With perfect weather on Friday and Saturday, Moogfest was bursting with energy, with lines out of nearly every venue and packed attendance at every panel. Friday night’s lineup foreshadowed what would be a theme running alongside the tasteful music selection for the whole weekend: excellent, hypnotic visuals. In addition to the reinforced sound systems at every Moogfest venue, each artist we saw was backed by original, mesmerizing lighting visual displays. Lapalux‘s tripping, contorted rhythms and lush samples were complemented by visuals of liquid-like white lighting and tunnels of stars. Daedelus‘s electrifying, Monome-powered set featured shifting neon cubes that morphed into Lego-like polygons.

Friday’s highlight was certainly the German trio Moderat, whose tactile production and tight performance entranced a crowd with a hefty, seizure-inducing lighting rig of powerful strobes and lasers. The tiny Diana Wortham theater was transformed into a standing-room only experiential performance — Moderat’s futuristic stylings and expertly crafted set was a mind-bending must-see.

M.I.A.‘s at-capacity performance at the U.S. Cellular Center auditorium had a crowd of thousands sweating to her unpredictable set list. An auditorium screen of erratic pop culture and political imagery amidst pixelated and lo-fi fluorescent color blocks channeled M.I.A.’s unique and instantly recognizable aesthetic. At the Emerald Lounge, a tiny venue with tight security and an excellent crowd, Machinedrum dedicated his set to the late DJ Rashad, the footwork and juke pioneer. Each song was backed by a visual journey through a variety of digital, dystopic cities, representing the melancholic but body-jerking jungle and drum-n-bass grooves that define the producer’s sound.

Factory Floor closed our Moogfest weekend with appropriately live and noisy techno rock. Moog’s outfitting of the USCC Basement likened the space to an industrial Berlin nightclub, with cavernous echoes and gusting bass. Mixing live samples of guitar, vocals, and analog synths to locked drumming and sequneces, the band closed the night on a heavy note, amping the crowd up for the after-hours surely to come.

All photos courtesy of Moogfest.

The post SoundCtrl at Moogfest: M.I.A., Moderat, Daedalus, Lapalux…and Lots of Lights appeared first on SoundCtrl.

We made our way into the industrial concrete hall of Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design, where Nick Zinner, guitarist of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Bradford Cox, the outspoken lead singer and guitarist of Deerhunter, were into their final hour of the 4-hour durational performance. Exploring the sounds of their guitars exclusively via Moog pedals, Zinner and Cox alternated control of the droning, hypnotic improvisations, slowly transitioning through melodic themes by tweaking effects, samples, and percussive triggers. An entranced audience settled into the performance as beautifully eerie and colorful projections by visual artists Jesse Hlebo and Hisham Bharoocha provided an complementary ephemeral backdrop. 

Photo by Lane Banning, courtesy of Moog

The undisputed talk about town (a wonderfully cheerful population, I might add) that evening was Kraftwerk‘s 3D performance at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. We donned our 3D specs and joined the ecstatic crowd as the German quartet played their classics with exacting facility. Although Kraftwerk’s most iconic music serves as commentary to the age of burgeoning 1980s technology, the reinvention and innovation of their music for a modern context is as relevant as ever. Though the speakers blew midway through the set, the dedicated audience stuck it out until the band came back 20 minutes later, setting off the end of their set with classic “The Man-Machine.”

Photo by Lane Banning, courtesy of Moog

After catching a bit of Tiga‘s punching Berlinesque techno in the basement below the auditorium (dubbed by some concertgoers as “The Rave Cave”), we danced to the funky, dirty grooves that are always anticipated in a DJ set by Jimmy Edgar. Blending the mechanized funk grooves of his hometown Detroit with the prodding techno of Berlin, Edgar’s irresistibly danceable set sustained the energy at the at-capacity Asheville Music Hall.

Photo by Lane Banning, courtesy of Moog

Finally, Awesome Tapes from Africa the DJ moniker of Brian Shimkovitz, who runs the blog of the same name, challenged the audience at Emerald Lounge to keep up with the drastic tempo changes and genre-defying stylings of his deepest digs. With banging workouts fueled by drums and call-and-response vocal lines, Asheville received a rare treat as Shimkovitz DJ’ed hand-picked cassettes from across the African continent.

Photo by Lane Banning, courtesy of Moog

We’ll be posting more coverage as the weekend goes on!

The post SoundCtrl at Moogfest: Kraftwerk, Nick Zinner, Jimmy Edgar, Awesome Tapes from Africa appeared first on SoundCtrl.

On May 6th, “Become Ocean” will make its New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Spring for Music series. You can preview the composition below.

John Luther Adams is perhaps most famously known for “Inuksuit,” an outdoor composition and performance of  70 moving percussionists, inspired by the monolithic stone landmarks of native people of the Arctic.

The post John Luther Adams Wins Pulitzer Prize for Music appeared first on SoundCtrl.

German electronic composer and co-founder of Ableton Live will be performing a light, music, and art show with The Haxan Cloak on his debut U.S. tour at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

An evening of every heavy noise from various metal,jazz and hip hop at the Knockdown Center in Queens, artists like Tim Hecker, Gunplay, Clipping, and Wolf Eyes are scheduled to perform.

This is sold out already but if you find a way to go, do it. This is a public lecture with the one and only D’Angelo as he talks about his career at the Brooklyn Museum Cantor Auditorium.

As one of Brooklyn’s most underground and upcoming dance labels, Lit City Trax will be delivering a steamy night of grime and filth at The Westway with producers within the family.

Fifteen artists and three different stages, RBMA will be closing the festival at Abrons Arts Center with Nightwave. Robot Koch, Dj NiRe and many more artist to be announced!

You can visit the Red Bull Music Academy’s website for more details and the full calendar.  Look forward to seeing all of you out there!

(Check out the installation of the RBMA calendar mural in Greenpoint, by Sky High Murals)

The post Red Bull Music Academy Festival 2014 Preview appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Coachella has announced that it will bring some of the latest in Apple technology to its festival attendees: iBeacon. The iBeacon is a small device that communicates with iPhones via Bluetooth to deliver proximity-based information, navigation, and notifications.

On the official Coachella app, an update on April 9^th says, “Enable On-site iBeacon notifications by enabling Location and Bluetooth!” The Coachella website more vaguely confirms iBeacon, saying, “Use Bluetooth to interact with beacons placed around the grounds.”

In short, just a couple of days before the festival, Coachella has announced that it will join other events and companies that have implemented the iBeacon technology to improve the event’s infrastructure. Success at this event could mean big things for iBeacon and Apple as it strives to promote the new technology as a viable upgrade to events and eventually day-to-day use as well.

How iBeacon Has Already Been Used

Few details have been released concerning exactly how Coachella will employ the iBeacon technology for its users, but guesses can be made based on its past uses.

This season is the first in which MLB teams and stadiums (20 in all thus far with additional installations this spring) are using the technology to engage with their fans. According to the San Francisco Giants’ Chief Information Officer Bill Schlough, who works with one of the most technologically progressive organizations in baseball, “Mobile and digital experiences are paramount to our fan experience, and they have played a role in the fact that we’ve have 246 straight sellouts.”

At the Giants’ ballpark, 19 iBeacons have been installed at all fan entry and exit points, though that number will vary at other stadiums, such as 65 reportedly installed in Dodger Stadium since there are more ways to get in and out.

In conjunction with the MLB At the Ballpark app and enabled Bluetooth on a mobile device, the iBeacons will allow fans to check-in upon entry, upload and share personal photos from ballpark visits, view team stats and watch highlights from games attended. They will also provide maps (through a recent upgrade that includes a partnership with MapQuest), concession info, video clips and the ability to upgrade their seats (MyTickets Mobile), among many other features.

Teams can use the technology to push customized notifications and relevant offers, though Schlough has not yet released any specific information about these offers for his team. All in all, the technology will allow teams to get more creative when it comes to interacting with fans during the games.

Even before the MLB adopted the technology, Apple stores had already used the technology since December of last year. Depending on which of the beacons in the store that customers are near, they will received notifications from Apple based on that specific beacon. Customers will receive in-store notifications pertaining to information about how to pick up their online orders quickly, what’s happening in the store that day, product reviews, their iPhone upgrade eligibility and how to buy accessories right from their iPhones. Released just before Christmas, this technology was especially helpful for allowing customers to more easily purchase and check out from the store.

Even before that, Macy’s used the technology in its stores. Not long after, Shopkick announced in January 2014 that it would be starting an iBeacon trial at 100 U.S.-based American Eagle stores, and in the same month, InMarket announced that it would also begin using iBeacons in more than 200 Safeway and Giant Eagle grocery stores in markets across the country. Clearly this is a new wave of technology catching on with major retailers, and its innovative uses are evolving with time.

How iBeacon Might Be Used at Coachella

So how might Coachella use the iBeacon technology at its festival over the next two weekends? Maps would be a valuable addition to the Coachella experience, particularly ones that not only share where the stages, concessions, bathrooms and so on are, but possibly even which artists are performing on which stage at any one time on the same map.

Coachella will likely enable check-in abilities so that festival attendees can know when their friends have gotten to the festival and could potentially help them find each other. The technology could also connect attendees via social media updates shared across the iBeacon network. Along with the maps and social media, interactive lineups can help attendees schedule their day and send them notifications when it’s almost time for a particular set to start as well as messages to help friends meet up at those sets as well.

As attendees pass by merch booths, any featured products or special promotions might pop up on their iPhones, enticing them to buy products. They could even complete the purchase from afar and then pick up their merch at the end of the night without carrying it around the festival.

As sets are going on or end, Coachella could upload photos and videos of the performances so attendees could see artists that they didn’t get to catch, or re-watch some of their favorite moments. Attendees could also upload their own photos and videos to share with the rest of the Coachella community.

Coachella is the next of major events/retailers who are using the iBeacon technology to increase engagement and interactivity with visitors, and it will be interesting to see how Coachella employs this technology and takes it to the next level.

The post Coachella Upgrades with Apple’s iBeacon Technology appeared first on SoundCtrl.

The New York edition of Unsound will bring a week of experimentation, interactivity, and a good bit of dancing to the city, with several events that promise to be intriguing for musicians and music-lovers alike. The festival unofficially began last night with the premiere of Ephemera, an installation merging the scent artistry of Geza Schoen with the music of Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, and Steve Goodman (aka Kode9). Issue Project Room, the art research and performance institution, will host the official opening event tomorrow April 2nd with performances by sound art duo Evol and composer Oren Ambarchi.

On Thursday, American electronic music innovator Suzanne Ciani will perform with Neonantrik at Lincoln Center’s Rubenstein Atrium. On Friday, UK duo Demdike Stare will present their commissioned project Concealed alongside minimalism pioneer Phill Niblock and Polish artist Stara Rzeka, performing his unique sound of “magical brutalism.” On Saturday, Unsound meets the infamous Bunker of New York, bringing together Porter Ricks, Vladislav Delay, Ital & Halal, Miles (of Demdike Stare), and Leisure Muffin, whose newest EP was released on The Bunker’s own label.  Sunday’s closing events will feature Kapital, Paal Nilssen-Love, and James Rushford & Joe Talia, from Poland’s experimental Bocian label.

These are just a few highlights from the week’s performances, many of which are free of charge to attend. However, space is typically limited as several events are at intimate smaller venues (especially helpful to controlling acoustics), so arrive early and stay late. Check out the full schedule and artist listing here.

The post Unsound Festival Opens Tomorrow in New York appeared first on SoundCtrl.

With a plethora of digital devices and music players perforating modern life, you’d think that the relationship between music and technology would be a more widely discussed topic. Despite the many startups that merge tech and music, a dedicated platform that brings together the growing, lucrative music technology sector is still quite rare.

This is where London’s Music Tech Fest swoops in and fills an oddly under-attended void, at least as far as an indsutry-specialized crowd is concerned. Founded in April 2012 by Michela Magas, co-founder of design research lab Stromatolite,  Music Tech Fest is just that: a gathering devoted to the convergence of music and tech, regardless of the industry sector. Researchers, performers, hackers, business innovators, and technology aficionados — any angle of industry profession steeped in music tech can be found at this event. During the nascent two years of the event, Music Tech Fest has already garnered the time and attention of many companies and influencers alike. (We’ve previously featured Synesthesia, an app which was developed by Stromatolite and is a sort of signature to Music Tech Fest.)

Coming into its third year, Music Tech Fest is going strong,  expanding the event to new locations outside of London and even outside of the EU. In late February, a branch of Music Tech Fest was hosted in Wellington, New Zealand at the local Microsoft Research Labs, and its next stop will be hosted this weekend at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Labs (referred to as the NERD labs!) in Boston, MA. Following Boston, the flagship festival will be held in London in May, with other “tour stops” scheduled for Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris and Brazil.

Thus far, Music Tech Fest: Boston is already shaping up to host an impressive lineup. Some confirmed attendees include:

Dave Haynes (fmr. SoundCloud)

Paul Lamere (Echo Nest)

Berklee’s Rethink Music Initiative

Paris’s IRCAM-Centre Pompidou

The Music Technology Group of UPF Barcelona

…with many more companies, as well as newly developed instruments and digital projects set for presenting demonstrations. A live link-up with the British Library is also on the agenda, along with the expectedly exciting hackathon, hosted by Jonathan Marmor (also of The Echo Nest).

You can follow along with all the Music Tech Fest activities on Twitter and get involved with the conversation with the hastag, #mtfboston.

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1.

The post London’s Music Tech Fest Comes to Boston appeared first on SoundCtrl.

The exhibition encourages musicians and non-musicians alike to explore the hands-on possibilities of modular synthesis, opening up a world of production and engineering that seems very complex from afar. Fortunately, the reps from Moog and Main Drag music are always on hand to provide instruction and insight on how the machines work for any eager enthusiasts. The sounds generated by these modules are other-wordly, ethereal, and often spooky, but the real weight is in how tactile the controls are. For example, slowly turning the dial of a filter’s cutoff frequency opens up a waveform’s character and grit, and when implemented on an electronic drum kit (connected via MIDI hub) the possibilities for adding expression to rhythmic compositions is infinite. The same goes for guitars, keyboards, and the standalone mounted modules.

In addition to the open installation, the Moog Room will host a live performance tomorrow, March 20th, on the analog systems featuring Kiran Gandhi, Suzi Analogue, Léah Lazonick, FonLin Nyeu, and more.  Hosted in collaboration with Tom Tom Magazine, the event will go from 8-11PM.

