Description: Kick-arse touch pad efx unit w/ sampler
Price: SGD$508 (special discount; retails at SGD$635 I think)
Purchased from CITY MUSIC
Rating: 8.5/10

Product info: KORG KAOSS PAD

I am glad KORG decided to develop the KAOSS PAD series... I did not own KP1... own a KP2 and now a KP3 and remarkably KORG had really pushed KP3 to a new level. I will not attempt to review it's feature as I am in no position to. Instead I will just talk about my first hand experience after I had unboxed it for the first time...

Alright... The first thing was to go through the stuffs packed in this slick handsome matt grey lil' monster... naturally I went into the synths section... it's not fantastic... definitely an update from its anscestor but some pretty synths from KP2 is missing so apparently they were specializing on screwing up your sound than offering a synths box. So nothing too impressive except that, as usual, the synths parts morphs and changes as you sweep your fingers across and around the X-Y pad. It's drum synths are slightly more impressive and with BPM and tap function makes sync'ing alot more easier... midi, usb, audio i/o, mic input, and a flash card slot! for storing samples I guess... fantastic! Cosmetic designs is up by 1000% compared to it's predecessors... I love KORG for shallow reasons as well...

Ok so I couldn't stop there (see, it's proven addictive)... took my Thingamagoop and hooked it up as I file through the rest of what was installed... Apparently they had driven this machine towards more unconventional warping than just giving you reverbs and delay... some new sections, effects and filters additions and my favourite is GRAIN and LoP (looper based)... I was quite blown away for first impression.

Now hitting the sampler... My guess with Matrixsynth about the sampler is correct. It's a simple 4 track sampler/looper... it does not allow "overdub" for continuous layering of tracks like the EH2880. Well, I guess if it does have it then we are talking about a $900 - $1000 gear to say... It's not a dedicated sampler, let's say so... but 4 tracks really make this machine rather magical... plus your live input (direct/send which comes handy) and a MIC input so that's like pseudo 6 audio signals, with the latter two switchable but non-concurrent... Anyway I did some Thingamagooping on KP3, and it's pretty amazing! I realized that KP3 (and KP series infact) comes with much musicality... Thanks to the BPM-based efx and filters... it makes non-sensical bleeps and bloops musically logical... the FX Release Level also gives more live control over the machine as opposed to KP2... What I am saying is... I can do a live improvisation set with a Thingamagoop and KP3 alone... At this point I have yet to even touch the software side of the product and I am already a happy gear slut! Woohoo, so that's a good sign..

Like I said, I am no expert in reviewing gears... so these are my puny opinions as a consumer and KP3 really rawks! DJs, electronic musicians, sound artists, sound designers, guitarist and serious musicians including singers will benefit from it (frigging pretty much anybody)... Check out my new photo updates on the unboxing ceremony of KP3 and also first impression. I will update with a demo track once I have the time to doodle one. Now I can't wait for my Radias to come!!!

Description: Analogue Filter (rack)
Price: SGD$1200 including shipping (USD$725 excl. shipping)
Rating: 9.5/10

Check out my new photo updates in Sherman Filterbank II

So what can I say, the manual cover says: ABUSER'S MANUAL; brochure says: addiction gauranteed... I am going crazy with this filterbank of my dreams. No I am not giving it too much credit nor overstating it. I have read online reviews by user saying he doesn't know how to use it... honestly, it's pretty easy and rather intuitive (of course if you want to know what exactly you are doing with your sound you can always read the abusive manual). It is midi controllable with 3 thru's... giving you much control over interfacing with other midi gears... Furthermore... it is a dual analogue filter so that's giving your warping filtering a screaming blast!

The basic filtering sections are actually pretty straight forward, a scan through the manual on what each section does pretty much gear you up for a sleepless night of knobbing and noodling fun. The patching, yes it allows you to do "sort-of-modular" patching, ins and outs, adsr, adsr trigger, FM, AM, pedal(!) and also a LFO! What does all these mean? It means that you can even use the filterbank as a noise/tone generating maching and do filtering with it! I had so much fun last night with it which made me really guilty about not working :P

For more info I'll just link you to the Sherman site. Read under "FEATURES"

And on remixmag review it says:
Pros: Extremely versatile analog dual-filter processor. Generates an endless variety of rich, warm, complex tones. Incredibly extended frequency response.
Cons: No patch memory. Knobs don't transmit MIDI information. Frequencies can damage speakers.

