracks.
- Supports S60 v3.x mobile phones.
- Adjusts to different screen layouts.
- Random volume variance.
- and much more..

Supported devices:
- All S60 3rd edition devices (Forum Nokia list)

Tested devices:
- Nokia 6120 Classic, N82, N91, N93i, N95, E51, E60, E65, E70, E90 Communicator


BeatEd homepage

BeatEd screenshots

Contacts:
Saku Tiainen: suckho@byterapers.com

UPDATE: New kits have just been uploaded. Nintendo Game Boy 8 bit chip tune kit and Roland TR-808, Roland CR78 and TR-909 kits are now available for mobile beat making.

revO ehT wobniaR (or should that be wobniaR ehT revO ?)

No, it's not some bizarre language. Reverse the letters and you will see :o)

Why ?

Well, it's difficult enough writing words backwards, but have you ever tried singing them ?? And I mean properly ? So that when you play the recording back in reverse they sound correct ? Not an easy thing, but that goddess that is Tara Busch has managed it very successfully !

Watch this video first....

Now watch this one, which starts with the first video and then Tara actually singing the words in reverse but in real time !



And this is Tara explaining how it was done...

Revo the Rainbow Documentary - Tara Busch
Uploaded by AnalogSuicide

EDIT:

And now part 3 filmed at LAX...



Clever, talented, stunningly beautiful, loves synths, drinks vino rosso and she can sing backwards !!

I want this woman !!! ;o)

I am in love ;o)

Make sure you visit Tara at Analog Suicide & www.tarabusch.com

Replicas Redux + Replicas Mixes+Versions

Finally, after a month of waiting, this little package arrived this morning....



Only 3000 of this pack with the 3rd CD of Mixes+Versions were made available through Gary's website.

Now that's what I call an Easter treat ;o)

USB, musicians and hair loss

Ok, so I've not gone bald, but I've been pulling my hair out a fair bit of recent days !!

After having my MPK49 for about a week now, I am continuing to be impressed by the spec and functionality of this controller, as well as it's rugged build and ease of use.

One thing has become blatantly clear however, and that is the fragility, instability and overall incompatibility inherent within the USB protocol. This is not the fault of the MPK, I hasten to add. In my first week I have purchased a new USB hub and USB PCI card in a vain attempt to have all of my USB devices working in perfect harmony.

I've just counted the total amount of USB devices I have that I could potentially connect to my PC and that is 20. Now, I may not have all those devices connected at the same time, but the potential is there. Now, when USB was first introduced as the all singing all dancing replacement for the old legacy serial and parallel ports as well as many other legacy connections, it was touted as being able to connect up to 127 devices, in a daisy chain fashion, to one single USB port.

HA !

If only !

How many USB devices do you see with input and output ports ? Exactly. So, once we've filled up our complement of USB ports on the PC, we're left with no choice but to buy a hub. Now, I've lost count of the amount of instruction manuals for USB devices that state in large letters, "Ensure you connect this device directly to your PC's USB port, NOT a hub". Not entirely helpful.

Anyway, we all inevitably buy these hubs and most of the time, we don't experience too many problems. Of course, it doesn't help either when certain devices draw power from the hub as opposed to having their own power supply. It's quite common to find that any device that draws it's power from the USB socket tends to be flakey when connected, even to a hub that has it's own power supply.

But then we start to see specific problems arising, like the one I confirmed today. USB Audio devices DO NOT like Logitech webcams being connected to the PC at the same time. The moment you put a Logitech webcam on your system, your USB Audio devices start to perform erratically or not at all. I had this very problem to start with when installing my MPK. Windows simply doesn't see it. Remove the webcam and it's drivers and there it is !!

So remove your webcam, I hear you say, and of course, that's what I did. But that's no good when I wanted to do some filming of me using the MPK for various things. So now I will have to set up my camcorder over Firewire and hope that it doesn't knock out any other devices !

So, what's the solution ? Well, the powers that be could invent a new, sturdier, non-conflicting protocol, but that would render all our existing devices useless. They could invest heavily in getting USB as it is to work correctly, but that won't happen because it would cost too much. We could demand that peripheral manufacturers make better drivers, but they'll just turn around and say that "our drivers work great with their products, but we couldn't possibly guarantee they will work with everyone else's".

Of course, we as users could simply run two systems. Computer based musicians do this a lot anyway, but it's not always the most affordable practice.

So I guess, we'll still be rolling the dice and hoping that everything we want to work on our systems does, and without many issues. It's not right and it's not acceptable, but we are generally at their mercy.

I'd like to know what users of other platforms find. Do OSX or Linux users get the same problems ? Do things improve with Vista ? That's my next test as I have a laptop running Vista, so I will install the MPK and webcam and see what happens.

After my recent experiences, I'm not holding my breath ;o)

JP Video - "November"

During my time as a contributor and user of various musical instruments, I have met with and had the pleasure of knowing some unique and interesting individuals. One of these is Joseph Provede aka JP Video. JP has been an Alesis Fusion user almost since it's introduction and has been a valuable, amusing and challenging contributor to it's community, fiercely defending the Fusion's honour with much credible vigour.

Here is a clip or two of him improvising on the Fusion...

This EMMY nominated artist has also worked with the likes of Anthony Quinn, Sofia Loren, Bianca Jagger, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Tito Puente, Gloria Estaban & Edward James Olmos

So anyways, JP and I have spoken often over the last year or two, both on the forums and in private and a few months back, he sent me a lovely package all the way from New "Joisey" :o) In this package was his latest CD, "November" as well as some interesting background on himself as an artist and the kindly soul also sent me a signed copy of his first single, released in 1981, entitled "Given It All Back" b/w "Video Video". Quite a collectors item on eBay now, this single has been credited by many as an early influence, especially on the techno scene.

So, in exchange for this generous gift, all JP asked for was a review of "November" to which I gladly agreed. However, my busy work schedule prevented me from giving it a full and proper listen for some time so it is only now that I can fulfil my end of the bargain.

"November" is a 5 track CD, although track one, "The Kecksberg Suite", is a medley of 7 pieces. The entire album was almost entirely improvised on JP's Kurzweil Mk.XII and is essentially a blend of electronica, New Age and Prog Jazz with some beat poetry thrown in for good measure. I guess you could call JP a conceptual artist as he also dabbles in film and other visual arts. The cover for November was designed and created by JP himself.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I popped "November" into the CD player. The promotional blurb that came with it described a quite diverse image and the first few pieces of "The Kecksberg Suite" are certainly a blend of jazz & folk stylings overlaid with commentary lifted from interviews and speeches regarding the alleged UFO crash in Pennsylvania, 1965. I love the obsession shown by Americans in the 50's and 60's to UFO's and this piece is very interesting on that level alone. It has a certain "Twilight Zone" feel to it. The musical themes and juxtapositions require the listener to pay attention otherwise things start to get messy and muddy, and this is not a criticism, but an indication of the complexity behind the piece.

The rest of track one is comprised of the theme to JP's movie "Sinatra Undead" which has more of a traditional compositional structure, both musically and rhythmically. Following this is the disturbingly named "Drinking A Woman's Menstruation Blood". Don't be put off by the title however, as this piece of classic beat poetry, narrated over jazz noodlings on the piano is all about those nights you spend tossing and turning, trying to sleep, whilst all the time, the TV is affecting your lucid dreamstate. It has the essence of Greenwich Village all over it. Well, that's how I see it, anyway ! :o)

Rounding off the first track is a continuation of the jazzy background to the beat poem.

Track 2, "Niburu (The 12th Planet)" is topped and tailed by snippets of actual Military press conferences surrounding the Roswell UFO crash and between these is a very atmospheric piece of electronica which truly evokes the image of deep, colourful space and the orbit of the planet which lends the track it's name.

Track 3, "Suspended State Of Belief" is an organ heavy, yet atmospheric piece. Heavy in reverb and sonic movement, this is another piece of ambient beauty, invoking vivid sonic images.

"The Jungle Ghost" opens with the sonic atmosphere of a dark, damp forest, resplendent with it's foliage and living inhabitants, slowly growing into a crescendo of violins, horns and bells and culminating with tribal chanting, before falling back into the all encompassing ambience of the jungle.

Closing the album is the title track, "November", a beautiful piece on piano, conjuring images of floating over streams and rivers, the strong smell of dew in the air, then moving off wildly into agitated and frentic crescendos before coming to rest in a gentle fashion.

JP describes the concept of November as "not of this earth" and there is certainly a distinct air of otherworldiness in this entire piece. In places, it's the sort of piece that would sit well on beautiful natural world images of the earth in all it's splendour. The violent pianos and organs easily backgrounding storms and violent seas, yet the soft pads and airy, electronic tones would compliment visions of green pastures, starry skies and soaring plains and mountains.

