I-nudge

Another online sequencer. This one, however, allows you to share your creations on a variety of social networks (i.e.: facebook).

Isn't this "I-stuff" gone to far? back in the nineties everything was "e-" something. E-mail. E-shoppping. E-gaming. E-connect.

I predict that by 2010 the letter "O" will be fashionable. O-mail. O-game. O-rigami. O-rgasm.

I will be rich when I get the rights to the letter O.

Anyways, the O-nline sequencer I-Nudge is rather good. Try it. Right here. In Musicobject.

We'll be back after a few words from our sponsor - the letter O.

Retro Love: Korg Wavestation

Just listen to this beautiful demo.



Perhaps it's not the most beautiful synth out there. The black case with nothing but buttons screams "1990" and "DIGITAL" like MC Hammer's baggie pants. Don't look at the specs: 4 Mb of sample ROM would make anyone laugh these days. Forget about internal sequencing: it doesn't have a sequencer. But if you look closely there's also a joystick up there, to the left. This joystick introduced you to the world of Vector Synthesis, which allowed you to mutate your sounds amongst 255 different waveforms.



In order to make it more awesome, Korg hired Dave Smith to design this synthesizer, and Jan Hammer used it for a couple of tunes. The fact that they couldn't get Chuck Norris at the moment avoided this synth from becoming the most awesome synth ever.

Now, the good thing is that you don't have to chase these around ebay. Korg has made it into an emulation that is included in their Korg Legacy package.

Korg Microsampler

Does the world need another sampler ?

Oh yes. I've come to realize that i don't sample too much due to the major pain in the arse that it means to make a hardware sampler work. Of course that there's the option of software, but i don't want to go into the hardware versus software issue.

Do we need another hardware sampler ? Oh, yes. There's a drought of keyboard based samplers these days. Most samplers are ugly boxes with a single audition key to play them. That's so uninspiring.

There was a horrible demo of this beautiful machine a couple of weeks ago, where the hype team wasn't unable to demonstrate anything beyond the fact that they were terrible beatboxers. Anyways, here's a better official demo that highlights some of the strong points in this machine.



Some people might say that the design is ugly ("washing machine aesthetic") but i like the fact that it could happily replace my long lost Casio SK-5.



Probably it doesn't add too much if you own an ESX-1 and a keyboard - except polyphonic sounds!

World'smallest amp

Ok, it's a gimmick, and you won't play a gig with it, but if you want to carry an amp as a keychain, this is it. The coool thing is that it actually works.

More useful yet is the amPlug Vox Mini Guitar Amp, which sounds exactly like the real thing. You just plug it into your guitar, connect your headphones, and there you go - instant rock sound.


Links via ThinkGeek.

Dave Smith Instruments TETR4

Videos > Images > Words...








Oh, in this one skip to 4:00...





I'm saving my pesos.

Audiocubes

These cool little glowing gadgets from Percussa can be used as an innovative control system, generating MIDI data for VSTs or hardware - controlling any facet of your music. Not only that, they also act as sound generators, making their own lo-fi noise.

Percussa AudioCubes - An Introduction from percussa on Vimeo.

More videos here.

Visit Audiocubes home here.

Free portable music studio

Imagine a world where all the power of a full recording studio could fit on a datastick. Imagine a time when you could work on a track at work, at school or on a friend's PC.

Now stop imagining, it's bad for you and you'll go blind.

It's already here.

futures_untold, over at the Dubstep Production Forum, has compiled the Portable Music Studio. He says:
The software contained within the Free Portable Music Studio can function in limited environments where users do not have administrator privilages. Examples of such environments include work or school computers, library networks and internet cafe facilities.

The pack is self contained and remains on your USB pendrive at all times, there is no need to install anything. The entire pack comes to just 66Mb unzipped, so it really is portable using a USB pendrive...!

