Bill Pendry wanted to use his PlayStation 3 Rock Band controllers with GarageBand on the Mac, so he’s posted step-by-step instructions to do just that. The secret formula: a wonderful utility that helps you use HID-compatible game controllers on the Mac, sans drivers.

GamePad Companion (US$15 shareware)

Of course, the nice thing here is that the basic steps apply to other controllers, just in case Rock Band doesn’t float your boat (or rock your socks, or whatever).

I ended up choosing kick, snare, two toms and one cymbal, since the other cymbal I wanted was in a inactive area of the keyboard. I re-mapped the keys in GPC, switched back to GB and gave it a try. Success! Samples were triggered correctly, the fast key repeat rate didn’t cause any problems, and latency was basically nil.

The results:

And step by step instructions:
GarageRockBand [billpendry.com blog]

More good news: Bill has updated the post with information on Xbox 360 controller possibilities. Generic Xbox controllers work just find via the Wireless Gaming Receiver. No word yet on the Rock Band controllers, though, and I think they do a little more than the standard controllers. Anyone got an Xbox 360 and a Mac who can tell us if it works?

Previously:
Game Day: Use Rock Band Drums as MIDI Controller - Windows, Yes, Mac, Soon? (and I guess we got our answer!)

Brad Linder is a blogger, freelance journalist, and producer for National Public Radio. If anyone loves mobile recorders, he sure does. He writes in with a great overview of what was happening in mobile recorders at the AES show here in New York, with plenty of detailed information on his blog.

Bridging the gap between music visualizer and game, Masaya Matsurra’s musika brings a unique experience to Apple’s iPod.

Matsurra, best known as the creator of PaRappa the Rapper for the original PlayStation, has long used Apple’s tools as a means of creative expression. He sees the iPod as a natural for interactive music visualization.

“The iPod is a device that revolutionized music and it is now poised to be a progressive gaming platform,” said Masaya Matsuura, President of NanaOn-Sha. “Many years ago Apple’s tools first opened my eyes to the power of music and multimedia, so it’s exciting to release my first game for this device.”

Like Apple’s own Music Quiz, which comes with the iPod, musika uses your own music library as the basis for the game. musika can be a passive experience — just kick back and enjoy the trippy visuals — or a more active one in which you press the iPod’s center button as letters in the song’s title appear. As you score points and advance to higher levels, you are rewarded with additional visual effects.

musika is almost brain-dead simple to play. If it weren’t for the superior eye candy, you’d tire of it very quickly. Let’s face it, despite Matsurra’s enthusiasm, the iPod isn’t much of a gaming platform. But as a quick diversion, it’s perfect. Musika is played with a single button and its use of your own music library is inspired. Just as Snake captured the imagination of an earlier generation of mobile phone users, musika is set to revolutionize mobile gaming.

musika is available for purchase and download from the iTunes Music Store for USD$5. It requires a fifth-generation iPod with iPod software 1.2 or later and won’t work on any other iPod or the iPhone.

Masaya Matsuura (Parappa) Releases musika For iPod [Gamastura]

Two long-time favorite audio editors have gotten big updates recently. BIAS updated the Mac-only Peak Pro at the Messe show with an upgraded UI, ducking, mastering and playlist tools. And yesterday, Sony announced Sound Forge 9, with multichannel features, new mastering effects, and other features. That was quick: Sound Forge 8 and Peak Pro 5 only recently came out. Here are the quick highlights:

At Sony’s NAMM booth I came across this nameless prototype mic pre that matches their popular PCM-D1 flash memory field recorder. No release date, price, or even a name. (If you don’t feel like waiting you might look at the Core Sound Mic2496.) At least Sony’s Oxford plug-ins will start to ship in Audio Units this month.

Sony PSP users: turned off by new-fangled graphical drum machines and wireless Ableton Live controllers? Want to kick it oldskool with a tracker? Check out PSPSeq, which has now matured to version 1.0 (from 0.2). Here’s what’s new:

1. editable parameters on instruments
2. customizable instrument groupings
3. multiple loops/song sequence
4. tap tempo
5. multiple audio presets, new generators/fx
6. improvements and optimizations to many of the generators and fx
7. configurable step length
8. proper swing handling

I have to say, those are some pretty luxurious features for a portable game system tracker, all while maintaining the feel of similar homebrew trackers on systems like the original Game Boy. Not to be overlooked are PSPSeq’s formidable synth capabilities, which sound appropriately glitchy and 8-bit but are capable of producing some unique results. The demo here, built in 0.2, sounds really fantastic — “A Day in the Life of an Android” by billy:

A Day in the Life of an Android

A next-gen game portable sounding like a tripped-out Game Boy? Priceless.

