Key Of Grey

Photo courtesy of Alfred Hermida July 31st, 2010 - You might not be a fan of Lady Gaga, and you might not like her music, but knowing the techniques that were used to produce her songs serves to expand your own toolbox. Dave from BoyInABand.com has put up a tutorial of how to re-create Lady Gaga's Poker face using synths in Reason. What I like especially about this tutorial is that he built the synths from scratch rather than loaded up a VST. ... Read More

Photo courtesy of ssp July 18th, 2010 - When Motu Released their Moto BPM software, a small contingent of fans were disappointed that Motu didn't also release a hardware interface that mirrored the software's computer-generated eye candy. An even smaller contingent went out and did something about it...well one person really. User ssp on the MotuNation forum created his own using the MIDIbox platform. From the layout, to the silk-screened graphics, the attention to detail is amazing. The Moto BPM software is a ... Read More

July 14th, 2010 - Was your mom suitably impressed enough by Kid Beyond to send you a Youtube video? Ever wish you could get your family in on the fun you have with looping? MIT has released MmmTsss Playful Looper, for free download. With a super simple and fun interface, everyone will be able to immediately get into looping antics. You definitely won't be at Beyond's level, but you'll still have fun nonetheless. Check out the embedded video below to get a feel ... Read More

July 11th, 2010 - Have you ever watched a movie and thought that the sound felt off? The following clip, with possibly the most ridiculous action a sequence I've ever seen (not to mention continuity errors galore), also contains some of the worst sound effects, dialogue replacement, and foley that I've ever heard. I can't even begin to describe how much it made my day. Read More

July 1st, 2010 - One of the most important things for an artist who is looking to make a living from his art, is control of a brand. This can be a band name, a stage name, or even the name of a studio business. Of course, with many of today's artists becoming known through internet marketing efforts, it's very important to make sure you can leverage your name online. What good is your band name if every variation of the domain ... Read More

Photo courtesy of Numark June 27th, 2010 - Numark has announced the impending arrival of the MixTrack DJ MIDI controller. Having reviewed the Vestax Spin and using it quite a bit, I can't help but see the similarities between them. Like the Spin, the MixTrack has a touch sensitive platter and like the Spin's twin brother the Typhoon, the MixTrack ships with Traktor LE. While the layout is similar, the platters on the MixTrack look to have the "vinyl feel" surface that most of ... Read More

Photo courtesy of Roomic Cube June 21st, 2010 - I'm finally back after suffering from internet withdrawals for the past few days. I had some problems with my ISP (doesn't everyone?), but everything is back to normal. Anyway, 62 years ago today marked the release of the LP format to a wide commercial audience. Gizmodo has a cool post about the history of the LP. For you young whippersnappers who don't know what an LP is, it allowed vinyl records to finally hold ... Read More

Photo courtesy of Axis Records June 17th, 2010 - Jeff Mills has released his new album Occurence on a disc that's a CD on one side, and a vinyl pressing on the other. That means you could theoretically play the vinyl side on a record player. It looks like you'll need to use a plug to hold the "record" in place though since the hole in the middle is made for a CD player rather than a record player. Still, it's a great ... Read More

Photo courtesy of tnl June 14th, 2010 - If you have a set of earphones whose cord always seems to get tangled, you ought to take a look at this paracord sleeve mod. Basically, you will end up feeding your earphone wire through the core of the paracord, and use it as a sort of super sleeve. Not only will the cord be thicker, thereby reducing the chances of tangles, but it will also resist bending which can cause breaks in the delicate ... Read More

Photo courtesy of BobsDogHouse June 13th, 2010 - I've always been fascinated by thumb pianos. Probably because they sound so earthy, and they're so simple. When I pluck away at one, it's hard not to smile. If you've ever handled one, their construction is fairly simple, so why not make your own? Instructables user BobsDogHouse has written a DIY article on building one and the end result looks very polished. DIY Thumb Piano Read More