The pack contains:

DAW
-Reaper (Supports VST plugins, audio recording and midi sequencing!) - Free to use for 30 days

Audio Editor
-Audacity (Can export Wav & MP3)


:Creative Tools:

-EQ-
>Cockos ReaEQ (Parametric EQ)


-Filter-
>Atlantis Filter (LP/HP/BP/BR/Comb/Vowel/Distortion/multifx) (Updated skin in v3!)

>Ohm Force Fromage (Multiband Resonant Filter)

>Ohm Force Ohmygod (Comb Filter)


-Delay-
>Kjaerhus Audio Classic Delay


-Reverb-
>KarmaFX Reverb (Can also be used as a delay)


-Chorus-
>Kjaerhus Audio Classic Chorus


-Flanger-
>Kjaerhus Audio Classic Flanger


-Phaser-
>Melda Production MPhaser (New to v3!)


-Distortion-
>Atomsplitter Audio Distroyr

>Mb-Plugins Mb Crushy

>Eric Beam MBD-1 Multiband Distortion

>Melda Production MWaveshaper (New to v3!)


-LoFi-
>CMT Bitcrusher


-Ring Modulator-
>Melda Production MRing Modulator (New to v3!)


-Compressor-
>Digitalfishphones Blockfish (Character compressor)

>GComp

>GMulti (Multiband compressor)


-De-esser-
>Digitalfishphones Spitfish


-Expander/Gate-
>Digitalfishphones Floorfish


-Limiter/Maximizer-
>Tbt TLs Maximizer (Mastering Limiter & Maximizer)


-Transient Modeller-
>Digitalfishphones Dominion Signal Modeller


-Frequency Analyser-
>Blue Cat Audio FreqAnalyst

>GVST GTune (Tells you what pitch your audio is playing at)


-Spatial Imagers
>OtiumFX Basslane (monoizes bass below your chosen cut-off frequency)

>Clone Ensemble Steroid Bouncer (Phaze inversion, panning and monoization)


-Pitchshifter-
>ReaPitch


-Trancegate / Glitch Effects-
>Dblue Glitch


-Vocoder-
>TAL-Vocoder

================
:Synth & Samplers:
================

-Synth-
>TAL-Elek7ro (New to v3!)

>Fuzzpilz Oatmeal (New to v3!)


-Sampler-
>Vember Audio Short Circuit (New to v3!)


-Drum Sampler-
>Arachnid (Drum sampler)

Find out more and download the pack here.

Computer Music Circa 1985

Oh how far we have come....

Fwonk Mondays

Monday is here again, so it's time for another offering from the Fwonk* netlabel.

Echosonic blends glitchy percussion, drone-laden soundscapes, lush sweeping melodies and severely broken breaks to create a swirling audio wonderland on his album 'Gauze'. Why not download it and listen while you read an interview with the artist below.



How would you describe your music?

Ambient electronica

When and where do you make music?

Whenever I don't have something more urgent to do and I make it in my small studio with occasional input from field sounds.

What inspires you?

Sleep. Other great music. Loud noises.

How does your creative process work?

I make noise. I try to wrangle them into some semblance of order.

What hardware / software / instruments do you use to make music?

Guitars, effects. Mac, Logic and Virtual synths, effects. Field noise, effects.

Who are your favourite bands / producers / DJs?

Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Belong, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Stars of the Lid, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Levitation

Whereabouts in the world do you come from? And is that where you live now?

UK (Southern England) and yes, still there

What's your favourite noise?

Something loud and with plenty of white noise/distortion and wow/flutter. Complexity, depth, movement

What's your least favourite noise?

Sine waves, crying, screaming


Download Echosonic's album 'Gauze' here.

Here comes the drums

Got drums?

If not, fret not, because we're about to hit you with some primo links to all the free one-shots and breaks you will ever need.

First up, a well recorded live drum kit. Sadly the legendary NS7 kit is no longer free, but there is a really rather tasty alternative - the Analogue Drums Big Mono kit.

