Category: Music

Anything technology and music-related

Posted on

Caustic 2 on Android, Windows, and Linux

Okay, had some fun tonight! I found a great app for quick techno/dance track creation called Caustic. It’s available as an Android app, and works fantastically on my Galaxy Tab 2. It uses pattern blocks to build songs (similar to FrootyLoops and LMMS) and comes with pretty robust effects and synths. So I checked into it, and turns out the programmer has the Windows desktop version of the app available free on his site! Completely functional, too. This means you can build drumkits, synths, and presets on the desktop first, and then load it on your mobile device and rock it out.

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJOT3kgkgYc”]

Continue reading “Caustic 2 on Android, Windows, and Linux”

Posted on

Music Looping Hardware

I’ve been tossing around the idea of looping with hardware for quite a while, basically since I first heard of it a few months ago. It would allow me to perform music with much more flexibility than just me playing a single instrument, and it is a lot of fun, too. I am now at the point where I have to decide what kind of setup I want to use, and work on getting it functional in my setup.

If you’re interested in this kind of thing, there’s three routes you can go: a dedicated looping pedal, an analog tape delay (or equivalent), or a computer with software. Here’s a brief look at the three, and why I chose the last one.

Looper Pedals

These would include pedals by Digitech, Boss, Line6, and a few others. Each company makes a few different models, each with more buttons/features than the last. The two most popular are the Boss RC Series, and the Digitech JamMan series, both of which come in different sizes and with different features. Continue reading “Music Looping Hardware”

Posted on

Live Looping: Music For People With ADD

I’ve recently run across a type of musical performance called “Live Looping” which involves a performer on stage using a delay device to layer sounds until they have an entire song. After watching some of these musicians, I am extremely impressed, and very much inspired to try it myself. I will have a detailed video on how I set my rig up later on, but for now, I’ll just say that it is incredibly fun, and perfect for musicians with Attention Deficit Disorder. Why? Because you not only get to perform the whole song, but you get to do it all yourself, jumping from instrument to instrument, and part to part, while keeping track of everything you’ve done already.

I’ve got two guitar amps, a digital effects unit, a MIDI keyboard controller, a computer, and a MIDI footpedal controller. Oh yeah, and a couple of guitars!

I know it’s kind of a tease to just describe it without some sort of photo or video, so here’s something to tide you over! This guy is one of the best I’ve seen at this kind of music. Yes, this is what I am wanting to learn how to do.

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EF3V3BsZDI”]