Waldorf Blofeld Love

I don't often post digital synths on here, probably because I'm a bit biased towards the analogs, but that doesn't mean they're all bad.  I recall a couple years ago a friend of mine telling me that the Blofeld was an incredible instrument, and here I am, a couple years later, posting it on this very blog.  The Blofeld is a bit of a legend, and you can find a fair share of diehards who love Waldorf on every synth and production forum on the net, right beside the guys who champion the Access Virus.  However, unlike the Virus, the Blofeld won't destroy your bank account, with the module version coming in at around $600 USD new (and seemingly even cheaper on Amazon with that link).  What I really dig about synth modules over software synths is that even if your computer is garbage, you can still lay down the tracks and get music made.  All that audio processing is done in your module-- probably why I like hardware synths so much.  Of course, this argument is a bit moot if you have an incredible computer, but there's something that's so old-school and tangible about hardware.  The greats of the 80s weren't clicking mice, they were turning knobs.  Hopefully this post isn't a pure gear lust inciter.  Enjoy a track of pure Blofeld courtesy of YouTube below.

Punks Jump Up feat Dave 1 - Mr Overtime (Official Video)

Yeah, I'm aware that literally the post before this is a remix of this track, but I found this official music video of Punks Jump Up featuring Dave 1, and it's too cool not to post.  In fact, the colors are so awesome, if and when I re-do the color scheme for the blog, I might take some of these ideas.  I like them that much.  It's also cool to hear the non-remix version, the track is actually spectacular.  I saw Dave-1 tweeted that it's nearly 2 years old as far as creation goes (he says he recorded his vocals a couple years ago), so it's interesting to see a track that's been sitting around for quite some time.  Well worth the wait, though!

Punks Jump Up - Mr. Overtime featuring Dave-1 (Oliver Remix)

I can't remember the last time I loved a collaboration as much as this.  Oliver remixes Punks Jump Up's track "Mr. Overtime", which features Dave-1 of Chromeo fame on vocals.  This track ROCKS.  Lots of sounds, a great beat, and awesome synths.  Totally a banger for the clubs, and should have the fans jumping.  Also dig the incredibly retro cover art.  Nice work, Oliver/Punks Jump Up/Dave-1!

Arturia drops two new releases: The Wurlitzer 200A Electric Piano and the SPARK Vintage Drum Machines Software Instruments

Here's a couple of new releases from Arturia.  I'm actually really intrigued by the SPARK vintage drum machines because vintage drums are among my favorite sounds, just below vintage analog synths.  If you check the list below of the drums included, some really great sounds are there, like the Oberheim DMX (used on New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle") and the Sequential Circuits DrumTraks (a Chromeo favorite).  Of course, the Wurlitzer emulation sounds pretty authentic too...

Arturia announces availability of drum machine software

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware company Arturia is proud to announce availability of its newly-developed SPARK Vintage Drum Machines (Standalone, VST 2.4 & 3 — 32-bit and 64-bit, RTAS and US — 32- and 64-bit) software instrument, placing 30 legendary drum machines at discerning musicians’ rhythmic fingertips!

Awesome Old Footage of The Cure and Depeche Mode in Studio, 1986

Found this in some YouTube browsing.  Definitely cool to see two legendary groups in their height of popularity.

Why Chromeo feel like Strippers, and other thoughts, Courtesy of CNN

Check out Chromeo talking to CNN.

Arturia MiniBrute Waveforms

Here's a nice little demo from Audio Central Magazine demonstrating what the waveforms of the Arturia Minibrute look like on a oscilloscope.  It offers a nice demonstration of what the features like the metalizer, super saw, and brute factor do exactly.  At this point, this synth seems like it could be a big hit for every producer, not only for its unique features, but also its low price of $500 USD.

Aaron Alexis - "In The Air" [Jules Schimmer Remix]

Digging this new remix by Jules Schimmer of Aaron Alexis' "In The Air".  Jules has got some great clubby beats and percussive synths in this track, and the arrangement leaves a good amount of "air" in the mix (poor pun intended) so all the parts come through nice and clear.  What an incredible chorus, too.  Great work, guys!

Deadmau5 takes on unknown singer Chris James for "The Veldt"

I've never posted Deadmau5 on the blog since mostly everyone has heard him, but I do respect the man.  First for his great collection of synths and good, albeit mainstream, electronic music.  Next for his defending of the genre of EDM as a genre for drug users only.  Now, he's taken an unknown artist/ fan of his named Chris James's vocal mix of his track "The Veldt" and turned it into a full on "featuring" track.  James' vocals lend themselves perfectly to the feel of the music, and this collaboration turns "The Veldt" into something really special, as Deadmau5 helps launch the career of someone new.  How can you not dig that?  You can find a rip for download over in the comments on Reddit.