This is an ambitious piece that requires the listener to pay heed and notice the nuances in it's composition. It is not something that can be listened to in the background. It requires dedication and intelligence and an open mind. If I still partook of the "green leaf", I'd be skinning up right now ;o)

The more I listen to this album, the more I hear, and I love that kind of music. It guarantees repeat listening and continued enjoyment.

For more information on JP Video and his work, visit the following sites...

JPVIDEO

Wavefactory

Sinatra Undead

JPVIDEO @ Soundclick

Or email JP at jpvideo@warwick.net

Remodelled Failed Muso Studio

As is customary here at Failed Muso, when I get a week off, one of two things normally happens. I either have a shuffle about with the gear in the studio in some vain attempt to re-kindle my musical inspiration or I reformat and rebuild my PC.

This week was an exception.

I did both ! :o)

The impending arrival of the Akai MPK49 had already got me thinking about reconfiguring the layout of the studio to accomodate it. So, when it arrived last week, just before my planned week off, I finally summoned up the energy and enthusiasm to shift things around. The problem I had with the last layout was 3 fold. Firstly, the Alesis Fusion took up rather a large amount of space on the desktop, but I needed a keyboard there for my work. Secondly, the central positioning of the desk meant I had keyboard stands either side which meant they all struggled to reach the Yamaha UX256 MIDI hub. Thirdly, the old Kenwood 5.1 system that I used for monitoring purposes wasn't being used anymore and taking up a large corner of space. See below:







So, I considered a number of possibilities and eventuall plumped for putting the desk in the corner with the PC to the right and the keyboards to the right of that, meaning that nothing had a stretch to reach hubs and mixers. the Fusion went on to a stand and the smaller MPK moved on to the desk, giving me more space and the Kenwood was retired to the loft, substituted by a neater and smaller 5.1 system. Sadly, the Yamaha DTXpress drums have had to be relegated to the garage for now. My studio is right next door to the kids room and playing them in the evening (the only time I'm normally home) is a no go for obvious reasons. So they are now set up in the garage for me to use. So, this is the final result:







As for the PC, well, my hand was forced slightly, again by the MPK49 ! Being a USB Audio device, and being that Windows handles multiple USB Audio devices very poorly, I somehow managed to render my system useless by mucking about with the USB config. Quite how, I don't know, but suffice to say, the damned thing wouldn't boot in any mode, and when I inspected it using a Fedora Live Linux CD, it was unmountable. Thankfully, I'm a religious "backer upper" and I had an empty 120GB HD so I reinstalled XP and the installation process saw the supposedly faulty HD and did some reindexing and repairing and the contents are now visible and therefore recoverable so I am back on my feet again, with all my mail and settings restored and a much cleaner and lighter system too. I also bought some more RAM to give it 2GB in total, after finding that 1GB was causing great instability due to lack of resources.

So, it's only half way through my week off and I'm shattered. I'll be shifting the old sound system and empty boxes up to the loft later today and then moving the final bookcase and then I'm done. No wonder I always need a holiday after a holiday ! LOL ;o)

The MPK49 has landed !!

Well, after a very long wait (and an even longer story to explain why), the Akai MPK49 arrived !!

First impressions were that this thing is built like a feckin' tank ! It's by no means light being a shade under 10Kgs !! And it feels equally robust when it's unpacked. Connectivity at the rear is simple and uncluttered, with a standard MIDI IN & OUT as well as the obligatory USB connection. 2x 1/4" jacks are supplied for connecting a sustain & expression pedal. There is a power supply socket, although a power supply isn't provided and finally there is a Kensington Lock socket for added security, although given the weight of the MPK49, the thief won't be able to run too fast with it ;o)

"Up top", there is a wealth of controllers. first of all, in common with many other USB controllers, there are 8 endless rotary knobs, 8 sliders and 8 switches, each of which can store 3 commands (3 BANKS OF 8) giving you 72 controllers. To the left of these are the transport controls, a TAP TEMPO button, octave shift buttons and some edit/global functions. The LCD screen is a good size and there is a separate rotary with "push" function to simply navigate through the settings.

What sets the MPK apart from most is the 12 MPC pads it contains. Velocity and pressure sensitive and featuring NOTE REPEAT, 12 LEVEL & FULL Level functionality, these give you some of the neatest inspirational tools from the MPC range. The pads themselves are the exact same as used in the MPC500 (I have one of those too) and each pad can have four settings, giving you 48 individual settings. The MPK also features an arpeggiator which although not as powerful as those found in proper synths, is simple, effective and a welcome addition.

