Modulate This! - Electronic & Experimental Music Tech, Technique, & People

Modulate This turns 2!

Modulate This turns 2 this month!  Every month since I launched, the number of page views has gone up as has the number of subscribers.  A big thanks to all you for reading, donating, subscribing, and using my sponsor links.

If you have any suggestions on articles, tutorials, or videos you'd like to see feel free to drop me and email.

Here's is to another year. 

Mark Mosher

Coming in October - The Ohm Real-time MIDI Performance Instrument

Livid Instruments has a fantastic looking controller called Ohm which comes in two models, Wood, and Metal. I created a Flash app above that allows you to toggle between the two models.

Looking at the pictures, the build quality looks incredible. This is reflected in the price which is $899, although they are offering Ohm at an introductory price of $790.

Here is a summary of features:

• Backlit for use in any environment, and comes in rugged rackmount metal or handcrafted mahogany.
• Both MIDI out and USB connectivity and has the controls you need for any MIDI compatible software.
• For VJs and Musicians
• Marketing copy specifially mentions "Ohm users will find it to be highly intuitive and adaptable to music generation with programs like Ableton Live®, and FL Studio®
• A patent pending two-handed layout with a center button array is ergonomically designed for multichannel performance.
• Backlit LED controls feature a thirty-six button clip bank, onboard function controls, effect mute buttons, BPM tap, high-quality faders and knobs, and a DJ-style crossfader.

Set to ship at the end of October, they are taking pre-orders now. Even if you are not interested in this controller, you may want to check out out their website becuase they have some other interesting controllers as well as VJ products.

Links:

• Livid Instruments
• Ohm

Propellerhead Reason 4 Has Shipped

It's been quite a month for announcements. First Logic 8, then Sonar 7, then Halo 3 (off topic but great none the less), and now Reason 4!

You can buy the full version or upgrade today worldwide from your favorite retailer (here is a list), or from the PropShop on Propellerhead's site.

Try it yourself by grabbing a demo version from here: http://www.propellerheads.se/go/D94BEDC0.

They are also offering Propellerhead Upgrade Value Packs through their PropShop

• Small: Reason Drum Kits 2 and Abbey Road Keyboards
• Medium: Reason Drum Kits 2, Abbey Road Keyboards and ReCycle 2.1
• Large: Reason Drum Kits 2, Abbey Road Keyboards, ReCycle 2.1 and Reason Pianos

According to blurb on their news site, here is what's new.

"Believe it or not, this is largest update ever to Reason. Version 4 comes jam-packed with features for quickly creating better sounding music. The new version boasts Thor, a highly sophisticated, superior sounding synthesizer; the ReGroove mixer, a new way to adjust the rhythmic feel of tracks; RPG-8, a versatile arpeggiator; a completely rebuilt sequencer coupled with many other workflow enhancements that give you the control and power to make great sounding music faster and easier than ever."

Visit http://www.propellerheads.se/ and click the Reason link for more info and to see videos of Reason in action.

Video Tutorial: How to Use the Vocoder in FL Studio

Step-by-step video tutorial showing you how to use the Fruity Vocoder in FL Studio. This tutorial is for advanced users. You can also see the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDGVxwJWE0.

Get 10% off FL Studio and other Image Line Products.

Announcement: Modulate This! Producing Free Video Tutorials on Digital Music Production

I'm releasing video tutorials on digital music production via YouTube and this blog.  You'll be able watch the videos from my YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/newechoproductions or by reading posts on this blog. Videos appear under the category Video Tutorials.

To start with, I'm re-editing three existing tutorials I have on FL Studio and reformatting them to fit within screen YouTube dimensions.

• Using the Vocoder in Fl Studio (Advanced)
• Creating A Pattern with the Step Sequencer (Beginner)
• Creating A Pattern with the Keyboard Editor (Beginner)

I'll be adding new videos from time to time on using Ableton Live and other tools so subscribe to this blog to get notified when new videos become available.

Halo 3 Launches + Video of Composer Marty O'Donnell Talking About Halo 3 Score

I was just flipping through the channels and saw G4's Halo 3 Countdown Launch which offered live coverage of the product launch in New York city. Master chief just handed the first copy to someone who'd been standing in line for a very long time - so it looks like Halo 3 has officially launched.

