Steinberg announced today that their Cubase iC controller app for iPhone and iPod touch is now available. If you’re a Cubase 5 user, this app gives you loads of control over your set wirelessly. It looks great, even if you have an existing controller – it’s just like having an extra, more pocket-able remote control. Control features:

• Position: Check out the clever position displays and feedback
• Transport: You can jump to markers, toggle the metronome and precount and cycle, and punch in recording.
• Arranger: Turn arranger on and off, play, and jump within an arrangement. You even get interactive buttons with labels for arrangement points, as pictured below.

If you’re a Cubase user, go enjoy:

Cubase iC

If not, I know what you’re thinking – how can I do stuff like this with other software?

OSC

Of course, imagine if we had a universal, networkable communications protocol that was open enough to adapt to whatever music software might do? You could use messages labeled with functions (like cubase/arrange/stop in this case) and easily communicate between any of your devices.

Yep: we’ve got that already. It’s called OpenSoundControl. Unfortunately, many developers seem to think it requires specialized hardware (not true), or simply don’t understand what it’s for and how to implement it. Hopefully we can work to correct some of those misconceptions over the coming months.

There are, of course, lots of great OSC apps for iPhone like OSCemote, TouchOSC, and MrMr. And that means, vendors, there’s a now 30-million+ installed user based on this device alone. Think about it, won’t you?

Mackie Control

While we wait for the Coming of OSC, a decent function in the meantime is Mackie Control Universal, which maps standard functions to MIDI messages. iTouchMIDI (iTM) MCU, seen here in the fall, implements the protocol for iPhone. You do need an app at the other end for Mac or (recently added) Windows. But you get some decent functions. It’s a bit Ableton Live-centric, as you can see from the Scene, Clip, Loop, and Back to Arrangement buttons. But the faders and transport should still work with other tools, like Reason, Logic, Tracktion, and Reaper. (In fact, with Reaper’s custom controller layouts, you might be able to put those specialized Live buttons to use, with the right scripts – I’ll have to try that.)

iTouchMIDI MCU

If you put any of these solutions to work in your studio or on the road, we’d love to hear about it!

Sometimes, audio products come in sexy, exciting packages. But sometimes, they simply solve a set of problems. And the products that fit into the latter category can be as beloved (dare I say sexy), if not more so.

Since I first saw a prototype in the fall, I’ve been eagerly awaiting trying out Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100. It immediately resonated with features I wanted to see in hardware. Rather than talk the specs, let’s talk about the kind of problems you might like to solve in your mobile rehearsal, production, and performance rig:

• You want to mix live, but don’t want to carry a mixer. You’ve got a laptop set, but you’re mixing it with other sources – and you want to be able to add live instruments / voices / Nintendo DS / circuit-bent creations to your main output without routing through the computer (which also saves your bacon when the machine crashes / you accidentally overload the CPU in Live)
• You want to record your live sessions. ‘Nuff said. Sure, you have a portable recorder, but then you have to patch it in…
• A lot of the time, you reach for the mouse because a control surface wasn’t convenient. And then there’s the fact that, while keyboards now often have mixer controls, the faders aren’t motorized.
• You want to carry less gear, but you really need an audio mixer and some live effects and some recording and a control surface for your software mix.

And, of course, yours truly has been sort of encouraging all of these problems with talk of Game Boys and iPhones and custom-built Theremins and actually playing live instruments and pushing your Live set to the envelope and … oh yeah, then you want to record the whole thing.

I can’t vouch for whether the V-Studio 100 fulfills all my wishes just yet, because I don’t have the thing here. But while there are inevitable compromises in multi-function designs, the V-Studio 100 is set up in a way that appears to come close to what I think a whole lot of us need as laptop musicians. And despite the Cakewalk name, it’s actually aimed at users of a variety of Mac and Windows tools:

• Control surface with motorized fader: One motorized, touch-sensitive fader, plus 5 rotary encoders, 11 buttons, transport controls; supports Mackie Control and SONAR’s ACT
• Standalone mixer: 8 ins, 6 outs, headphones – mix while in audio interface mode or on its own
• Built-in effects: 4 reverb types, 6 channels of EQ and compression – so you can add effects to instruments / vocals in the box without having to worry about adding latency by routing through the computer
• USB 2.0 audio interface: 8 in + mix / 6 out, 24/96, 2 mic pres with phantom power, Hi-Z guitar in, MIDI I/O, ASIO, WDM, WASAPI, Core Audio support
• SD recording: 2-channel recording to SD cards in both standalone and interface modes, so you can make recordings whenever. SDHC-compliant, so you can add up to 32GB cards – and the 8GB and 16GB cards have been surprisingly cheap.
• Bundled software, including Vocal Strip: The Vocal Strip to me is the star, with vocal-specific processing tools, but there are also specialized Channel Tools, Peak Limiter, and LE versions of Guitar Rig, Dimension, and Rapture, plus an entry-level SONAR for PC