The Pitch Bend and Mod wheels are chunky, rubberised and illuminated from behind and the keybed itself is a very nice semi-weighted affair with velocity and aftertouch.

I was expecting something a lot less substantial, but this keyboard certainly leaves you in no doubt where your £300 went. It feels like it is worth every penny.

However, it's the performance that justifies the cost, so how does it fare ?

Well, installation is a breeze. It's a class compliant device, so no drivers are needed. Just pop it in a USB port and after about 20 seconds, it's installed and ready to use, with the USB MIDI ports available straight away. It draws it's power from the USB host like most other controllers and boots up instantly. As far as software is concerned, it comes with an editor (WIN/MAC) based on MIDIQUEST and is very comprehensive. It also comes with templates built in for most major DAW's and some soft synths to boot, although I was surprised at the choice of soft synths chosen for default settings. As good as Rob Papen, Arkaos and Virsyn stuff is, I'm sure more people have got NI, Korg Legacy or other VST's installed, but that's just my personal preference. Given that Kontakt forms the basis of most sample based VSTi's, I'd expect it to be in there. GMedia are represented, as well as Arturia, so that makes up for it in a way. At the end of the day, it's a case of creating and storing your own settings in the vacant slots if your synth of choice is not listed.

I did have some issues when installing, but these were not the fault of the MPK, but of Windows and it's dodgy handling of multiple USB Audio devices. It installed perfectly on both my XP and Vista laptops, but my desktop, which is laden with gear and software, did not want to show the MPK as a MIDI device across USB. Sadly, the tinkering I did to try and rectify my bloated USB config resulted in a major system failure, leaving me with an unbootable HD. Luckily, I had a back up and a spare HD and I am now up and running again, and able to rescue all my data from the other HD.

The MPK then went on to install first time, no questions :o)



So, to test it out, I installed it on Reason (using the enclosed Reason LUA Codecs and Maps) and it was seen by Reason and immediately installed without question. Now, for someone like me who hasn't had a controller like this before, using it with Reason was a revalation. A simple and intuitive workflow coupled with a great feeling keyboard, just made it a very pleasurable experience. The MPK also comes supplied with an Akai branded version of Ableton Live Lite which is a neat little app, especially when it's free.

All in all, this is a great controller. Sturdy, simple, uncluttered, functional and intuitive, it gives the user immense confidence in it's abilities. With this baby sat in front of you, you feel that you have everything right there, immediate and solid. It's even taken the place of my Fusion as the "keyboard on the desk" !! My only criticism is that it may be too big and heavy to be considered truly portable and convenient. I still think I may go for a nice little 25 note board for my travels as I can't see the MPK fitting in my suitcase ;o)

Gary Numan - Rock God !!!

Well, last night was quite simply one of the best gigs I've ever been to. The LCR @ UEA in Norwich is a small venue (approx 1500) but great acoustics and an excellent view of the stage from anywhere in the room. The support act, Rubicks were a brilliant little three piece who play anthemic indie rock with a driving New Order-esque beat. Well worth checking out. In fact, I've not seen a better support act in many years (save for Chaka Khan & Larry Graham at a Prince gig in the late 90's).

When Gaz took to the stage, the light show kicked in full time, and for something so simple it was very effective. A dozen LED strips, 6 either side of the stage provided the backdrop behind the drummer and two keyboard players, who were elevated about 6 foot off the stage. The keyboard guys were playing an Alesis QS8 each, one had a Virus Ti and the other some 61 key Roland but I could tell what. The Akai S5000's were clearly visible in the racks and they were both running Macbooks (presumably with Logic as a sequencer and host). Gary had a Les Paul and a Roland D50 along with his own Macbook. The line up was complete with a guitarist and bass player of the Nine Inch Nails ilk.

The set kicked off with "Replicas" which was awesome and a definite goosebump moment. "Me, I Disconnect From You" followed and we were off into a retrospective of this fine album which influenced so many. Every song was a modern reworking but retaining the essence and electronic passion of the originals. I have never heard powerful "analog" synths scream out so well. The set list comprised of the 16 tracks that went to make up Replicas and the B-Sides of the singles along with tracks fom the sessions that only made it on the album when it was re-released on CD. "Down In The Park" almost had me in tears, as did "I Nearly Married A Human".

