The days (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) have grown shorter, so it’s time to put in some extra hours working on music production. Native Instruments have released a big selection of synthesis sounds, sampled instruments, and multiple effects in a free, Kore Player-based instrument, in case you haven’t already heard the news via NI’s site. While they’re presets, there are enough macro controls and variations that, combined with your own effects, you can certainly make these your own. And if nothing else, you can drown out the sound of overplayed holiday picks – just make yourself a soundscape, put it on your iPod or phone, plug in those earbuds, and have a Very Spaced-Out Holiday instead.

Holiday Selection 2009

Incidentally, Kore Player works just fine for me on Linux using WINE, as do NI’s own audio interfaces, so you can even spread the goodness to the penguin-themed operating system.

Miss the Clapper ads? Want to randomize your music sounds by clapping your hands? (You! Kore! I demand you randomize my player! Make it so!)

Guiliano Cantini, an enterprising Pd (Pure Data) patcher, has done that with a simple patch routed to Kore Player. The combination is free and works on just about any OS. Silly, perhaps, but then it also demonstrates some of the fun you can have with performance rigs.

Naturally, this patch could be easily ported to Max/MSP and any MIDI-receiving software, not just Kore, but I do like this combination. I’ve written up some more details on how you can get this rig going your own using the downloadable, free patch, for our Kore site. (To my knowledge, Reaktor doesn’t have exactly the same sort of transient detection possibilities, so I think Pd is the right choice here.)

Hand Claps Randomizing Kore Settings, with Pd [kore+CDM]

Thanks, Guiliano! Keep this stuff coming.

Previously in free Pd patching adventures:
How to Turn Theremin into MIDI, Free with Pd