RSVP to attend at [email protected] to attend, and enter a chance to win tickets to Moogfest 2014 in Asheville, NC, home of the Moog Factory.

The post Inside The Moog Room at Rough Trade NYC appeared first on SoundCtrl.

“Notice the sea of screens at concerts? Live music events are the number one usage occasion of smartphones, and yet there is no go-to concert app,” said Encore CEO Nicholas Klimchuk in a recent press release. “We’re trying to change that with Encore.”

You probably noticed it at the last live show you went to—smartphones have replaced lighters in the concert space, and whether you use them or hate them, the trend is here to stay. But the concert-centered app Encore, backed by Next 36, aims to revolutionize the live concert experience for those both able and unable to attend. And what’s the best way to encapsulate memories and share the experience with those who couldn’t be there? Photos, videos, set lists—you name it, Encore has it.

Simple and fun to use, Encore connects users with not only the concerts they’re waiting to see, like most other concert apps, but it also puts an emphasis on shows of the past—shows, in fact, that date as far back as the 1960s. The app takes an innovative approach to tapping into the passions of a concertgoer by integrating photos and videos from social media and concert and set list information from other dedicated services and more.

To share more about the app, its capabilities, and its bright future, Klimchuk took the time to talk to SoundCtrl about all that Encore has to offer.

SoundCtrl: How did you come up with the idea for Encore? Was there a specific moment in time where the concept just clicked?

Nicholas Klimchuk:  Our cofounder [Michael Warshafsky] goes to lots of concerts, and he realized that almost everyone was on their phones taking photos and videos, and he also was unsatisfied with some of the other concert apps that were out there. He thought that he could design something better, and what better way of building a successful concert app than around consumer behavior that everyone’s exhibiting, which is on their phone? So we leverage that and give them a better experience to help them find upcoming events.

How does Encore create these concert time capsules?

We go through a database of Last.fm. We know when and where shows were, so we bring in geo-tagged photos, any Flickr photos that have a number of tags related to the event, and YouTube videos, which are typically well-documented. In the future, we’re going to be bringing in photos and videos from Instagram video, Vine, and Twitter.

How does the app determine which are the best photos and videos to include in a time capsule?

As of now, we don’t do any filtering, but in an upcoming version of Encore, we’re going to let users favorite photos kind of like they do on Instagram. Right now, users just have a profile where they can see the shows they’ve been to, but in a future version, they’ll be able to see which of their friends are on Encore, what shows they’ve been to, their favorited photos as well as favorite artists.

Right now, the app just brings in a lot of data, and it can be overwhelming — there are a lot of selfies that people might not care for. But in the future, you’ll be able to see just your friends’ photos, your photos from the event, and the top-rated photos and videos will be at the top of the time capsule. And in the future we’ve also thought about letting people customize their time capsule so they can easily remove things that they don’t want—it can just be their experience.

Where do you source information for the hundreds of thousands of shows in the future included on the app?

We partner with Last.fm. They have quite an extensive concert database, so the images, the lineup, the location of the show, the start time, everything comes from that database, and then users add on things like news, or you can invite your friends, grab tickets and have the ability to type in your friends to see who’s coming.

How do you think Encore will change the concert experience?

There’s a lot of debate about phones at concerts. On one hand, Encore reduces the need for you to be taking all those photos and videos. Lots of times people take photos and videos at concerts to prove that they were there, for the vanity of sharing on social media to make their friends jealous, or because of nostalgia and wanting to be able to hold on to this lifetime experience.

So what Encore will let people do is, say you’re at the back of the concert, and you take a really dark, blurry photo, you’d prefer to just trade up to the photo that someone took in front of the stage, and that has equal impact. It’s interesting because I can show you photos from Lady Gaga’s concerts from her last tour, and trying to tell you which concert it’s from, you’d think it was your concert because they all look the same. But people subscribe a much higher value knowing that that photo was taken at the concert they went to two years ago, even though the photos can look almost alike.

So in the short term, we’re just trying to make a better concert app so that people can experience live music more and hold on to their memories. But in the long term, whoever wins this race to build the leading concert event app will be able to do a lot more for before, during and after shows. We’re just going to be starting early with the data that people provide on the shows they went to and the people they went with, which is very valuable to promoters, and then slowly move from there adding more functionality.

What kind of feedback have you gotten so far from Encore users?

So over time, people who have used the beta version, the original version of Encore just did photos and videos so there was a lot of demand for, “I want to be able to do something with these upcoming listings,” which we’ve added in the form of buying tickets and sharing with friends. People still want to do more with the photos and videos, which we recognize, so we’re going to be adding the ability to upload your own photos.

Generally the feedback has been that people really like the feel of the app design, they like how we focus on the past as much as on the future. Most concert apps don’t do anything with past shows other than maybe if you bought tickets, they’ll keep them somewhere on the app. We want people to find every single show they went to, even if it’s 1960s Woodstock, which Encore has on the platform.

The way we like to think about this is in the past, people kept ticket stubs as mementos of shows, while people of our generation walk out of concerts and just throw away their ticket stubs, and our promoter partners and board of directors still have their tickets saved from the Beatles concert and the first concerts they went to. So Encore’s trying to create the digital equivalent of that, like the digital ticket stub of these concerts.

What kind of upgrades or evolution do you see for Encore in the future?

The past is a huge differentiator for the Encore app. It’s a way that we expect to keep people engaged. So for example, even if you don’t go to the Arcade Fire show that’s happening in Toronto tonight, you can turn on Encore, and you can see the photos and videos coming in live. Right now, we don’t provide that functionality, but the next day you can see the photos and videos. But it’s a very simple thing where on the Today page, we’re just going to have an indicator blinking, so whether it’s a concert going on locally or a festival that your friends are at, it’s kind of cool to just be able to open the app and see what’s happening with your friends and what’s going on at the concerts on the app.

So that’s one area. And then another thing we’ll be implementing is we’re going to be integrating setlist.fm into all the past shows. It’s owned by LiveNation, and that way, and again with shows going back to the 60s, people can, when they add their shows, see their friends that attended, they’ll see the set list, they’ll see the photos and videos, and again, it’s a nostalgic feel that people have from seeing that information. And also, as soon as the show’s over, we’ll be pushing notifications of what the set list was. So there’s an opener, and you really liked that one song, you’ll have it with you when you leave. So there’s some small adjustments on the past.

As I also mentioned, the profile will be bolstered where we’ll do what most concert apps do right now. We’ll scan your library, we’ll find your favorite artists and then we’ll send you notifications when people go on tour, and then you’ll be able to see which of your friends—it’ll be like a social network for concertgoers—you’ll get to see your friends on Facebook who are also using Encore and see the concerts they’re going to and have been to.

We’re trying to start small and prove that an anchor of past shows is something that can get people onto a platform and then considering upcoming events and then go from there and listen to our users’ feedback.

Check out Encore, recently released from beta onto iTunes, and get started enjoying an encore of all the shows of the past while preparing for shows in the future.

The post [Interview] Nick Klimchuk, CEO of Encore appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Total bummer you couldn’t make it to SXSW this year, right? All of the amazing concerts with tons of big-name and up-and-coming artists to discover, just out of your reach this time around. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall and catch all the action from afar?