The composer of the music for Halo 3 is Marty O'Donnell. I found some  interesting videos containing interviews where he discusses his work on the project. I've embed them below. You can also see them at http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/11005. Click the "MENU" on the player to see related videos.

I'll pick up my copy of the game in the morning, so if any readers want to get together, email me and we can swap gametags.

New Videos on Danny Elfman's Film Music Website

I'm huge fan of Danny Elfman's Oingo Boingo and film work. There is a web site dedicated to his film work called Danny Elfman's Music for a Darkened People.

New videos have been posted to the site containing behind the scenes interviews on his work on Spider-Man, Planet of the Apes, Red Dragon, Sleepy Hallow, The Frighteners, Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, and Batman Returns.  The site also has links to clips of unreleased music.

If you are fan of Elman's work, or interested in the process of scoring for film you owe it to yourself to checkout these videos.

I've embedded the video for Spiderman below. To see all the videos, visit http://elfman.filmmusic.com/media.html.

Ableton Live Tip: Sequencing on the Fly and Insert Captured Scene

For some time, I've been using a fantastic keyboard shortcut in Ableton Live called Insert Captured Scene. It has the potential to save you a lot of time and allow you to further enhance your zen-like ability to create and sequence on the fly.

Let me talk a little about an approach I often use to create a new phrase (say for a verse) then create variations of the phrase without stopping playback.

• I create a Live set with basic instruments - you know, drums, bass, pad etc...
• I then lay a bass or drum track down with the metronome running
• At this point, I switch off the metronome and use the new track as a rythmic reference
• I'm now free to select different tracks and start laying down other parts within the scene

The illustration below shows the end result of this process with a scene made up of 5 clips in 5 tracks.

Now I want to create a variation of the scene with tracks 1,2, and 4. However, I want to do this instantly without stopping the sequencer or having to drag clips to a new scene.  By pressing Ctrl-Shift-I on a PC, or Command-Shift-I on a Mac, the selected clips in the current scene are instantly copied to a new scene and the scene begins to play.

Give it a try. I think it might change the way you work within Live.

Cakewalk Ships Sonar 7 - Links to use While Their Website is in Flux

Article update: Looks like Cakewalk now has their site in order. Of course the product info and links in this post still apply.

Cakewalk has released Sonar 7 although their web site seems to be in flux regarding this version and they didn't even get a press release out before posting the kit (perhaps they are trying to get it out there quickly with the announcement of Logic 8). Therefore, I dug up some links for you Sonar users out there so you can figure out what's new, as well as purchase. Note, they usual upgrade deals exist.

The front of their website still shows 6 as current, but if you click through to the product page Sonar 7.

According to the product page, here is what's new.

• A complete MIDI overhaul with Smart MIDI Tools and dozens of other new features
• Introduction of the most powerful Step Sequencer found in any DAW
• True linear phase mastering plug-ins
• Internal sidechaining
• Delay compensation for external hardware
• Pitch to MIDI functionality with Roland V-Vocal 1.5
• Numerous workflow, mixing, and delivery enhancements throughout the application.

Here is a link to a flash promo - http://www.cakewalk.com/products/sonar/Sonar_7_Features.swf.

The product page doesn't have an order link, but you can order by clicking purchase, or using this link - http://store.cakewalk.com/b2cus/category.aspx?categoryID=9.

Detail specs are not yet on the product page, but I found a list in the cakewalk forums here - http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=1158394.

Apple Releases Logic Pro 8

Apple has released Logic Pro 8. New features include:

• Single window design
• Simplified setup
• Improved workflow to simplify multi-track recording
• Quick swipe comping which allows you to swipe over the best portions of each take to create a seamless comp
• New audio editing tools such as snap-to-transient selection, graphical time stretching, and sample-accurate editing in the Arrange window.
• Surround mixing and processing
• Ability to save program prefs on .Mac making them portable
• No more USB dongle

Pricing:

• New - $499
• Upgrade from Logic Pro/Platinum 5 or 6 - $199
• Upgrade from logic express - $299

For more details including video demos visit - http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/logicpro/