Hmmm I honestly think that you will only damage your speakers if you don't use a compressor or limiter in your chain before going into your computer or what ever interface... and also if you know what you are doing and what each knob does you can take precautions at least... But knobs not transmitting midi messages is a pity. Still... I LOVE IT!

I will be posting up a noodling post on my blog soon with samples to listen to (yes I had so much fun that I actually managed to cut a track on the spot)... meantime, I shall get back to work and miss all the fun!

Description: Vintage Analogue Synthersizer Roland JUNO106 (1984)
Price: SGD$350 (est. value at VSE: USD$ 450)
Condition: 8/10 (cosmetics), 8/10 (working condition)
Rating: 9/10

Check out my new photo updates in Roland JUNO-106

Polyphony - 6 voices
Oscillators - DCO: pulse, saw, and square
LFO - rate and delay
Filter - non-resonant high pass and resonant low pass
VCA - ADSR, level and gate
Keyboard - 61 keys
Arpeg/Seq - None
Memory - 128 patches
Control - MIDI

Got it off Kenn Wu (who produces Artists from Project Superstar, Ch. U) He has got tonnes of gears which he wana clear... :P I got my Oberheim Matrix 1000 from him previously as well.

The one point minus off is for not having sequencer and arpeggiator... But who cares, I can always hook my synth up to it since it has midi i/o and that would still work fine :P. I fell in love with the versatility of programming and also the phatness of the sounds. Definitely going to come in useful for my future productions! Crackling pots on the main volume knob... needs cleaning. Working condition not that good. The Group, Bank and Patch buttons are not as sensitive... so I may have to check on how I can fix that or I can use a midi controller to change the banks and patches... anyway for SGD$350 it is a steal! :)

They say JUNO60 sounds phatter than JUNO106... gawd... must try! Anyway the chorus section does bring the sonic state to something more lush and spatial. However, the hiss is rather obvious in my opinion... Loving it still though!

USEFUL UPDATE: Response by Cornutt on Matrixsynth

You absolutely can use MIDI to change banks and patches. To map the bank and patch numbers to MIDI program change numbers, do this:

1. From the two digits displayed (the bank and patch numbers), subtract 1 from each.

2. Multiply the bank number by 8 and add the patch number.

3. If the patch is from bank group B, add 64.

Make sure the rear panel MIDI function switch is in position II or III, or the 106 won't respond to the program change message.

I've heard some people say the 106 sounds thin compared to the J6 and J60. My response is that people who say that haven't spent enough time working with it. I have noticed that some people tend to use the chorus as a crutch, and don't spend enough time trying to get a good basic sound before they add the chorus.

And yes, the chorus is a bit hissy, but no more so than any other analog BBD delay device. A somewhat more severe problem is that the chorus, when combined with high-resonance filter settings, can sometimes cause rather extreme and unpredictable level excursions. Keep a compressor or limiter on the output and be happy.

I bought a J106 new in 1984. I still have it and use it frequently. And although I've created hundreds of patches on it, I still don't think I've used all of its potential.

THANK YOU MR CORNUTT!!!

Description: Vintage Roland SH101 (1983)
Price: SGD$700 (Est. Value at VSE USD$475)
Condition: Near Mint 8/10
Rating: 8/10

Polyphony - Monophonic
Oscillators - 1 VCO (independent levels for saw, square/pulse/pwm and sub-oscillator)
LFO - triangle, square, random and noise waveforms
Filter - resonant, self-oscillating LPF, mod by EG, lfo and kybd tracking
VCA - ADSR, mod by EG or gate
Arpeg/Seq - Digital sequencer up to 100 steps record/playback; Arpeggiator patterns: up, down, up/down
Keyboard - 32 keys
Control - CV / Gate

For more pictures do visit my Roland SH-101 [modded] pictures HERE

Got this off someone in Singapore. Third hand. The good thing about this baby is that it really can crank warm stuffs. The frequency range of this is amazing! Of coz I got it at a steal, SGD$700 is darn cheap considering that it's near mint working conditions (some crackling pots but stable... just need cleaning)... and modded section by Analogue Solutions! Yep, extra patch bay for me haha so it's really nice. The Keytar handle also added some screaming power to the synth. I can spend hours on this baby. Already used it for recording for music in the feature film... :P I tried also hooking the Thingamagoops into the new modded section to use the filters on SH101 and pass the outs to the 3Xfx effects in... Amazing fun! Worth the $700!

