ONE-SHOTS
Nov 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Dave Hill Jr.
FIVE12 NUMEROLOGY 1.2
MIDI SEQUENCER
The study of numbers and their correlations has never had as much musical ramification as with Five12's new MIDI performance sequencer for OS X, Numerology 1.2. The premise here is to inspire live MIDI sequencing by combining a colorful batch of oddly limited, analog-style MIDI modules set up to trigger Audio Units synths, samplers or external sound sources. For instance, you can combine several specific Pitch, Gate, Note or Continuous Control MIDI-sequencer modules into a single Group (think track); create multiple parts called Presets; and then recombine patterns at will. You can also add Audio Units signal processing or take advantage of Numerology's Dual LFO and MIDI Pitch Bend modules. In testing, Numerology worked well with Native Instruments Reaktor 4.0 (see review on p. 72) and any external sound source that I hooked up. At the moment, Numerology lacks ReWire, but with good old-fashioned MIDI Clock, it is still possible to sync to Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live or other clock-talking host. In general, Numerology is an inspiring new take on a 20-year-old idea — even if you can get lost in its numbers once in awhile.
Product Summary
FIVE12
NUMEROLOGY 1.2 > $70
At a glance: Live MIDI-sequencing application.
Contact: tel. (505) 453-6783; e-mail info@five12.com; Web www.five12.com
CYCLING '74 RADIAL 1.0
LOOP-BASED PERFORMANCE SOFTWARE
Although musicians frequently strive to innovate when creating their music, recently, one musician has taken this approach to his software. Meet Jhno (pronounced Juno), a San Francisco-based electronica generator and the mind behind the new loop-based live-performance application Radial. Interestingly enough, Radial actually looks like it sounds. Drag any AIFF-, WAV- or MP3-format loop into one of Radial's circular “decks,” and they will appear to spin clockwise with a mild virtual-vinyl simulation. Each deck then acts as a separate channel that can be routed to two separate outputs or two aux sends for VST-effect manipulation. From within each spinning deck, you can trigger all or part of the loop; reset the loop's starting point; and tweak each loop's panning, volume and effects-send controls.
Beneath each channel, you will find two handy and concealable x-y tools: one for pitch and time manipulation and one for adding lowpass, highpass or notch-style frequency filtering. Radial can also recall previously loaded loops (on the same channel/deck), so you can continually build up your loop queue as your performance progresses, go back to a loop used earlier in the set or remix previous elements as you like. A separate Channel Inspector module enables you to change a loop's direction, transpose a loop's pitch or use the Dice tool to randomize your loops sequence within itself — too much fun! Although Radial's interface may take some getting used to, the lack of a true left-to-right arranger, as well as an 8-channel limit, may actually keep the focus where it should be: on the music coming out of the mains.
Product Summary
CYCLING '74
RADIAL 1.0 > $249 (BOX); $239 (DOWNLOAD)
At a glance: Loop-based performance software for Mac OS 9 (OS X in the works).
Contact: tel. (415) 974-1818; e-mail info@cycling74.com; Web www.cycling74.com
E-LAB SMOKERS DELIGHT
SAMPLE CD
Before you step outside to light up, pause to contemplate just how Sweden got so funky. For years now, e-Lab's seminal series of sample CDs — Vinylistics, Strictly and Da Nu — has remained fresh and full of inspiration in a world flush with cool sample makers. Continuing the legacy, Smokers Delight (one audio CD and two CD-ROMs), is packed with more than a gigabyte of smooth horn riffs, slinky wah guitars, spacey-sounding vintage keyboard and piano recordings and myriad head-nod drum grooves. All of Smokers' loops fall in the 80 to 100 bpm range and are provided in both REX2 and Acidized WAV file formats. (E-Lab calls this REXTC.)
Although inspiration for the tracks may be a little brown and fuzzy, I found loop groups like Seedzz, Doobee and Mudboy to be particularly well-stoked. E-Lab dubs this collection Turntable Jazz & Loungin HipHop 'Nstrumentalz. As vague as that sounds, it does work. Along with the heaps of fat and funky beats, there are also thick batches of soulful MPC- and turntable-manipulated sounds. If you enjoy sexy vinyl crackles, trailing horn decays and other sonic dabbles dunked in MPC filtering and effects, you have a ton of material to work with here. It's no wonder that Propellerhead and Steinberg pack their factory libraries with a fat bowl of e-lab material.
Product Summary
E-LAB
SMOKERS DELIGHT > $99
At a glance: WAV and REX2 sample library.
Contact: tel. 46-411-521-202; e-mail info@e-lab.se; Web www.e-lab.se
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