In fact, between this and the aforementioned, more modern software, the PSP is becoming a pretty impressive music system between games of Lumines. Earth to Sony: resistance is futile. Win back much-needed credibility in your core market (ahem, rootkit) and embrace the homebrews instead of fighting them. Sure, that might make the lives of pirates easier, but it’d also attract new attention — and likely hardware sales — to a platform that could use a little extra buzz. And think of the great parties you could hold with PSPSeq DJs glitching out in the booth.

On the subject of great user-built creations Sony has unwisely disabled, this is one of them. Read the fine print for compatibility information:
“PSPSeq runs on all firmwares between 1.0 and 2.71, along with 2.71 SE. PSPSeq is not compatible with 2.80/2.81 and cannot be loaded via devhook or Hen-C.”

For Nintendo fans, visit our sister site CDMotion and witness the Nintendo DS acting as a wireless VJ controller, cueing, scratching, fading, and effecting live video and animation over Wi-Fi:
Nintendo DS as VJ Controller, with vvvv and Homebrew Developer Tools

We saw wireless MIDI and mouse control via the Sony PSP, the creation of media artist and hacker Rob King. Now Rob writes to say he’s finished the first release of his software for controlling Ableton Live directly from PSP, and it’s available as a free download.

PLAYLIVE IS HERE [Rob King's E-mu.org]

The Ableton Live interface is neatly recreated in miniature right on the PSP screen. Features:

1. Wireless control — MIDI sans wires
2. 8 tracks
3. 12 clips per track for clip triggering
4. 4 X/Y pads for joystick-style control (though for touch-X/Y, it’s still all about the Nintendo DS)

Mackie Control emulation is under discussion, but then you wouldn’t be able to use the clip triggers to send MIDI notes. Currently available as a free Windows download, with a Mac version on the way. But even in its current form, this should demonstrate to the folks at Ableton the real breadth of possibilities for controlling their software. Sure, you could have another generic plastic controller and slap an Ableton logo on it, but — Live users can’t be underestimated in their devotion to unique and personal solutions.

Now, we just need wireless MIDI for Nintendo DS. That or else I should take this as a sign that I can justify buying a PSP. Thanks, Rob!

Anyone got a PSP who wants to write up a review of this, let me know!

KAOSS what? On the forums, readers have been watching next-gen mobile gaming systems converted into musical controllers. Hang on to your seats, because we’re going to give three different consoles some love:

The UK Sony PlayStation site has posted Josh Randall’s keynote at the Cybersonica arts fest in London. Josh Randall, a sometimes CDM reader (still out there, Josh?), is Creative Director of Harmonix, the groundbreaking game shop that created Guitar Hero and other interactive music games like Amplitude, Frequency (pictured), and (soon) Guitar Hero II.

Interview with Josh Randall [Video, PlayStation.com]

Cybersonica Keynote Excerpts [Video, PlayStation.com]

Via: Interactive Music for the Masses [Pixelsumo, blog of Cybersonica curator Chris O'Shea]

Josh talks in the interview about the upcoming PS3, Cybersonica, and the possibility of other instruments. (Keytar Hero? Accordion Hero? Ukelele Hero? I’m game, Josh!) In his keynote video, he charts the history and past games of Harmonix, talks about the creation of Guitar Hero and the potential of music games, and looks to the future — not only Guitar Hero II, but the future of musical games in general.

Of course, the convergence of music and gaming remains a story that’s dear to our hearts here. That makes it all the more fantastic seeing Guitar Hero hit the big time. It could be just the beginning.

Yes, I know, there are many video production houses working on weddings and corporate videos who aren’t likely to hire Howard Shore to compose the score. (Well, except for the odd Lord of the Rings geeks tying the knot.) So, it makes sense that we’d see yet another software product that promises to generate the music algorithmically according to a musical genre and custom hit points. Because, of course, it’s not like there are a bunch of composers around hard up for money who would do anything for a gig. Ahem. Sony is teasing their new Wndows-only product Cinescore at the NAB broadcasting show; you can see the details in an online brochure. Basically, it looks like Acid and Vegas, but with the ability to automatically create music rather than assemble it from loops. The brochure even says “Don’t fumble with clunky blocks of prearranged music,” which could be interpreted as a dig at Apple’s Soundtrack and GarageBand, except Sony’s own ACID product started the whole loop rage in the first place.

The problem is, as always, that you’re limited to pre-defined styles, and Sony has included only 20 options. (There are variations; hard to know without hearing it how cheezy it is, but past experience with this kind of product suggests . . . Velveeta.) But look closely at the brochure: clearly, you have everything you need! “High Adrenaline” “Drum ‘n’ Bass”, “High Voltage” Rock, “Fourth World Surge” Ambient (not entirely sure where the Fourth World is, but I guess it’s nations with even more poverty than the Third World?), and, most importantly, Klezmer! (Hey, if you have 20 styles, you better make one of them Klezmer.) I’m sure it’ll go well with the video about . . . parrots . . . shown in the brochure.

I’ll let you know when the demo version is available so the CDM community can unleash its High Adrenaline Klezmer mash-ups on the world.