This year’s best-value earphones are the $45 Final E2000 - The Verge: "Around this time last year, I came across the sensational Zero Audio Carbo Tenore earphones, which cost $38 but sound an order of magnitude better. I still consider them outstanding, however today I can add a new pair of earbuds that may rank as their equal: the Final E2000. Like the Carbo Tenore, these are made by a relatively obscure Japanese company and have a price ($45) that’s hard to beat."

Labels: recording

An OS 9 odyssey: Why these Mac users won’t abandon 16-year-old software | Ars TechnicaHe has constructed his home studio around a Digidesign ProControl mixing and recording console and a Power Mac G4 running ProTools 5.1.3. Connected to that Mac via its four PCI expansion slots, he has an array of mixer cards and "other 'obsolete' items." The setup would have cost tens of thousands of dollars 15 years ago, but he scrounged it together for far less off sites like eBay and Craigslist over the last few years.

Labels: producing, recording, retro

Review: Apple's new Music Memos app makes songwriting simple Apple’s new app, Music Memos, is hands-down the best free music-creation app I’ve ever used on my iPhone. The amount of tech packed into this tiny little iOS app is nothing short of amazing, and it shows Apple’s continuing commitment to the creative community.

Labels: engineering, indie labels, producing, recording

Wearable recorder keeps your mic close at hand | Cult of Mac Worn like a smartwatch, the Kapture takes in the sounds within a five-foot radius of you, continuously recording on a 60-second loop. Should you enter a verbal agreement with someone or hear something worth saving, like an infant’s first word or an inspirational gem from your grandmother, tap the face of the Kapture device to save the last minute of audio.

Labels: producing, recording, sampling

The Logic Pros: 6 powerful new features you may have missed in Logic 10.1 | 9to5Mac: "In this week’s edition of The Logic Pros, we will be diving into some of the most tucked away and over-looked features packed inside the release of Logic Pro X 10.1. "

Labels: apple logic, engineering, producing, recording

12-inch MacBook gets video unboxing in Vietnam ahead of April 10th release [Gallery] | 9to5Mac: "Apple first announced the redesigned MacBook last month, but not before 9to5Mac was able to uncover the details of the unreleased device’s design and features. "

Labels: apple, garage band, indie labels, native instruments, producing, recording

Logic Pro X 10.1 arrives w/ tons of new sounds, AirDrop sharing, redesigned plug-ins, & editing improvements | 9to5Mac: "Apple today released a new version of Logic Pro X, its professional audio editing software, bringing the current version to 10.1 and adding a long list of new features. Among the new additions to Logic Pro X in version 10.1 includes 10 new Drummers, the intelligent beat profile feature, focused on hip hop and electronic styles. OS X Yosemite users will appreciate the ability to share projects from Logic Pro X to other users using both Mail Drop, which lets you send large files over email using iCloud storage, and AirDrop, which lets you share files wirelessly between nearby Macs."

Labels: logic, producing, recording

Movie: Roli's Seaboard keyboard is a new beginning in music: "Lamb's own contribution to this new generation of instruments is the Seaboard, a piano keyboard with soft, pressure-sensitive keys that allow musicians to alter the pitch, volume and timbre of notes in real time."

Labels: audio, recording

Korg Introduces iPolysix App for iPad: "Korg has unveiled the latest in its series of musical instrument apps. The new, intuitive iPolysix app evokes Korg's legendary analog polyphonic synthesizer while taking full advantage of the iPad® interface. Up to eight instances of the synth can be used in conjunction with new features that include a sequencer, drum machine, multiple effects, Korg's acclaimed Kaoss touch functionality for intuitive note and controller entry, and a complete automated mixer."

Labels: electronic, engineering, producing, recording, retro

iPhone Apps Update - Readability, Meetup, CloudClipboard | MacNN: "StepPolyArp 2.0 ($12) - StepPolyArp is a a MIDI step polyphonic arpeggiator for the iPad that is capable of transmitting MIDI information to a Mac or PC, which can then be used in combination with any sequencer, virtual instrument, or MIDI synthesizer. The v2.0 release includes a new MIDI engine that features improved accuracy. The update also offers automatic chaining patterns, an internal sound bank, an improved undo manager, and iOS 6 support. "

Labels: audio, electronic, experimental, producing, recording, retro

Rogue Amoeba outs Fission 2 audio editor with new UI | MacNN
Rogue Amoeba have updated their lossless (but basic) audio editor Fission to version 2.0, now with a refreshed user interface, expanded saving options (including new lossy and lossless formats), support for multiple windows, unified modes, an added batch converter tool and other new abilities"

Labels: audio, electronic, engineering, producing, recording, workstation