TouchAble

Here are a couple of videos I'd like you to watch to get a better sense of what you can do with TouchAble. Love this app! Watch these videos tonight, and on Friday, we'll start building some tracks in Ableton that you will be able to play and interact with using TouchAble!

'Free' synth app

http://discchord.com/blog/2015/10/7/synthmaster-player-for-ios-update.html

Although there are in-app purchases within this app, it would be worth looking at the free version to see what it does. And it is Audiobus compatible.

Advanced Werkbench Features

This video shows off some advanced features in Werkbench. We have not yet worked with the Audiobus app, so you won't yet be able to do all of what you see here. Take a look, however, and you may be inspired to try some more adventurous sampling, overdubbing, and importing.

Werkbench Project

WERKBENCH PROJECT

Phase One: Sound creating and collecting.  By Wed 10/7

Your Werkbench project should include the following:

• 4 sets of samples on both sides A and B
• rhythmic ideas
• melodic ideas
• sound effects
• sounds from around Pingree School

Phase Two: Structuring of composition within Werkbench.   By Fri 10/9

• deciding where sounds will be stored/structured to facilitate the your composition and your performance

Phase Three: Notating of the live performance structure.  By Wed 10/14

• developing your own notation system (text, graphics, symbols) in which you lay out your composition
• each section, and what happens within each section should be clearly labeled.  (to help you organize your live performance)

Phase Four: Rehearsing for live performance.

• practicing the realization of your notated composition, developing comfort and confidence for your live performance

Phase Five: Live Performance (in class, for your peers).   By Fri 10/16

• Your live performance should include the following:

• The use of ‘Play’ mode (sequences will play by themselves)
• The use of Trigger’ mode (you will play your sampled sounds in real time)
• Real-time manipulation of at least 3 of the following: volume, pitch, filter, decay, panning, envelope, echo
• A section that features improvisation

Phase Six: Creating an audio recording and video of your final product.   By Mon 10/19

• to be completed outside of class
• a recorded ‘take’ of a complete performance of your composition
• uploading and sharing your audio work on Soundcloud
• partner with someone in class to use the iPad camera to create a video of you performing your work (possible upload to YouTube?) (possibly use Production Room in the Learning Commons?)

Madeon

The video we watched in class today...

Figure to Soundcloud, etc.

Cool class today. Nice to hear the experimentation you did in Werkbench. I am looking forward to continuing ways to look at how both Werkbench and Figure can become 'performance instruments' rather than just music machines where you 'hit play and walk away'. And we began exploring that idea in Ableton Live today in using keyboard mapping in order to trigger and stop clips. The more we work with this, the more connections you will see.

Important terminology to remember:
Dry vs. Wet audio signals
Filters: Low-Pass and High-Pass
X/Y Pad controllers
Automation
Keyboard mapping

For homework tonight, create and record a project in Figure and upload your final work to your Soundcloud account. You will need your Soundcloud login information to do so. I look forward to hearing your work!

GO FIGURE!

I know you've all already played around with the Figure app a bit. Check out this video of an outstanding performance and creative approach to using the app. Wow!



And I'd recommend checking out all of the videos, in order, in the playlist at THIS LINK. What a powerful app!

Looking ahead...and app sales...

Hey, Music Tech Friends,

I hope you enjoyed diving into Werkbench today. We barely scratched the surface of the potential of this app, but after you go through the homework of following through the tutorial video posted on the class blog yesterday, I think you'll have a better feel for the creative potential Werkbench has. I'm a huge fan of this app.

I also wanted to give you a heads up on a couple of very cool apps that are on sale right now. These are absolutely not required for the class, but if they seem like something that might be useful or interesting to you, they might be worth a look.

MAGELLAN is an iPad-based synthesizer that has a wide range of sonic possibilities. If you were to try it now, it might seem kind of confusing, even though it makes some pretty awesome sounds. As the year goes on, we will talk about how synthesizers really work and what all of the knobs and buttons really do. It's usually a $14.99 app, on sale for 99 cents.