Analogue Drums say:
Big Mono is a roomy rendition of a lovable Ludwig, a Rogers Dynasonic snare drum, some tasty Zildjians, and a Sabian ride for good luck. Tracked through a '75 Neve desk, and as always onto a nice thick roll of tape. Recorded in mono using a decca-tree configuration, this kit sounds retro with plenty of space.

Each drum has been multisampled at loads of different velocity levels, for realistic sounding drum sequencing.

You have to register to get your hands on it, but you get 254 discrete 24-bit, 44.1khz mono wav samples, a quick-reference card (PDF) and sampler mapping files for Battery, Kontakt and Logic's EXS24 - all in a handy 135MB package.

Download Big Mono here.


Now for all the drum machine samples you will ever need. From Acetone Rhythm Ace to Yamaha TX16W, taking in 200 different machines on the way, including the seminal Roland TR-505, 808 and 909.

Simply go to this page, hosted by netlabel Hexawe.

Still want more? For a grittier take on the drum machine sample pack, check out Goldbaby Productions. The site sells kits including the Tape-808 and Tape-909 (the classic sounds recorded through a Metric Halo ULN-2 and a valve 1/2" Ampex reel to reel tape machine).

But, those generous guys also give away sample packs, including Tape-606, Cassette-808 and much more.

Check their 'Free Stuff' page and get the goods.




Still hungry? Well why not check out Cheeb's Beats where you can find some very nifty packs including 'Tweaked 808', 'Tweaked 909' and 'Khaotic Kicks'.



Finally, let's bless you with some of the classic breaks you hear all over hip-hop and breakbeat tracks.

Phat Drumloops does exactly what it says on the tin, provides phat breaks from some of the most distinctive drum tracks ever recorded.

It's got yer 'Amen Brother', yer 'Think', yer 'Apache', yer 'Funky Mule' - but it also has some more obscure and unexpected freshness. For example: 'Atlanta Boogaloo' by The Inclines and 'Oh Woman, Oh Why' by Sir Paul of McCartney.

With 580 entries, their beats archive is definitely worth a look for noobs and break-jaded pros alike.

Not enough for you? You're a greedy pig. But here's some more links anyway:

Some freebies at Dubsounds

More drum machines at kb6

Deuce Black's 100MB drum pack at future producers (do the right thing and thank the man if you download it)

Loads of other stuff at the Download My Drums blog.

Free Music Friday!!!

I signed on this week. I am officially on the dole. For the first time ever. Not the best experience really. When the 14-year-old behind the desk asked how to spell "BA" I had to wonder exactly how come she has a job while I don't.

How to cheer myself up? With some free music of course!!!!

This week we're starting on a drum n bass tip, ending up somewhere entirely more mellow.

New netlabel Criminal Waves Recordings has launched with it's first release - two tracks of filthy techy DnB from Lyon-based producer Aknot.

Both have relentless drums, nasty-ass basslines and enough build and drop action to keep any wide-eyed raver happy until the early hours. Definitely one to watch, looking forward to hearing their future releases.

To download in WAV or MP3 format, visit the Criminal Waves Recordings Myspace.

Next up, with more frenzied beats and tearing bass bizzniss, it's long-running DnB netlabel Tilt Recordings.

Offering more than 60 MP3 EPs and albums alongside it's vinyl and dubplate releases, this label from Mannheim, Germany, is well busy.

With so much music to choose from, it's hard to pick one stand-out release, but I can tell you that T-FREE-LP001: Sourcream Remixes is particularly wicked, with Raytem's version probably edging in as my fave.

Finally for this FMF, a lower-tempo, more blissed-out selection. Echodub is a label exploring IDM, dubstep and other electronic lushness.

Their new free compilation 'Echodub Loves Vol. 1' is a glossy, floaty and wonderfully high-quality piece of work - avoiding all the cliches of dubstep and garage while losing none of the vibe. If there is such a scene as "intelligent dubstep" then these guys are at the forefront.

