Our Next Event!
27May – details coming.
The Colorado Electronic Music Tidal Wave Continues to Swell
by Marc on Jan.26, 2011, under News, Releases, Sounds
I am amazed at how our area is spinning more and more good electronic music. Case in point is the (currently free) release from Alex B via Paper Diammond “Levitate”. Download the *.zip from Pretty Lights Music here.
Ben Samples has not been asleep at the wheel either – here’s some new remixes available. Your teaser from Mochipet (who was just in town)
Some other local music, hot – hot – hot:
Some stuff from c.db.sn – his production skills are so cool. Looking forward to a presentation from him soon!
Some ventures are all about bass. The Whomp Truck is a cult of bass, this is from their stream.
Bobby C Sound TV is all about fun music. At least for me, do you agree?
The Digital Connection comes via Ricky Shine – ambient, some what blipt, and decibel heavy on the bass
Keep supporting local music! Denver is growing like mad and these are but a few of the artists.
Tom Cosm kicks it off for the n00bs
by Marc on Jan.07, 2011, under Locally, News, Releases
Just bumped into this rather looong article comparing versions of Ableton by Tom Cosm. This is the first time I have seen anythign so comprehensive on the versions. Good job Tom! (reminder – we are hoping to see this crew in Denver later in 2011).
This is another great contribution from Tom – A Guide for Party People – I read this a while ago and keep meaning to post it. Look it over if you are going to NZ.
That is some serious newness – Remix the Sounds of the Large Hadron Collider. Reminder people – remix competitions are the best place to get fresh material to liven up a mix!
Showmanship in the Controller Age – hmm…great discussion.
Barley of note, but thx for the run down. Tablet Rundown via Peter Kirn
Warning : Soundcloud ramping up copyright protection. Is this the end of DJ sets?
And finally some free local music – hey I know these guys!
Some Ableton Group Members
Rapid Fire Monday Ableton Colorado
by Marc on Mar.08, 2010, under Locally, Releases
To use the parlance of our current time:
OMG OMG OMG Cache Flowe haz teh ROXXOR!
Yeah, what is the world coming to huh?
In other words – Cache Flowe dropping some mad skills for an A/V set! Do come!
Got your history in order? How about this article outlining the past 120 years of electronic music.
Linux side note – Launchpad getting ported to, you guessed it – LINUX! Here is the article. Relevancy? We got it. Her you go:
- One day Ableton will run on Linux! (probably not)
- The algorithms are getting more widespread and the “uniqueness” of Ableton is diminishing. This means open source software will start getting projects dialing in these ideas
- Ableton is not the ONLY program.
- Linux is Cool
I could go on, but I would be geeking out too hard.
FREE STUFF – some live packs on Groove Packs site – click here for a zip file. Get it while the link works!
Mid/Side processing – check out this new unit via Gear Junkies.
How about a good debate on 16 vs 24 bit? Thx to Joe for keeping the thread hot.
The Boulder Laptop Orchestra is performing up in Boulder 13March2010. I am getting more details on this…
More soon!
From Sound came Light – Cache Flowe joins Ableton Colorado
by Marc on Mar.05, 2010, under Locally, News, Releases
As promised! Cache Flowe will be joining us for an evening of Live visual processing. This is going to be an amazing evening for all!
Those of you interested in adding a visual element should check out Processing.org, the source for much of the scripting and framework Cache Flowe uses in his live sets. Beyond visual Cache Flowe will be performing music and explaining his set up and approach to a full Live A/V set. A few key topics:
- Real time MIDI & audio
- Rendering music videos
- Use of the Eclipse IDE
- ChucK (audio programming language for real-time synthesis) and vocal processing
When : March 14, 2010 7pm
Where : The Walnut Room located at 3131 Walnut Street in Denver.
How Much? Not a single penny – FREE! Just the way we like it!!!
Cache FLowe Bio : Mashing up idm, hip hop, funk, drum and bass, trip hop, experimental, jazz, techno, and dubstep, CacheFlowe creates genre-skewing electronic music that has received acclaim from local and international press. Producing with a computer since 1996, he’s honed an original style that’s defined by stuttery, complex breakbeats, deep analog basslines, techno-flavored synths, organic instrumentation and contorted samples. Working on the same Ableton Live set since early 2004, CacheFlowe’s live show is a fast-paced smorgasbord of chopped breakbeats and analog synths on 8 channels of audio. He bobs and weaves through an array of electronic genres and tempos, using nothing but sounds and loops from his own productions. Appearing on official record label releases alongside the likes of Twine, Ladytron, Daedelus, Ulrich Schnauss, Starkey, Machinedrum, ISAN, Submerged, Fog, and sharing the stage with Amon Tobin, edIT, Machinedrum, Dizzee Rascal, Mochipet, Jeff Parker (Tortoise), DJ Olive (MMW, Sonic Youth), Nels Cline (Wilco), and countless local talents, CacheFlowe continues to freak the beat in new and exciting ways.