TONESTACK is a guitar/bass-based amp simulator and effects app. For those of you who may be guitar or bass players, you may be familiar with seeing players use a variety of "stompboxes" for effects, along with a variety of amplifiers--some of which have different tone-shaping effects built in. Tonestack turns in your iPad into a palette of guitar amps and effects. Although at this point in time, we haven't talked about how you'd connect your guitar to your iPad, we surely will. Once you do, this app opens up your palette of timbres in a big, big way. It usually sells for $9.99, but at least for now, seems to be on sale for 99 cents. This app is not exclusive to guitars and can be used on any other sound source as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing what you create in Werkbench this weekend. Please consider it a homework assignment to find one cool thing Werkbench does that you can then show off to the class. Have fun!

Werkbench - coming soon!

Following up on our last class discussion, here are a couple of introductory videos to an iPad app you will soon be purchasing--Werkbench!  It is part looper, part step-sequencer, part drum machine, part sampler, part sound design machine. It does so much that will help you to learn several important foundational components of electronic music making. I will explain the purchasing process when I see you in class. In the meantime, check out these videos to get a better idea of what Workbench can do! You will see components of this app that will resemble the features you have recently explored in Keezy and Keezy Drummer. I think you're going to love it!

Keezy takes

Nice job working with the Keezy app. I appreciate the effort you made in sampling a variety of sounds. I especially enjoyed talking through the cool components as well as the "drawbacks" of this free app. I do hope that you came away with a sense of trying to find ways to be as creative as possible within the parameters allowed with a particular technology. I am linking to the audio files from your Keezy work here:

Nicole
Connor
Nicolas
Zach
AJ
Michaela
Noah
Jayke
Nate

Homework - Keezy - Listening

Hi, Friends,

Cool class today. I enjoyed seeing you demo some apps that you've been working with. In class tomorrow, we will learn how to use a device called a Jamhub that is a super high-powered mixer that will allow us to use iPads in headphones while also being able to hear one another as we need to. It's pretty cool---you'll see.

To recap the homework for tonight.
Using the Keezy app, create a set made up of samples that you create and record yourself. Then, improvise--play around with your sounds to see if you can come up with a groove or some musical layers that you like. When you come up with something you like, record yourself playing it into the app. Be prepared demo it for us tomorrow.

If you are looking for some inspiration, check out these videos:
Reni Lane
Reggie Watts
Cool advanced features
Bouncing audio within Keezy

Keeping in mind the wisdom of Mr. E-- "The first act of music is listening." - also take time tonight to find a song you really like, and see if you can become very familiar with the kick, snare, and hi-hat parts. We will then work as a class to recreate them within a set sequencer (Keezy Drummer, Beatwave, etc.)

Have fun!

iOS apps!

I hope you are all enjoying getting to know your new iPads. Pretty groovy, right?

Here is a list of free apps that you should download and play with this weekend. Most of them are quite intuitive, so I encourage you to choose one of them, have fun, and make something this weekend! Consider it a homework assignment to create something original using a new, free app. I can't wait to get further into this kind of music making with you. I've linked the name of each to a website with more information.

Loopseque Lite
Figure
Keezy
Keezy Drummer
Novation Launchpad for iOS
Auxy Beat Studio
Beatwave

If you happen to stumble on any other free music apps that you like, please mention it here in a comment.

female:pressure - Women in electronic music

An interesting article. Very much worth a read.

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/09/femalepressure-looks-crowds-change-place-women-electronic-music/

Web-based sign-ups!

I emailed you earlier today with the following information:

In the spirit of signing up for more free accounts for Music Tech Lab, I have one more for you to do:

Go to http://www.cosm.co.nz. This is website of Tom Cosm, a New Zealand-based Certified Ableton Live Trainer and all-around awesome musician, technologist, and teacher. Once you have all registered for free accounts, I will be in touch with him and your account will then be upgraded to Pro Memberships for FREE because you are students. This is tremendously generous of Tom, so we should be sure to share some of our work with him as the year progresses. The Pro Membership gives you access to all sorts of great things. Feel free to browse around too!

You should have already signed up for accounts with Soundcloud, Splice, and Dropbox. Be sure to record your log in information so you never have to struggle to find it in class.

Welcome to the Pingree Music Tech Lab Blog!

Welcome to the class blog for Music Technology Lab. This is the place where homework, links, documents, and other information related to the course will be posted regularly.

SYLLABUS

Students have been invited to be 'authors' on this blog, and as such can add posts as requested for class assignments and when you stumble on something that you think might be relevant to the class.

Looking forward to your contributions!