Now, with “The Heart of Austin” showcase from Sony Entertainment Network, you can, all from the comfort of your own home. And all you need is your PlayStation 3 (where admittedly you were spending that missed concert time anyway, yes?) Using the Live Events Viewer app on your PS3, you’ll be able to enjoy The Heart of Austin showcase’s broadcasts for three days of the expansive SXSW lineup, from March 12^th through 14^th, for free through the app or an online stream.

Through a partnership with ‘stache media, Entercom Communications, Lively, and King’s Hawaiian, Sony has taken over two downtown, next-door-neighbor venues, The Market and Hangar Lounge. From Wednesday through Friday of this week, Sony will bring you a heavy helping of some of the excellent live performances you thought you’d miss out on. Plus, according to Sony, “Music Unlimited & Video Unlimited will also have a setup within Hangar Lounge to experience the service between sets.” Sets begin around 4 to 5 p.m. and end around 12 to 2 a.m. each evening.

Lineup

The lineup includes a total of 54 bands and musicians from across the country. On Wednesday, you can catch The Revivalists, UME, The Grahams, and Oh No Fiasco at The Market and Rev Gusto, The Architects, Nightmare The Cat, and Nothing More at Hangar Lounge. Thursday features Nicole Atkins, KKDO Local, Black Cadillacs, and Lucius at The Market and Crobot, Wild Party, Johnnyswim and Samsaya at Hangar Lounge. And on Friday you can catch Los Lonely Boys, Ingrid Michaelson, The Orwells and Magic Man at The Market and Travis Scott, The Bots, Kreesha Turner and Wonder Broz at Hangar Lounge.

Any of these sound familiar? This is just a sampling of the wide range of talent performing at this one-of-a-kind showcase. You can view the full line-up on Sony’s blog or below. You can also check out a playlist for The Heart of Austin showcase on Sony’s website.

The Potential of Live Concert Showcases

Live concert streams are nothing new, but the fact that a company as large as Sony has jumped on the bandwagon is a great sign for music lovers who are often distraught over missing their favorite bands and artists perform around the world. Being able to stream the shows to your television via PS3, rather than your computer or mobile device, is a bonus as well.

As the market for live streaming concerts grows, a unique opportunity extends far beyond venue walls. Global music sharing will no longer be limited to streaming music and videos, which are typically seen post-event, even when recorded live.

Now, all of the excitement of a live shows will be universally available from the comfort of home. Granted, streaming live shows can never replace actually being present in a venue or at the foot of a festival stage, but it’s the next best thing for live music lovers.

Bands unable to tour and travel will be able to share their performances with fans and potential fans around the world, earning more of a following without ever having to leave their hometown — which is a limitation many bands and musicians throughout the world face. Live performance streaming is yet another unique outlet offered by the Internet that can increase band exposure on a wider scale, with relatively minimal effort for the band itself, aside from the videography setup.

SXSW is an exciting showcase for the music industry, and you can still get a taste of what the festival has to offer thanks to Sony and its partnerships. Tune in this evening with the Live Events Viewer app on your PS3!

The post Stream The Heart of Austin SXSW Showcase This Week on Your PS3 appeared first on SoundCtrl.

A few weeks ago, Corgan announced on Facebook that new Smashing Pumpkins material was in the works to follow up the 2012 album, Oceania. Corgan was also recently involved in a rare endeavor as a producer working on Sierra Swan’s new album, Good Soldier.

Chicagoans should certainly stop by Zuzu’s to check out Billy Corgan’s modular performance, but arrive early as admission is free and space is limited.

Here’s a video of the installation of Corgan’s ICHABOD synthesizer:

The post Billy Corgan’s 8-Hour Synth Interpretation of “Siddhartha” appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Every year, MoMA PS1 presents Warm Up – an outdoor music series that takes place on Saturdays throughout the summer. It’s an ideal summer location for outdoor music, where DJs, musicians, sound artists, and visual artists from all over the globe come together for a casual, weekend celebration.

The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 jointly present the Annual Young Architects Program. This allows emerging architects the possibility of creating a work particularly made for MoMA PS1’s facility in Long Island City. The winner of this design competition is immediately chosen to contribute a temporary urban landscape that will find a home in the outdoor space where the music series is held. This year, The Living won the prize and will create their piece, Hy-Fi.

David Benjamin, head of the Living proposed a heaped circular tower made entirely from natural materials – the idea is to create bio-bricks from corn stalks and mushrooms, and use them to build a tower. In a collaborative effort with Evocative, a material science company developing a new class of home-compostable bioplastics, The Living will use the bio-bricks as the base for their towers. Made of a 100% recyclable, mass-branching fungus called mycelium, the compositional materials are grown from and combined with plant waste to construct the massive hyper-modern structure.

At the top, reflexive bricks will be put in place and produced through a custom-made daylighting mirror film invented by 3M. As a result, the light is thrown towards the bottom of the tower, allowing for an unprecedented visual effect. The installation as a whole will look like a beaming orb from afar. Moreover, its shape and design will allow for a natural ventilation system, fed by the gaps in the brickwork. This creates a gravity-defying micro-climate where the bottom is light and porous and the top thick and dense. The ground level will therefore receive cool air while the heat will travel up top. This will come as a great relief for the overheated audience members in the middle of the New York summer.

But the greatest thing about this piece is that, as curator Pedro Gadanho said:  “This year’s YAP winning project bears no small feat. It is the first sizeable structure to claim near-zero carbon emissions in its construction process and, beyond recycling, it presents itself as being 100 percent compostable.” In that sense, the piece grows out of nothing but earth and will return to nothing but earth once the series is over, a first in Warm Up’s 15-year timeline.

So make sure not to miss this year’s Warm Up—it looks like this installation will set the groundwork for innovative, environmentally-friendly works of art. Maybe David Benjamin has even planted a seed in the minds of all urban planners in New York City: a cityscape made of compostable materials.

For more information on PS1’s and its programming, check: http://momaps1.org/warmup/ or follow on Twitter @MoMAPS1. 

The post The Living Brings a Zero-Carbon Mushroom Tower to MoMA PS1 This Summer appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Visit the contest entry site here and check out our review of Audiotool and Sketch, their excellent sequencing experiment for Google Chrome.

The post Moogfest Announces Audiotool Competition appeared first on SoundCtrl.

The music discovery experience often involves hopping around the multitude of outlets for new music—social media sites, music streaming engines, blogs, and websites. For an artist, the challenge is threading their brand and identity between these bases, and providing ample links between them to give fans easy access to pertinent information and music.  The newly launched ToneDen.io hopes to clean up this process by consolidating artists music, social media, and PR into a single browser page.  While helpful for current and potential fans, the site will also make it easier for bloggers, A&Rs, agents, and other industry professionals to glean artist information quickly and efficiently.

ToneDen offers a few simple customization options for skins, backgrounds, site layout, and general accessibility, which standardizes the functionality for each artist who uses the ToneDen platform. Since the site links to Soundcloud, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, it also aggregates analytics from each site and displays them in a simplified, proprietary format.  ToneDen also offers an upgraded version for $5 that includes a generated one-sheet for press releases and blog pitches, advanced analytics and stats, as well as custom domain routing to make Toneden the artist landing page.

A highly usable platform, ToneDen aims to keep personal artist management compiled under one roof, and from the looks of it, will be an attractive option to emerging musicians who want to organize their online presence. Check out ToneDen’s introductory video below and sign up for free with your SoundCloud account at ToneDen.io.