This is all lovely stuff, but if I had to take just two tracks to a desert idland, they'd be 'Once More' by Autopilot and the vaguely old-skool sounding 'Warm & Easy' by Psychonaught.

Anyway, nab yourself a slice of the action here.

Maximo respect and have a lovely weekend.

Free VST Amp Sim

LePou Plugins have released a free VST model of a certain 'British Amp'.

They say:
As the name suggests, this is an hybrid amp model based on two famous British gears. Again, the name of the channel says it all. The PLS channel is actually an hybrid of the two (tweaked) channels (Normal and Treble) of the real thing. Both channels are actually processed and the mix of the two signals can be adjusted through the PLS MIX knob. The other channel, MCJ, is also a tweaked version of the real thing. So, this amp simulator doesn't represent anything specifically but it does have the character of the British amp.

A quick trial run this afternoon makes me think it sounds pretty good in it's own right, whether or not it is a completely successful model of the amp in question.

The Hybrit plugin comes in three flavours: Preamp, Head and FullStack, and is available here. If you use it a lot, do the right thing and donate.

Versatile Performance Synth from Krakli

Krakli Software have just released a lush-sounding multi-timbral VSTi designed with live performance in mind.

RMP2 is available by making a donation through their site and is bundled with their "power organ emulator" S3O.

Just listen to this wonderful audio demo to get an idea of what the RMP2 is capable of. All sounds played in realtime on one instance of the RMP2, which has a fully variable key split - enabling chords and solo parts to be played at the same time.

Krakli says:
RMP2 is a multi-timbral synth consisting of two distinct sections: one using the hybrid FM/Physical Modelling techniques from The Richman series, the other section using the Multi-Oscillators from the S series synth.

RMP2 comes complete with 384 patches contributed from Himalaya and Dimitri Schkoda.

The vast number of presets mean that you can use RMP2 as a preset machine if you are daunted by its un-conventional controls (hey, it is a Krakli Synth!) but you may be suprised at just how easy it is to create new and interesting sounds.

The bottom area of RMP2 allows for independent arpeggiation of each synth section and you can apply a fully variable key split enabling Chords and solo parts to be played at the same time. Features like this mean that RMP2 can be used as a rewarding live players instrument.

Go here for more information.

Make beats, cure cancer

Master of the plugin, De La Mancha has produced a brand new drum sampler VSTi with a clean, easy-to-use interface and kits from professional sound designers. The ridiculously low price of $10 is entirely donated to Cancer Research UK.

So far he's raised over 700 pounds for the cause.

De La Mancha writes:

ballistic is a 15 slot drum sample player designed to get you making beats quickly without a million parameters to adjust. All controls are on one screen and the essentials are built in, but with one stereo output per slot, you can add more effects per slot in your hosts mixer. This keeps CPU low and workflow efficient

Simple but effective, it boasts flexible midi triggers, sample audition, sample tuning, 4 choke groups, mute/solo options, sample reverse, sample normalisation, a lofi option and several kits of samples donated by many generous sample providers such as Loopmasters, Zero-G, Digital-Redux, Goldbaby, Soniccouture, Real Music Media, Ronnie @ Rekkerd, sink, polyslax and bedroom producers

Features:

· Plays any 16, 24 or 32 bit stereo / mono WAV files from RAM for low CPU
· 15 sample slots, each triggered by user-definable midi note
· 4 choke groups, each slot can be assigned to a group and be cut by a group
· Each sample can be tuned in tenths of semitones
· Mute and solo for each sample
· Volume and panning per sample
· Sample reverse
· Sample slot normalisation
· Selectable mono/stereo
· Lo-fi option
· Sample audition button
· Multi-out capable, 15 stereo outputs for routing to individual mixer channels in your host
· 637 samples (76 MB) covering acoustic kits, vintage electronic, analogue synth, dubstep, hiphop, breakbeat, 8-bit, glitch, jazz and esoteric noises
· Samples donated by Loopmasters, Zero-G, Digital-Redux, Goldbaby, Soniccouture, Real Music Media, Ronnie @ Rekkerd, sink, polyslax and bedroom producers
· 21 presets covering various kits

Why not go here buy it now and make your music-making make a difference?

