Listening to a concert with the same unnatural MIDI library sounds can get into the nerves of a professional audience

That makes me wonder the usefulness of this kind of gear. Obviously it seems as an interesting toy to play with. Funny sounds with our two hands as we play a wide range of electronic sounds.

This is not the first attempt in the introduction of MIDI devices into the world of the strings. Matt Bellamy of Muse uses a lot of MIDI controls attached to his Manson guitars to recreate crazy effects.

Although this could be a interesting resource to give a particular touch in a few moments, I guess that listening to a concert with the same unnatural MIDI library sounds can get into the nerves of a professional audience. Sincerely, I prefer to take my FX processor and create complex sound bases in the vintage old  school of pedals from different sources. Yes, I know…my processor is complety digital. But at least, I don´t lie anybody. They imitate original sounds from original amps and pedals. And they are playable at all.

More info in acpad.com

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Credit to hanszimmer.com

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They are tools that can help us in our work, but the truth is that if I’m watching a sunset, traveling quietly, the last thing I would crave is to write music

As discussed above, there are two operating systems for these elements that dominate the market, iOS and Android, pulling the first distinct advantage in the use of resources of the devices for use with applications that require the use of audio in real time.

Although gradually the Android system progresses, today the clear winner is iOS.
You could make a classification of existing applications to work with audio, composition, etc … according to a close. This might be:

- Applications to control devices such as Lemur, TouchOSC, etc. Using the touching screen you can control other devices such as synthesizers, workstation, or DAW sequencers, mixers, etc.
– Applications to transform or edit sounds by applying effects such as Flux of guitarist Adrian Belew, Final Touch (mastering), etc.
– Applications to generate sounds, and virtual synthesizers, drum machines, etc. Having a wide range of possibilities.
– Applications sequencing and score editing, as Cubasis (Cubase little brother ), Garage Band (the same wiht Logic), etc .

But all of these applications are truly effective and efficient ?, are they helping us for our purposes ?, Can we do anything serious with them? Or simply are they selling sand castles in the sky?
Everything depends on the requirements we have and where we want to go with these applications. One of the major limitations of these devices (apart from the screen and battery life) is connectivity. In most cases with a single communication port a little can be done, although it has significantly improved the number of devices which can be connected. In the 1st group of applications they are really effective and make its function properly, facilitating tasks such as the live music for both musicians and sound technicians or engineers, having tools that can handle tables mixing and monitor from anywhere in the room. Or for musicians, putting your fingertips touch control on a variety of devices easier to use.
In the second group there are many applications. Some kind of simply toys and other real “Swiss army knives”, making these devices operate as genuine effects processors, facilitating parameter control, especially in the tablet. Thanks to the size of their screens, they work better than displays that use the hardware equipment.

In the third group and given the high number of applications occurs as in the group of processors, there are applications with sounds and functionality  comparable to those of her sisters computer, although in some cases it will be the only application that we can run due to high workload for processors of mobile devices. Although every day they surprise us with better performance, this remains a serious handicap for these applications.

In the last group we have sequencers, these take the cake, offering at the same time sound generation (virtual synthesizers, drum machines), signal processing in real time, multitrack audio recording, etc … almost the same opportunities as their elders, but still limiting process of mobile devices and the amount of features offered a small obstacle brothers, but does not have to be limited, it is more, just it makes us more creative in using the resources at our disposal.

But back to the question, are they selling castles in the sky ? Certainly all this is very suggestive and decorated with Bohemian images as being able to make music anywhere, when we are watching a sunset and a melody comes to mind at our disposal tools that allow us to capture those moments … But  I do not see it so clearly. They are tools that can help us in our work, but the truth is that if I’m watching a sunset, traveling quietly, the last thing I would crave is to write music as I’m off. Surely there will be someone who believes otherwise, but when I write music, I write music. When I’m traveling I travel. And if I’m with friends, I’m having fun with firedns. I think everything has its time, but equally effective.  So yes, if the muses come to visit, better they catch us working with something to wind them.

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Take a look to the link to check our new theme and give us your feedback. “Fresh Cactus“, an instrumetal song that tries to give a fresh air to the overdosed of rock bands in our local panorama. We hope you like it!

The process was very easy: just a simple tune made in my home studio, shared by Google Drive to my partner and working together in the studio to create a final atmospheric song which remains to Pink Floyd or Chris Isaac style. For this song we have used not only our ordinary virtual instruments but we played all electric guitar parts and electric pianos. Also, we used the fantastic Fractal AXE II to recreate that sound so familiar for Bill Frisell fans, along with our favourite digital sinthetizer, Omnisphere by Spectrasonics.

This year, a professional judge jury will deliver his decission about the best songs which deserve to be part of this collection. People well known in the independent music like Julio Ruiz of Radio 3 will listened to our song and give his sincere opinion.

Good luck to everybody!!

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Jordan Rudess is not only a virtuoso musician known for his role of keyboard wizard in prog rock band Dream Theater but a visionary man who is always looking for the last toy into his rig.

Rudess is well know for introducing new and innovative tools into his equipment. He uses a lot of devices in every rig. From a primitive Korg KAOS Pad midi controller to a simply iPad which he uses as an analog synthetizer. In fact, Jordan Rudess is one of the few musician who has published his own line of digital Apps in iTunes store, being the  Winner of Best App Ever 2010 Award for Best Musical iPad App. Also, anybody can enjoy Rudes´s Apps in his own online shop for Mac and Android devices.

For a low price, the magic of The Wizard inside our iPad.

Also, Jordan is well known for his good sense of humour so it is not a surprise to find his Apps very interesting and fun as it combine nice and vivid graphic designs with surprising editing tools.

This proves that you can be an excellent musician with a wide and long-live career and be a restless searcher of  the new advances in technologies applied to the world of music. We are sure that Jordan Rudess won´t stop here. He will keep on surprising us with new and interesting developments. For a low price, the magic of The Wizard inside our iPad.

Check Jordan Rudes site here.

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It´s nice to see how people are still using (at least in a gig) and trusting in the old school sound

All his productions has his personal signature, such a particular clean sound guitar or an etheral reverb in the backgroudn. In fact, all his compositions seems to have an own life and sound as a part of a whole concept.

Far from our beliefs about the use of sofisticated gear and tools (let´s think about iPads or Vst instrumets), Lanois is still using old machines and dirty synths from the ´70s and ´80s when he wants to create his personal atmospheric tone. It´s nice to see how people are still using (at least in a gig) and trusting in the old school sound. It´s very easy to create Lanoi´s sound with my digital Fractal AXE 2 (the best Guitar FX Processor ever made), as million of guitarist do, sharing his presets in specialized forums but we won´t never sound like him.

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An unexpected experience which we would love to do once again in a near future. Four Hands Project not only write music but we play it live now… More information in Histericas Grabaciones blog.

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the greatness of the film composer is to bring his personality to acquire a dimension that goes beyond mere accompaniment

What would many energizing speeches before battle if they are not accompanied by their epic tune? What would be the speech “Sons of Scotland” William Wallace in Braveheart if instead of being accompanied by effective soundtrack James Horner would have been the tune of my iphone?

Or how would have been the final speech of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty if instead of listening to the timeless and memorable three chords of Thomas Newman´s piano had been Gangbang style to close such an interesting end?

Each image has its sound and the greatness of the film composer is to bring his personality to acquire a dimension that goes beyond mere accompaniment. You can give life to the image many times, without saying a single word says it all.

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