Click here to view the embedded video.

MeeBlip SE

The MeeBlip SE is a fantastic product for those just getting into synthesis as well as those wanting to go deeper into understanding how sounds are created electronically. The MeeBlip SE is an open-source, build-it-yourself synthesizer that offers two oscillators, loads of knobs and switches, and complete hackability. The price of the kit ranges from $30 – $170 (depending on how much of it you want to construct yourself), making it one of the most affordable synthesizers on the market today. We love the idea of learning the inner workings of the synth to make a physical connection to the sounds it creates. Once constructed, the MeeBlip SE offers some meaty synth sounds and a plethora of knobs and switches on the front panel to affect your signal. The project was launched by Reflex Audio’s James Grahame and Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn as an open-source kit that is meant to be hacked or built to your own personal specifications: “MeeBlip is a hackable, affordable digital synthesizer, made for accessible sound and hands-on control. It can be someone’s first synth. It can be a unique-sounding addition to your music setup, playable with MIDI hardware and software. It can be a synth you open up and modify, learning about sound creation, code, and electronics. Or it can be the basis of new projects and ideas.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Moog Minitaur

The Moog Minitaur is one synth that has been on everyone’s wish list since its debut at NAMM earlier this year. It’s a monophonic synth that takes the sounds of Moog’s classic (and much more expensive) Taurus bass pedals and puts them in a small box with USB connectivity and loads of knobs for approximately $599. The price is what has caught many people’s attention — it’s the most affordable synth that Moog has ever produced. What really matters, though, is the sound. Having heard it first hand, we can confirm that it delivers classic Moog sound with plenty of hands-on control for tweaking. While it has no presets, this is actually part of the appeal of the device as you can sculpt sounds from scratch and simultaneously learn your way around subtractive synthesis.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Arturia MiniBrute

The MiniBrute also caught our eye at NAMM earlier this year, where it was gaining much praise as Arturia’s first venture into producing a hardware synthesizer. It looks a bit like an SH-101, comes with an affordable price tag ($549) and sounds rather mean. Arturia explains, “MiniBrute’s 100% analog audio signal path features a VCO wave mixer, the classic Steiner-Parker multimode filter, as well as numerous analog innovations such as the Metalizer, Ultrasaw, and the Brute Factor. Boasting complete MIDI, CV and USB connectivity, MiniBrute is right at home with your computer or your vintage synths, making it the ideal companion to deliver a pure analog blast anywhere you go.” The unit has no presets and only has one oscillator, but it’s capable of a wide palette of sounds with loads of hands-on control as well as USB connectivity to allow the MiniBrute to act as a MIDI controller or be controlled via USB MIDI. This synth really has a lot of power happening for the price and is therefore sold out in many shops currently.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dave Smith Mopho x4

Boutique synth creators Dave Smith Instruments have recently announced a synth that was unexpected in the summer lineup: the Dave Smith Mopho x4. The original Mopho has been incredibly popular for its sound and features at a relatively low price. The x4 is more expensive than previous versions but it also packs in “four voices composed of two analog oscillators, two sub-octave generators, a selectable 2- or 4-pole famed Curtis low-pass filter, three 5-stage envelope generators, four LFOs, a re-latchable arpeggiator, and a 16 x 4 step sequencer.” The Mopho x4 has an announced price of $1299. No word on when it will actually hit the streets but it’s on our wish list for the holidays.

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Korg Monotron Analog Synthesizer ($49)

Korg introduced the battery-powered Monotron a couple of years back and it was an instant success as one of the least expensive analog synths on the market. While the keyboard isn’t very easy to play (we suggest using a pen cap or stylus), the Monotron comes with the same filter that was introduced on the legendary MS-10 synthesizer and it can make some incredible sounds. This year Korg introduced two new versions of this instrument: Monotron Duo (which offers a second oscillator) and the Monotron Delay (which includes an old school analog space echo). Between the three of them you’ve got a number of ways to develop interesting sounds, and in the case of the delay, a very unique-sounding effect for under $50.