Allegedly, when Numan wrote these songs 30 years ago, they were based on a concept he was eventually going to write a book about. It was the start of his "Machine" phase" and the images they painted were of this dark, sinister world where machines were taking over. The dark, Philip K. Dick influence of these songs has never been in question, but the imagery and power was never so obvious asit was last night.

Of course, "Are 'Friends' Electric" was saved till last and saw the whole venue literally take off.

The encore had them back on stage, with Gary coyly stating, "Well that's all the stuff I ever wrote for Replicas, so here's some treats for you". Almost instantly the place exploded as the band struck up "Cars", followed by "Everyday I Die" & "My Shadow In Vain".

And then he was gone.

I know this album is special to me and that I am biased but it was an incredible night with a man who is simply a great songwriter and performer. He struts the stage with his trademark arrogant demeanour, yet is affable and shy in between songs. It's like the music releases this being inside of him that is then hidden away when the music stops and the Aspergers takes over. That he can handle himself so well is encouragement to anyone who deals with this on a daily basis.

Rarely have I left a gig wishing to see it all again and that it never stop. On my trip home, I beat myself up for leaving it so long to see this guy, but was content that I had done so.

It'll be Gaz all the way in the car today as I travel up north on business.

Oh, and the T shirts were an affordable £15 a pop. Shame that the XXL size is still too small for me :(

P.S. The Replicas Redux album is a 2 disc affair, with Disc Two being a collection of early recordings of the Replicas songs. The 3rd CD of Remixes was limited to 3000 copies and was only available via Gary's website. I'm hoping mine turns up anyday now :)

Tonight's the night !

Well, tonight is the night I get to see Gary Numan live !! I'll be catching him at the UEA in Norwich on the Replicas 2008 Tour. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be hearing the tunes that got me into electronic music performed by the man himself !

A full report and maybe some pictures later, I hope :)

Replicas Redux is available in all good record shops (and some bad ones too), as well as Gary's own website, now.

Coldplay Studio clearout !!

Risking yet another deluge of idiots asking me if *I* still have these itmes for sale, I noticed that Coldplay are having a bit of a spring clean. Items include...

Emu SP1200



Roland SH-101



Pearl Syncussion SY1



Korg PolySix



Roland Jupiter6



LinnDrum LM-2



Oberheim Stretch DX



Korg MonoPoly



eBay Link Here

And just to remind anyone thinking of emailing me asking about these items and whether I still have them for sale or if I can ship to some Aussie backwater hick town, population 5, where the father is also the mother's brother, I WILL hunt you down and rape you !! ;o)

I AM NOT VINCE CLARKE !!!!

Oh how I wish I was !!!!

A little while back, I posted an article about Vince Clarke (Erasure/Depeche Mode/Yazoo/The Assembly) selling off a whole load of gear on eBay.....

Vince Clarke's Studio For Sale

.. and ever since, I have been bombarded with emails from ignorant fools who simply don't read the post, asking if I still have particular items left for sale !!

The first few were amusing, but they subsequently got more annoying and abusive when I told them I wasn't Vince and I wasn't selling these things !!!

So, if you have found this post because your sorry ass Googled some bit of vintage gear that you want, DO NOT SEND ME ANY FUCKING EMAILS AS I AM NOT VINCE CLARKE AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY GEAR FOR SALE !!!!!

And the next person that sends me an abusive email because of this will have their cock cut off and force fed to them on a cocktail stick.

I shit you not.

Rainydayz Remixes

After a minor ding dong with the band and management, a remix album of Radiohead's latest offering, In Rainbows, is now legally and freely available for all to download, with the blessing of Radiohead themselves. In Rainbows was released last year, with Radiohead allowing the purchaser to pay what they felt it was worth. they have since released it on CD in stores.

Amplive, a hip hop producer, took a number of the tracks and remixed them, using such rappers as Too $hort, MC Zumbi of Zion I, Chali2na of Jurassic 5, and Del the Funky Homosapien.

It's worth a listen, and you have nothing to lose as it is completely free.

Grab it here

Also worth a try is Radiushead

New Akai S900 blog...

For lovers of vintage Akai samplers, here is a new blog for the Akai S900. Created by Akai Forum member Koney, it should be a handy resource for owners of these lovely old machines :o)

JMJ Cover - Oxygene IV - 100% Alesis Fusion

Created by Alesis Fusion user Mastropiero, this is a quite superb and accurate cover of Oxygene IV, performed, mixed and recorded entirely on the Alesis Fusion using only it's internal VA synth and stock sounds. No external samples or FX were used.