The post ToneDen Is A Clean Content Hub For Artists appeared first on SoundCtrl.

The variety of sounds and effects generated by microchips and circuitry to power the boards, buttons, and switches of synthesizers are only limited by the boundaries of human imagination. This qualifier is nothing to shake a stick at, since human creativity has led to the digital reproduction of nearly any sound, and even non-mechanical objects have been integrated into audio synthesis (see the “Off-Beet” video we featured a while back, that sees the root vegetable turned into a drum kit).

Creatives and developers often join forces to put complex tech inside non-mechanical objects to make them intricately musical, either in tone, execution, or both. It is another thing entirely to take a basic, non-technical object, put technology inside of it, and end up with something with vastly more potential, even if the technology on hand is only capable of producing a single tone.

Composer and electrical engineer, Dr. Andrew McPherson, along with a diverse group of musicians, researchers, and technology savvy scholars at the Queen Mary University of London are conducting research and observation using a small wooden cube they have equipped with a single pitch, activated by touch. The tech to make this happen is nothing revolutionary in and of itself, as is outlined in a video discussing the project’s implementation:

“On [a face of the box is] a two dimensional sensor area [and] the sensor is based on capacitive sensing that’s used in smartphones…in addition to that, a pressure sensor underneath and inside the box is a small computer, [that can] map what somebody does to the sounds that are produced.”

First impressions, given that this project is funded by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) might leave some baffled, as “a box that makes one tone when you touch it” does not exactly come across as intense, Ph.D. level work on either the music or technology front. However, the less obvious but more remarkable facet to this wooden cube is not in what the circuits’ functionality or lack thereof, but in how users react and interact, given a limited palate of sound and outwardly perceptible instruction. Dr. McPherson and his team are intrigued by the potential for varying musician analyses, behaviors, techniques, and artistic ingenuity, brilliantly turning the usual focus of standout design completely upside down. Dr. McPherson explains,

“The goal of the project is to understand how it is musicians react to a very constrained musical situation…we have this box, and it’s not designed to connect to any existing instrumental tradition, but every performer is going to come up with their own creative ideas on how they are going to express themselves on this instrument. What we’re really interested in, is the relationship between constraints and creativity.”

Given that technology like the “Ototo” have clearly shown the barrier of things “designated as musical instruments” to be long broken and now non-original, the thought of so many opposing concepts (simple/complex, human/artificial, limited/infinite) in the evolution of instrument design alludes to what really makes a one-note wooden cube anything but child’s play. McPherson and the rest of the research team are in this quest for the long haul, striving to create many instruments that could eventually conform to any musician’s performance nuances or be physically altered to widen musical range and change interaction on the fly.

You can learn more about this wooden cube study from the informational video below, provided by the EPSRC:

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1.

The post A Wooden Cube to Inspire a Musical Revolution appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Imagine your favorite musician reaching out to you as they perform a live concert on a movie screen. How about playing an inexpensive keyboard made completely with 3D materials?  Believe it or not, that future is a reality.

With the rise of 3D visuals and 3D printing technology, musicians are finding new ways to integrate their music in expanded dimensions to create a new experience for their listeners. Several musicians and music professionals have already accomplished this feat using 3D in a variety of ways, with many more in development.

(Space Blanket)

Simulcasting Live 3D Concerts

While album sales have fallen drastically over the past two decades, live music remains stronger than ever, and 3D technology offers a new way to tap into fans’ love of live performances.

Some artists can sell out a concert in a matter of hours, no matter how big the venue. That means that potentially thousands of fans are either disappointed about missing the opportunity or couldn’t afford it to begin with. Instead of shutting out these fans from the experience, the concert could be simulcast in movie theaters, which can accept the overflow and still give these adoring fans a chance to see the action for themselves.

Where 3D comes in is that it takes this idea one step further. Two things make a live performance unique: seeing the band in person and the atmosphere. While the exact atmosphere may not be recreated, instead of a flat, 2D image onscreen, a 3D image would make an audience feel like they are actually part of the action, right there in the venue.

(Nathan Taylor)

Another great aspect of 3D simulcasts is that when fans are at a concert, only the front few rows really get the full experience of the band onstage. Others higher up in the stands only get to see very small versions of the show from far away. But with 3D simulcasts, those 3D cameras can get a variety of angles much closer up than that of a seat in the back row.  Although fans aren’t at the performance, they still get a unique perspective of the concert from right in the theatre.

Several major artists have already invested in this technology. U2 had the Latin American leg of their 2006 Vertigo tour filmed in 3D and premiered it at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it went on to be shown in 600 American movie theaters to earn $20 million in its first year. While not live, this effort showed exactly how popular this technology could be when integrated with the live music experience.

Other artists have already taken advantage of this technology as well. In 2010, the Black Eyed Peas teamed up with director James Cameron to film a 3D concert documentary. Also in 2010, Justin Bieber filmed his performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 3D for a biopic. In addition, Hot Ticket from Sony Pictures produces live shows and has released a 3D film for country singer Kenny Chesney.

3D Movies and Music Videos

Similar to live 3D concerts in theatres, musicians are also creating 3D performances that take on a more cinematic feel in the form of 3D movies and music videos. This allows their fans to watch and listen to their performances, documentaries, music videos, etc., from the comfort of their own homes on their own 3D-enabled TVs.

This both generates another revenue stream for the artists and gives them a new artistic medium to play around with to better get their music and message across to their fans. A wide range of artists have already produced 3D music videos, from indie artists like Young Rival, who recently created a unique 3D video using depth perception and an autostereogram, to major names like Shakira.

will.i.am’s 3D Merch Table

will.i.am has recently announced an interest in using 3D technology to enhance and even revolutionize the possibilities for band and artist merchandise. The concept involves using a 3D printer to bring a shot from a live performance alive, so to speak, and to sell it immediately after the concert is over.

For example, if Lady Gaga were to strike a certain pose during her concert, 3D printers could be working backstage to create a 3D model of that image for attendees to take home with them—a unique captured moment that they can have to commemorate the show.

Printing 3D Instruments

3D printing has another use for the music industry: the printing of musical instruments. Musical instruments can be expensive, and being able to 3D print them would make them more affordable and accessible for novice and professional musicians alike.

Already this technology has been made available. ODD Guitars has developed a process of using a layer of nylon powder and fusing it in certain locations to fit the components of an actual, usable guitar. Most of the 3D-printed parts are decorative and come in eight eye-catching designs, while the external hardware, such as the bridge, neck, pickups and tuning heads, are store-bought but also customizable. In addition to a guitar, they’ve built a 3D-printed keyboard and drum kit using the same process.

The Future of Music and 3D Technology

This is only the beginning for music and 3D technology. For example, as 3D extends beyond just the movie theatre and becomes more prevalent in the home through 3D enabled TVs, computers and mobile devices, music lovers will have a chance to enjoy live concerts and music videos in a new, exciting way on-the-go, from wherever they are, whenever they want. 3D technology will even become more common at live shows themselves, as it already finds itself enhancing the backgrounds and visualizers at performances around the world.

Also, 3D printing has only just hit its stride. will.i.am’s idea for 3D merchandise and 3D printed instruments are only the beginning for the effect this technology can have on a plethora of industries, including music. Imagine stereos, headphones, amplifiers and mp3 players all created by technologically advanced 3D printers. Just as with the instruments, these musical products could become cheaper and more accessible for more musicians and music lovers alike, which could expand the possibilities for new music created, performed and shared online.

