This is a rough demo of a new iPhone music app that I plan to release in a few weeks. It’s a sort of musical instrument/meditation tool/artwork. The patterns are made from images of spinning quilts and rugs, and the audio is shifting loops of contemporary Christian music played backwards. The final version will have more advanced sound control and several modes with different samples, spin patterns, and sound options. I will probably also be porting it to Android.

Niels van Dijkhuizen made a MIDI interface for the Cynthcart that does it all through simulating keypresses and paddle movement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL2oBjugmx0

http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/music-dsp/musicdspFAQ.html

Using the 1992 Olympic Dream Team game against Croatia to make Jesus & Mary Chain guitar sounds:

original song + basketball samples = *really* noisy guitar sound

also there is no guitar in this at all, it’s all FM synthesis. more later…

(note: I haven’t actually got anything to compile yet, these are just some notes, will update later…)

Steinberg’s free VST SDKs with bullshit restrictive license:
http://www.steinberg.net/en/company/3rd_party_developer.html

to bypass Steinberg’s required registration, which is currently broken:
http://www.bugmenot.com/view/steinberg.net

DEVCPP (free GCC IDE):
http://www.bloodshed.net/dev/devcpp.html

how to set up DEVCPP to compile VST (edit: or my easier-to-read PDF version)
http://www.u-he.com/vstsource/files/vst_with_dev_c.txt

VST.NET, open source implementation that does not require the Steinberg’s SDK (I think):
http://www.codeplex.com/vstnet

I’ve been working on the Atari 2600 Loopcart again, and I’m hoping to have it finished this summer. I’ve now got very elementary support for the Atarivox (speech synth/memory card) integrated into the Loopcart. Audio sample here:

http://www.qotile.net/temp/atarivox_demo1.mp3

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I’ve released a new version of my Commodore 64 synthesizer cartridge that includes several new features and some fixes. See change log below. The cartridge and EPROM upgrade are available from the Atariage Store and the ROM images and source are available on the Cynthcart page.

Cynthcart v1.2.4 changes:
- PAL and NTSC note tables and autodetection
- full-screen video mode
- second paddle controls pulse width, LFO depth, or pitch
- automatic activation for filter paddle
- improved keyboard layout
- onscreen help
- SID editor help and status display
- dummy SID register to edit 3 oscillators at once
- save an editor patch in memory
- fixed patch/sound change glitch when playing
- fixed bad notes in top octave

I’m working on new software for Tree Wave that is designed to create abstract remixes. It is a software sampler that loops portions a very large source sample, usually an entire song or songs, and allows many layers of loops to be played simultaneously. There is a performance mode and soon, a sequencer mode. It can be used with any source sample, but I’ve found that the aesthetics of contemporary Christian music work best for what I’m trying to do (more on this later…) Eventually it’ll also include a simple drum machine.

It incorporates a random generator to aid finding interesting loop points in a long sample. And it is designed with the idea that loops don’t need any relation to the original sample’s tempo as long as the loop lengths all fit a consistent tempo.

example sound output MP3 — source sample: Casting Crowns East to West

tech: Win32 app written in C++ using MinGW and the SDL library. Display is all text-based and input is all keyboard. Code should be reasonably portable.

update: I updated the screenshot. The program and sequencer are fully working now. I’m doing a remix for a band with it. I’ll post the program on my site when I get a few more bugs out and write up a basic manual

OMG!! Demo video of the Malgorithm modular synth module, which does various realtime sampling rate and bit reduction. The Boss-Heavy-Metal-pedal / punching-holes-in-your-amps of the future. This video is amazing in so many ways.

Then there’s the Zorlon Cannon module which generates audio in a manner similar to early Atari 8-bit machines — creating a stream of repeating on/off signals (bits) at a variable rate to generate sound that ends up being very distinct.

Both of these modules are such an awesome tangent of technology and are the best kind of geek punk. More about them on The Harvestman website.

Highly Liquid has a 2600 MIDI kit that allows you to control the Synthcart thru MIDI.