Description: THINGAMAGOOPS x 02
Price: USD$220 [USD$100 ea + USD$20 shipping]
Rating: 7/10

I bought this about 2 months ago. Had no time to review it till now. So some of you might have seen me post these cute looking, blocky thingy with a flashy LED light antenna up on my blog page before. So what is this Thingamagoops? Well... It's a sonic generator (photocell) with LFO and oscillator... How does it work? Put in 9v battery, switch it on and there.. bleeping fun! It has a 1/4 inch output for serious music making as well. Not just a toy. It's nose is where the photocell is located and by either moving it around the room, where light may not be dispersing evenly, the pitch changes... Or you can manually cover it's nose... or simply turn the LED to shine at its nose! The small speaker is located at the bottom of the Thangamagoops...

What I like about it:
1) Well, it's cute... good design (you can choose the colour combination at the ordering site) and a flashy name!
2) Simple to use, countless hours of fun... move it around, turn it, shake it... shine a torch at it... twig the antennas...
3) It makes some fun and serious noise! Pulsations... tones, bleeps, bloops...etc. Place it on your work table and turn it on... switch the lights in your room on and off... etc
4) The 1/4 inch output means I can route the signal out to mixer or another filter or into the X3fx... or CV it into an analogue module/synthesizer... or pass it through some efx processors...
5) Novelty!
6) Fairly priced!
7) The flashing LED light... hypnotising @_@

What I don't like?:
1) I had to pay for it :P haha
2) It's too addictive and distracts me from work...
That's about what I dislike about it...

Basically I can see myself using it for my future shows or to cut some tracks with it... use it for some pulsing tones underneath a track or something. KUDOS to Dr Bleeps!

Here's a video Via BleepLabs site... have fun!

Description: 3Xfx Phototheremin
Price: USD$220 [USD$90 ea. + USD$40 shipping]
Rating: 7/10

I gotten this via ebay. Well not really. Coz it was listed "ship only America" or sort. But I emailed Mr Jordan and he replied and was more than happy to ship overseas.

What would I say about the product? It's simple, straight forward... and madness when you turn it on. Three things I like about it is
1) It has an efx send and return... which means you can hook it up to between each phototheremin (I bought two)... and also possible for external efx or audio input... that's fantastic!
2) It creates such large range of beautiful noise melodies, with different filtering mode and also... well a phototheremin for pitch variations of a single generation. So I could create low analogue sounding bass sounds to high ringing or even pulsing tones... truly flexible.
3) You unscrew and open up to put in 9v batteries! Well sounds really troublesome right? No... you open up and you marvel at the simplicity of the analogous circuitry while you slot in the batteries. No micro-processors (well there's no need here but maybe a good addition for a bigger project next time? Add programmability and also to store presents)... no major circuit box... just plain resistors, transistors, potentiometers, etc... Built in an old computer distributor/splitter box or sort... haha NICE!

Ok, so here's the first hand experience. I hooked one up to my AKAI MFC42 for extra analogue filtering. Linked the output of the second phototheremin to the efx return of the first one. The first PT tweaked to a pulsing high pitched ring via oscillator... which i could pitch bend the charateristic of it via the photocells and also the rate of pulse via the knobs... timbre variation via the 4 switches (actually first 2 in my case) at the side. The second PT I tuned to a low bass oscillation and used the sensors to play from a low humming to a bass riff... Had some fun with it tweaking around the two PT and MFC42...

Then I hooked my Vintage Roland SH101 into the efx return of the second PT... that is pitched to the same bass tone of the second PT. The SH101 is on an arpeggiator, playing random tones from really low sub bass to high pitched screech... used the modded patch (by Analogue Solutions) on my SH101 for extra madness of the random tones by hooking up oscillators with VCF and subs... The possibilities are just simply endless! It distracted me from work for at least a couple of hours!!! So imagine how versatile these small boxes are...

So when everything went in sequence, it was wetness... two simple PT that can do so much is really a good deal! I urge noize makers to visit 3Xfx because it's cool gadgets, sincere services, and ubber fast shipping! Not to mention it gives you "LIFETIME GAURANTEE"!!!