DOWNLOAD HERE

I think you'll agree that it's a damned fine cover and certainly shows the Fusion off well.

Fusion owners can download the SONG & PATTERN files, along with Mastropiero's tweaked settings for the internal sounds HERE.

Well done Mastro :o)

EDIT: I have managed to make a surround sound mix of this using Fraunhofer IIS's MP3 Surround encoder. You can download the MP3 Surround Player and other bits of surround software, free of charge, HERE. There are versions for Windows, Mac & Linux. To get the full effect, you need a computer with 5.1 surround sound and the necessary speakers or you can use the included Ensonido headphone surround built in to the player and listen to it in surround using regular stereo headphones.

DOWNLOAD SURROUND MIX HERE

Inside Synthesis - FM Tutorial

At last, someone has made understanding FM synthesis easy in this no nonsense, laymans terms video series.

Part one is below (hosted from Sonicstate.....)

William (the guy in the video) also has a blog, Inside Synthesis which features other great tutorial video's :o)

So, all you Alesis Fusion owners, get digging in to that wonderful 6-Op FM engine you have. I certainly am, and this gives my DX27 a new lease of life ;o) I may even start tinkering with my Prophecy, which has Korg's own version, called VPM.

Thanks to Rod Mitchell for bringing this to my attention :o)

It happens to the best of us...

Found on YouTube, posted by Thomasalsine, is a clip of what must've been one of those moments where you wish a giant hole would appear and swallow you up. Here is synth and electronica legend Jean Michel Jarre performing Oxygene live at the Marigny Theatre in Paris, December 2007. After encountering some tuning issues pre gig, the unthinkable happens live on stage when his MemoryMoog exhibits a massive detune.

You see, it happens to the best of us. And if we ever needed a reminder why we moved to digital so swiftly, this is it. I have to say that the audience slow clapping can't have been particularly pleasant. Most, if not all, should have some sympathy with what JMJ was attemtping and the inherent dangers of performing live with very old analogue hardware. all credit to JMJ for soldiering on and I hear he eventually recovered to complete the performance.

At least it's not as embarrassing as when Eddie Van Halen completely fecked up "Jump" by playing in completely the wrong key.



All the EvH fanboys try to blame the keyboard player on this one, but if he's out of tune, how come the bass player is in tune with the keys ? Sorry Eddie, guess you're human after all ;o)

EMS Synthi 100

A nice little video from 2003 about the restoration of a Synthi 100. This is apparantly the same one used by Steve Howell at Cardiff University...

The blurb on YouTube reads:

Here's a clip of myself being interviewed by SonicState in 2003. We had nearly completed restoration of a EMS Synthi 100 and were showing it in London. I HATE having my pic taken - being filmed - whatever! And to have a mic shoved in front of you with no rehearsal - yikes! No wonder I forgot everything and stumbled all the way through!!

Just to correct a couple of things - this Synthi was researched in depth (with help from R. Wood!)and found to be the original DIGITANA (the name for the prototype before Synthi 100) as used and pictured in the EMS Studio. The sequencer was designed slightly later around '70 - 71... This being the original it consisted several veroboards!
An awesome instrument when its restoration was completed - and one I miss...

IIRC, Daniel Miller bought the Synthi 100 that was thrown out of my local Uni, The UEA in Norwich.

Yazoo to reform for tour and release back catalogue in 5.1 !!!

From Mute Records:

Yazoo (Vince Clarke & Alison Moyet) have announced that they will reunite for the first time in over 25 years for Reconnected, a UK tour in June, starting in Glasgow on the 4th and culminating in a headline show at London's Hammersmith Apollo on the 18th.

Tickets are available from 1st February direct from the venue or online at ticketmaster.co.uk, gigsandtours.com, livenation.co.uk.

Exclusive ticket pre-sale available 25th January from alisonmoyet.com.

(and now for the most exciting part....)

The tour is preceded by In Your Room, a 4 disc box set which includes:

Remasters and 5.1 mixes of both Yazoo's classic albums Upstairs At Eric's and You And Me Both
B-sides and remixes
DVD featuring a new short film containing exclusive new interviews with Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet and the promo videos for Don't Go, The Other Side Of Love, Nobody's Diary, Situation (1990) and Only You (1999)
The joyous, unlikely coming together of Vince Clarke, who had just left Depeche Mode, and Alison Moyet lasted for only 2 albums, saw them performing only 24 concerts worldwide, but left an indelible mark on pop.