Behringer RV600 Reverb Machine ($49)

If you own any hardware synthesizers, drum machines or samplers, you can enhance the sound of your gear with hardware effects. While software effects are plentiful and sometimes cheaper than hardware, nothing beats some knobs to turn in the midst of a creative session. Guitar pedals are a long-standing secret weapon of many EDM producers as they provide a cost-effective way to build a unique signal chain (and therefore a unique sound). The RV600 Reverb Machine from Behringer is a great-sounding pedal and one of the cheapest ways to add a hardware ‘verb to your setup. This pedal is a re-creation of Line 6‘s popular Verbzilla guitar effect, but costs about $100 less than the original. While the outer casing of the Behringer pedal isn’t built to the same quality as Line 6′s, the sound quality is right up there with some of the best.

Shure SM57 Microphone ($99)

Shure’s SM57 microphone is an industry standard among recording professionals. It’s primarily used for recording instruments but it’s a well-rounded mic that can be used for almost any application. This microphone has been around since 1965 and is still highly regarded among producers. It was actually mentioned a few times in our recent survey of microphones with the Dubspot staff. The SM57 is a workhorse that can take a beating and still record anything you need. A valuable tool to have in your kit.

Akai MPK Mini USB MIDI Controller ($99)

At least a few of us on staff use this controller. Unanimously we love the portability and sturdy but lightweight construction as well as the combination of pads, keys and knobs that come in handy for many different applications. The knobs are low-profile and won’t snap off when packed into your bag, the pads are sturdy and can take a beating. The interface does lack pitch and mod functions (so if you need those, look elsewhere), but it packs a lot of other controls such as octave shift, sustain and arpeggiator onto the front of the device.  The MPK Mini is almost exactly the same width as a MacBook or MacBook Pro and runs without the need for a power adapter. It’s class-compliant, so you won’t need driver software and you should be able to use it with Mac or PC and with any music production software. If you’re on a budget and need a portable MIDI keyboard, the MPK Mini is hard to beat for the price.

iConnect MIDI ($179)

The iConnectMIDI is a small, powered MIDI hub that sports two sets of your normal MIDI in/out connections in addition to three USB ports in a compact interface. Now you may think – why do I need yet another MIDI device in my setup? Here’s why: First it acts as a MIDI hub for your iPad or iPhone (this is the primary function of the device) and creates a seamless connection from the iPad to your computer, or from your iOS device to other pieces of MIDI gear. It supports multiple MIDI controllers, two sets of standard MIDI in/out ports, and three USB connections. iConnectivity explains,”iConnectMIDI is an enhanced MIDI interface that enables communication between 5 pin MIDI, USB MIDI, Mac, PC and iOS devices – all at the same time.” That last part is the important part. While you can iPad into one controller with the Apple Camera Connection Kit, or use the iPad over Wi-Fi to control a computer, it’s usually a single connection from the iPad to another device. With the iConnectMIDI, you could have, say, a laptop, an iPad, and a few different MIDI controllers all sending signal to numerous pieces of hardware in your studio at near-zero latency. It’s quite a useful device.

MeeBlip SE Digital Synthesizer ($149)

MeeBlip is one of the coolest ideas we’ve seen recently, and a great start to learning your way around synthesis. The instrument comes in a few build-it-yourself varieties, the simplest of which will allow almost anyone to put the project together and learn how things work from the inside-out. Once constructed, the MeeBlip SE offers some meaty digital synth sounds and a plethora of knobs and switches on the front panel to affect your signal. The project was launched by Reflex Audio’s James Grahame and Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn as an open-source kit that is meant to be hacked or built to your own personal specifications: “MeeBlip is a hackable, affordable digital synthesizer, made for accessible sound and hands-on control. It can be someone’s first synth. It can be a unique-sounding addition to your music setup, playable with MIDI hardware and software. It can be a synth you open up and modify, learning about sound creation, code, and electronics. Or it can be the basis of new projects and ideas.”