Visit his online STORE now:

PS: Shouldn't have sold my Roland XP-10, could have sent it to 3Xfx for circuit bending ... :(

Description: 49 Keys Midi Controller; USB bus powered
Price: SGD$480
Rating: 8/10

Well, no point me giving all the specs and all here so here's the website to go to for detailed info and specs (well, not really detailed I always feel M-Audio site's specs are not comprehensive)...

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom49-main.html

Instead I will just feedback on how it's working for me while I doodle for about 4 hours on it connected to my powerbook... Ok on first look it's like any other midi controller keyboards. Standard assignable faders x 9, 8 x rotary faders assignable as well so that gives 17... which is a good interface for a 49er... The plus is the 8 assignable touch pads which adds an important feature to Axiom becoz now you can play percussion on these pads or trigger sound samples (which I am using it for at the moment). It plays synth as well, especially good for basslines as you can achieve a much more percussive feel to it. So control versatility is a 8.5/10 I must say. You can store presets as well and a transport bar for easy play, rec function... just send the CC message to the software interface and map it. I like the big transpose buttons (down and up) which makes transposing while playing a quick deal. The Axiom is a cut above the rest of the M-Audio becoz it's built is much stronger than the other models... even the Oxygens and the Ozones are filmsy I feel. Of coz that makes Axiom heavier but after carrying my 40kg Korg around, wat's a 49er?

... so the make (casing) is stronger and sturdier... but the faders are not well build.... why? All pieces are detachable easily which means if you carry around too often it might drop off somewhere... so that's a minus. The drum pads, though a good addition, ain't the best pads made. Can't be too demanding here. Gotten the KORG padKONTROL as well (will be reviewing it once I meddle with it)... the pads are velocity sensitive plus the sensor is a square one so which means striking any where on the square pad gives you sounds... but on the Axiom it's not the case as it apparently works on a standard round sensor... so sometimes if u miss just by a bit, you get a "break" ... it's still velocity sensitive ofcoz like all new pad midi controllers... but it's just not as sensitive as the Korg one. Furthermore, I think the curve is an exponential one... i.e. from striking it light to hard, you don't really get a gradual rise in amplitude... the Korg one has assignable sensitive curves for the pad. But can't compare it like that. Just being picky. As you can see, I gave it four stars so am quite happy with it.

Now I have not loaded in the software that they provided so I can't make a comment on it yet but it's the standard Live Lite 4 which I already have. Upsetting coz if you buy online now, you actually get Live Lite 5 so the stores here are not very updated... of coz you can always go update online but I hate updating online. So I tried working with it through Plogue Bidule... yes... Love the software where it gives you an open canvas for any plug-ins or AU... so using it to control Reaktor 5 Carbon and Steampipe synth... works great. Basically, Reaktor 5 is a great software and with Axiom, which offers much control, the result is hours of tweaking and knobbing just to get high on hearing morphing synths and effects. The power of Axiom, other than on it's programmable friendly interface... is the PITCH BEND and MODULATOR... Used it to play flute on the steampipe patch and wala I can achieve realistic flute playing on it better than my KORG :( (but I still love my KORG ST88!)... Tried it with IMposcar synth, Minimosta, Crystal, Analog Factory... because of the many rotaries and faders, it works great on a soft analogue synthesizer... nice. I haven't try it with my Kyma X yet but I forsee no problem in mapping... not a guru in midi myself as I am still very much a hardware synthmonger... but well, always good to pick up along the way!

Still not a midi fan... still a synth whore :P

Fantastic high production value theatre.

Starring: Matt Grey; Peter Hodgson; Andy Tear; Daniel Jenkins
Produced by: Peter Hodgson & Alison Tompkins
Director: Claire Devine
Lighting Design: James Tan
Sound Design: Robert Devine
Stage Manager: Heryati Ramlan
Marketing: Jacqui Parsons
Graphic Design: Ai Wei & Elaine Tham
Photography: Milk Photographie

So James said I have a complimentary ticket to watch this show by Centre Stage which he LD for. I went and there were some confusion and in the end I opt to pay for a ticket so that everyone is happy. It's $46.

A show at the play den. Small black box setting which I never really favour the theatre (I love black box settings, but not play den at art house). But Centre Stage did an exceptional job here. The only Centre Stage production I've watched so far was a kid's show called The Lost Star and it was a fine production. This was the first time I watched their adult production and I must say I am not short of being impressed.

The actors were all very strong, dealing with the different characterization adequately and sometimes movingly. Particularly strong was Peter Hodgson who played Judd and Daniel Jenkins who played Ralph. The very difficult script would have died in an asian ensemble. Not because our local actors are inadequate, rather the script was crafted in such a way that many of the punch lines and jokes would have only worked coming from an englishman... witty script painting a particular night of a group of ego bouncers, a group of men on a pseudo stag party and a group of desperate women... the script falls short on addressing subplots of these multitudes of characters, sometimes even distracting. But I guess without these undeveloped or sometimes random subplots, the script would have been too bland. It just seemed that the monologues were slipped in to juice up the shallowness of the hype script and also to make the "theme" of the show philosophical. But whatever the script or the production fell short in, the promising bits made up for it.

So the show started with a bang, tight and slick tableux and scene cuts aided by the sharp sound editing and light design. Gaggy scene transitions that added extra spice to the show and the whole setting of a theatre-turn-club were all lovely. Actors jumping in and out of roles instantaneously, unconfusing and deviced beautifully by the director. Lighting design made me love the space and I did not feel the limitation of the space at all, well knowing the space myself. There were artistic moments via the light as well like the monologue before the interval, the slow transition into the narrow beam of light focused on Lucky Eric's (played by Matt Grey) face... one of my favourtite moment in light. Sound was well done, not music compositions, but using existing songs and familiar clubbing music to cut some really fun DJ-ing moments, pacing the show ever so tightly (they brought in two stacks to bring the audio image down as the art house has "floating" audio image)... The four actors gave us a ride with their energy and good comic timings. It was worth every bit of my cent.

The downside perhaps were certain artistic direction of the production. I am being picky but it was enough for me to notice. The device used for every transition kinda went bland after awhile because nothing new were offered. So by the second half, when everything went on the same way, I felt it offered no surprises. And also, some scenes and characterization were "over-acted" (but could be a good point) which I felt sacrificed the depth of the script. But it did make the show alot more fun. Rather than making the scene believable, the director chose to make it larger than life, it aided in us taking these men as women... but it does become rather superficial. The story itself could not have sustained for the 2 hours if such hype wasn't present; it would have been dull or empty. At least we left with a very strong sense of entertainment.

I would say that I liked the show. The actors alone was worth the time and money. At some point I even felt like I wasn't in Singapore, watching this heavy accent laden production. And the quality was good, production standards high, different from local production and fantastic effort.

Kudos to Centre Stage!

I would had given 2.5 stars but there's no half ratings available so here's a two star for the local mega Fei Xiang hyper hyped production of CABARET by Toy Factory Ensemble. Kudos to the scale, kudos to the effort, kudos to the team and kudos to the musicians. I wasn't very entertained by this production, neither was my mum. We both feel that it was very choppy and music was a little lacking in this "musical"... where are the much needed incidentals in all musicals? And no overture? Hmmmmm...

Act 1 was quite a drag. With 48% singing, 50% acting scenes (with no music) and 2% incidental. Everything was rather choppy and because of the lack of incidentals, music came in no where just so that the actors can sing. It didn't feel natural at all. Perhaps Saidah wasn't attuned to doing musical? Perhaps Beatrice (director) wasn't experienced enough to pull off a mega musical? I don't know but Inkpot rated it 4 stars (???)... anyway... took awhile to get use to local actors trying to put on a German slang English... but not something that mattered alot. We understand. But just it wasn't impressive.

Act 2 was slightly better with inclusion of about 3 incidentals during scenes. My mum said maybe the musicians wasn't paid enough. Haha but yar, we could literally count them so that's not a good thing for a "musical" aye? Anyway, it is much better in Act 2.

Acting was ok, Fei Xiang was good. Karen and Jenkins pulled it off and made an impression. The pianist was quite good as well. Gerald is the violinist but very much used conventionally this time round. Only one song in Act 2 has reminisces of Saidah discording style and that's the best arrangement I like. Dancers were giving their best but not tight as a team. The choreo wasn't impressive. Lights was abit too conservative (for a cabaret) and set... well, we got the point after 10minutes... the ending was a bit of a nice transition surprise but then, yah, it ended... so pity. Story wise, I didn't feel the struggles much, and everything was rather superficially carried through. But the glitsy cabaret filled production did capture the spirit of decadence quite alright... wasn't stunning, but quite alright. Some of the numbers are just too big for the singers and I felt the singing became a nuissance to the music at times. Still I am proud that Singaporeans attempted this tough production. It is not easy I must emphasize.

Good effort, but it wasn't worth the $200 I spent on the tix...

Description: lo-fi sample player
Price paid: approx. SGD$200 for two plus shipping
Rating: 7.5/10

This review is rather dated.
Novelty product by sound art duo FM3... very interesting piece of toy that does nothing but plays recorded samples. Cranky 8bit style with mini jack out for headphones or to patch into mixers. I would say it is a magical invention. Simple, stupid but it's effects rather daunting. Whether you play it on it's own through the cranky built in speaker, or you plug it in and switch between samples, the combinations of at least a pair gives you a certain haunting texture. Good for sound scaping or ambient. Meditative and at times chilling... I used it for FNDS, slipping it in under some of my sound scapes. It has been quite a phenomenon overseas... I mean look, even the great Brian Eno bought 12 of it... lol

I am having fun with it. And contacted them for their brilliance and they emailed back to say when they do come singapore we can meet up. Nice pair... :)

Description: 4 track + 1 super looper
Price: SGD$930 incl. of footswitch
Rating: 7/10

Ok, this again i feel is a pricey toy. Really, it's a toy. It looks a toy and it feels like a toy and ultimately is a toy. But let's not be fooled by how it looks but rather check out what it can do. And the best part of it is - IT'S AS EASY AS A TOY!!! I picked it up and simply... GO!

Ok first of all, it is a looper and an intelligent one. With a flash card that stores your recorded data, firewire and usb connection makes transfer of samples speedy, and editing stuffs a breeze. All these are aces... The 2880 samples smartly, over dub, punch ins, etc... makes it a live processing tool. Making live performances flexible and interesting. Metronome on board for musicians, 4 tracks to cut, can over lay tracks, can mix down, etc and continue to record in real time. Reverse button to reverse the samples, and much more. For outdoor recordings is ace... it's like a 4 track mixer recorder... for live music performances or sound art is great. Speed control available. For studio fast mix or demo recording is also great. Stable.

The main body is cool like a toy. The foot switch is build like a tank. Yes, you can perchase the footswitch to control the functions with your feet. And yes, I bought it for a reason. It is working like how i wish it to work...

One of the problems I feel that makes the toy not worth it's price is that I do wish I can control or mute each track with a button (for now I have to manually fade down the channel)... if the footswitch allows me to switch between tracks that would be even better. If I can isolate reverse to a single track that would be good too.... If the speed up and slow down faders doesn't affect pitches and to be greedy, if there are internal effects unit (even if simply reverbs and delays) it would have foot the bill.

Other than that, It fit its marketing as a powerful looper recorder... smart and intelligent. I will definitely use it for my gigs and performances...

Description: Effects/Filter box
Price: SGD$600
Rating: 7.5/10

Stomp this mini monster. Pricey due to his brand but works like magic. Presets are fantastic, BPM sensitive makes it a joy to work with. Patch it anyway you like, from rates to mix to etc... gets different results. Pedal controls makes it expressive, manual adjustments give it unlimited transformations. I am glad I added this baby to my stock as it will definitely work well in studio and in performance. Guitar, synths, whatever you wish to use it for, it brings magic to the sounds. Making it rather organic. However, I do wish it has a randomizer or something so that while during performance, when triggered it can swap from presets to presets. Otherwise, it is good to create customized effects, wah-wahs, distortion, and whole load of warpiness. I like!

Could be a bit unstable in terms of electrics but otherwise, it is a good buy for a creative tool like this. I will be using it alot for sure...

Description: Filter
Price: approx. SGD$350 (2nd hand)
Rating: 6/10

This gadget works creatively. Passing sounds through it makes a big difference. Phat, crisp, sharp, warpy... u set it, knob it, and you get it. But other than that, it offers nothing more than what it sorts to do. So there you have it. I am having fun with it but not really impressed. Perhaps it's dated. Still for the value I paid for, it was worth it. But will I be using it alot? Perhaps not. But definitely will turn to it when I am bored or need to do something to my sounds... The machine claims to be good for live performances because of it's BMP and tap in function but with that randomness and some times speaker blasting effects... it can be abit unstable in my opinion... The randomness of this machine may do me some good in the near future. Rather conservative piece of equipment with limited parameters.

Perhaps a Sherman Filterbank MKII will do me good :P

Decription: Midi/Firewire interface expression pad/fingerboard
Price: approx. SGD$10,000
Rating: 9/10

Well, naturally most people whom, after spending so much, definitely have to give something like this a good review if not it ain't worth it right? Wrong! This fingerboard is the brainchild of Lippold Haken, the genius who not only build this monster at his own basement with his bare hands, but also is one of the contributor and programmer for Kyma and Capybara. I am deeply honoured to keep in contact with him. For now and a long time to come, I would not be able to review on Kyma and Capybara because I am not worthy and not capable of. And now back to the Continuum...

I am glad I bought the full board. Basically it is a fingerboard, that many might mistake it as a keyboard. No it is not a keyboard, but rather a novel instrument on its own. Via firewire or midi interface, one can hook up to an external synthesizer, a rack unit, sound module and/or computer... pick up any sounds, assign 9 channels to it and set effects to parameters and you are on a go. Polyphonic or monophonic is up to you, but I highly recommend poly. It is an expression monster, a string instrument masqueraded as a board, or whatever you can do on it it foots the bill. Touch sensitive, vibrato sensitive, etc... I can't say enough good things about it. Setting the pitch bend to 96 makes the baby a gliding joy. If you wish to load sounds or ambient style modules, it works even better, giving it an expression control of its own. I am having fun with it and am working it into my performances in theatre. I am board number 61 according to Mr Haken so walla! I can't get enough of it.

It is made to work perfectly with Capybara and Kyma, making the expression vocabulary a solid one. Both for serious musician and sound designers. Totally a blast!!!

I am not sure what to say about it. So far i have used it for generative and interactive sound and music pieces. It is a programming software and using computer language one can programme the type of preset of instrument. Some sort like C++, so u start with an empty page and nothing else! Then using the set langauge you type out the programme to your own needs and want. It is used to do generative and addictive synthesis, and using midi one can cross platforms amongst different media. A very powerful tool that can even sync light to sound to graphics... I have just downloaded the (many many pages) tutorial. Will look into it and try to figure it out. This programme is being taught in universities...

I am going into addictive synthesis...

One word => C H E E M

A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure
2001

Lipostudio (...and so on)
L.A.S.I.K.
Spondee
Ur Tchun Tan Tse Qi
For Felix (and all the rats)
Memento Mori
California Rhinoplasty
Cymbals & Aspirin (A Breakthrough In Pain Relief) [Japanese bonus track]

The tracks are made from sampling and recording on site at plastic surgeries. The concept is very interesting and if you check out their website you will find them having performed for Bjork and performed many experimental sound art music. I am very inspired by their course. Visit http://www.brainwashed.com/matmos/discog/ole489.html for more detailed track info...

An experimental CD SPY burnt for me. I would say its a very easy listening commercial experimental piece. Fusing sound bites sampled from cosmetic surgeries with electronic orchestration. It is a really nice cd, but nonetheless not mind blowing. But still, it is very interesting and actually enjoyable with their own novelty. I like the cd alot and would definitely follow up with their works. Thank you SPY...

Windows Sounds Symphony Orchestra: The Full Remix

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/noises.php

What can i say? Innovative... it shows how we shouldn't under estimate the potential usage of normal things in our life. It was awarded for its innovative use of window sounds to orchestrate music... via recorder... :)

Have fun with this quirky one...

Genre: Electronic
Style: Breakbeat, Leftfield, Abstract, Trip Hop
Notes: The Director's Cut includes an additional hour of previously unseen footage and deleted scenes.

Standard edition 2CD in cardboard sleeve.

What can I say. Green with envy, hot and impressed. Starts with a standard fox century fanfare that breaks into a crazy trip hop faulty CD edit that skips in an unconventional fashion. It's a one track CD that lasts for an hour and it is a ride of your life! Creative use of movie sounds and fantastic transitions from piece to piece. A truly sound designed DJ cut that is definitely worth the money you put in. Breaks, hip hop, new beat and sometimes quirky oldies remix with classical twist. It is an album not to be missed. I have listened to it twice and still its refreshing and there are always new things you can pick out from the CD. The only set back is it cost $54 but hey, its a twin CD pakage so if you do the maths it's actually quite worth it for an import. I am hardly a fan for commercial stuffs but this (not really commercial tho) has earned them a fan in me.

Tracks/Samples Include:

CD 1 - Widescreen Edit, A New Hope

Intro
20th Century Fox Fanfare
Joe Budden - Focus
Def Jam Presents Hip Hop Classics (Scarface)
The Lox Featuring DMX and Lil'Kim - Money, Power, Respect
THX
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2001 - A Space Odyssey
Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathursta (Main Theme) [UNKLEsounds Edit]
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Dune
UNKLE - Blackout
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Welcome to Sarajevo
UNKLE - Lonely Soul / Massive Attack - End Titles
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A Clockwork Orange
Walter Carlos - Title Music from "A Clockwork Orange" / Massive Attack Feat. Mos Def - I Against I
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Scarface
Genuine Childs - DVD Menu Score
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Interlude
Unknown Clip 1
Unknown Clip 2
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Kill Bill
Kill Bill Vol.1 Opening Credits (Intro to Shaw Bros Studios)
DJ Shadow - GDMFSOB (UNKLE uncensored feat. Roots Manuva) / Tomoyasu Hotei - Battle Without Honour or Humanity
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Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet Vol. 2 - The Montague Boys Feat. Justin Warfield
Romeo and Juliet Vol. 2 - O Verona
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Eyes Wide Shut
Chris Isaak - Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing [UNKLEsounds Edit]
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The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle
Sid Vicious - My Way
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Blade Runner
Vangelis - Blush Response
UNKLE - Safe In Mind / Dillinja - Angels Fell
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THX 1138
UNKLE - I Need Something Stronger
--------------------------
Outro
Peter Pan - The Second Star To The Right

CD 2 - Bonus Material Edit, Strikes Back

Intro
MGM Lion
Sample - "Every Soul Has Its Path..." (Lost In Translation)
UNKLE - Eye For An Eye (String Section)
Sample - "Listen, You're in a privileged..." (Training Day)
Sample - "If They Catch You In A Lie" (The Insider)
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Sexy Beast
UNKLE and South - Cocaine and Camcorders (UNKLE Variation)
Sample - "It's Time To Wake Up And Get A Life..." (Paycheck)
UNKLE and South - Paranoid (UNKLE Variation)
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Irreversible
Thomas Bangalter - Night Beats
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Thin Red Line
UNKLE - Have You Passed Through This Night ?
--------------------------
Assault On Precinct 13
Dylan Rhymes - The Way / Assault On Precinct 13 - Radio Spot
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Solaris
Cliff Martinez - Is That What Everybody Else Wants / Meat Katie - Next Life
--------------------------
Kill Bill
Uma Thurman - A Few Words From The Bride
Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang / Unknown Artist - Unknown Track
--------------------------
Heat
Sample - "After 20 Years You Analyse A Lot..." (Alive)
Moby - God Moving Over Water / UNKLE - In A State
--------------------------
Almost Famous
Elton John - Tiny Dancer (UNKLEsounds Edit)
--------------------------
Outro
Sample - "Eating, Drinking, Fucking, Sucking..." (Scarface)

I finally finished reading this book on music and philosophy. What is good about this book is that it covers many things that are soft rather than hard, philosophy rather than science of music. The extensive indepth resources of philosophers and their take on music is definitely a plus. A study of contemp music and classical and the definition of music in different eras. Storr has picked several philosophers and studied their influences on music and how music has influenced their philosophy. How art exist in parallel to science and how neurologically music and sound are tied to our body and mind. I gained alot from this book and definitely urge all musicians or sound artist to read this book as it is not only enlightening but also sets you into thinking about how music and sound has played a social-psychological role in modern history.

After reading, it left me craving for more...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345383184/qid=1141984833/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-2528362-0347868?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Welcome to the world of Bidule...

A place only inhibited by your own imaginations and brings you beyond to a place you haven't really been to or thought it possibly exist. Yes, now you access your mind easily, and even explore ideas you never thought possible with PLOGUE BIDULE... Another of my favourite sound design software...

Anything goes here, linking from sounds to efx processors to any other plug-ins... midi, wav, aiff, granulated or filtered or stretched or crushed... it's like u literally treats the sound file like a liquid dough... Even still, it is an understatement... The interface is pretty straight forward. Linking and patching things up is a giffy, a matter of just drawing lines between the boxes. Warping and morphing allows live interface and a simple mixer to go with makes producing sounds an efficient process. Midi controllers can be used either using an external patch via USB of FIREWIRE of simply had a midi software running... It's a software a sound designer or musician can be really thankful for...