pyxl8r's Comments

Synthtopia : Trevor Horn, Yes Announce New Album, Fly From Here

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:47:24 +0000

Trevor Horne's production, and the fact that there's a 20-minute song, gives me SOME hope that this new album might be worth listening to. Rick has come and gone many times, but I'm still kind of pissed at how the band has treated Jon Anderson lately. The Drama album (and lineup) got a lot of flak at the time, but that album's held up pretty well. Perhaps Trevor's voice isn't what it used to be, and that's why they still need Benoît David. They could have asked Jon back to sing on at least ONE new song; that would have gone a long way towards mending fences... and would guarantee higher album sales as well! As a long-time Yes fan, I'll probably buy the CD regardless.

Synthtopia : Yamaha i-MX1 - MIDI Interface For iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:37:33 +0000

Yamaha's press kit says : "...In a small, black device the i-MX1 carries the needed electronics and two connectors for the included adapter cables which represent the MIDI input and ouput (with the well known 16 MIDI channels each)." I think that means traditional DIN-type MIDI !/O plugs. A USB option would be handy too!

Synthtopia : Who Needs A Kinect? Eye Synth OSC Lets You Make Music With Your Web Cam For $.99

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 16:21:18 +0000

Agreed. Guy waves his hands around as if he's grooving to the bad music. He needs to make a better attempt at marketing; from this video we've learned nothing about the app at all. Could have potential tho!

Synthtopia : Want Analog? Check Out The Elektrokosmos Kosmonaut Synthesizer!

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 05:08:05 +0000

The clear side panels are cool... they ought to throw a few extra LEDs inside just for the hell of it for some internal blinky fun!

Synthtopia : Korg Monotribe Video Preview - Is This The Budget 303?

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 05:02:04 +0000

He said maybe 280 Euros, which is about $400 US... so NOT an inexpensive toy or an impulse buy for me!

Synthtopia : Korg Monotribe Video Preview - Is This The Budget 303?

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:51:34 +0000

Sounds like Korg just went PLOP, here' s your new product! Figure it out and demo it NOW! Kinda felt sorry for the guy, but he coaxed some nice sounds outta it. Chopping up your synth riffs into 8 segments has some possibilities; way more than that drum section, which was lacking.

Synthtopia : The Korg Wavedrum Mini - A Percussion Synthesizer That Lets You Drum On Anything!

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:38:33 +0000

Is it really a contact mic or a just a sensor/trigger? It kind of seems like a contact mic, based on the water bottle and can demos, and I dug how it worked with a tambouring... that would be fun to use LIVE. Hopefully you can edit the preset sequences too. Kudos to Korg for showing a straightforward "here's what it does" video without all the excited narration, fancy effects and lighting, and lack of real information, unlike some other manufacturers (I'm talkin' to YOU, Roland).

Synthtopia : The Korg Monotribe Analogue Ribbon Station (First Photos)

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 22:41:56 +0000

Maybe I can sync it to my Bliptronic 5000 then!

Synthtopia : The Korg Monotribe Analogue Ribbon Station (First Photos)

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:59:46 +0000

I was expecting at least USB, which would have made some sort of sense to the Korg iPad app users that they marketed this to. Looks interesting IF it's < $100 USD. At least it's NOT what many expected... none of us suspected that the Stylophone would get competition! ;-)

Synthtopia : Korg Introducing Real Analog Gear At Musikmesse; Can You Guess What It Is?

Sun, 3 Apr 2011 03:15:18 +0000

Good eyes, and great sleuthing! That narrows it down a LOT. From those clues, it's definitely an analog sequencer at the very least, so speculation that it's the Monotribe makes more sense now. Still, why market it to Korg iPad app owners???

Synthtopia : Korg Introducing Real Analog Gear At Musikmesse; Can You Guess What It Is?

Sat, 2 Apr 2011 04:29:56 +0000

Agreed, now that I look at the pic more closely! Looks more like a completely fresh design, analog in nature but not the necessarily the Monotribe, because those metal switches and brushed-metal-tipped knobs look far too nice (as in: not cheap) to be a Monotron's close cousin (not to mention the font used on the labels is completely different from the Monotron's). "REAL analog hardware" does point to something that's NOT just a controller, but then why did they reveal this teaser on the iMS20 and iElectribe apps? Aiming this marketing directly at iPad users in this way is a unique move, but WHY is still a mystery!

Synthtopia : Korg Introducing Real Analog Gear At Musikmesse; Can You Guess What It Is?

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 22:36:10 +0000

It's just GOT to be the re-release of the MS-20 softsynth hardware controller. So many folks are lusting for that to use with the iPad/iMS20 combo, and it'd be easy for Korg to just ramp up production again. It wasn't THAT long ago! Not sure how the iElectribe fits into that theory though, so I could be completely off base here! Still hoping...