So, it’s a:

• controller
• gig recorder
• practice tool
• audio + MIDI interface
• mixer
• effects box

You can pretty quickly see how much you get into a compact setup. Sure, you could get a single motorized fader as on the FaderPort, and tote a portable mixer, and an audio interface, and a mobile recorder, but having them all in one box is a heck of a lot more convenient – less to buy, less to lug, and less to plug. The SD portion has some of the rehearsal-friendly features people like on Roland’s mobile recorders: markers, looped playback, and even a metronome. Also, the use of Mackie Control means the controller potion could make a nice companion for the likes of Logic or Ableton Live, not just SONAR. There’s not a lot there to control, but just having transport and a fader map correctly is a relief.

Of course, my general excitement aside, what makes this live or die is the way the dividing line is drawn between the standalone and computer-integrated functions. That’ll be top on my list in testing.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the price ballpark I heard sounded quite reasonable, so I expect this will turn out to be a pretty good value. I’ll keep you posted. June is currently the planned date.

As you know, my policy is generally not to post press releases, but in this case I think there will be some delay before the same information is available on Cakewalk’s site. In lieu of the link, enjoy (excerpted):

Essential tools for music production in one affordable package
SONAR V-Studio 100 elegantly combines the most essential tools needed by today’s modern music producers and performing musicians in a compact and affordable package.

· High Speed USB 2.0 Audio Interface

· Universal DAW Controller

· Personal Digital Mixer

· SD WAV Recorder

· VS Production Pack suite of virtual instruments and effects (Mac/Win)

· SONAR VS digital audio workstation (Win)

Use SONAR V-Studio 100 with or without a computer

SONAR V-Studio 100 Hardware Features

High Speed USB 2.0 Interface

SONAR V-Studio 100 is a high quality USB 2.0 audio and MIDI interface utilizing world-class Roland engineering design and component technology.

· 8 in + mix / 6 out, 24-bit/96 kHz quality

· 2 mic pre-amps w/phantom Power, hi-z guitar input; MIDI I/O

· ASIO, WDM, WASAPI, Core Audio support

· Compatible with DAWs such as SONAR, Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer

Universal DAW Controller

SONAR V-Studio 100 is a universal DAW controller that supports all popular digital recording software for Mac/PC via Mackie control protocol, including Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer. Additionally, V-Studio 100 provides extended control capabilities over SONAR through the implementation of Cakewalk’s Active Controller Technology (ACT).

· 100 mm motorized, touch-sensitive fader

· 5 rotary encoders, 11 buttons and transport control

· Use with any DAW through Mackie Control protocol

· Advanced control of SONAR through Active Controller Technology

Personal Digital Mixer

SONAR V-Studio 100 is an ideal digital mixer for small groups or solo performers who need easy control of few instruments and vocals mics; DJs, MCs, and any electronic musician who needs to mix multiple sound sources. All users can enhance their live sound with the pro-quality on-board effects which offer easy routing and accessibility.

· Ideal for mixing small bands, solo musicians, DJs, home studios

· 8 inputs, 6 outputs plus headphones

· 4 types of reverb and 6 channels of EQ and Compression

Mobile SD Recorder Live Player

SONAR V-Studio 100 can capture that creative moment whenever inspiration strikes by providing high quality digital recording that can be used without being connected to computer. Record directly to the VS-100’s SD-card to capture song ideas, rehearsals, or live performances. Create backing tracks on your DAW of choice and transfer them to the VS-100’s SD-card for playback during live performance (even while recording). Likewise, recorded performances can be easily transferred from the VS-100’s SD-card for additional editing, tracking, and sweetening.

· Record away from your computer

· 2 channel wave recording and playback

· Capture rehearsals and live performances

· Play and record along to backing tracks

· Built-in metronome

· Insert markers during record and playback

· Loop a region for practicing parts or jamming

· Easily transfer audio to and from any computer via USB

SONAR V-Studio 100 Software Features

VS-100 Production Pack (Win/Mac) suite of effects and instruments includes:

VX-64 Vocal Strip is a seven-stage processor designed specifically for shaping and sculpting incredible sounding vocal tracks. Each of the VX-64’s stages have been fine-tuned to be vocal-specific, taking the work out of dialing in an entire chain of vocal processors.  The VX-64 features a new Cakewalk technology that employs phase-coherent, multi-band saturation to avoid unwanted distortion; unique filtering to avoid harsh artifacts at extreme high and low frequencies; and an auto-leveling circuit that prevents the tube saturation from sounding too harsh when high gain transients are processed by it. VX-64 also employs a new de-essing algorithm designed with Cakewalk’s LP64 linear phase effect filtering technology to remove sibilance without creating any frequency smearing.