Density MkII - Free VST

Bootsy has released version 2 of Density, "a smooth and versatile stereo bus dynamic processor for Windows" and it's free.

He says:
This device ain’t modeled after any specific outboard gear but rather incorporates some proven dynamic shaping approaches from the past, combined in a seamless fashion with some much more modern concepts in audio processing – the best of both worlds.

Density mkII was primarily designed to work in a typical stereo audio group mixing situation or while summing and to glue all things together in a rather unobtrusive way. Yet it’s capable of signal colouring but in a subtle and pleasant way and also can perform quiet different tasks very versatile.

Features:

* Perform ultra-smooth 2-bus compression.
* Master difficult to handle audio dynamics.
* Manage mid/side dynamic processing in a true two channel layout.
* Apply dynamic range adjustments easily
* State-of-the-art digital signal processing.
* Zero latency processing, no phase alterations.
* Performance crucial parts are written in assembler.
* Completely SSE optimized.

Density mkII is available as a freeware VST effect plug-in for Windows PC.

For more information, and to download, clicky-click.

4 GB of orchestral samples - Free!

The University of Iowa's Electronic Music Studios has made a huge collection of multisampled orchestral instruments available.

Includes:

Flute
Alto Flute
Bass Flute
Oboe
Eb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
French Horn
Bb Trumpet
Tenor Trombone
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Piano

"The University of Iowa Musical Instrument Samples were created by Lawrence Fritts, Director of the Electronic Music Studios and Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Iowa in 1997.

The instruments were recorded in the Anechoic Chamber in the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center at The University of Iowa on the following equipment:

• Neumann KM 84 Cardioid Condensor Microphone
• Mackie 1402-VLZ Mixer
• Panasonic SV-3800 DAT Recorder

The recordings were digitally transferred to Macintosh Power PC 8500 though a Digidesign Audiomedia III interface (1997-1999) or to a Macintosh G4 through a Digidesign Digi-001 digital interface (2000-present)."

For more details and to download, go here.

EDIT: I've just realised two huge flaws with this. The files each uploaded individually, meaning it will take about a year to download the entire library. Secondly, each file contains more than one note, meaning they will need chopping up before they are usable.

Anyone who fancies taking this on and reposting the package in a nice big RAR / ZIP, please do. Also, if you want to make some NNXT patches, that would be great too. Thanks.

Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones in the studio

Amazing video from 1983:


Special bonus extra - Herbie Hancock on Sesame Street:

Famous Sounds

Did you know it wasn't a theremin on that Goldfrapp track, it was Alison's voice run through a synth? Or that Mr Oizo used a Korg MS-20 for the bassline on Flatbeat?

Synthmania has done a rundown of some of the most distinctive sounds in modern music, from oft-immitated synth leads and basses to vocal processing tricks and even drum patterns and breaks.

The handy-dandy table even offers hints and tips at programming some of these classic sounds.

Inspiring and interesting. Read it here.

Straight Trimpin, yo!

Trimpin reminds me of Doc in Back to the Future. Mad, obsessive, inventive and wonderfully creative.

Check out some of his work:

Trimpin + EMP guitars from Peter Esmonde on Vimeo.

He's a composer, sound sculptor, dream weaver. Errr, well maybe not the last one.

Anyway, a movie about him, 'Trimpin: The Sound Of Invention' is out now, but I can't find details of when and where to watch it. Except it's being shown at Woodstock apparently.

Make music in your browser

Hobnox have created an amazing music making environment, which runs inside your web browser.

With Roland 303, 808 and 909 emulations, a tone matrix and loads of stomp boxes to play with, there are infinite possibilities to the music you can create, record and share with this device.

It wasn't so long ago that Propellerheads Rebirth seemed an incredible innovation in electronic music making. But Hobnox Audiotool delivers everything Rebirth did and much more, allowing very flexible routing and many more FX options.

Seriously impressive stuff.

Go here and play.

Thanks to Anny's Posterous blog for the heads-up on this one.

Make dubstep? Get tunes signed!

Carbon Logic, a music hosting site, is working with some of the biggest names in dubstep in Europe, UK and USA to release an EP in aid of 'Love Music Hate Racism'.

To find out more and enter your tracks into the Grass Roots Dubstep contest, visit the site.

Ice, ice baby.

Over at the 'Do My Eyes Look Scary?' blog, Kent Williams has released a free sample pack full of sounds he made by hitting icicles on his front porch.


"Apparently I cut it up into a sample set and didn’t do anything with it. These I release into the public domain. Knock yourself out."

What a kind and generous bloke he is. I would go so far as to call him an ice guy. But then I'd be forced to kick myself in the nuts, so I won't.

Get the pack at his blog.

Fwonk* Mondays

Last week we highlighted an all-encompassing label showcase compilation released late last year. Today we're focusing on Fwonk's latest release - an EP by deep techno maestro Puppet Show, aka Auron. For some unfathomable reason, this collection of five MP3s he wrote for Fwonk* goes by the unlikely name of "Five MP3s For Fwonk*". These crazy musicians eh?



Download the EP here. And read an interview with the creator, Puppet Show, below.

How would you describe your music?

Puppet Show's music, generally speaking, is the application of experimental track making methods applied to slow techno, IDM, noise and electro. It's basically moderato dance music, messed with, sometimes with digital oddities, bit rate crushing, botched WAV renderings recorded, or sometimes compositional oddities: improvised synth lines, randomness and minimalism.

Mostly tracks wind up unlistenable, but they're just for my own ears, I normally let the gentler ones out to play which make up the majority of the tunes I play for other people.

Which of your Fwonk* releases are you happiest with and why?

I've only had one. "Five mp3s for Fwonk*" for me was several things: it was a very nervous artistic debut, it was a tester for making tracks entirely in Reason 4, and when I was producing it, I had just got back from a two week long talk on the sorts of techniques modern "art music" composers use, I though it'd have some fun applying them too the usual IDM / techno and what have you.

When and where do you make music?

I have two places (neither of them fantastic TBH). The first is my house in Castlebar, it has a basic set up - Cubase Running various VSTs and Reason 4, midi controller, WAV editor.
I also make music at the university where I study, I use Protools running on a Mac, with decent recording facilities and some odd programmes.
I recently started programming sounds in Super Collider.
Time-wise I'm a night owl, my creative processes flow better at night, and I usually use the day time for listening with fresh ears, making minute mix adjustments and playing the tracks out loud on various systems.

What inspires you?

Great Musicians. Or rather the psychology of a great musician, it's funny when you think of J S Bach, Jack White, Aphex Twin or Arvo Part (just random examples), it would be so easy to say they're all completely different and I like some, I hate another, but they're practically identical. They're all people with undeniably good musicianship.
It's just so obvious, like somebody who's a master of tai chi or has a fantastic sense of humour. and all you have to be able to do is "get" the joke or appreciate the movement and it becomes obvious how great they are at what they do.

How does your creative process work?

I sometimes begin with an idea like: "I wonder what would happen if you master a song in two ways: digitally and with analogue gear, then phase inverted them against one another, what sound would be left over?" And then in order to actually have a track to try it out on, I load up my gear and get busy doodling.
Or I begin the other way round, with a musical idea or phrase, and then once it's complete, have a go at messing with it at the later production stage. With Puppet Show then, it's usually the blending of a typical medium tempo dance track, with some form of experimental production.

What hardware / software / instruments do you use to make music?