3D technology will continue to evolve alongside music and offer new opportunities as both industries grow and change. Be prepared for what’s next, and enjoy the new and improved music experience that is to come.

The post The Co-Evolution of Music and 3D appeared first on SoundCtrl.

During this year’s annual four-day MIDEM festival in Cannes, Music Hack Day featured an innovative engineer named Yuli Levtov, who discovered a way to DJ with Spotify streams. The Spotify-enabled app has been a fantasized technology for the last few years, mainly as a result of diffiicult licensing structures and logistics for app developers.

On the blog for Reactify Music, a music app development company, Levtov spilled about the process, introducing his revelation as ”by far the most involved, impractical and ‘hackiest’ hack” he’s ever done. Calling it DJ Spotify, its structure is two-fold.  DJ Spotify enables simultaneous playback of two Spotify streams, with DJ controls including pitch/tempo adjust, as well as the integration of EchoNest, which gathers key and BPM information from streaming tracks. DJ Spotify is a rather complicated hack, with connections between Ableton, Max for Live, a Wi-Fi iPad connection, Pure Data patches, Python coding and more.  You can check out the hack and the key/BPM app here.

But on the heels of Levtov’s impressive hack, a new app released a few days later consolidated his ideas into a slightly more appealing interface for the massive new wave of portable DJs. Pacemaker is a new iPad app with the first, official licensing from Spotify for integration in a DJing platform. The interface of Pacemaker is quite design-oriented, with simple electric blue and red waveform bars and cue points split down the two touch screen “decks.” Tempo and nudge functions are dedicated to beatmatching two tracks, and beat skip functions allow you to chop the record up in creative ways.

Tracks can be loaded from Spotify or local files, and mixes are recordable and savable within the app. Pacemaker’s sync function works relatively well, but you may have to jog the nudge wheel if it syncs on the off-beat transient.  EQ controls are reconfigured in the app’s signature wheel pattern, but aren’t quite intuitive if you have never DJ’ed before. Unfortunately, there are no volume faders that allow you to EQ and volume adjust simultaneously, but there is a crossfader for blending. Additional effects are available as in-app purchases, allowing the user to customize their iPad DJ “rig” but the lack of standardization here doesn’t show an incredible promise for getting this app into clubs. Since Traktor has integration for its own computer software with CDJ functionality, and a number of other apps offer effects controls independent of the software, Pacemaker certainly has competition in the pro market. But this app focuses on a home user experience, and it’s not a bad way to preview a mix on the fly or curate your own parties, listening sessions, and podcasts.

While many traditional DJs are contemptuous and apathetic toward this new type of technology due to a lack of mixing skills and faulty execution, the real problem with new streaming DJ tools is that the sound quality is sacrificed for efficiency and portability. Spotify’s highest streaming rate is 320 kbps, and as any trained listener knows, the highest quality mp3 still sounds much weaker on a club-quality sound system compared to WAV files and vinyl records. Unfortunately, this means a rise in DJs ignoring poor sound quality in exchange for track availability and cutting costs in preparation for sets. Since electronic music is often showcasing a producer’s ability to create highly specific and idealized sound environments and experiences, a poor mix with poor sound quality is essentially the antithesis of the art at hand.

However, streaming has made its way to the pro decks, especially since the newer Pioneer CDJs can play source files over Wi-Fi. As streaming quality improves and wireless connections can handle more bandwidth, cloud-based DJing will definitely take off on the professional level. But at the end of the day (or early in the morning) if your offline playlists aren’t synced and you’ve got no internet connection at a peak-time basement party, you may be relinquishing your DJ duties at the next party if you make it out of the club alive.

At any rate, the Pacemaker app is highly recommended for those with Spotify premium accounts, and you can grab it on the iTunes app store.

The post The Rise of the Streaming DJ appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Every winter, the National Association of Music Merchants hosts its annual NAMM show, a 113-year-old showcase of established and up-and-coming creators of musical instruments, hardware, software, accessories and more, all on display for the association members media to see.

Running from Thurs., Jan. 23^rd through Sun., Jan. 26^th, 2014, the NAMM show occupied all 1.2 million square feet of the Anaheim Convention Center, in addition to space nearby hotels. This year, NAMM hosted more than 1,500 companies from around the world who exhibited more than 5,000 brands for over 100,000 peopl, the largest show of the past five years, and one of the largest in NAMM’s history.

Here are a few music-tech standouts of the show, that caught our attention and intrigue.

Moog Sub37

Based on Moog’s Sub Phatty synth circuits, the Sub37 is upgraded with a larger 37-note velocity-sensitive keyboard with aftertouch. It also boasts a paraphonic synth architecture (not fully polyphonic, but able to play two notes simultaneously through a single filter), which is a step in a different direction from all of the other post-2002 monophonic Moog synths, besides the Animoog app. It also has two modulation busses with assignable source and destinations and DAHDSR (Delay, Attach, Hold, Decay, Sustain, Release) looping envelopes with sync.

Retail price is $1,579.

Moog Theremini

Moog calls its new Theremini, “a re-imagination of one of the oldest electronic musical instruments in history, and Bob Moog’s first love.” The device fuses together the basic component of the theremin—an instrument you don’t actually touch—with the high-quality sound engine from Moog’s award-winning Animoog synthesizer. This means that any user with any amount of musical ability can pick up a Theremini and make music with ease. It comes with a built-in tuner, and it has assistive pitch correction for adjusting the level of playing difficulty (the highest level makes it so that all notes played are perfect scale pitches).

Retail price is $319.

Korg MS-20 Kit

A follow-up to its MS-20 Mini from last year’s NAMM, Korg restores its limited-edition MS-20 to the classic’s original full size but adds another layer of interaction with the kit: Users must also put it together piece by piece. There’s no soldering involved, and the entire assembly can be done with two hands and a screwdriver. But in terms of parts and features, it has the same circuitry and was overseen by the engineers who produced the original, but the MS-20 also features two switchable filter modes based on variations of the original MS filter.

The MS-20 kit will be released in March 2014 at a retail price of $1,399.99.

Bitwig Studio

There was plenty more than just instruments and hardware at NAMM. Created by some of the original developers of Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio aims to speed up and enhance production workflow to the max by making all interactions with the software involve as few mouse clicks as possible. This intuitive piece of software has found ways to both combine and improve upon many different aspects of other popular DAWs that have come before it.

Like other DAWs, the full reach of its features is too long to be explained, but a few different exciting features include a non-linear environment for arranging and triggering clips in real-time (for a more spontaneous composing session) and hybrid tracks, which go beyond basic audio and instrument tracks to work with any kind of material. It also has 32/64 bit VST support, which keeps the application from crashing even if your plug-in crashes, and it’s compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux.

Bitwig Studio will be released March 26^th with a retail price of $399.

Avid Sibelius 7.5

At this year’s NAMM, Avid launched its latest version of its best-selling music composition and notation software, Sibelius 7.5. With version 7.5, you get all of Sibelius’ foundational tools in addition to some noteworthy new features—all with the aim of enabling you to “write and arrange music easier and faster than ever before.”

A new timeline window allows easy access for a quick but entire overview of a score with all the important landmarks to allow faster editing and playback, no matter how large or complex the piece of music might be. The software’s fully redesigned Espressivo 2.0 feature means that the feedback you hear is a better quality interpretation with more expressive and realistic feel, and you’ll also get better interpretation of your musical notation, such as tempo markings, grace notes, breath marks and so on. You can now also export your composition to Avid Scorch, which is fully optimized for iPad display and fully interactive playback, practice, performance and publishing. And finally, sharing your music through Sibelius has never been easier: You can share and distribute your compositions via email and social media, upload and publish them as sheet music on ScoreExchange.com or share them as video or audio files on YouTube, Facebook or Soundcloud.

Sibelius 7.5 will be available worldwide in February 2014.

SuperMegaUltraGroovy Capo 3

SuperMegaUltraGroovy used its opportunity at NAMM to showcase its Apple Design Award-winning Capo 3 application, which gave attendees a new way to look at learning music. With automatic chord detection, the Capo 3 app can access your iTunes music library and transcribe any recorded audio file, from MP3 and M4A to AIFF and WAV, into legible tablature that appears onscreen while you’re playing the song.

While it displays the chords you need to play, it also tells you how to play the chords by presenting various guitar chord shapes in several different tunings. You can transcribe solos, block out vocals to concentrate on instrumental parts and create a loop that allows you to play around with a song’s tempo without distorting the sound of the song itself. With a Capo 3 audio file called Spectogram, you can even see vibrato and note bends. Always wanted to learn to play your favorite band’s music yourself? Now you can, in a simple and streamlined learning format that SuperMegaUltraGroovy calls “the future of learning to play music.”

Retail price is $29.99 at the Apple Mac Store, and you can also download a free trial on the Capo 3 website.

NAMM returns in summer 2014. Learn more at NAMM.org.

The post Our Innovative Gear Picks From NAMM 2014 appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Cologne, Germany-based Audiotool has created a browser-based music production suite that fuses the immediacy of modular synthesis with the accessibility of the internet. Audiotool offers a free workstation for producers interested in electronic music synthesis, with proprietary instruments, effects, and mixing controls all in a broswer window. Audiotool’s site also functions as a community for producers and composers who have cerated music using the platform, and Audiotool provides in-depth reference Wikis for each of its devices.

As part of Google’s Chrome Experiments, which showcase creative web coding applications built in HTML5 and Java, Audiotool has designed a standalone sequencer app called Sketch. Sketch is modeled on of iconic analog drum machines and bassline synthesizers, which three web-based versions of the Roland TR-808, TR-909, and TB-303. These instruments, widely used in house and techno styles, are an entry point (if not a mainstay) for electronic music production, as the basis of their functionality is essential to most of the sequencer instruments that succeeded them.

The Sketch experiment is quite easy to use if you have a general understanding of digital audio workstations or basic audio signal routing. The browser panels include a mixer with panning, delay, and level controls. The delay effects can be adjusted based on 16-note subdivisions with control knobs for feedback and level. Each channel has options for choosing patterns from each of the devices for quick arrangement edits. There is also a BPM adjust and “groove” knob that adjusts the swing factor of the rhythms across each device.

The “Bassline” is modeled on the TB-303 with a very similar interface to the analog machine. When programming a bassline, it isn’t possible to preview the note, but the accent, slide, transposition, and step index buttons are very clearly displayed and straightforward to use. The waveform controls at the top are the basic 303 options–waveform, tuning, filter cutoff frequency, filter resonance, envelope mode, decay, and accent level.

The Beatbox 8 and Beatbox 9, modeled after the 808 and 909 respectively, are equally functional, if not easier to use than the Bassline device. The step sequencers can be arranged in up to 4 16-bar patterns, with options for various classic Roland drum sounds.

Audiotool built Sketch using a proprietary platform called defrac, which allows multiple devices to be programmed with a single code. The only setback of Sketch is intrinsic to its browser functionality, in that clicking in sequences takes much longer than pushing the buttons of an analog devices with your hands. However, if the Chrome experiment becomes available on the iPad or another tablet device, it could certainly open doors to an interesting opportunity for internet-based, improvisatory electronic music creation.

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That’s right: StubHub is treating price transparency as though it were a perk.

In recent years, StubHub has joined the ranks of Ticketmaster in providing a highly sought-after service with hardly any competition – and making an absurd profit from service fees that have ballooned to epic proportions.  But now, StubHub is purporting its friendliness with promises to be transparent about the service fees you’ll be paying…by forgoing showing customers ticket fees, in exchange for displaying the full price of the ticket.   (Okay, that’s not entirely true; if you click ‘See Details’ under ‘Price Details’ they’ll let you in on the actual makeup of your total cost.)

It’s called “All-in Pricing.”  Here’s a quote from their announcement email:

“On StubHub, you’ll see the final price right when you hit the site. Nothing more will be added to your cost.  Not even delivery charges.”

It reads like a loud, aggressive sales pitch for a feature that is basically saying, ‘We won’t bait and switch you like any ordinary good business wouldn’t anyhow.  You’ll still pay ludicrous fees, but we’ll just give you a mild heart attack at the beginning of the sale – not the conclusion.’

What they don’t call attention to is that you’ll already be paying for whichever delivery options have been selected by the seller.  Service fees are often about 10% of the price of the ticket before this delivery fee.  Percentage-wise, that’s certainly better than Ticketmaster, but because these are high-priced scalped tickets, you can bet it won’t be amount-wise.  And that’s not the end of it, because they charge the seller a fee too, further inflating prices.

StubHub is a great service and I’m certainly not upset that it exists, but you know what else works well? Buying tickets when they go on sale, and to a lesser-extent, nabbing some tickets outside the venue from a shady dude who only has $100 bills as change.  To see the entire announcement, click here.

The post StubHub Boasts Its New Transparent Pricing appeared first on SoundCtrl.

The latest in their line of analog modeling synths, the Lead A1 is Nord‘s newest performance synthesizer. With a quick user interface and simplified front panel, the A1 recreates analog sounds to a tee, and packs features including 8 oscillator configurations, filters, LFOs, onboard effects including chorus and ensemble, and master clock control for onboard syncing.

The power in this synth comes in the oscillator functionality with a new Wave engine, which allows for shortcuts to Pitch, Detune, Shape, Sync, FM (frequency modulation), AM (amplitude modulation), Dual Oscillators or Noise, without requiring the patching usually found on all-analog synths.

Nord’s products are often build around ease of use for live applications, especially in their Nord Stage and Lead series. However, the Lead A1 breaks down some of the more tedious walls of analog synthesis for speedier response and improvisation. This technology mirrors the functionality of modern DAWs which presently center on working on the fly in the studio and on the road (i.e. Ableton and Logic), keeping creativity flowing without technical hangups. While Nords aren’t exactly beginner instruments and an understanding analog synthesis makes using their gear all the more useful, it seems like the A1 would be nice for entry-level players and pros alike.

The Nord A1 Lead will be showcased at the upcoming NAMM Show which begins today in Las Vegas.

The post Nord Releases The Lead A1 Synth, Debuts at NAMM appeared first on SoundCtrl.

When you’re fiddling with your phone and attempting to take photos or videos of a concert, you can hardly enjoy the show. You want to bring a piece of the memory home with you, but you actually establish a memory by fully experiencing the performance with your eyes rather than through a screen. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have access to audio and videos of the show as soon as you leave, without having to capture the media yourself? Now with the Lively app, you can.