Processing stages include:

• Input – simulates a tube pre amp
• De-esser – removes sibilance without smearing
• Compander – vocal compressor with an expander to reduce unwanted background noise
• Tube EQ – for adding character ranging from subtle warmth to intense heat to the vocal
• Doubler – advanced doubling effect providing the quality of actual re-tracking
• Delay – preset delays useful for vocal tracks with tempo sync
• Output – provide saturation control with a built in soft-clipping filter
• Order of processor stages is user definable with click & drag reordering

Channel Tools — provides easy and powerful control over individual placement of the left and right channels anywhere in the stereo field. Ideal for adjusting L/R channel placement, gain, pan/width, and phase; also provides a widening or narrowing effect to stereo recordings through adjustments to mid-side gain.

Boost 11 Peak Limiter — gives your tracks radio-ready punch through transparent peak limiting and volume maximization without additional coloring of the source material. Boost 11 employs a "look-ahead" limiter and PDR (Program Dependent Release) to provide professional results with a simple interface.

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 LE — built on the latest award-winning guitar amp modeler from Native Instruments; 3 amps and cabinets, 11 effects, tuner, metronome, and over 50 presets.

Dimension LE — a streamlined version of the acclaimed Dimension Pro instrument from Cakewalk. Dimension LE features over 400 sound programs, ranging from bass, organ, and electric piano samples to cutting-edge synth sounds, rhythmic grooves, and a special edition of Garritan Pocket Orchestra.

Rapture LE — is a special version of the award winning Rapture wavetable synthesizer. It includes over 200 programs and hundreds of oscillator shapes. Rapture LE is perfect for performing the modern synthesized sounds igniting today’s pop, dance, and electronic music.

Cakewalk Studio Instruments — a collection of four virtual instruments that provide a fast and easy way to create backing tracks using a photo-realistic, interactive user interface. Instruments include a Drum Kit, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano, and String Section.

SONAR VS digital recording software (PC only) — a special entry level DAW based on the powerful SONAR 8 audio engine but offering a streamlined user interface.

What could a pocket-sized computer be? It could be a new kind of album extra (yawn), a new kind of generative musical format that samples and responds to the world around it (whoo). It could be a more effective controller (fun), or an Indian drone (really). The Apple iPod touch / iPhone, as always, brings both wonder (potential as an art platform or recording device) and trouble (respectively, restrictions on who can see your art and problems actually getting mic input or transferring files). So here’s this week’s snapshot of what’s happening on Apple’s micro-sized pocket Mac phone mediaplayer thing.

First, some quick updates that I’m genuinely pleased about:

Controller Updates

A lot of you have been having a great time with OpenSoundControl and the OSCemote tool released last week. It’s worth noting that even if you don’t have an OSC-compatible app, you can use a tool like OSCulator (Mac) or GlovePIE (Windows) to use this as a controller.

But here’s some more good news: the iTouchMIDI apps are making their way onto the iTunes app store, now under the name “iTM.” You no longer need Leopard to run the Mac client that receives MIDI over wifi, and creator Nonnus says a Windows client is coming soon, too. iTM MCU, the all-in-one software controller, is available now (pictured above), as are a number of apps including the free iTM MidiLab. Well worth giving these a try; I expect to post hands-on information soon.

Version 1.3 has made improvements in reliability (see Palm Sounds for more). By working with Mackie Control, you can integrate more tightly with software like Ableton Live, Apple Logic, and the like.

i, Art Platform?

I’m hearing a lot of speculation that Apple’s mobile devices could be a platform for artwork. I certainly like the idea of having a mobile palette to create intimate digital performances; I wondered this aloud on Create Digital Motion after seeing a mock-up of a sensor-driven, faux 3D animation. With tiny devices, tiny screens, and tiny projectors, the idea of creating something personal has some appeal. But as I hear more word of people making this kind of work, I wonder: if exclusively targeting Apple’s gadgets, isn’t there a danger not only of limiting the audience to gadget owners, but becoming overly tied to Apple’s proprietary platform?

