My life: One word at a time.

Cyberjam: Music devices & How to take my music to the next Level

Posted by Austin | Filed under Uncategorized

So, I’ve been eyeing Access Virus units for a while. I think I’m torn between the Virus TI Desktop and the Virus TI Snow. If I could find a Virus TI Polar for below $1500, I’d get it. I think I found one on the craigslist in San Diego, but I’d have to ask the guy if he’s willing to ship it to dallas. I was researching the Snow to see if it was as capable as the desktop Virus TI model, when I ran across the Tenori-On used a controller for the Virus TI Snow.

ORLY, I thought. What a fantastic concept. Because Virus TI Desktops and Polars start at about $2,200-$2,500, I’d have to go with a Snow if I wanted a new unit. Otherwise I have to snipe auctions and search the net for a decent price. I’m working a lead here in dallas. I might be able to get a Virus TI Desktop(used) for $1,000. If the guy goes for it, consider it bought.
I’m still trying to sell my eVolver.
Most all synthesizers can be controlled remotely via MIDI. So I have a 49key keyboard controlling my Softsynths(computer based synthesizers) and my hardware synths. I’ve never owned a synthesizer with a built in keyboard. A Virus TI Polar would be the first (if i went that route). The Virus TI Snow and Desktop are both module units without keyboards. They are meant to be controlled via MIDI. So here’s more about some of the things I’ve been looking at lately

Tenori-On:

http://www.global.yamaha.com/tenori-on/index.html

http://www.tenori-onusa.com/

It just seems like $1,000 is a lot for a synthesizer matrix/grid. It is the most intuitive synthesizer I’ve seen. It really changes the game for me as far as improv and composition go. THE BIGGEST!!!! THING about a tenori-on, is that you can use it as a controller for bigger, badder, more awesome synths. That is beyond worth it for me. If you look at how much money I’ve invested in various midi controllers (i’m counting ones that I’ve bought and sold), we’re talking about $900 over the years. Now this would be an addition, but this would bring so much more creative potential. With my ADHD(even medicated), this brings a DIRECT approach to composition. I don’t have to set a bunch of stuff up to get going. I just start pressing dots… I can defend the idea of investing in one of these, all day long.

Tenori-On :: Virus :: Nord :: MicroKorg :: TR626 from Arctic Sunrise on Vimeo.

And some Little Boots (I seriously love her now. I discovered her on the tenori-on watching musician videos. She has all the gear I want… hahaha)

In the clip below, the artist is using the monome to trigger clips/samples and he has the tenori-on providing the melody.
Tenori-on & Monome:

Monome 40h + Tenori-On from Arctic Sunrise on Vimeo.

Melodica:
I paid $0.99 for Melodica. I run audio outs from my headphone jack and into my audio interface (Motu ultralite) to record my song builds and/or samples. Beyond the obvious cost of the iPhone itself, this application has the Highest $to Creative potential ratio I can think of.
The Interface looks like this:

This is the composition screen.

This is the Save / Load screen and you can preview the track before you load it up.

You just slide your finger left to right across the screen to switch tracks.

Tonematrix:

http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix

http://www.hobnox.com/audiotool

Now wouldn’t be awesome, if someone made an application like this (COME ON NATIVE INSTRUMENTS OR ABLETON!!!!) that could also remotely trigger a hardware synth or softsynth? You could easily change your grid parameters adding more rows, etc. That would be a mega awesome investment. You just assign an instrument/note to each row.

Arduinome/Monome:
The Arduinome & Monome are heavily dependent on community generated software and code to make them run, they are not the ideal content generators I am looking for, but they may be the least expensive out of everything. It is, and always will be, just a midi controller. I want more.

http://docs.monome.org/doku.php?id=app:polygome

Polygome running on monome: