RJD2’s Customized Spinning Wireless MPC Remote!
March 5, 2010
Just a quick post today. I stumbeld across this video and thought that I’d have to get it on the blog, as it appears that influencial producer RJD2 has created the world’s first ever spinning wireless MPC remote! In the video we see RJD2 showing his tour set-up and he then explains how he disassembled a MIDI controller and used a wireless MIDI transmitter connected to the MPC to hack together a wirelessly controlled version. So The controller consists of a Korg padKontrol, wireless battery powered MIDI transmitter, 9 volt batttery soldered to a power connector, gorilla glue, and more. There is also a spinning platter and waist harness!
Check out the video below to see how it all works:
MIDI Fighter Mapping For Traktor Pro
February 9, 2010
You may be already know of the MIDI Fighter created by those clever boys over at DJ Tech Tools, but I thought I’d write a quick post to coincide with their release of a video explaining the controller’s mapping with Traktor Pro.
The MIDI Fighter is a DIY MIDI controller that can be built by anyone regardless of their electronics experience. The controller is fully customizable to your taste with custom paint jobs and unique arcade button arrangements, its an extremely fun bit of kit which enables you to control any parameters you wish and fits perfectly alongside your digital DJ set-up.
The video below demonstrates how the controller can be used with Traktor to toggle cue points and effects in an extremely easy to use way, its portable and pretty good value for money. Needless to say the video is an impressive display of what the MIDI Fighter is capable of, so if you get your hands one you can be assured of non-stop customizable fun!
Krafty Kuts DJ Tools iPhone App
January 26, 2010
There has been a notable amount of apps developed for the iPhone with music production and DJs in mind, however it seems that few of these have lived up to a standard in which they can be used professionally, with many of the apps being used as simple gimmicky tools which are fun for a few minutes.
But now Breakbeat pioneer DJ Krafty Kuts has stepped up to the plate with a DJ friendly offering designed to be useful for all DJs of any genre. As the video below demonstrates the app is an MPC-styled sampler which allows DJs to drop audio samples over the top of their sets at the touch of a finger! The ‘Against The Grain DJ Tools’ app came about due to the overwhelming lack of suitable apps which can be used in a professional DJ booth.
Here’s what Krafty had to say about it: “We had seen a number of great music based apps which were fun to play with for a few minutes whilst at home or travelling, but none that I would consider using in a club environment. So creating a sampler style app for DJs of any genre, which could be used professionally, was a very exciting concept.”
“The iPhone is such a discrete device, it’s perfect. And of course a sampler or a laptop will cost you hundreds, yet this app is available for less than the price of a beer. The £2.99 app comes pre-loaded with hip hop-styled samples and classic rave noises that can be dropped over a set, like during a breakdown or a drop.”
“We created a number of rises, whoosh noises and classic sirens in the studio along with some really useful MC shout outs like ‘make some noise in here!’, and they really do work.”
And surprisingly, there is zero delay when dropping a sample off the iPhone. “There is zero latency which is very impressive,” said Krafty. “It was something the programmers worked hard on to achieve, and the result is something like mixing – it’s down to the DJ to be sharp and on beat.”
With a 2.0 update planned for later this year, which will include more samples, a favourites folder, and a load facility allowing DJs to directly upload their own samples, it’s an app well worth checking out.
Digital Guitar MIDI Controller
January 19, 2010
With all the NAMM hype around at the moment, I thought I’d write a post on a pretty cool design which didn’t reach the event. The Misa Digital Guitar has a touchpad which features digital filter, note velocity and pitch, needless to say that there are clearly a lot of sonic possibilities, and on first impressions it does seem to be slightly reminiscent of a Kaos Pad which controls a guitar. I reckon it’s probably not going to be the cheapest bit of kit, but it definitely looks like it could be a lot of fun to mess about on. Despite the fact that the digital guitar is more than likely to cause a lot of controversy among guitar enthusiast, the small Australian company Misa have created a piece of kit that will have music technology enthusiast, such as ourselves, very interested!
Grandmaster Flash…The King Of Scratch!
December 21, 2009
I just stumbled across this video of Grandmaster Flash performing on the British music TV show ‘Later With Jools Holland’. When I found this I instantly felt the need to post it and to share it with the world!
If you don’t know about Grandmaster Flash, then you should be ashamed! Not really but you should definitely go and check out every video of him that you can possibly find. He is one of the true Godfathers of Hip-Hop and has been DJing since the 70’s, he invented numerous early DJ techniques, including; the double-back, the back-door and phasing. Grandmaster flash is a true pioneer of music and can undoubtably be said to have had a huge contribution to the birth of scratching, to Hip-Hop culture and to the use of the turntable as a form of musical instrument. We should all be a little thankful as without this legend we probably wouldn’t be DJing as we are today.