Synthtopia : BangStrokeBlow - Eigenharp Alpha Synth Jam

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:46:12 +0000

I agree with you totally on that point. Nothing worse than seeing a performance of somebody hunched over a laptop. That's where the true potential lies with an instrument like the Eigenharp. It's the first keyboard-like controller I've seen that allows the audience to totally see what you're playing/triggering, and the pretty lights allow them to follow what's be played/sequenced by the player. I 've seen several Eigenharp live performances, and the instrument definitely attracts a LOT of attention! Plus, the freedom to move around the stage sure beats being trapped behind a pile of synths any day!

Synthtopia : Real Bands Use Real Synths

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:30:53 +0000

I was going to get deeper into this discussion, but you summed it up excellently, Xtopher. Same old formula: Dumb statement + lame band = welcomed publicity. No such thing as bad press. Win win. PR guy cashes bonus check. Next!

Synthtopia : BangStrokeBlow - Eigenharp Alpha Synth Jam

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:15:54 +0000

To be fair in this discussion, I watched and listened a second time, and I still heard very little in the way of expression being used in this piece, aside from one section where the side ribbon controller is used as a filter. New instruments like this one DO have amazing potential, and of course players can use whatever instruments they wish (old or new) to play whatever music they wish. But when someone states that what they're doing is "experimental music" when it clearly is NOT, then they'll be called on it, whatever instrument they are using. They obviously worked hard programming the song to be controlled by their Eigenharps, and I'm sure it took some real time to rehearse and execute it. I only have an issue with the result of all that effort. This isn't a criticism of the Eigenharp; hell, I wish I had one myself! But while I've fallen under the spell of this cool new toy's looks and features, I'm still waiting to see a video of someone doing something REALLY interesting musically with it, instead of just imitating other instruments or rehashing sequenced dance music. In the end, the Eigenharp is just another tool that needs to be mastered. I do know a few fine musicians that are devoted to doing just that with this instrument, but in my opinion, that's not heard in this particular video. Also, many musicians here may take issue with a statement that "being able to demonstrate expression in a live situation which is quite hard to do with synths/keys at the moment." This piece could easily have been played using Live and an Akai APC40, or a couple of Korg nano controllers. Of course, it wouldn't have been as visually interesting in a video. If not for the unique situation of TWO Eigenharps being used as controllers, we wouldn't be discussing this piece at all!

Synthtopia : BangStrokeBlow - Eigenharp Alpha Synth Jam

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:58:47 +0000

Yeah, I was immensely underwhelmed too. Nothing beats using really expensive controllers to churn out derivative and uninteresting dance music. This is experimental music? I don't hear it. Do something DIFFERENT with these new toys and my ears will perk up. Otherwise, what's the point? The only thing I learned from this video is that there's a obscure fetish (food+feet) that I was previously unaware of... ;-)

Synthtopia : Korg Founder Tsutomu Katoh Dead, Leaving Legacy Of 48 Years Of Innovation In Music Gear

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:29:55 +0000

So sad. From my first purchase of a Univox Maxikorg in 1975, I've been hooked on Korg synths. My Mono/Poly, 707, X5, Karma, MicroX and M50 (in yellow, btw!) have been magic under my fingertips, and if not for Mr. Katoh, all the music I've made through the decades would have taken a different path without the influence of those distinctive sounds. May his legacy live on in the music we Korg fans continue to create.

Synthtopia : Ion Introduces iPhone Music Keyboard

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 21:40:11 +0000

And it was a good one! I think having the iPod horizontal is an important distinction tho, as most of my app synths have that orientation. I have a feeling though, that none of the existing apps will work with this... do much variation in design and nobody's ever had to think about using any apps with an external controller before. This ION unit seems to need the ION app to run, but there are probably those out there smart enough to figure out a workaround, or at least sell apps that will work with this. Unfortunately, ION seems to be on the low end of technology; most of their MO is to provide very easy solutions for the average consumer. Synth app developers definitely should reach out to ION!

Synthtopia : Ion Introduces iPhone Music Keyboard

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 21:34:27 +0000

I think the space is just so you can slide it horizontally into the dock.

Synthtopia : 10 Cool Electronic Music Instruments Under $100

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:43:55 +0000

My son and I BOTH got a Bliptronic 5000 for Christmas and one of the first things we did was to link them together. We soon discovered something new and undocumented... [youtube 8lcUJ9Md680 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lcUJ9Md680 youtube] It's lots of fun, even tho the sound is mono, a bit lo-fi and noisy, but for $50 dollars it's worth it for the as yet untapped the mod factor once some tech-savvy folks hack a few!