Again Cubase, Reason, Sound Forge and some VST here and there or Pro Tools, WAV editor, Supercollider, some VST and a recording studio - depending on whether I'm at home or at uni.
Five mp3s for Fwonk* was made completely inside Reason 4, written, mixed and mastered; not as madly experimental as I'd normally go, but I suppose it stands to reason (geddit?) why I ended up letting them out, unlike some of the H.G. Wells-like wriggling-torso-beasts that are living in the dungeons in my hard drive.

Who are your favourite bands / producers / DJs?

I don't really have any. at the risk of sounding like a complete dickwad, I find no artist is consistently my favourite, they might make a good album, then a bad one, so my mp3 player has like, glitchcore next to Sacred Vespers, and folk songs next to Pop rock all in one giant folder, sometime to comic effect: I was at a bus stop and Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone" came on, for the following 6 minutes I had one of those moments where a really good song connects and really touches the soul, but just after it ended, bam! "Stayin' Alive" came bouncing in and I laughed quite loudly and suddenly. You know, the sort of laugh where mums nervously move their children back from you, just in case...

Whereabouts in the world do you come from? And is that where you live now?

I live in the town of Castlebar, in County Mayo, but I spend most of my time in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, the other side of the country.

What's your favourite noise?

It's hard to describe, it sounds like a cross between a car tyre driving over pebbly driveways and like lots of eggshells being tapped, like on Alter Ego - Betty Ford. Well that, being played on a vinyl record.

What's your least favourite noise?

The Drum riff they teach school children for parade bands. I'm guessing it's the same guy going round to all the schools, I would happily murder him and when the jury is deciding wither I'm guilty or not, play a loop of the riff while their deciding and be safe in the knowledge that they'll either return a "crime of passion" or "not guilty on the grounds of being driven insane by same drum riff" verdict.
It sounds like an English march for dummies and you hear it 27 time a day every St. Patrick's Day running behind an army of tin whistle players.

Five MP3s for Fwonk* is available for free download now.

Itchy Plugins

Big, mean and covered in drugs. Nope, I'm not talking about Kerry Katona, I'm referring to Itchy's new 'Overdose' bundle of free VST synths - designed with dubstep and drum n bass in mind.



Seismik is a 3-osc synth with drive, and an lfo-controlled lfo for insane wobbling fun.


Punch is a stab synth with built in reverb and delay, specialising in short, sharp, shocking sounds.


Skyscraper is designed for soaring pads and screaming leads. It has 3 oscillators, an envelope-controlled filter and various FX including a stereo widener.



Resonance is another wobbling bass-synth with a tasty analogue-sounding filter and four (count 'em) oscillators.


Subsonic specialises in earth-shaking subs, created with twin oscillators, a filter and drive, limit and verb controls.


Wonkey is a weird and wonderful synth with three basic oscillators, one graphic oscillator, K-hole distortion, lfo and a wonkey envelope for pitched-out funs.

You can download the full package here. To say thanks to Itchy, visit his Myspace here. And if you want to encourage him to make more narcotic-inspired plugins, why not ask him how to donate to his cause, whatever that may be.

Beatboxing is out, Shirtboxing is in

Now you can play drums on your own shirt ! Yeah, it sounds stupid and i like it ! I'm stupid !


You can buy it here, and yes, it's free propaganda. Why ? Because we are cool. Now give us some stuff.

Arp 2600

The reason why is the arp an still sought item.

Synths get Steampunked

Them crazy creative doodz at B3ta have been steampunking in a recent image challenge and have made some rather cool reinventions of classic synths and modern musos in the process.



To see more go here.

Remix Royksopp

Round the rugged rock the ragged Royksopp remixer ran. Or something.

Anyway, Royksopp have put together a sample pack allowing fans to remix 'Tricky Tricky' from their Junior album, released earlier this year.

For my money, it's not really their finest musical hour, but what do I know?

The boys themselves wrote:
This is yet another shabby attempt at giving something back to our fans – or rather get our fans involved in our shabby doings… Yes, this is an invitation to all of you dedicated souls out there who want to take part in the Röyksopp legacy!

