Monthly Archives: September 2012

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Apple announces new iPhone, iPod, iOS, iTunes

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Did someone say iPhone? Wait, can you say it again?

Today’s biggest news is certainly Apple unveiling its new line of iProducts. No doubt you’ve already been bombarded by live blogs of the event, summaries of what you need to know, updates, and ecstatic exclamations of gleeful abandon about the wonderful new iPhone. Maybe the world’s ever growing faction of Apple fandom makes you a bit queasy. Or maybe you just can’t get enough. So that’s where this blog comes in, dear reader, let’s plunge deeper into the rabbit hole of iPhun together shall we?

First the recap – The iPhone 5 is thinner, wider, faster, and downright sexier than its predecessor, of course. The screen is now a 4-inch 16:9 full sRGB completely redesigned touchscreen technological breakthrough. The camera now shoots panoramic images with a mere swipe through the air, image capture is quicker, and you can take stills while recording 1080p video. The battery life is longer. The new A6 CPU processor is twice as fast. It operates on 4g LTE. It has a new smaller, tighter port, called ‘Lightning,’ which requires a separate $30 adapter to use with all your old accessories. Why? Don’t ask questions, just consume! It’s better. Trust me. Why are you still using that crappy old iPhone for God’s sake?

Now what might really concern us audio-minded individuals are upgrades to the microphones, built in speakers, and earbuds. With the new iPhone you get not just one, not even just two, but THREE microphones, located on the front, back and bottom, to improve call and sound recording quality. Surprisingly, they’ve even thrown in noise canceling technology, so you (hopefully) won’t have to struggle to hear the person on the other end over the din of the coffeeshop or rock club anymore. Voice calls (if supported by the carrier) will also be boosted by “wideband audio,” using more of the available bandwidth spectrum to deliver your buddy’s voice straight into your earhole. The speakers are packed with 5 magnet transducers, up from the previous 3 (see Apple didn’t even stop at upgrading to just 4 because they care, they really do care about you). Finally, the new earbuds are now called EarPods, because they are made out of microscopic iPods assembled by chinese factory worker fetuses to make your listening experience better. Because we are Americans and we deserve nothing less.

Pricing is the same as past releases, $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB (with a 2 year contract of course) and is available in black or white. The good news is that the 4S model’s price has dropped to $99 and the iPhone 4 is now free. You can start pre-ordering iPhone 5 this Friday 9/14 in the US.

Apple has also revamped the iPod Nano to look like a tiny iPhone, and added Siri to the now multicolored iPod Touch. iOS 6 will see some changes as well, most notably a new Maps app (Google and Apple broke up a few months ago) with turn-by-turn directions (FINALLY!), Facebook integration, and  a redesigned iTunes store, among other amazing technological advancements like finally allowing Facetime to operate over cellular networks instead of WIFI only. The new iOS will be available 9/19. An iTunes update was released today and there will be a totally new version in late October. What fun! No word on the rumored iPad mini though…

Now I am as much of an Apple addict as the next fool (although I have been growing more attracted to the PC laptop’s junky charm lately) but one thing I cannot abide is the fact that the most “valuable company in the world” can’t afford to treat its workers humanely. That is a whole other story that should be considered alongside all the hoopla of this iPhun frenzy. Educate yourself and sign this damn petition here.

So obviously there is a lot of lust surrounding this little gem, but what does it all mean for music technology? The iPhone and its millions of apps have undoubtedly revolutionized the world of composing music. I fully intend to write about music apps I enjoy, a plethora of which I haven’t even begun to fully “tap” into yuk yuk. What are some of your favorite music creation apps?

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What are Buke and Gase?

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(image via wired.com)

If you haven’t heard, Buke & Gase are a band of two scruffy young instrument builders who happen to rock instruments of the same respective names. Also they are a boy and a girl with the same first name. Confused yet? Ok let’s get this straight. The Buke is a baritone ukulele played by Arone Dyer, who also sings, and the Gase is a guitar/bass hybrid (formerly called the Gass, but that didn’t read well enough with the general public) constructed and played through (also) home-made amps by Aron Sanchez. The duo also plays their own percussion live with their feet. These two first impressed me when they were part of a math-rock band called Hominid, and they’ve taken the complex contra-rhythmic style to the next level with the warm, fuzzy, acoustic stylings of Buke & Gase. Their new digital-only EP Function Falls drops today on Brassland Records. Stream it over at wired.com or buy it on bandcamp.

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Death of a Dream: the end of Hydrahead Records

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While it’s 9/11 and there are far more tragic things to grieve about, today Hydrahead Records announced that it will be shutting down after a 20 year run. Starting this December, HH will “remain operational only in the interest of maintaining our back catalog, with the ultimate aim of repaying our rather sizable debts.” Get the full story straight from the horse’s mouth at hydraheadlines.blogspot.com.

It’s a sign of the times that a seemingly “successful” label, with a dedicated, albeit niche, following, finds itself closing its doors due to massive debt with no bailout in sight. Plain and simple, even rabid music fans aren’t actually BUYING records at a high enough rate to sustain the business that keeps their beloved artists afloat, even when that business is a grassroots outfit like Hydrahead. Of course this isn’t news, it’s been completely obvious for ages, but apparently it isn’t important enough to consumers to do anything about. We just shrug our shoulders and keep downloading or streaming away. And in effect we are letting the terrorists win!