Arturia Analog Experience: The Player ($149)

Arturia is known for creating some of the best virtual analog synths in the business, realistic re-creations of classic synths such as the Arp 2600 and Mini Moog. The Arturia Analog Experience: The Player offers a very nice (but limited) collection of presets from their collection of soft synths, in the form of The Analog Factory software along with a dedicated 25 key MIDI keyboard for a mere $149. The collection features over 1000 synth sounds from a variety of classics, the only downside being that they are not quite as editable as the full versions you get if you buy each individual package. The build quality of the included MIDI controller is beautiful, with a nice weight and wood paneling bringing a bit of class to your setup.

Behringer BCR2000/ BCF2000 USB MIDI Controllers ($175)

Behringer’s BCR2000 and BCF2000 USB MIDI controllers have been on the market for over a decade now, one of the few controllers that has stood the test of time while other companies continue to update their products for each season. The reason for the longevity is a solid build quality, class-compliant connections and easy integration with just about every piece of software on the market. The BCF2000 offers motorized faders in a mixer-style setup while the BCR2000 offers 40 knobs with LED feedback. These are tried and true controllers that have been used by major artists such as Plastikman and Daft Punk in their live performances.

Mackie 802 VLZ3 Analog Mixer ($199)

Do you own a mixer? If you work in audio (or even as a hobby), you owe it to yourself to get one. There’s no better way to learn about EQ and signal flow, and you’ll find it solves many problems in production and recording situations. While there are many different brands on the market, mixers from Mackie and Allen & Heath come highly recommended for their quality build and clean sound. The Mackie 802 VLZ3 is an eight-channel mixer that has been a mainstay of many producers for a couple of decades now, and falls into our list at the $200 mark.

Apple Logic Pro ($199)

If you own an Apple computer, we have to recommend that Logic Pro from Apple may be the best $200 deal for music production at the moment. The robust music production package (which previously retailed for hundreds of dollars more) offers dozens of instruments / effects and enough capability to create any kind of music. Logic is also the cloth that GarageBand was cut from, so if you’re looking to upgrade from GarageBand, this may be the ticket. This is a program that has maintained a dedicated following for over a decade with many top producers touting its capabilities. If you’ve been curious about trying Logic, now’s the time.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program

Master Logic with our complete program of courses culminating in a four track EP ready for release. In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Logic you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro. After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, and a scored commercial to widen your scope.

Classes start in NYC July 18th!
ONLINE July 22nd!

See more dates NYC and ONLINE classes!

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton

The official title of this book is Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey, and that extensive title frames this in-depth look at DJ culture appropriately. Upon picking this book up the first thing I noticed was that I didn’t recognize any of the people mentioned until about 100 pages in, where Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles first appear. The authors do a great job of digging for pioneers of the craft with sections on Christopher Stone, Martin Block, Douglas “Jocko” Henderson, Bob “Wolfman Jack” Smith and Alan “Moondog” Freed as highlights. The post-disco era DJs are covered as well, but contemporary music appears in only in the last quarter of this book, making this more of a proper history than a survey of modern DJs. This volume comes highly recommended for the extensive research and clever writing that makes for a fast read. The authors also regularly update the information in this book at www.djhistory.com.

Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture by Simon Reynolds

Simon Reynolds is often considered to be a godfather of sorts to the world of dance music journalism. He’s written for The New York Times, Spin, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Village Voice, Melody Maker, The Wire, Mojo, and numerous other periodicals. In book form he’s produced a number of histories on electronic music, but the first (and often cited as the best) was Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture. Originally published in 1998, this book chronicles the rise of rave culture (mostly in England) and tracks the progression of different genres and scenes of music that erupted through the early 1990s. Some of Reynolds’ writing is biased (he seems to like some types of music more than others), but the book as a whole offers great insight into the how and why behind rave culture’s development.

Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Dan Sicko

Dan Sicko’s Techno Rebels appeared in 1999 as a chronicle of early techno music. Like techno music itself, the book is technical, giving less emotion than facts in a play-by-play account of the early Detroit and European pioneers of bleak and banging music. While no book on EDM is perfect (this book only accounts for early 1990s techno), the information chronicled in this book is very accurate and well written. For fans of the dark and banging, this is a must read. Sicko also keeps the account of techno history running at www.techno-rebels.com.

The Rough Guide to House Music by Sean Bidder

House music has always been on the underground side of the spectrum and books dedicated to the subject are hard to come by. This dense book by Sean Bidder aims to deliver as much information on house music as possible in a very small format. The Rough Guide started out as a travel series but has evolved into other subjects that give detailed information in encyclopedia form. The Rough Guide to House packs tons of notes on artists, labels, tracks, and releases into a handy volume that can fit in your pocket for record-digging sessions. The book is actually out of print at the moment, but copies can be found used. Highly recommended for house music enthusiasts.

Keyboard Presents: The Evolution of Electronic Dance Music by Peter Kirn

Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn takes the helm as editor and guide to this collection of articles on electronic dance music that have been published in Keyboard magazine over the last 30 years. The beauty of this collection is that it comes from the producer’s perspective, with lots of tidbits on what pieces of gear were used to make some of your favorite tracks from back in the day. In an article on CDM, Kirn explains that part of what he enjoyed most about the project was “…getting to see through the eyes of the artists. You hear them talk in astounding detail about how they actually craft what they make. They curse their gear and long for more usable tools. They lament challenges in the scene that echo today. And they talk, musician to musician, about why they do what they do, what most personally they’re trying to express.”

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“At the moment there seems to be a craving for that lofi retro sound. Everyone is trying to get rid of the clean digital output of VST’s and digital synths by adding another VST’s to their fx-chains that simulate analog gear.. or by purchasing analog gear that costs an arm and a leg. Here is a trick that costs about 10,- euros and looks way cooler than any VST!” - Riku Annala
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You may have noticed the increasing influence of analog sound that is happening in music production and recording. After decades of computer-based music, many producers are looking outside the box to find warmth and grit that a computer just can’t provide. Digital music has a tenancy to sound very clinical and even small additions of outside sounds, especially analog sounds, can bring depth and life to your music. Some producers use outboard mixers, pre-amps, or reel to reel tape to fatten up a mix. The medium of tape, in particular offers a unique (warm) sound and better dynamic range than most digital formats. But most of us don’t have a nice reel-to-reel sitting around to fatten up a mix. So as a creative work-around, I want to share a great technique that I recently learned by way of our friend Peter Kirn at Create Digital Music and Riku Annala, a producer/musician hailing from Helsinki, Finland. May I present – the cassette distortion / overdrive technique.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a great trick because it takes a minimal amount of gear, costs close to nothing, and provides a gritty, compressed effect that can liven up your beats. To create this effect you’ll need 1. an old cassette deck, and 2. a cassette to 1/8 inch adapter (the one that plugs your ipod into your tape deck). And some cables, of course.

To set up the effect: 1. Run the output of your source sound (drum machine, computer, etc) to the 1/8 inch end of the cassette adapter (I used 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch adapter to make this happen) and put the cassette adapter in the deck. 2. Connect the output of the tape deck to your mixer or speakers. 3. Press play on both your source and the tape deck, with plenty of volume coming from the source (the key here is to overdrive the signal a bit). 4. Enjoy your new analog compression / overdrive effect.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now I must admit – I didn’t think this would work because I thought that the tape medium itself was the source of the sound/compression on tape recordings. But apparently this isn’t the case and the tape head itself will give character to your signal without the use of any tape at all. Recue.net’s Riku Annala explains:

“The results are actually surprisingly nice (depends on what you’re after). Of course the character of the sound completely depends on the components of the tape deck you use; the condition of the tape heads, connectors, mic pre’s etc. The sound is far from hi-fi, so if you’re after that, just go purchase a real reel-to-reel unit. In the case of Hitachi D-230 I use, there are a couple of different options for obtaining a different sound. The audio can be just played back through the tape, but it can also be fed through the line-in’s, “recorded” to the tape capturing it’s output. Both of the methods give actually quite a different sound. With the former method you can get a moderate crunch with a rather clean sound. With the latter, you get loads of more noise, but also A LOT more distortion and a nice pumping compression when pushed.”
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Michael Walsh is a producer of audio/visual art and a journalist living in Southern California. Read more of his work at soundsdefygravity.com

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In September, Dubspot had the wonderful pleasure of hosing a live streaming workshop with Create Digital Music‘s Peter Kirn and Martin Kaltenbrunner of Reactable. Developed in Spain by Austrian and Spanish music and media technologists, Reactable is a musical instrument that is changing the way modern electronic music is produced and performed. In this video recap of the live webcast, Peter Kirn asked the necessary question “what makes this a instrument?” and Martin Kaltenbrunner answered that question with a demonstration using Reactable’s tangible and intuitive interface to create and manipulate sounds on the fly. Furthermore, Peter and Martin talked about interface design, music technology, production and performance of electronic music without a computer, and much more.

We covered Reactable Live a few months back. Reactable Live is portable enough to travel with for gigs and performances. The company explains it as follows: The Reactable was conceived as an instrument to bring back the expressive possibilities of traditional instruments to musicians who are working with new technologies. It uses concepts of modular synthesis, sampling, advanced digital effects processing, and DJing and combines them with modern human computer interaction, multitouch technology and a tangible interface. We recommend checking out the Reactable iOS app!

Become fluent in the language of sound design with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design & Synthesis program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete 7 as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers most common synthesis methods available for music production in the DAW of your choice.

Discovering the right sound is like finding a needle in the digital haystack. Learn the fundamentals to make this easier, and gain the depth of knowledge to make a good sound better. Factory content is great, but everyone has it – your mix needs something special.

What’s Included:

• Sound Design Level 1: Introduction to Komplete 8
  
• Sound Design Level 2: Synthesis with Massive, FM8 and Absynth
• Sound Design Level 3: Sampling with Kontakt and Battery
• Sound Design Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
• Sound Design Level 5: Reaktor Ensembles and Instruments
• Sound Design Level 6: Reaktor Programming

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Peter and Martin will be speaking at the Austrian Cultural Forum on Sunday and they are eager to bring this discussion to Dubspot NYC on Tuesday where we will be broadcasting the conversation for our readers. Martin is a human computer interaction designer and one of the inventors of the Reactable, currently working as a professor at the Interface Culture Lab at the University of Art and Design Linz, Austria. Peter Kirn is one of our favorite writers and one of the leading thinkers in the realm of music interface design. Together these great minds will explore Reactable Live and discuss the future movements of interface design and music production.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dubspot covered Reactable Live a few months back and we are eager to see it up close and live for a demo. Reactable’s new (semi) portable Reactable Live instrument is portable enough to travel with for gigs and performances. The company explains it as follows: “The Reactable was conceived as an instrument to bring back the expressive possibilities of traditional instruments to musicians who are working with new technologies. It uses concepts of modular synthesis, sampling, advanced digital effects processing, and DJing and combines them with modern human computer interaction, multitouch technology and a tangible interface.” The new incarnation of this instrument is still a bit pricey (over ten grand) so for those on a budget we recommend checking out the Reactable iOS app.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Mixing & Mastering Video Tutorial Pt 1: How To Use A Limiter in Ozone 4 w/ Ableton Live

Click here to view the embedded video.