We feel that track “Tricky Tricky” has so much potential, it deserves a life outside the album. Not only is this a chance at beating us at our own game, you also get to mess around with Karin Deijer-Andersson’s extraordinary vocals! Now, how about that?!?

For those about to remix – we salute you!

Señors B + B

Download the parts and find out how to enter here.

Maddest Plugins Ever?

Those crazy Russians at Knobster have released a bundle of VST plugins for Windows (Mac to follow) including a cat-synth, a desk fan emulator and a type writer rompler.

The pack also includes a vocal beat-box vst and organ emulation, a cheap, plastic piano vst and two 'Cinematic Grooves' sample packs.

Love the GUIs, can't wait to check them out myself. Download them from here.

Music time.

Pixelthis makes funky clocks and artwork from recycled materials, including turntables and computer hard drives.

Anyone reading this and wondering what to get me for Christmas - get me this. Or a Fwonk* t-shirt. Or some socks. I bet you choose the socks.

Visit his shop here.

Sample Radar

Music Radar - the website for Future Publications (Future Music, Computer Music, Guitar Tech magazines) has launched a new 'Sample Radar' service - offering free audio samples for use in production.


The first release contains 342 free dubstep samples, and we can look forward to more than 300 techno samples coming soon.

Find out more and grab the goodies here.

EDIT: D'oh, just realised the techno sample pack is already available here - it's going to be a weekly service, so keep your eyes peeled over at MusicRadar.

Synth Britannia

A new series to air on BBC 4 this Autumn / Winter explores the late 1970s electro-pop scene.



"The music will appeal to alienated youth everywhere... and Germans."

The Beeb's blurb says:

In the late Seventies small pockets of electronic artists such as The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle were inspired by Kraftwerk and J G Ballard to dream of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain.

Gary Numan's 1979 appearance on Top Of The Pops heralded the invention of synthpop, which would provide the soundtrack as Britain entered a new, ruthless era in the Eighties.

Depeche Mode, four lads from Basildon, came to embody the new sound, while post-punk bands such as Ultravox, Soft Cell, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Yazoo took the synth from the pages of the NME and onto the front cover of Smash Hits.

By 1983 the Pet Shop Boys and New Order were pointing to where the future of electronic music lay – in dance.

With contributions from Philip Oakey, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Bernard Sumner, Gary Numan and Neil Tennant, it should be well worth a watch.

Free Music Friday!

Oh how the week flies by when you're baby-sitting a 35-year-old Californian with the social sensitivity and conversational ability of a retarded toddler.

Anyway, it's Free Music Friday again so steady your clicking finger and prepare to get your download on.


First up, the legendary Del The Funky Homosapien - yes, the man who brought us 'Mistadobalina' in the 1990s and later added his trademark flows to 'Clint Eastwood' by Gorillaz.

He's made a full album, 'Funk Man', available for free download on his website. Packed with solid funky jams, conscious lyrics, humour and fricky-fricky-fresh scratches and samples.

If you're a hip-hop fan, freebies don't come much better. Grab that shiznitt right now.



More hip-hop now, this time a compilation from Definitive Jux and cult animation channel Adult Swim.

With a line-up including artists such as El-P, Mr Lif and Aesop Rock, you can see this isn't going to be your run of the mill, auto-tuned, fake dirty south bullshit rap (thank feck for that).

Highlights include El-P's 'Smithereens', 'Brand New Vandals' from Rob Sonic and the bass-heavy stoned-out dubber 'Get With The Times' from Cool Calm Pete.

It's reassuring to hear so many inventive, fresh and unconventional approaches to a scene that can sound stagnant and stale if you only hear the radio-friendly sh*t grabbing all the airtime.

But enough ranting, click here to get this compilation.

See how much we spoil you? Have a good weekend!

Oh and once again, any suggestions or donations of free music for future Free Music Fridays to totalcult (at) gmail (dot) com

Peace out bredren.