Sound Made Simple app for Mac launched

IF you’re looking for some software that will teach you about the basics of audio, acoustics and sound system equipment, Sound Made Simple could be for you.

It’s not the cheapest app on the block but it does promise a professional set of lessons and interactive examples, with topics including:

Sound & Hearing
Explains the physics of sound & how the brain and ears work.

Signal Path & Gain Structure
Describes how signal travels through an audio system.

Mixing Consoles
Explains control knobs, busses, faders, inputs & outputs.

Equalization
Explains filters, equalizers and how to EQ a system.

Acoustics
Unveils the mystery of echoes, reflections and noise control.

Microphones
Explains how microphones work, differ and placement technique.

Signal Processors
Defines the different types of processors and their functions.

Power Amplifiers
Clarifies amplifier settings, features and configurations.

Loudspeakers
Explains the core components, coverage and types of loudspeakers in an audio system.

Cables, Connectors & Impedance
Defines the various types of cables, connectors and interfaces found in an audio system.

Several of the units include interactive objects that allow the user to have hands on experience without requiring a full size audio system. The interactive mixing console accurately simulates the look, feel, and function of a real console and incorporates full functionality of the channel and master faders, pan controls, and mute buttons while allowing the user to mix real instrument tracks in real time.

There are over 350 comprehensive academic-based modules in a well designed application ideal for both individual and group training sessions.

Check out the page on the iTunes App Store.

How to tune a guitar to piano or keyboard

Most guitarists I’ve worked with now carry around their own tuner, so there’s less need to assist them in tuning their guitars.

Occasionally, though, their battery dies, or they just want a quick aural indication of whether their instrument is in tune before playing.

Here’s how to assist a guitarist in tuning their guitar.

1. Make sure your instrument is in tune

This is less of an issue with digital pianos and keyboards, because (unless something goes very wrong) they’re always in tune.

Do make sure that there’s no unwanted fine tuning set on the keyboard. Most instruments tune with an A at 440Hz. Just make sure any fine tuning adjustments are turned off.

If you’re working on an out-of-tune acoustic piano, then I’m afraid your problems are only just beginning.

2. Play the required notes in turn

Assuming the guitarist wants to tune to standard tuning, these are the six ascending notes you’ll want to play.

Here are the notes written in the bass clef. Click for larger view

Here are the notes you need to play on a piano keyboard. Click for larger view

1. E
2. A
3. D
4. G
5. B
6. E

Here’s what these notes sound like (this is a MIDI file. Your web browser should be able to play it directly):

Guitar tuning notes played on piano [MIDI]

The guitarist will likely tell you if you’re playing a note too often or not enough to be helpful.

Generally, it’s best to use a standard acoustic piano sound without much reverb or other effect.

Play the note clearly, either holding it or using the sustain pedal. As the note wanes, play it again. The idea is to maintain the pitch while the guitarist tunes each string to that note.

It may be sufficient to simply play the low E so the guitarist can tune that string. They can tune all the other strings relative to that one.

3. Play the notes through again

Once the guitarist has finished the initial tuning it can be helpful to play each note fairly quickly in succession, with the guitarist echoing.

It’s usually fairly obvious if any string isn’t tuned correctly.

Playing through some chords together will also likely throw up any issues, either with the whole guitar sounding ‘sharp’ or ‘flat’ in comparison to the piano, or just a few notes sounding dissonant.

4. Be ready for alternative tunings

This process is exactly the same for a guitarist who wants to tune the instrument to non-standard tuning. Just ask them to name the notes they want you to play and proceed as in step 2.

5. Other instruments

You can also use a similar process for other stringed instruments including bass guitar, cello and violin. The notes and positions will vary by instrument.

Relive the NES with CHIP collection: gorgeous 8-bit sounds

If you’re a fan of 8-bit days and the amazing sounds that designers managed to squeeze from these (by modern standards) fairly primitive boxes, then you’ll love the NES CHIP Collection for Ableton, available for just $20.

Do you want to make chip tunes? Or integrate the sound of the Nintendo NES into your music? You do not have to buy the NES or mess around old gear and software that doesnt quite emulate that natural sound 8 bit sound. These are profesionally recorded samples at 24 bit 96khz bit rate directly from the NES output on the back of the machine. People will actually think you have an NES with midi. Every Square wave, Sine, Noise, and even 8-bit percussive samples.