Lively is dedicated to providing high-quality audio and video of live performances to its users while also offering a platform for artists to interact with their fans on another level. The quality of the audio and videos far surpasses anything you could capture with your phone while at the show, so you can relax but still bring home high-quality versions of the memories when you leave.

According to Lively’s latest press release, Lively’s team has quadrupled in size since it first launched in May 2013, and they’ve also moved into a state-of-the-art facility in Seattle. They’ve now worked with more than 110 artists in 47 venues across the country, and they’ve delivered thousands of app downloads. Capitalizing on their early successes and developing the improvements needed to take the app to the next level, Lively’s team has now officially launched its updated version two of the app.

On this new version of Lively, which focuses on improving the overall mobile experience of the app, added features include:

• A sharp new menu providing easy-access to the growing list of available shows and content in music, comedy, fashion, talk, and more.
• Sharing capabilities and access to social channels available on the swipe and scroll menu.
• Additional swipe gestures for easy navigation throughout the app.
• The ability to build playlists and share tracks from lists or the entire library.

These new features improve upon Lively’s core technology, the patent-pending Lively Audio Manager (LAM), which is the mechanism by which live recordings can be made available to fans. Essentially, LAM is a free app for the iPad that enables engineers to record a stereo mix from the soundboard. When the show is finished, the mix down of the recording is sent directly to the app. The audio is available on the app right after the show, and professional video is available the next day. All-in-all, it is a simple, streamlined process that makes getting these live performances out there that much easier for artists and engineers.

How Lively Can Make a Difference in Artist-Fan Interaction

When fans want to take a piece of an artist’s live performance home, they’re already trying to deepen their relationship with that artist and his or her music. However, some of that experience is taken away when a fan has to fiddle with a smartphone to get a recording going. Lively enables fans to take home that piece of the performance without having to record it themselves. Already, Lively has had a direct impact on how the artist and fans interact with each other during the performance itself.

Lively continues to affect this artist-fan interaction when the live performance is complete as well. By making these high-quality audio and video recordings available, those fans get to relive the magic of that performance on-demand. In addition, fans who couldn’t make the show are now able to enjoy the experience of at least listening to or watching the live set from their mobile devices. And finally, music lovers who have never heard the artist’s music can check out the live performance and potentially become new fans.

Armed with these new features and upgrades, Lively is poised to take the music industry by storm by introducing a concept that can revolutionize the way people approach capturing their own recordings of live music performances. Simply put your phone away, and enjoy the music the way it was intended–in the moment.

The post Lively Introduces Instant Access To Recorded Concerts appeared first on SoundCtrl.

When Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, personal computers were still five years from being marketed to the masses. Over 40 years later, Bruce Springsteen is implementing technology  with new music promotion strategies in 2014. In a recent interview with NPR, the legendary rocker announced that he will be selling USB wristbands to fans online and at his current tour for $40. When connected to a computer, the USB wristband will allow fans to download the official recording of the show, 48 hours after the performance.

Springsteen acknowledges the shift in pop culture consumption and is comfortable adapting to a world where “everything you do is recorded.” Back in 2011, Pearl Jam utilized a similar method by offering audio downloads of their Lightning Bell tour on Sirius XM’s Pearl Jam Radio. While these moves could be perceived as generosity from immensely successful bands, they have more monetary predications for acts attempting to collect lost revenue. Pearl Jams’ Backspacer tour contained 56 shows, had two legs in 2009 and 2010 that lasted five months in total and did not rank in the Top 25 highest grossing tours for either years. Springsteen has experienced considerably better success by ranking in the Top 5 for his last three tours, 2009’s Working on a Dream tour, 2012’s first half of Wrecking Ball World Tour, and 2013’s second half of the Wrecking Ball World Tour. However, in those three years, Springsteen’s tours were unable to sell out over 75% of their shows (58% in 2009, 75% in 2012 and 67% in 2013).

An artist such as Beyonce could benefit from Springsteen’s wearable technology, as she also has experienced similar touring inconsistencies. Her last two tours each grossed over $55 million yet had less than 70% of the shows sold out with her 2009 I Am…Sasha Fierce tour having only roughly 44% of its shows sold out. While this merchandising development can help the superrich get richer, the ability for fans to download a show could prove to be most beneficial to artists whose fanbase originated and is most popular online. With the rising popularity of social media and the expansion of avenues to release music online, more artists are garnering large fanbases without any physical representation (tours, physical albums, videos). Selling downloadable concert audio allows artists to maintain the distribution models to which their fans are accustomed, while allowing their spread-out fanbase to experience all of their performances no matter the location.  From a fan engagement and business standpoint, Bruce Springsteen might have helped to usher in a future industry standard.

Keep in touch with Keith Nelson Jr. on Twitter @jusaire.

The post Fans Relive Springsteen Via USB, The Boss Recoups The Cost appeared first on SoundCtrl.

Ask any musician, collegiate, or established professional about picking out a new instrument, and the ensuing conversation is liable to be different every time. There are few things more personal than shopping for an instrument, and at the risk of speaking from a place of slight bias, purchasing a violin is even more of a meticulous and idiosyncratic undertaking. Choice can be affected by any number of factors that can include maker, aesthetics, craftsmanship, price, sound, and physical feel, just to name a few.

Bring the conversation to the realm of modern electric model instruments and a whole separate set of questions and concerns arise–durability, comfort, weight, sound integrity, aesthetics (that hot pink violin modeled with a Flying V-esque frame might not be as versatile as the subtle black or neutral brown). It might seem like some of these factors are repeated but expectations for construction of a quality violin changes with every new element incorporated into its functional use, and digitalization is a significant addition.

While there are plenty of violin makers and brands that handle both acoustic and electric stringed instruments, a fresh startup in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Weinreich Labs, has unveiled news of a new project; one that immediately generates intrigue, given the aforementioned discretion in the violin shopping process.

Weinreich Labs initially stepped into the startup space focused on the goal of “creating the next generation of electric violins”  Their first major accomplishment, as outlined by Southeast Michigan Startup, was “a violin that produces heirloom quality music when amplified or recorded.” Aiming to stay ahead of the curve of small business and generate quicker revenue, Weinreich is now also developing a mobile app meant to serve as a digital violin repository of exemplary quality. Viewers will be able to read about and visually analyze an assortment of violins. The caliber of the visuals is expected to be so high that it will be possible to discern even the most delicate variations, such as the instrument’s varnish.

“The Violin Gallery” app is slated for launch at the end of the month and will be marked at an affordable $0.99 for a lite version and $15 USD annually for its most expansive version. What the exact range of features between price tiers will entail has yet to be divulged, but even just the ability to see and read just a few preview shots after launch will be enough to showcase the gallery’s potential for informing violinists looking to make future purchases. Similarly to acquiring a new car, buying a violin comes down to an in-person experience, decided once the buyer has the opportunity to play the instrument. Still, if one can inspect and determine selected interests prior to visiting a shop, it will be that much easier to get right down to the business of playing, hearing, and paying without excess fuss or the risk of getting overwhelmed.

You can sign up to the Weinreich Labs newsletter right from their homepage, for future information on the app’s development, as well as follow them on Tumblr and Twitter @WeinreichLabs.

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1

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