In part one of this three-part Mixing & Mastering video tutorial series, Daniel Wyatt teaches you How To Use A Limiter using Ozone 4 from Izotope, offering tips and techniques for polishing your tracks, and give them a finished, professional sound. Daniel Wyatt offers a universal mastering technique using Ozone 4, which is indeed one of the most powerful mastering plug-ins, but you can use this method to attain loudness in any host application. In part 1, Daniel Wyatt navigates the Limiter section and explains some the essential functions of the Loudness Maximizer (another name for the Limiter) in a step by step process; from Master Output setting to Dithering, correcting mixing mistakes, adding fullness without distortion, and Release control, for making the sound loud and bouncy. Stay tuned for part 2, as Daniel Wyatt concludes the series with a focus on Multiband Dynamics, Harmonic Exciter, and more.

Mixing & Mastering Video Tutorial Pt 2: Mid-Side EQ Technique

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the second part of this three-part video tutorial series, Daniel Wyatt shares an invaluable tip for mastering: The Mid-Side EQ Technique, also known as The Sum & Difference Technique, which is an amazing technique you can use to adjust the stereo width of tracks and make them wider. Once again, Wyatt is using the Ozone 4 mastering plug-in, but this is a universal mastering technique you can apply using any host application. Daniel Wyatt shows you how to navigate the Parametric EQ section of Ozone, switching between the Side EQ (used for wide-panned stereo information such as synths, pads, percussions, reverb etc. ) and the Mid EQ (used for kick, snare, bass, lead vocals, instruments, etc.) At the end of this tutorial you should have a good grasp of how to utilize The Mid-Side EQ technique, segment frequencies and make the Mid and Side EQs compliment each other – keep the Mids focused with an extra boost for the subs and the Sides gently rolling off lows.

Mixing & Mastering Video Tutorial Pt 3: Multiband Harmonic Exciter

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the third and final installment of this three-part Mixing & Mastering video tutorial series, Daniel Wyatt shows you how to navigate the various features and parameters of iZotope’s Ozone 4 in this brand new video tutorial, the followup to How To Use A Limiter and Mid-Side EQ Technique. Wyatt utilizes Ozone’s Multiband Harmonic Exciter to explain and demonstrate how to add some saturation to your mix and use the exciter signal processing technique to not only bring out the flavors of the elements of your sound but also generate new harmonic content and give your track a warm, fuzzy, and dynamic feel.

Below, we’ve got a brand new track titled “Parallel” from Dubspot Mixing & Mastering student Adam Schwartz. We have a pre-master and a mastered version, side to side. Please have a listen, and notice the significant improvement and transformation of the track from rough, low-volume composition to a dynamic, dancefloor ready banger. The track was mixed and mastered by the student, Adam himself.

Adam Schwartz – Parallel (Pre-Master + Mastered) by Dubspot

Transform rough ideas and basic compositions into dance floor bangers and sonically pleasing commercial quality masters.

Mixing & Mastering Program

See dates and register for NYC and online classes

Courses:

• Mixing & Mastering Level 1: Mix
• Mixing & Mastering Level 2: Modify
• Mixing & Mastering Level 3: Master

Learn the well-kept industry secrets of EQ, compression, panning, level balancing, reverb and special effects from platinum mix/mastering engineer, Daniel Wyatt, senior Dubspot Instructor. This program gives you everything you need to refine tracks into a clear commercial quality release, including special mixing and mastering techniques for dubstep, techno, house, trance, downtempo, hip-hop, and the gamut of electronically-produced music… Read more.