• 8 Bit Drum WAVE sound files
• Bonus SK1 Drums
• NES Square Waves files
• The NES Sine wave
• Individual NES Noise WAVE files with integrated refill patch!
• Custom NES FX WAVES Files
• Ableton Live Project

NES CHIP Collection

7 New GrooveMaker Packs for the iPad Now Available

Club, Techno, Trance, Electro, Rock, Reggae and Reggaeton

In celebration of GrooveMaker for the iPhone app one-year anniversary, IK Multimedia is proud to release seven more new GrooveMaker packs for the iPad. Debuted in April 2010, GrooveMaker for the iPad now comprises a total of 12 style–based versions including Free, Hip Hop, House, Progressive-Tech House, D’n'B, Club, Techno, Trance, Electro, Rock, Reggae and Reggaeton covering all genres of dance music. This also means that all the packs for the iPhone are now optimised for the iPad.

GrooveMaker for the new iPad offers the same smart features and streamlined workflow as theiPhone/iPod version for making music with loops, but also takes advantage of the new larger multi-touch surface to provide enhanced operation with an integrated, advanced controller.

Pricing, Versions and Availability

7 new GrooveMaker packs for the iPad:

• Club
• Techno
• Trance
• Electro
• Rock Ace
• Reggae
• Reggaeton

GrooveMaker Club contains over 189 loops and is only $6.99/€5.49 from the iTunes App Store.

GrooveMaker Techno, Trance, Electro, Rock Ace, Reggae and Reggaeton contain over 250 loops each and are only $9.99/€7.99 from the iTunes App Store.

Alchemy Preset Design Competition – Win $300!

New sound design talent is always welcome at Camel Audio, and to encourage this they’re offering the chance for as-yet undiscovered sound designers to win up to $300 by submitting a bank of ten presets.

Camel Audio writes:

How to Enter

Create a bank of 10 of your best presets and ensure they adhere to the sound design guidelines, then upload the bank to Camel Audio the user library. Please pay particular attention to make sure that any samples you include were created by yourself, without using any copyright material. Entries must be in by 31st August 2010 at the very latest.

Anyone sending in presets which meet our high standards will receive payment at our usual rate of $30 for each preset (or $60 worth of Camel Audio software) and the winning entry will receive guaranteed payment for all 10 presets ($300 or $600 worth of software).

We will only accept submissions with exactly 10 presets, we will not accept multiple submissions and we will reject any submissions which do not meet our guidelines. Sound designers who have created a signature Sound Library (biomechanoid, Luftrum, Junkie XL…) are not eligible to enter. Winners must sign a sound design agreement clarifying that no copyright material has been used in the creation of the sounds, and assigning the right to distribute the presets to Camel Audio. Presets selected may at Camel Audios discretion be included in the factory sounds for Alchemy or other Sound Libraries.

Check out the sound design tutorial videos (or the ones on YouTube if you don’t own Alchemy). Also, take a look at the manual, and if that doesn’t answer your question swap tips and tricks on our KVR Audio support forum or in the official preset competition thread.

Good luck!

Quick Tip: Try a new voice and stir up your keyboard playing

I’ve got a Yamaha P140S digital piano at home, and for the most part I use the three main piano voices, depending upon what mood I’m in, but I tend not to use the other voices much.

Then the other day I decided to play around with the three electric piano voices, and in fact found that I loved them.

Not only did I love them, but it forced me to play in a different style.

Things that sound great on an acoustic piano don’t always work on an electric piano.

Similarly, things that a normal piano sound can’t give you (ringing echoes or shiny vibrato, for example) are natural on some electric piano sounds.

Of course, if you’ve got a synth you can choose pretty much any sound imaginable, but the beauty of picking other keyboard sounds is that the method of playing them is still natural.

That being said, there’s a big technique and performance difference between playing a piano, an EP, a harpsichord, or any other keyed instrument.

That’s not to say you can’t extend the concept and play a whole range of different sounds, but if you’ve got a digital piano with a few additional sounds, why not crack them open a bit more often than you usually do?

This is an especially good technique if you improvise a lot but have got stuck in a rut. Even if you end up playing the same chord structures, I bet you’ll find new ways of playing to suit the sound.

Experiment and have fun!