The Sanfernando Sound Remixes Matthew Duffy's "Clever Lover"

From The Sanfernando Sound comes a new remix of Matthew Duffy's "Clever Lover".  This is one dark, brooding jam with great arpeggios and leads.  I especially dig the moving pads around 2:03, which have a beautiful natural movement.  Excellent work from The Sanfernando Sound and Matthew Duffy.

Lifelike - "Barcelona" by The Plasticines Remix

Recently been falling in love with some of Lifelike's tracks.  Her'es his remix of the Plasticines "Barcelona".  Awesome beat and full sound.  Rock on.

Shook feat. Ronika- "Distorted Love"

Alex Metric In The Studio With Future Music

For those of you who don't know, Future Music Magazine occasionally put up old "In The Studio" features from their magazine on their YouTube page.  For all you budding producers out there, this is an excellent opportunity to look into some of the working habits and workflows of great DJs, producers and artists.  I'd recommend keeping an eye out on their YouTube Channel for these videos as they come out, and you can learn a great deal about production from them, free of charge.  Above is In The Studio with Alex Metric.  You can watch the second part after the break below.

Inside Synthesis - FM Synthesis Tutorial

Still haven't cracked the code of FM synthesis yet?  Assuming you've read my tutorial or you just want a quicker explanation, Inside Synthesis has thrown together a nice video explaining some of the basic concepts of FM synthesis.  This is actually a really great video for the basics, so you can get your head around some of the difficult parts.  Inside Synthesis promises more videos on FM, so you'll have to be on the look out for those, too.

Moog Delivers AU/VST Little/Slim Phatty Editor

Moog has finally released a proper editor for the Slim and Little Phatty today.  It supports almost all the major DAWs for both Mac and PC and uses both VST and AU formats.  Basically, this is the missing link between your DAW and Phatty, allowing you to save and load patches, play the synth via MIDI, edit parameters, randomize settings, filter out MIDI information, etc, etc.  Essentially, it should be like using a soft synth with your analog gear, which is great, considering the appeal of using digital gear oftentimes is the ease of it inside your DAW.  The only thing I don't agree with is the rather steep price tag of $69.00, considering this software is sometimes included free, especially in Moog's most recent synth, the Minitaur (and the Little Phatty is twice as expensive).  Check it out if you're a Little or Slim Phatty user looking to better incorporate it into your DAW.

Full information/ To purchase, click here.

MTribe Monotribe Plug-in

We're only a few days off my review of the Amazing Machines MIDITRIBE, and, just when I thought I was finished with Monotribe related gizmos, a new Monotribe Editor called MTribe appears from Fabrizio Poce.  You can see the full page of details here, but the basic rundown is that it's a standalone editor for your Midi-enabled Monotribe (by using a mod like the MIDITRIBE) so that you can use it with your computer.  It also works as a plug-in in Ableton Live.  It costs only 5 dollars, but you can try out a free demo to make sure it works to your satisfaction.

Messing with the Monotribe

Thought I'd drop together a short demo of the Monotribe with MIDITRIBE for you all.  Just clicked it on and did it live.  A little bit of compression and reverb, which probably lowers the power of the kick, but oh well.  Enjoy!

Com Truise LIVE Video - Official

A little Com Truise for your Sunday afternoon. Need I say more?

Breakbot releases "Programme" B-side (Free Download)

Wow.  Funk master Breakbot released a new track called "Programme"on Friday.  It's only a b-side to an upcoming single, but man, this track is cool.  Completely different than what many EDM artists are doing today.  Completely bumping and yet has some nice piano touch to it as well-- this track begs to be put on amongst friends while chilling out.  Breakbot's captured the 70s magically in his production as well.  Be on the look out for his new record By Your Side coming in the fall.

SCI Prophet 600 = Welcome

Youtube user n3bsvid shows off his new SCI Prophet 600.

Sweetwater shows off the Arturia Minibrute

A nice demo by Sweetwater Sound of the Arturia Minibrute.  I haven't heard that anyone has received theirs yet, but it sounds like this thing is going to be a hit.

Awesome Music Store: Robotspeak in San Francisco

Found this cool little gem through Dave Smith Instruments.  It's a piece on CNET about Robotspeak, an electronic music store in San Francisco, California, specializing in analog gear and circuit bent instruments.  Here's a perfect little store for all the synth and sound lovers.  You'll find gear here you can't find at your local big box store.  Check out a full article here.

Queen of Hearts "Neon" [Lightwaves Remix]

 

  Queen of Hearts - Neon (Lightwaves Remix) by Lightwaves

Lightwaves has just released an awesome new remix of "Neon" by Queen of Hearts.  Things have been a little low-key on Lightwaves' end these days (I can assure you, he's hard at work on some great new music) so it's nice to see an appearance of a great remix.  Dig this dance-y tune on your Friday night.