With that caution in mind, here’s a very interesting app called RjDj that makes use of the accelerometer to respond to surroundings and even samples sounds via the mic:

And here are some folks playing with it:

(See coverage on Making Music, and screen shots and lots of info on the RjDj blog.)

The idea is not just a single work, but a collection of works by different artists which you can manipulate — work that’s never the same twice.

Most interesting, the RjDj team is using Pd (Pure Data); not only is it open source and multi-platform, but Pd’s scenes structure is perfectly suited to this kind of generative, interactive music. (No accident that Pd was also used in the creation of the generative Brian Eno soundtrack for the upcoming game Spore.) I’m quite eager to hear how he’s able to make Pd work and get this approved on the App Store, but we’ll see. Expect more detailed coverage soon, as I’m really looking forward to having a conversation with the developers about the possibilities of non-linear, generative, and interactive musical works, on mobile devices and beyond.

While on the subject…

He tends more toward the visual side, but Chris O’Shea reflects on the possibilities of software art. So far, Andreas Muller and Golan Levin each have works coming, though interestingly just ports of previous works, not actually new stuff for iPhone.

Snow Patrol and More

MusicRadar reports that SnowPatrol are planning an iPhone app release with their album. Wired’s Listening Post reports that this is just the tip of the iceberg; expect iTunes releases to have accompanying apps with interactive album extras.

Okay, I’ll say it: this sounds actually pretty dreadful. The iPhone and iPod touch already have online connections, yet I imagine many of these “apps” will simply duplicate existing content. If these really extended the album artistically in the way that brilliant album cover art did, that’d be one thing, but it’s hard not to be skeptical. And everyone seems to forget that this idea has been tried before, with various takes on “enhanced CDs.” I owned quite a few of these back when we are all buying CDs. I don’t think I ever saw the feature used in an interesting way, and the storage capacity wasn’t actually all that different.

That said, I’d love to prove me wrong. Speaking of Brian Eno, maybe a fully generative EnoApp? Or perhaps Laurie Anderson releasing some cool interactive experience? (Anyone remember the Puppet Motel CD-ROM from Voyager, or was I one of the only owners?)

Still, here’s my bet: the really smart artists will unshackle themselves from Apple distribution altogether, and release “content” on formats that allow a more expansive experience. Think DVDs or Blu-ray discs in hand-crafted cases, or limited prints, things that are the tangible counterpart to the digital realm.

A Visualizer

I wondered if someone would figure out a way to do this: iQualizer is a visualizer for your phone. I imagine this won’t do wonders for your battery life, but having spent more than my share of time blissing out at my computer monitor when the first mass-market visualizers appeared in the 90s, I can see the appeal.

iQualizer, via Palm Sounds

Next step: an easy tool for developing your own, so you can use the video out jack of an iPod or iPhone to add live visuals behind your band.

Recording

It’s kind of silly that Apple leaves out recording to begin with, and even skimps on including a mic at all on the iPod touch. But filling the void is Plum Amazing’s Plum Record:

Plum Record Page | iTunes Download Link

Now, that leaves only two problems. First, there’s the mic. I spoke to Plum’s Julian Miller, and he confirmed that you should be able to use the app on an iPod touch by buying a third-party mic (which could theoretically improve upon the iPhone mic’s quality, as well). But Plum hasn’t personally tested these, and neither have I — anyone out there gotten one of those mics?

Second, there’s the issue of how to get the files to and from your computer. In their infinite wisdom, Apple has decided you shouldn’t have any way to get files on or off their device outside of iTunes. Plum has a “server” app that you run on your computer to make this happen — Mac only for now, but with Windows and Linux coming soon.

All in all, it’s anything but an ideal recording situation, but if you just want to make a quick recording of a musical idea or practice session, it could do in a pinch. And I love the interface. This could be a fantastic way of keeping an audio “diary” of sorts, if we could just solve the mic problem.

Let us know if you try any third-party mics.

Go Indian: Sruti Box

Finally, here’s an app that’s actually unique: Sruti Box emulates the drone used in Indian music and spiritual practices. Creator Henry Lowengard writes, “It’s pretty simple: 12 virtual reeds, four interval scales, chorus, random interval perturbation, timbre adjustment. In this case, simplicity is good.”

US$2.99, available now:

SrutiBox Product Page | iTunes Link

Update: There’s a new release that came out as I was writing this (there’s a bit of lag as updates head over to Apple, before they get posted). Henry writes:

version 1.0.1 is available in the AppStore.
SrutiBox 1.0.1 is a minor update from 1.0:

• less off-centered icon (can’t tell from the store, but trust me)
• slower chorus speeds available
• lower base frequency now: 10 HZ (you can get some interesting beating with a low frequency mixed with high harmonics)
• changes to the Instructions.