Yazoo released Upstairs At Eric's in July 1982 then parted company just 12 months later on release of the second album You And Me Both, which reached Number 1 in the UK.

Vince and Alison have since gone on to have their own successful careers, Vince with Erasure and Alison as a solo performer, both releasing Top 30 critically acclaimed hit albums in 2007 - Erasure with Light At The End Of The World and Alison Moyet with The Turn.

The Reconnected Tour will also see Yazoo perform material from You And Me Both for the very first time as well as pop classics Only You and Don't Go.

Yazoo Reconnected: Live

Wed 04 June - Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
Sat 07 June - Manchester Apollo
Thu 12 June - Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Sun 15 June - Brighton Centre
Wed 18 June - London Hammersmith Apollo

"It's been really good going back to these songs after such a long while. Many of them have never been played live. I'm looking forward to performing them with Alison for all the fans who've enjoyed our music through the years but never had a chance to see Yazoo in concert." Vince Clarke

"Playing this material live is not about revision for me, it is about finishing something we started - writing, recording, performing. Three parts of a whole. A salmon cycle. It’s like going home." Alison Moyet

EDIT: Tickets went on general sale today at the extortionate price of £45 each !! Hammersmith Apollo also has certain seats at £40 & £35, but you know they'll be up in the gods. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm paying £45 to see a band who haven't played live in 25 years, only released 2 albums worth of material and are only doing 5 gigs ! I can understand people paying £125 to see Led Zeppelin, but having paid only £31.21 to see Prince at the O2, £12 to see Scritti Politti at The Luminaire and £17 to see Gary Numan (all in the last few months), Yazoo are much less an influential 80's retro comeback band and in no way worth £45 a ticket. Sorry guys, looks like all you'll get out of me is the price of the 4 disc boxset in May.

My New Blog

Fields Of Sound

An Appreciation, And Promotion Of, Surround Sound Music & Films.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon in Surround Sound. Could this be the kick start ?

I have always been a big fan of surround sound. My father had a Quadraphonic HiFi back in the 70's (A lovely Dynatron affair) and I was hooked from that moment onwards. The concept of being surrounded by sound, having an audio image created all about me seemed natural and right. Stereo seemed restrictive.

It is only recently, since the mass acceptance of DVD and the 5.1 format into home theatres that the possibility of music in surround has been resurrected. Sadly though, it's not much of a resurrection yet. It's taking time. I'm sure it will get there, but there is confusion and animosity over the various formats and of course, you need to get consumer buy in for it to really take off. DVD-Audio & SACD are the two hardware formats that cater for high fidelity multichannel mixes at 24bit/96KHz. SACD is Sony's baby, therefore titles available rely on industry affiliations and we all know where that can lead. For example, Jeff Wayne's "Musical Version of The War Of The Worlds" is only available on regular Redbook CD and SACD, not DVD-A. Queen's "A Night At The Opera" is only available in DVD-Audio, As is The Beatles "Love" album. However, The Beatles & Queen (as do many other releases) also have a DVD Video version available, utilising Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 found in all home DVD systems, so the user base is now much bigger, but the bug hasn't bitten and the message still needs to be emphasised.

So what's it going to take ? How are we going to convince people that multichannel music is the way forward ? Well, releasing classic albums in the format might help. Depeche Mode have recently released their entire studio catalogue in SACD/DVD remasters (see my post HERE), and of course "Love" and "Night At The Opera" are classics too. Fleetwood Mac's album, "Rumours" (the 4th biggest selling album off all time) is available in DVD-A and there are some other classics there too. Current artists like Jean Michel Jarre & Bjork are big proponents of multichannel music but we need a landmark release to get people into it. And we also need a way of getting software involved in the playback process. There is now an MP3 Surround format, ratified by the AES and being adopted by many of the big name hardware & software manufacturers so this could be the push we need.

One classic album that got the multichannel treatment recently was Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" on SACD, released to celebrate it's 30th anniversary. But what some people don't realise is that this album was a surround sound pioneer at it's creation, and not just 30 years later. Alan Parsons was the engineer on the original project and remixed the entire album for Quadraphonic sound. Sadly, the band (or the label) decided not to release this version, maybe because production costs were too high back then, and the multiple variations on the quadraphonic format meant that sales would be minimal. So, naturally, these quadraphonic mixes soon became the stuff of legend and folklore and various versions appeared as bootlegs. But recently, the orginal 1/2" masters were transferred to the digital format and subsequently released (albeit unofficially) as the definitive quad mix. Here are the notes that come with the release...

