Technabob » electronic music

Midi Fighter 3D Music Controller Busts Out Its Best Combo Moves

Technabob — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:00:07 +0000

Electronic musicians and DJs are always on the lookout for cool new ways to control their music. The Midi Fighter 3D looks like it could be nifty new music-making tool to add to your arsenal.

This compact box offers a 4×4 grid of arcade-type push-buttons, each backed with colorful RGB LEDs to provide visual feedback. But there are a ton of button controllers out there. What makes the Midi Fighter 3D special is its built-in motion sensor technology. Under the hood, it’s packing a gyroscope, accelerometer and compass, which allow musicians to use the position, angle or direction of the controller as inputs for MIDI software as well. Just plug it into your computer with the included USB cable, load up your favorite music software, and you’ll be all set.

It’s also got a set of bank-switching buttons on top, so the grid can be reconfigured on-the-fly to one of four different configurations and color schemes. In addition to the 16 buttons on top, the controller has six side-mounted buttons which can easily be pressed while you’re moving it around. They also plan on offering a hand strap, which will allow you to easily hold it in your hand without worrying about it flying out in a mad musical fit.

The MIDI Fighter 3D is being made by DJ Tech Tools, who expects to release it this April with a retail price of $249 (USD). You can reserve one now over on their website.

[via Create Digital Music]

The Badgermin Sounds Exactly Like You’d Think It Would Sound

Technabob — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:00:45 +0000

What do you get when you combine a taxidermied badger with a theremin? You get the Badgermin. Yes, in this world of “if it can be done, why not try it?” somebody actually has created what is likely to be the first ever electronic instrument stuffed inside a dead animal.

The Badgermin is the warped creation of electronic artist and sculptor David Cranmer, and it is exactly as weird as it sounds. The creepy-looking badger has had his guts replaced with the electronics from a PAiA Theremax theremin – which also sounds like some sort of flu medicine, but I digress.

Now that you’ve had a chance to let the image of the Badgermin etch itself permanently into your retinas, take a listen. Just make sure your cats and dogs are out of the room unless you want them to start freaking out.

Oh, my ears! It sounds like the badger has been abducted by aliens (and thoroughly probed.) At least they could have played the original Star Trek theme on it, right?

Badgers? We don’t need no steenkin’ badgers. There, somebody had to say it.

[via Nothing to do with Arbroath]

QuNeo Multitouch Controller Looks Like a Game-Changer for Electronic Music

Technabob — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:15:44 +0000

Electronic musicians and DJs, here’s something you guys will probably love. It’s a new MIDI/USB controller which looks pretty spectactular, especially when you consider the relatively low price, which starts at just 200 bucks.

The QuNeo is a multitouch controller, designed by Keith McMillen Instruments, who has been a pioneer in the electronic music world for over 30 years, so this isn’t just some fly-by-night project either. The controller is loaded with input methods, including 16 square pads, 2 rotary sensors, 9 sliders, and 17 switches. But the really cool thing is that the pads are capable of sensing velocity and position of your fingertips. The square triggers sense 127 levels of velocity, X/Y location, and pressure. Each rotary sensor can detect angle, pressure and distance from its center. The sliders support multitouch, so you can set a bottom and top range. This means that each input trigger can provide an insane amount of nuance and creative control.

Underneath the pads are 251 individual multi-color LEDs, which can provide visual feedback as you play. It’s compatible with MIDI, USB and OSC protocols, and can be used with popular music software like Ableton Live. Plus, there’s an open source SDK for the QuNeo, so you can use its sensor date to control just about anything you want – heck, you could even use it as a game or a robotics controller if you’re clever with software development.

Another cool thing is that they designed it to be the same dimensions as an iPad 2, so many iPad stands and mounts work to hold it. And while you might wonder if you could do the same thing on the screen on an iPad itself, there’s still nothing better than actual tactile feedback when playing an instrument. Just like typing on a touchscreen, playing music on one isn’t the most natural thing to do.

The QuNeo is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter to ramp up production, and has already blown through its initial $15,000 goal by over 400%. So it’s definitely being funded. A pledge of $200(USD) will get you one of the first QuNeo controllers, and $240 will get you a QuNeo along with a MIDI expander box if you need to connect it to 5-pin MIDI DIN inputs.

MIDI-Moov Controller Lets Musicians Add Effects Simply by Moving Around

Technabob — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:00:46 +0000

Musicians looking to add effects to their performances have a variety of ways they can do this – using dedicated “stomp boxes”, standalone effects processors, and even apps on their iPhone or iPad. This device will give musicians yet another way to produce effects, which integrates more naturally into their performance.

The MIDI-Moov is a new device from TangibleFX. Currently in the prototyping stages, it’s a small box you can attach to your body or musical instrument to detect motions and use them to control effects. The wireless device acts as a full MIDI controller, allowing you to attach an effect to each X, Y and Z axes of movement. So for instance, leaning forward or backwards could trigger an increase or decrease in the intensity of an effect or sound. The transmitter would then send these signals directly to a remote computer running software like Logic Pro, Cubase or Ableton Live to manipulate sounds in real time. Here’s a demo video of the current prototype in action:

Currently, the guys at TangibleFX are in the early stages of fundraising over on IndieGoGo for production of the MIDI-Moov, but haven’t really nailed down retail pricing for the gadget at this point. A $500 contribution will get you a handmade beta unit, but that seems like a whole lot of coin – especially on a musician’s budget. Still, the idea is cool, and I hope they figure out a way to get the costs down or to apply the same idea to an iOS or Android app at some point.

Maschine Mikro Electronic Groove Composer Kicks Out the Jams Without Killing Your Bank Account

Technabob — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:30:07 +0000

Electronic musicians, here’s another new gadget you might just have to add to your arsenal of music-making toys. The Maschine Mikro is a moderately priced, but professional-grade music composition tool, designed for use in the studio or in live performances.

Based on Native Instruments’ Maschine groove composer, the Mikro is its new little brother. Running the same acclaimed sequencer, effect and sampler software as its older sibling, the Maschine Mikro lets you easily access the vast majority of the software’s capabilities using the hardware controller itself. It also includes a massive 6GB sample library for you to play with, and works with both Windows 7 and Mac OS X (10.6 or greater) computers.

The compact box offers 16 backlit performance pads, each sporting velocity and after-touch sensitivity, along with a variety of smaller buttons for controlling software functions remotely over a USB connection. Here’s a couple of videos showing off the Maschine Mikro in action.

Technabob » electronic music

Midi Fighter 3D Music Controller Busts Out Its Best Combo Moves

The Badgermin Sounds Exactly Like You’d Think It Would Sound

QuNeo Multitouch Controller Looks Like a Game-Changer for Electronic Music

MIDI-Moov Controller Lets Musicians Add Effects Simply by Moving Around

Maschine Mikro Electronic Groove Composer Kicks Out the Jams Without Killing Your Bank Account

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