For more information about payment plans, please call 212.242.2100 or 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Yamaha has been hard at work with technology aimed at your iPad this month. First came the announcement of 7 MIDI based control surfaces that allow you to control Yamaha synthesizers from your ipad. Pretty neat. But the latest announcement from Yamaha has us very excited as they are releasing an iPad version of Toshio Iwai‘s brilliant Tenori On music interface. While the iPad doesn’t have the buttons and physicality of the original device it maintains the 16 x 16 grid and functionality of the original. TNR-i has been released in Europe via the iTunes store but are waiting patiently to reach the U.S. store. More reports on this cool app when we can get our hands on one. In the meantime check out Peter Kirn’s in-depth coverage over at Create Digital Music. Here’s a bit of what he has to say about the TNR-i: On the road from futuristic instrumental concept to real-world product, the yamaha tenori-on as shipped lacked some of the functionality its creator, gifted media artist toshio iwai, originally imagined. notably, wireless networking, which promised social music-making with other devices, was gone, replaced with a more-limited midi connector. Now, in a surprisingly literal translation from the hardware to ipad, it appears the tenori-on has added that feature – but lost some of its charm.” – Peter Kirn

Click here to view the embedded video.

After months of speculation (and excitement from fans), Image Line has released a version of FL Studio called FL Studio Mobile (Fruity Loops for you old-schoolers) that runs on the iPad and iPhone. The iPhone version goes for $14.99 while the (much cleaner and obviously bigger) and the HD iPad app goes for $19.99 (apparently an introductory price that will go up in the near future.) While there are many DAW, multitrack and step sequencer applications for the iOS platform, Image Line has done something new that we hope to see other companies implement: integration between the iOS app and your desktop application. This app will allow you to work on a project on your home computer (in FL Studio) and then save the project to the iOS app for on-the-go editing (are you listening Propellerhead and Native Instruments?) Now of course it’s not as simple as that. For starters FL Studio has always been a PC-only application. In addition the interface for transferring files to your computer is clunk at best and Mac users have no FL Studio on their computer at home. But I must say that integrating iOS software with the software on your home computer is a step in the right direction and a tool that many of us would love to have.

Over the past year we have seen exponential growth of music creation apps for the iOS platform. These days they are almost too numerous to keep track of and many audio-specialist companies are thinking forward and designing new music tools for the iPad and iPhone that do different things than record, play or sample music. One of the more interesting apps to hit the App Store this week is Audiofile Engineering‘s Quiztones – an application aimed at training your ears to accurately identify different frequencies across a multitude of sounds. This sort of training usually shows up in music engineering courses and it’s nice to find a three-dollar app that aims to make better engineers of us all. Grammy Award Winning engineer Edward J “UK” Nixon had this testimonial to share, “As a professional audio engineer my most prized tool is my ears. Developing this acute sense of understanding can take years of development. With Quiztones, both aspiring and professional engineers alike can now develop and sharpen the skill(s) of ‘truly musical hearing’ while on-the-go. Quiztones is both fun and educational, merging the two into an addictive and beneficial mobile app.”

Michael Walsh is the Editor of Dubspot’s Blog, a producer of audio/visual art and a journalist living in Southern California. Read more of his work at soundsdefygravity.com

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Dubspot Instructor and Mixing & Mastering engineer Daniel Wyatt has a depth of experience, knowledge, perspective, and talent that is unique and unmatched by many mixing and mastering engineers working today. He’s mixed and mastered music for artists ranging from Nora Jones and Mos Def to The Roots and Curtis Mayfield. In this follow-up to his How To Use A Limiter using Ozone 4 from Izotope tutorial video, Wyatt shares an invaluable tip for mastering: The Mid-Side EQ Technique, also known as The Sum & Difference Technique, which is an amazing technique you can use to adjust the stereo width of tracks and make them wider. Once again, Wyatt is using the Ozone 4 mastering plug-in, but this is a universal mastering technique you can apply using any host application. Daniel Wyatt shows you how to navigate the Parametric EQ section of Ozone, switching between the Side EQ (used for wide-panned stereo information such as synths, pads, percussions, reverb etc. ) and the Mid EQ (used for kick, snare, bass, lead vocals, instruments, etc.) At the end of this tutorial you should have a good grasp of how to utilize The Mid-Side EQ technique, segment frequencies and make the Mid and Side EQs compliment each other – keep the Mids focused with an extra boost for the subs and the Sides gently rolling off lows.