Long since the days of his Hip-Hop super-group ‘Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’, this video showcases the fact that he has still got a vast amount of skill and has not lost even the smallest bit of technical ability. Check out the master at work below and appreciate the history behind this performance!
Techno Jeep
December 18, 2009
I stumbled across this video of a bunch of musicians who have have clearly become disillusioned with the tedium of regular instruments like drums and synthesisers. Oh no no, not for this lot… they get their thrills from creating banging techno entirely from sounds made with a Jeep, all impressively recorded in real time.
They’ve used sounds such as the door locks flicking, windows winding down and the engine revving arranged nicely together into a 2 minute beat. It apparently took them7hrs to get a take that they were happy with so fair play to their perseverance! Although the way they all randomly peg it at the end does ruin their street cred a bit for me… Does it not remind you of Napoleon Dynamite’s impulsive gangly dashes off from awkward situations? (those who have seen the film should know what I mean!). Great film, hilarious character but I wouldn’t particularly want to be associated with any of his characteristics!
Moby’s Amazing Collection of Drum Machines and Synths
December 14, 2009
Well Moby may not be an artist that is to everyone’s taste and perhaps not even to that of us here at Point Blank. However, that doesn’t mean that you will be able to stop yourself becoming incredibly jealous when you check out this video. The short interview showcases the enormous range of vintage analog synths and drum machines, most of which have been long forgotten and left to the back pages in electronic music history. His collection features a whole host of custom homemade rare drum machines that we all crave for and he’s even got doubles and triples of certain models!
There’s not really much more to say about this amazing mini-documentary…other than that you should be prepared to want to leave your digital set-up and get all analog!
For some reason WordPress won’t allow me to embed the video, so unfortunately in order to view it you’ll need to click here for vbs.tv
Novation Launchpad MIDI Controller
December 1, 2009
Jointly designed by Ableton and Novation, Launchpad places Ableton Live at your fingertips. Whether you’re a DJ, performing musician or studio producer, Launchpad gives you all you need to truly ‘play’ Live.
With a multi-colour 64-button grid and dedicated scene launch buttons, Launchpad is purpose-built for triggering and manipulating clips in Live, it also offers a totally new way of controlling Ableton Live’s mixer. Launchpad’s buttons can be used to sketch out beats with drum racks, and they can be assigned to other functions in Live using Ableton’s ‘Learn’ mode.
The Launchpad is primarily designed with Ableton in mind, however it can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of other music software through the use of Novation’s ‘Automap’ control software.
There are a few different videos of this piece of kit floating around, but we found this beautiful demonstration from the clever people over at Little-Scale as a firm favourite. The video shows a simple ripple-based sequencer made for the Launchpad that makes brilliant use of the coloured pads and the platform itself.
Tim Exile Performace Masterpiece
November 23, 2009
I just stumbled across this video and felt that I had to post it! Warp Record’s Tim Exile performs ‘YouTube Killed the Now Wave Star’ and not only showcases the blurred line of distinction that some still find between electronic music and live performance, but in fact he appears to obliterate it completely giving an amazing live performance with all sounds created in Reaktor software.
Tim writes songs or tracks on his instrument as performances where every single sound is performed, not just played back, like songwriters write songs on a guitar. The performance, the vibe, the action, comes first… the recording comes later. Utilising his self-created Reaktor set-up, he continually manages to create, twist and tweak unrepeatable sets, all shot through with his wry sense of humor.
“I’ve always been into the idea of playing electronics like you play acoustic instruments. I used to sit at the back of class at school tapping out jungle breaks and edits. That’s when I fell in love with my fingers. I want to be able to touch sounds with them. Not just read adverts about touching sounds with them. I want to go on sound adventures by finger alone. Just a pair of handpants in my palmsack.”
There’s not really too much to say about this video other than that you should sit, back, enjoy and prepare to be blown away!
Eastenders E20 Remix Competition!!
November 18, 2009
E20 is to be the first ever spin-off from the country’s favourite and longest-running soap. The new show will be broadcast exclusively online and will show life in Ablert Square through the eyes of four teenagers at sixth form, it will involve new story lines and characters while intertwining with some of the soap’s old favourites. E20 has been commissioned as a means of showcasing and developing some of Britain’s up and coming young talent, with all of the cast and writers being newcomers to broadcasting.
However, the main reason for this post is the fact that in order to promote the new show, the BBC have launched a competition in which you can remix that iconic theme tune from the original soap! The winning remix will feature as the new E20 soap’s theme tune to be played with the title sequence of every episode, the winner will also be invited to visit the Eastender’s BBC HQ to work for a day with the soap’s music producer. Regular Fabric DJ Toddla T has even done a little remix as an example of the production work you can get going on, although we reckon there are bound to be some better ones out there!
You can enter the competition via this link
We’ve already downloaded the sample pack so we can have a mess about with the infamous ‘doof doof’ drum roll!