You can find Cache Flowe at CD Baby, Discogs, MySpace, and via Plastic Sound Supply on YouTube and of course his main site.
Some video for your viewing pleasure!
Media and Press information is located here.
Just say no to forest fires.
Do not fear the button!
by Admin on Feb.16, 2010, under News, Releases
The controllerism show is on the horizon! RSVP Now! FaceBook
I missed some emails this weekend as POP email crashed for my provider (I aggregate). So if there was something crazy interesting/important/similar – resend! I will be going backwards through emails.
On other news – we are having fun! I will be releasing a review** of the NIIO Analog Iotine Core in the next week. We teamed up with Chase to get some instructional videos on the unit. We are currently editing.
We got some good tape from Darwin on Max, I am open to ideas on how to get them online. YouTube limits are 10 minutes. The 10+ minute videos are a special feature I just don’t see how to get! Vimeo? Hosting on my server will probably get me some heat (because the bots will trigger mass bandwidth, plus there is not sharing/embed).
I have been spending time with Final Cut and Celemony DNA. Nothing too impressive to talk about in Final Cut, just another software package. But DNA is SICK!
Don’t forget Cache Flowe in March!
As for the summer – thoughts (feed back very welcome!). Our summers in Denver/Colorado/Boulder are some of the best anywhere in the world. I am looking to scale back the meet-ups after April (through the summer) so we can enjoy our evenings. Hell, even I want to ride around town with my wife on our cruisers. Instead of larger formal meet-ups I would like to invest in smaller gatherings all over and include our community in festivals (supporting) and do various levels of out-reach before shows and to similar groups.8
**On the topic of review – the term “review” is not totally correct. As there are a few companies looking to work with Ableton Colorado already, another round of “cleaning the air” is called for…
Our goal is to extend the use, functionality, and overall exposure of gear that is not on the radar (cough***Guitar Center***). There is a certain “departure” from journalistic integrity (if that is still a thing anymore). Our goal is to build community and knowledge in an academic manner with users (producers) and producers (of gear in this instance). The policy is simple:
If it is crap, send it back
Don, in the context of this “review” has a “filter” that is so freaking cool we need to help get the word out (I am using some bass sounds I generated in my standard set). So great.
Helpers wanted!
That is it, more soon.
–M
January 1 – Hangover Edition
by Marc on Jan.01, 2010, under Locally, Releases
I hope everyone had a good New Year. I am still battling a sinus infection (or alien experimentation gone wrong).
We are still excited to have Darwin speaking at the next meet up. This will be your #1 opportunity to get you Max for Live off to a sloid kick. The details for that evening start here.
Two days Extended to Jan 10 – get DEEP discounts from Nick’s tutorials. Go here to get the whole scoop: http://nickstutorials.com/archives/585
Our studio at Colorado Music Lab is moving along. Yesterday I invested a nearly complete 8 more hours doing wiring and minor details. We hung a ton of pictures as well. The place is looking good! Photos and video coming soon! Open house 23Jan2010!
The MIDI Fighter has arrived! I am working on a review right now. It is pretty awesome!
Mark over at Modulate This! has a great year in review, check it out! He is not only a great guy, but super knowledgeable. We are lucky to have people like him in our Colorado region!Mark has alos done a good job at wrapping up some recent debate on sound quality.
Ableton 8.1 was recently release (we tweeted). Here is a point of entry at Synthopia. Also, as fo 28Dev2009 Live 8 development Halted due to bugs, read more on the forum.
Event : Basslab presents Siren
Livid Block Ne – inrto:
livid block NE Intro from Livid Instruments on Vimeo.
Richard Devine’s GrainCube Reaktor Ensemble via Synthtopia: (when did music production turn into a video game screen from the 1980′s?)
Sharpen your Launchpad Skills:
Video Shuffler / Max for Live Device Demo:
Hell Yeah – Jeep Techo!:
Quick Demo of Video Shuffler – my MaxforLive Device from digital funfair on Vimeo.
Of Note:
Free Patch Library For Harmless Synthesizer from Modulate This
Free Reason ReFill – Monologue
(via Synthopia) All Xoxos Plugins Now Freeware!