The music used in this tutorial is “Rewind Pop” by Peter Kirn (Create Digital Music.) The track is a tribute to Kool Herc – from a recent compilation titled We Love Kool Herc, and was put together by King Britt (Saturn Never Sleeps) to show an appreciation for the ailing hip hop founding father’s contribution to modern music and culture. We also encourage you to donate directly to Kool Herc’s official website.

Mixing & Mastering Program Starting March 13th!

Three levels / 24 sessions / 66 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

Courses:

• Mixing & Mastering Level 1: Mix
• Mixing & Mastering Level 2: Modify
• Mixing & Mastering Level 3: Master

Learn the well-kept industry secrets of EQ, compression, panning, level balancing, reverb and special effects from platinum mix/mastering engineer, Daniel Wyatt, senior Dubspot Instructor. This program gives you everything you need to refine tracks into a clear commercial quality release, including special mixing and mastering techniques for dubstep, techno, house, trance, downtempo, hip-hop, and the gamut of electronically-produced music… Read More.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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[Music: "Associated Euphoria" by Laura Escude - from the album Pororoca]

The ACADIA 2010 conference at The Great Hall at Cooper Union starts later this week on Thursday, October 21st and runs through October 24th. The conference will focus on the changing nature of information and its impact on architectural education, research and practice. With the ever-increasing integration of information technologies in the design laboratory, the discipline of architecture has changed profoundly in recent years. The emerging fields of digital fabrication, generative and evolutionary modeling among others, are now at the core of investigations in a growing community of digital design practitioners and researchers.

Dubspot is the proud sponsor of the live performance and visualization aspect of the ACADIA conference. On October 23rd at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, a three-hour event that will bring together architecture students with musicians and technologists who have pushed the limits of software, stretching the status-quo of digital production to a technical “breaking point.” The event will host 20 students who have competed across the New York Tri-State region to offer a platform for their talent in spontaneous 4-minute interval presentations. Student innovation will be bolstered by DJs, producers, technologists, and visualization artist performances by some of New York’s leading talent in music production industry, including turntablists and members of  legendary New York DJ crew the X-Ecutioners Rob Swift and DJ Precision, Create Digital Music‘s Peter Kirn, Dubspot Instructors; Native Instruments product specialist Mike Henderson aka DJ Endo, and music technologist Zemi17. The event is open to the public, a showcase of talent you do not want to miss!

Here are some fantastic visual samples from students. Click to enlarge.

Esther Cheung, Columbia University GSAPP, Keith Kaseman

Adam Laskowitz, SUNY University at Buffalo, Professor: Nick Bruscia

Mark Faulkner + Dustin Tobias, The Cooper Union, Professor: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa

David Varon + Harry Murzyn, The Cooper Union, Professor: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa

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ACADIA Conference Chairs: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa, Aaron Sprecher, Shai Yeshayahu
ACADI@NY Event Curator: Meredith Bostwick (Architect/DJ)

ACADI@NY Event
October 23, 2010 @ 9:00pm
Cooper Union @ The Great Hall
The Foundation Building
7 East 7th Street
New York, New York

The Cooper Union, Great Hall, 1865

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Full details:
Create Digital Music
Facebook RSVP
Culturefix Directions

Culturefix
9 Clinton Street (just below Houston)
New York, NY
7 – 10 PM

Equal parts science fair and music party, Handmade Music is a gathering where musicians and the musi-curious explore new sound worlds. Assembled from the growing, global grassroots DIY scene, makers and hackers present new inventions and technology. Instead of just consuming, these are the people making the code, instruments, and noise-making contraptions that make the music. They’re building a musical future that’s open, creative, and hackable. Inventors bring their new creations for an open show-and-tell, join performances and jams, and make much noise. Read More

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Dubspot’s

The exhibit opens on Friday, April 9th, at 7pm, and runs until April 25th.  More information is available on the Devotion Gallery website.

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