You can’t go against the tide of history I suppose; technology has made it far too easy to listen for free, and I’m not sure the concept of paying for music is one the current generation is familiar with, even with the ease that smartphones and iTunes or Amazon have made possible. Streaming services like Spotify or Rdio reportedly pay artists a pitance, yet who can argue with having all the music in the world at their fingertips for a small monthly fee? Meanwhile, as the music industry crumbles at the feet of the internet, artists are empowered to put out their own work by the same tools they use to pirate the music they love. However, to rise above the glut of music now available, one has to be more of a business person/promoter than a musician. Although Warhol once famously said that business IS the ultimate form of art, what does this do to the actual level of ARTISTRY that garners the most attention? It’s highly debatable whether major iconic artists of past times would sink or swim in today’s murky waters, or whether we will ever have another Beatles or Nirvana in this age of 15 minute fame.

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Focusrite iTrack Solo for iPad

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Do you wish you could record high quality audio without ever leaving the couch, but are tired of dragging that heavy laptop over to the coffee table?

If you own an iPad, Focusrite is about to make your slacker dream come true.

The iTrack Solo, to be released in October, is a two channel audio interface featuring Focusrite’s famous mic-pre and one 1/4″ instrument input. It comes with an Apple certified cable that lets you connect straight to the iPad, but can also be used with your Mac or PC via USB, delivering up to 96 khz, 24 bit audio. For $200, the package also includes software Ableton Live Lite 8, Focusrite Scarlett plug-in suite, Novation Bass Station synth, and 1 GB of Loopmasters royalty free samples.

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Melvins go for the Guinness

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If you weren’t already aware of this incredible phenomenon, let it be known that the Melvins are attempting to set a Guinness World Record for world’s fastest tour by playing shows in all 50 states +DC in 51 days!

Touring behind their new record Freak Puke, Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover are in their Melvins Lite incarnation, featuring Trevor Dunn on stand-up bass (which really isn’t that lite). They kicked off in Alaska on Sept 5th and will wrap up in Hawaii on Oct 25th. Let’s hope no unforeseen disaster prevents them from getting the record!

***From the Melvins Facebook: Spin will be hosting an ongoing tour diary with photos and the band member’s takes on this record setting tour, follow along here: http://www.spin.com/articles/melvins-tour-diary-51-states-in-51-days-stripper-bus-alaska

Here are all the dates:

50 States + D.C. in 51 Days Record Breaker Fall U.S. Tour
September 5 Anchorage, AK Bear Tooth Theatre and Pub
September 6 Seattle, WA Showbox at The Market
September 7 Portland, Oregon Hawthorne Theatre
September 8 Boise, ID Neurolux Lounge
September 9 Missoula, MT Top Hat Lounge
September 10 Salt Lake City, UT Club Sound
September 11 Cheyenne, WY The Depot
September 12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
September 13 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
September 14 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
September 15 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
September 16 Des Moines, IA Wooly’s
September 17 Sioux Falls, SD The Vault
September 18 Fargo, ND The Aquarium
September 19 Minneapolis, MN Grumpy’s
September 20 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
September 21 Chicago, IL Double Door
September 22 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theatre
September 23 Louisville, KY The Vernon Club
September 24 Detroit, MI Smalls
September 25 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
September 26 Morgantown, WV 123 Pleasant Street
September 27 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe
September 28 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
September 29 Dover, NH Dover Brickhouse
September 30 Portland, ME Asylum
October 1 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
October 2 Pawtucket, RI The Met Cafe
October 3 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
October 4 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
October 5 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
October 6 Wilmington, DE Mojo 13
October 7 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
October 8 Washington, DC Black Cat
October 9 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre
October 10 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
October 11 Knoxville, TN The Square Room
October 12 Greenville, SC The Handle Bar
October 13 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
October 14 Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree
October 15 Pensacola, FL Vinyl Music Hall
October 16 Jackson, MS Duling Hall
October 17 Little Rock, AR Juanita’s Cantina
October 18 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
October 19 Austin, TX Mohawk
October 20 Norman, OK Opolis Production
October 21 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
October 22 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
October 23 Las Vegas, NV Artifice
October 24 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Forever Cemetery
October 25 Honolulu, HI The Republik

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Meet MicroKorg XL+

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For all you synth lovers who like their wobble in a small package, Korg has released the latest edition to their MicroKorg line, the MicroKorg XL+. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the original MicroKorg, the XL+ comes in spankin red/black or all black limited edition colors.

While not much different from the previous model, the XL+ is packed with “Even more vintage sounds, including the KORG SGproX piano, M1 and VOX organs and well-known ‘Tape’ instruments,” and a new program genre selector that includes… wait for it… dubstep presets!

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Electrical Guitars

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Coincidentally, Electrical Guitar Company uploaded this pic shortly after I mentioned them in an earlier post regarding a steel Jazzmaster. This one is made from shiny aluminum and looks incredible.

Electrical Guitar Co. takes its cues from luthier Travis Bean, crafting aluminum guitars (and some wood/aluminum hybrids) with neck through designs and hand wound alnico pickups. They’ve done custom models for some of my favorite guitarists like King Buzzo of the Melvins, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, and Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, and are played by other metal heavyweights like Isis and Torche. Their product roster also includes baritones, basses, and a 12 string bass!

If you are interested in seeing more of their beautiful aluminum creations you should definitely check out Electrical Guitar Co.’s Facebook page, where they have posted pictures of many custom jobs not found on their website. I would love to try this 9 stringer, where the top 3 strings are doubled.