Tracks to Play On Repeat: SpaceMan

Eboman Samples Video

This link will take you to Eboman's new video.

"Eboman specializes in the production of audiovisual sample compositions, the development of audiovisual sampling software and hardware and performances as a DVJ or with his SenSorSuit. The SenSorSuit is part of an audiovisual sampling system, called SenS, which Eboman is developing in cooperation with SmadSteck."

The software he is using seems to be from Smadsteck and is called SenS IV. The video effects are kind of bizarre and distort across a 3d plane to the rhythm of the music.

Kinda cool! Go check out Eboman and his videos.

Games in Concert

Excerpts from Floor Jansen's Blog of the band After Forever:

We have been asked to do a show at Games in Concert on November the 15th.....These songs are specifically written for computer games.....we hope to see you at Games in Concert!!!

Music for this year's Games in Concert will be from Duke Nukem, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Galaxy, Final Fantasy VI, and Bioshock

Here is a video of last year's Games in Concert for Metal Gear Solid (Live Orchestra)



What a cool concert! If only I lived in the Netherlands!

If you need more information on Games in Concert here is a link to the website.

The Korg M50 Keyboard Workstation

Its light! It comes in 3 models, 61, 73, and 88 keys.



From first impressions it looks like the replacement for the TR models - which freakin bored me. It has a TOUCH SCREEN. It also has a VST plugin to control it for your DAW.

Ehm, I liked the angled controls!
"EDS" synthesis, new pianos, and classic keyboards. YAWN. Sounds boring. The M50 seems really early 90s in a bad way, but I have not played it yet.

Maybe if Korg sent me one I could give it a fair review HINT HINT.

LINK

Digitech DF-7 First Impression Review

The Digitech DF-7




This is a great distortion box. The DF-7 is a must buy for all in one distortion, whether used or new. Its a good value with 7 "classic" distortion selectable. In fact, its a better sounding version of Guitar Rig 3s distortion box section + tasteful cabinet selection. I like it alot.

This distortion is musical and it won't deafen your ears, unlike alot of analog units I've tried. If you test it against drums.....realistic or electronic, the DF-7 is a win.


Using it in the studio:

If you are in the studio, you can plug it straight into the mixer in stereo. It's cabinet emulations are very tasteful and sweeten even better if you add reverb on top of it.The controls are pretty easy. Careful tweaking and experimentation yields good results. A nice feature is the sweepable mid EQ. Some of the distortions it emulates do not originally come with this. Mode 5 gave me a really straight up The Prodigy power chord distortion ala Boss Metal Zone when it was combined with electronic drums of any kind. It sounded good. The stereo effect of this pedal is very decent: not awkward or too wide.

For practice/live:

If your plugging it into your amp you can boot it up without that cabinet mode to get the straight distortion. Switching distortions is also pretty instantaneous, but you have to reach down to do it of course. The pedal clicker is durable enough. The bypass seems like a true bypass, which is good enough for me. Mode 6, the Metal Master, is kind of mix of late 80s kickass something or other. All presets sound good with single pickup & humbucker.

I can't really say anything bad about the DF-7. Maybe you'd want to get your own Pre-Eq to do some more damage in the bass, or set it up different, but mostly I didnt feel like it, and all the presets on this thing were usable to some degree when properly tweaked. You should buy it and see if you like it. I can't stop playing my guitar now.

Sound Quality: 8.6
Build: 9
Musicality: 8.8
Value: 10
Fun: 10
Master Shredder Factor: 8.8
Total: 8.9 Would recommend to anyone, guitar players / drum n bass producers / synth people looking for dirty sounds.

Guitar Rig 3 retraction

Last month I posted a glowing review for Guitar Rig 3, and recommended it over Amplitube. Under more testing I can't do that anymore. Guitar Rig 3 has more distortion emulations, controls, recognizeable characteristics, and presets than amplitube. However, while testing it today I realized that it sounds like crap. I A/Bed guitar presets against some realistic sampled drums, it just sounded too digital in comparison. Part of this was the cabinet emulations fakey room reverb, and also part of it is the grainy texture of the sound. While practicing, it is not as noticeable and is actually very pleasant to work with. Its also easier to use and way more fun. Under mixing conditions is just of more concern. Certain presets do fix the problem, but I found a majority of the distortions very thin. Everything that came out of Guitar Rig 3 sounded okay, and comparable to the real deal, It was just very digital. I can't recommend it for musical use. I am still looking for a distortion holy grail on the mac platform.

LED Drumsticks

From THE FUTURE OF THINGS

illuminated drumsticks for Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour Drum Sets. When a player strikes them, the entire body of the drumstick lights up

Maybe they will work with regular drums too! I don't see why not. Look, its Vader vs. Luke/Obi Wan.

Public Service: Palin Supports Animal Cruelty

Mcain's fuck-faced running mate, Palin, supports aerial hunting of wolves and bears. She supported a bill that rewards persons to fly low and shoot animals from a plane. The bill gives a $150 reward for the sawed off legs of wolves. Screwed up!

Normally I don't put anything political on Chip Collection, but this involves animals and its something that needs to go "out there." Chip collection is against animal violence, especially in areas, like Alaska, that should be wildlife preserves. Wolves cannot defend themselves against these attacks, and in most cases, electric fences are a cheap protection against livestock. Hunting from planes is for pussies anyways. There is no reason to kill nature's wolves.

Please view this video and show it to your friends. Warning it is a little graphic.

Thanks

Alesis Fusion Shortage

There is a crisis shortage of Alesis Fusions. They are no longer being manufactured, and websites like Musicians Friend and Zzounds is not carrying the keyboard. A search on ebay pulls up only one listing.....only a 6HD. Unfortunately, early on the reputation for this keyboard suffered, and so did demand, as the price started becoming liquidated a year after its release. In its final days you could get a weighted 88 key for only $999 new or $700 on ebay.

Is this the final death of the fusion? Will alesis ever make anymore!!???? They better!! I still use mine as an all in one studio without my computer. The 8-input hard drive recording, and many of its sounds are excellent, despite some technical glitches. I hope they bring back the best sounds of the board into a new product that has a better sequencer, while keeping the 8-input hard drive. It could also use a casio style sampler in its song mode.



On another note. Tascam's FireOne, 2-channel audio interface, with jogwheel has dropped in price considerabley. For those of you with a mac, or a firewire interface, you can get this thing for only $115. It has headphone out, 2 mic pres, a guitar jack input, controllable buttons, MIDI!!! AND line ins. Thats a nutty deal! The jog wheel can even flash to the beat of your music and it comes with a version of ableton live. I would love to review one of these, as it looks like it has more function than Mackie's more expensive satellite product ($199).

Anyone notice that Mackie is starting to cater to people with lower budgets? Hmmm...a bad music equipment economy means good deals for us!