Dark Side Of The Moon
From the original 1/2" Master Tapes

This is the real deal. not the usual Q8 or SQ versions with all their limitations
(limited bandwidth on the Q8, Matrixed surround on the SQ etc) but a genuine transfer from the original master tapes.
Finally you can hear Alan Parsons mix as it was always intended to be heard in studio quality audio.
The only "liberty" we have taken here is an additional .1 track. You can make up your own mind as to
whether or not it is a worthwhile addition.
It also features all new artwork in both sections specially created for this DVD-Audio release
The disc will play on all DVD players, as it is a DVD-Audio/Video "hybrid" containing the following:

Audio_TS
MLP Lossless at 24/96 Resolution in 4.1

Video_TS
DTS from 24/48 Source files
Dolby Digital from 24/48 Source files

Additionally, it is possible to play both the lossy streams from DVD-Audio players.
Each type has it's own menus. What you can access is dependant entirely on your player.

All Authoring, Encoding, Post Production and design is exclusive to this release.

FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE THIS DISC TO OTHERS, BUT ALWAYS "AS IS" AND IN FULL.
PLEASE DO NOT RIP AND REPOST IN ANY OTHER FORMAT. THERE IS NO NEED AS ALL DVD PLAYERS CAN READ THIS DISC,
AND DOING SO WILL DEPRIVE OTHERS OF THE FULL HIGH RESOLUTION FORMATS USED.
ADDITIONALLY, RIPPING TO DTS-CD WILL INVOLVE QUALITY LOSS DUE TO DOWNSAMPLING, AND WILL
REDUCE THE LISTENING PLEASURE FOR OTHERS.

Of course, this is unofficial, and probably illegal, therefore I won't provide any direct links to places to acquire this. However, it's safe to say that if you Google for it, you will find it. You will also need a BitTorrent client :o)

And how does it sound ? Fuckin' awesome ;o)

Babes That Play Synths Pt.9

This is Tara. Tara Busch.

Tara is an extremely talented musician who runs the Analog Suicide blog as well as being a bit of a roving "synth" reporter. Check out her video's from NAMM '08 HERE.

I had admired her from a distance for some time, recalling various posts and video's on places like Matrixsynth. Then, out of the blue, I got an email requesting a link swap, and was honoured to be able to oblige.

Buy her latest album, Pilfershire Lane, HERE, where you can also listen to samples.



Tara also has a MySpace presence HERE.

Visit her world, fall for her talents. Enjoy ;o)

New Line Cypress Drum Buddy by Quintron

Sent my way by JPVIDEO, this unusual, yet mesmerising bit of kit is one of only 10 made by Quintron. Laurie Anderson owns one and one will be auctioned off on ebay starting next Saturday, 26th January 2008. Click the post title for more info.

For the record, JPVIDEO can be reached at the following sites....

http://www.wavefactory.tv/

http://www.sinatraundead.com/

http://www.soundclick.com/jpvideo

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=stockhausen

Depeche Mode - The Remasters

Released last year, and created to celebrate 25 years in the business, the first 10 studio albums by Basildon band, Depeche Mode not only mark a stunning career but also a landmark surround sound music release. Each album is released in various formats (including Vinyl & CD) but the pinnalce is the collectors editions which feature 2 discs. Disc 1 is an SACD hybrid with remastered versions of the album in stereo and 5.1 multichannel at 24bit/96KHz. Disc 2 is a DVD (not DVD-A) that features the album in 5.1 Dolby Digital at 24bit & 5.1 DTS at 24bit/96KHz. This second disc also features b-sides, live tracks, remixes & singles not featured on the albums and a documentary chronicaling the band at the time each album was released. Held in gatefold sleeves with plastic protectors and a booklet with new pictures and sleeve notes, these releases are a must not only for fans, but for lovers of electronic music and surround sound alike.

EDIT: After popping DISC 1 of these albums into my car HiFi, I discovered that they also contain CDText, much to my (pleasant) surprise :o)

With their last studio album, "Playing The Angel" already released in 5.1, along with the live album, "101", Depeche Mode are now undeniably the most prolific 5.1 musicians alive today.

I will be endeavouring to review each pack as time allows, but to be perfectly honest, I'm too busy enjoying listening to them !!

Visit Mute Records online store, Mutebank, for some incredible deals on these albums, including Multipack purchases.

Visit the microsite HERE