Recently, a friend of mine lent me one of his midi controllers, the M-Audio UC-33e. I’ve had the opportunity to fiddle with it, perform with it, and discover some of its quirks. I’m glad I did, because now I can tell you why I wouldn’t recommend it.

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C4 Entertainment is a Canadian production company which produces music for TV, film, ads, and more. I had a chance to chat with Didier, producer and creative director for Apollo Studios Toronto, about music making, gear, and his line of work. Read the rest of this entry »

I added another video review to youtube, this one features guest reviewer Mike saying a few words about his brand spanking new system…

In the world of affordable compact midi controllers, the Photon x25 stands out. With sturdy 360 rotary knobs, an assignable sensor which detects 3d motion, and a built in audio interface, the photon is not short on features. How does it compare to other 25 key controllers? Read on to find out more… Read the rest of this entry »

Face it people, the music industry is in for some big changes. The major labels have been sluggish to adapt to the power of the internet, while consumers have been quick to adapt to these new technologies. Digital distribution can completely cut out the label, the distributor, and the retail chain. The mass produced compact disk is quickly becoming a relic from another time. While the major labels are still a powerful force to be reckoned with, there are now ways to chip away at the music hegemony. Read the rest of this entry »

Restrukture is an industrial group that has been around since late 2004 in various forms, based in Sydney Australia. I had a chance to talk to TZ about his music, his gear, and his view on the current state of music. (Warning: Contains strong language) Read the rest of this entry »

I never thought a hard disk could be sexy until I laid hands on this metal beast. The D2 is a high performance external hard disk which can withstand the high demands of professional audio or video production. With USB, Firewire 400, and Firewire 800 ports, the D2 is also quite versatile. But is it worth the princely price? Read on to find out more. Read the rest of this entry »

I posted a new video, discussing the various issues about headphones, such as closed vs. open models, and other information. Check it out !

Laptops can be empowering tools for art creation. It is great to be able to set up shop wherever you want and begin creating music. In fact, about 10% of the writing I do for this site is done with a laptop in various coffee shops. Laptops have become very powerful in the last few years and there are many people who use them as their primary system (myself included). However there are some considerations that need to be taken when purchasing and using these portable wonders. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you remember the ‘golden era’ of video games? Where beeps, bloops and muzzaw sounds enraptured us for hours. At the same epoch, musicians wanted more freedom and couldn’t be satisfied with only beeps and bloops. They wanted the muzzaw too : Frequency Modulation, or FM Synthesis. Behind the shadow of the bigger names lies one of the least expensive synths on the used market lay, the Yamaha TX-81Z. Read the rest of this entry »