Known annoying thing: I left in an extra ‘<' in the Instructions page's tuning description table. That is gone in the next version, which may be called 1.1.0, since it's got a lot of changes.

That’s it for this week’s round-up. Releases are settling down a bit, which means time to actually use this stuff and make some music. iPod/iPhone owners, let us know how your experience with these and other apps we’ve mentioned on CDM are going. Non-iOwners, we’re curious to hear what mobile apps and tools you’re into, so let us know that, too.

More iPhone/Touch Music Stuff

Last week’s round-up: iPhone/Touch Roundup: BtBx Acid Bass, iDrum Workflow and Babies, OpenSoundControl App

Mobile Music Platform Survey Results, Plus Beatmaker MIDI Export

iPhone News: iDrum, BtBx In; Mixtikl Out Citing Apple Rules

Pro Tools Controller for iPhone, iPod Touch Available; More DAWs Coming

Noise.io, “First” Synth for iPhone/iPod Touch, Will Bring Gestural FM Synthesis Control

BeatMaker for iPhone: Upcoming Features Q&A, Video Review

Ableton Live controllers are suddenly everywhere, in commercial products and DIY creations. But an in-progress prototype being designed by Serbia-based creator Sasa Djuric, found on the CDM Flickr pool, goes the extra distance to integrate more effectively with the software. The hardware looks more like the on-screen UI, for starters – an elusive objective for many controllers. And by working with the Mackie Control protocol, Sasa is able to make communication between hardware and software fully bi-directional, so the controller gives you essential feedback. There’s even a facility for scratching. The design is based on the popular MIDIbox platform.

Sasa writes with details of what the creation process is like. It’s all still very much in progress, so we’re really excited to see how it evolves into a finished design.

Sasa explains (with videos to follow):

Hi Peter.

As you noticed the controller is still in production. It is in the final stage, but there is still quite a lot to be done. Most boring part of project is finished… assembling, engraving filling, sanding and polishing the buttons. Most of wiring is also done …I hate wires. I couldn`t afford to have messy wiring so I paid special attention to do it tidy because I wanted this controller to be as compact as possible without so really no place for mess.

This controller is designed especially for Ableton Live. There are two reasons for building it myself. First, I really enjoy building my own gear, and secondly, there’s no commercial controller that really comes close enough to what I wanted to have. Beside Live, it could be used with almost the same effectiveness with other music software as it’s heavily based on the Mackie protocol and it is completely configurable. I designed it for myself but I think it is very intuitive for somebody who is using it for the first time. I put a lot of effort into ergonomics and organizing so many controls on a small surface and it was a real challenge. Only thing I wanted to have but I left out is a touchpad, but I can live without it. Most of the digital controls (rotary encoders and buttons) have multiple functions and they are accessed easily using group buttons. Some are reserved for the system, like: window navigation, undo, redo, clip controls, and some are freely assignable for "dub style" sample triggering or FX parameter control. Critical functions like volume, start, stop, record, EQ, cue and sends have dedicated controls and have no multiple functions but it can be changed easily if needed. LEDs are activated from software feedback, not internally which is important for minimizing monitor usage. An interesting feature are LED bars which are common with encoders (LED rings) but not with pots. The controller receives the fader position feedback from Live and represents it as a bar on 15 LEDs. It is designed to be used in combination with faders that have snap function, which means there will be no ugly "jump" if the physical fader doesn’t correspond to the volume position in Live.

All internal construction and buttons are made out of 3,4 and 6 mm laser cut acrylic. I used white sub-panel as I wanted to back illuminate it with white LEDs to have nice rings around the pots, but I might left that idea if space become an issue which is likely to happen. Engraving on the buttons is also done using a laser cutter. Jog wheel is 40 steps optical. Quadrature and top disks are also made out of lasered acrylic. They are mounted on a hard drive spinner motor which serves just as a very durable spinning platform. The core of this controller is Thorsten Klose`s MB64E and MB64 (www.midibox.org). I’m also planing to integrate a MIDI mixer so I it can be used without a PC but only volume controls will be supported. If by any chance I find some more room left at the end I’m planning to integrate a USB sound card. After the controller is finished it will be finally housed into lasercut steel case with aluminum side panels. Those are the plans. But I don’t expect it to changed much.

Best regards and greetings from Serbia.

It’s really brilliant-looking work already. I can’t wait to see the finished project! Best of luck to Sasa with this.

fibra’s photo stream