Music

Austin Event: DJ/Laptop Battle

Austin Event: DJ/Laptop Battle

An interesting Austin electronic music event tonight: Ai180: Art Institute of Austin DJ/Laptop Battle Saturday, Nov 1, 5pm 100 Farmers Circle, Austin, TX The Art Institute of Austin is calling all DJs and laptop musicians to come flex their skills at the inaugural Ai180. Battling through five rounds of competition, you better come prepared to […]

In-guitar effects kits

In-guitar effects kits

These in-guitar effects kits look interesting – The MODboard concept is simple- Take the best vintage style analog guitar effects, miniaturize them, and mount them on a completely modular circuit board. Add the right output jack, knob setup and switching setup to accomodate your guitar, and you’re ready to roll. A few simple solder connections […]

Musician’s rig database on Guitar Geek

Musician’s rig database on Guitar Geek

Steven Leckart writes on CoolTool: Ever wonder what instruments, pedals and assorted gizmos Eric Clapton used on stage with Cream circa 1968? If you’re a gearhound, amateur musician, professional journeyman, or weekend warrior, Guitar Geek is a fantastic resource (and a major potential time suck). In addition to a laundry list of gear, with each […]

Making Austin Weird: Robotic Drummer

From now until the awesomeness that is Maker Faire Austin, I’ll be highlighting projects that you can find at Travis County Fairgrounds on 10/18-19. Tickets here; see you there! Craig Newswanger’s HyperLumaMidiMagnaTronic robot drum set seems like a human drummer. Except, it can play with perfect timing and doesn’t need bathroom breaks: Afterwards, learn how […]

Cellular automata for sound control

Cellular automata for sound control

The Automaton plugin from Audio Damage uses the rules of cellular automata for sequence and manipulation of audio. It’s AU/VST format compatible and comes with four built-in effects, each with independently customizable behavior. Life simulating algorithms are being used for generative music more and more lately, and for good reason. These techniques can add evolving […]