Some Monday Nuggets
by Marc on Dec.22, 2009, under Releases
I found this, some how. Video game sounds: http://www.superflashbros.net/as3sfxr/?gaming. Such good stuff, someone needs to make a sample pack! Plus, the interface allows for great control! Good work, who ever you are!
Via Oliver:
Here’s a link to the Ableton Page. And a support forum.
Reminder – free live packs on the Ableton Site, go here!
Free loop and sample pack from KJ Sawka’s “Mad Beatz”.
Did you know there was a Steinberg Museum? The site is pretty good, Flash, looks like Paper Vision. Regardless of any behind the scenes geekery, the site is an interesting presentation.
So should we totally saturate this site with Ableton mixes?
I have already received one naked chick x-mas jpg. I think most guys get them. I will not post it, but I will provide a link to Frosty the inappropriate Snowman“. (Yeah, that is Neil Patrick Harris samples).
Begin shameless meet-up promotion: Darwin from Cycling 74 will be dropping mad science via Max for Live.
Toys anyone? No, really, this is serious.
by Marc on Dec.17, 2009, under News, Releases
No post should escape the reminder the Darwin Grosse from Cycling ’74 (the company producing Max, Max for Live, etc) is speaking at our next meet up!
Now for some business!
Via Ableton Freaks Twitter posted this site- http://www.maxforlive.com/. Good stuff.
Also targeting Max for Live is Novation’s STEPSEQ (via Synthtopia). The quote:
Conceived as a cool but powerful sequencer to enable Launchpad users to program melodies, leads and basslines quickly in Live, the buttons are configured diatonically (as opposed to chromatically, as with a traditional step sequencer). The degree of the scale and its tonal centre can be set by the user, meaning that, once set up, any note you trigger in your sequence will fit in harmonically with your track, making it really easy to keep within the context of the song.
This is a free download from Novation. The following video is ~9min
Here is something fun from Think Geek:
This is only one of many variants on the LED / programmable interface. There are also a grip of “Macro Controllers” (like the Nostromo Series that I re-program for editing). I would love to talk about the usefulness of something this type of programmable controller.
Here is one example, from my mixing. I have been mapping a standard USB num-pad to may basic transport functions in Cubase for about 5 years. The buttons are always the exact same. I even have a little cheat sheet on the whole thing. The time I save editing via this interface is amazing.
Now I certainly miss the days of a fine console and nice big fat buttons, but I am faster now. Plus, I enjoy distributing my money on smaller quality mixers and other items.
Now, I still very desperately want a Solid State Logic X-Desk very bad. But the nearly $3000US street price makes this a lower priority.
Also if interest – Ableton is spreading. So happy to see this happening. TC Electronics is the latest to jump on the free distro with gear purchase. The brand new Impact Twin is a new break-out box. It looks like an extension on the Konnekt series (my current break-out box for Ableton). So far I am real happy with all my TC gear. The free Ableton version is “Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition”. I suspect it is like the Launchpad version.
Some free plugins anyone? There are a few listed on the Psychic Modulation Plugin Page. Let me know any about any success with these.
Next up – Monome + Max for Live, hell, why write when there is video?
maxforlive: monome integration from stretta on Vimeo.
How about a digital (ly modified) didgeridoo?
Cool, but I wonder if he is getting the same latency issues I had when using Blue-Tooth for audio applications?
Pure Magnetik announces Fuel for Max. The details are coming through slowly, keep your eye on this!
Finally – 10 cool audio gifts for under $100 at Synthtopia.
Meet Up #2 – Supporting information
by Marc on Nov.22, 2009, under News, Releases
This should be seeing some updates, but I already have one important link for the Novation Launchpad – a PDF matrix of the launchpad to help when you are assigning MIDI. This is part of my presentation for the Launchpad.
http://abltn.com/press-kit/2009-11-meetup/LPMatrix_sheet.pdf
I put this together real fast because I was loosing track of what I was doing on the launch pad.
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Ableton Denver / Colorado User group. Please be sure and join the meet up sites: This one is for free meet ups and similar events http://www.meetup.com/ableton-denver and http://www.meetup.com/Creative-Electronic-Music-Colorado/ is for less Ableton events as well as unique non-free events. If you have something for our calendar please contact us!
One more thing, officially, we are an Ableton User Group and in *NO WAY* affiliated with Ableton or any other company. This group is funded by the members, the community, and Marc's cash.
Hey - do **YOU*** want to start a kick ass meet up or electronic music user group in your area? We can help. Ideas, the truth, resources, and what we have learned since we started this thing way back in 2008-ish (has it been that long?). Feel free to contact us.
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