Alphabeat Unveil New "Vacation" Video

Recent blog guests Alphabeat unveiled their new video for "Vacation", their newest single from their unnamed forthcoming album.  As expected, the video is incredibly stylish and colorful.  With all the dramatic videos of the day, it's nice to get back to the roots of happiness with such an upbeat track.  Be sure to check out the video, read the interview, and watch out for Alphabeat's new album.

Lifelike- April 2012 DJ Set

 

  LIFELIKE - NEW DJ SET // April 2012 // by LIFELIKE

Lifelike's new DJ Set was released on SoundCloud recently, and features some incredible new tunes and remixes.  Dig it.  My favorite included might be his unreleased mix of Visitor's "Coming Home".

Moog Teaches You How to Use the Minitaur with Ableton

Moog has posted the first video of a three part series on how to use your Minitaur with Ableton Live.  The video goes into detail about using your Minitaur with the VST plugin on your computer, and how to record one or multiple parts using the Minitaur.  This is great for newcomers who've taken advantage of the Minitaur's low price point to add analog sounds to their otherwise digital production setup, initiating them on how easy it is to record a hardware synth.  What's even more interesting is the VST is able to save presets for the Minitaur and recall them to the synth via MIDI, which is incredibly cool and useful.  You don't have to worry about the presets on the synth-- they're stored right in the DAW like virtual patches.  Be on the lookout for future videos, including one that's supposed to teach how to use the Minitaur as an external effects processor.  Cool!

Bonus video: A happy new Moog Minitaur user's sounds, via Richard Schimitt on Youtube.

Human Life - Don't Fade Away EP

 

  Human Life - Don't Fade Away by Vulture Music

If you can bear to pull yourself away from The Hunger Games books long enough to read this (and honestly, if you are reading them right now, you can't), you should check out the above EP by Human Life released last week, called "Don't Fade Away".  This is one of those releases where a minute and a half in, I went straight to iTunes and bought it-- it's that catchy and good.  Human Life is one of Vulture Music's artists on the rise-- I had never heard of him/them until this EP, but I'm blown away at the quality of some of the other tracks in their catalog-- an obvious choice for the awesome Vulture Music Label.  After you check out the title track, be sure to dig the Shook and Kartell Remixes.

Dragon Suplex

I'm loving my international submissions coming in these days.  Here's a duo from Zürich, Switzerland calling themselves Dragon Suplex.  Great tracks to put on with some great 80s/ nu-disco flair to them.  I'm particularly fond of the above track, "You're The One" which features those classic DX electric pianos and that funk bass.  It also helps that the video is some sort of Fox television screen capture complete with dancing roller skaters.  Rock on.

Daroc - Pyschodio

Want some swirling synths for your Friday night?  French producer Daroc has sent me over a video for his track "Pyschodio" which is covered in tasty arpeggiated bass lines and swirling pads.  Warning: if you're under the influence, this video might make you fall out of your seat.  Enjoy!

Futurecop! Release New "Starworshipper" Video and EP

Futurecop's "Starworshipper" has been floating around on the interwebs for some time now, but finally the track has gotten a proper EP and video release, the EP coming on April 24th.  You can currently get a free download of the Mitch Murder remix to satisfy your appetite until the full EP is released.  I learned today that the track is actually a Diamond Cut production, which helps explains some of it's magical effect on my ears.  Be sure to check out the video above for a night out with two 80's influenced gals.

Amazing Machines MIDITRIBE I/O Review

The MIDITRIBE by Amazing Machines

I received an interesting piece of gear courtesy of the folks at Amazing Machines, a small company based out of Brazil.  It's the MIDITRIBE I/O, and it's a mod for the Korg Monotribe to give it MIDI In and Out.  The installation doesn't require any soldering, just opening up the Monotribe, screwing in the board, plugging in a small plastic clip to the Monotribe board, and looping in the MIDI In and Out cables through the back cover of the Monotribe (it's worth noting, this mod will void the warranty on your Monotribe immediately).  The MIDI ports themselves are high quality and metal, so they won't crack or break.  There are a few different ways to have the MIDI cables attached; I have the way recommended for quickest use by Amazing Machines which has the MIDI cables coming out of the battery compartment.  I haven't been able to shut the battery compartment due to the cables, but the batteries stay in well enough where I don't need it for now.  If you have the wall adaptor for the Monotribe, you don't need to worry about this.  You could, of course, drill small holes in the side of your Monotribe to let the wires hang out and close the battery compartment, or even create proper MIDI ports right in the side of the Monotribe.  It's up to you, but the very basic setup is easy and only requires a medium size and smaller screwdrivers.