When I first started composing electronic music, i've always come across the word DITHER. But I have no real concrete idea of it. I have to search high and low to understand the meaning of it. Thereafter, I will try to figure out how to do it on a computer.

To understand more on dither, please go to http://www.earlevel.com/Digital%20Audio/Dither.html for more information.

Labels: audio engineering, computer music, dither

The creator of Zebra VSTi has give us two new freeware synth. The first one is here is Triple Cheese. Download it at http://www.u-he.com/TripleCheese/index.html.



Zoyd has a rich feature set embedded in a semi-modular architecture to produce unique sonic experience. It doesn't try to simulate existing technology and has it's own character. Download it at http://www.u-he.com/zoyd/

Labels: computer music, free VST, synthesizer, VST

Testing 1212 is an online sound engineer dictionary that contain extensive glossary of terms for sound engineers and electronic engineers.

Labels: electronic engineering, sound engineer, sound engineer dictionary

Jamstudio.com is an online music production sequencer. You can write the whole song with this website and save it to your computer in mp3 file.

Check it out at HERE

Labels: Online music production tool, Sequencer

Ubuntu Studio is an official derivative of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, which is explicitly geared to general multimedia production.

Check out Ubuntu Studio at http://ubuntustudio.org/home

Labels: computer music, ubuntu, ubuntu studio

We all have heard of the Circle of Fifths. But not all musicians understand it. HERE is a website that hold the key to uncover the mysteries.

Labels: Circle of Fifths, music theory

VST Oversampler is a VST plug-in that hosts another VST Plugin (both instruments and effects are supported), and oversamples it by 2. This reduces audible aliasing and may improve the high-frequency response of filters, equalizers, etc.

Check out http://chris.r.walton.googlepages.com/oversampler for more information.

Labels: computer music, free VST, oversampler, VST

TubeBaby is a digital simulation of a tube guitar amplifier. As such it features the standard controls found on a real amplifier, namely gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, master and a switch for activating the high gain mode of the preamp stage. The latest version also features a menu that lets you choose between three amplifier types, five cabinet emulations and the amount of high frequency passing through the power amp section.

Click HERE to download TubeBaby



Dirthead is a free tube guitar amp simulator VST effect plug-in for Windows. It features three channels, clean, crunch and ultra that can be activated by clicking on the yellow, orange or red leds. It comes with the usual controls found on guitar amplifiers and additionally a voicing knob that alters some internal poweramp parameters.

Click HERE to download Dirthead

Labels: computer music, guitar, Tube Guitar Amp, Virtual Tube Guitar Amp

A great new site for the Propellerhead Software Reason featuring the semi modular synth, Thor. This site give you a everything you need to know about the powerful monster. Its also contain tutorial of some of the older synths and sampler like the Malstom, Subtractor and NNXT.

To read these stuff, please visit http://www.airtones.net/rug/index.html

Labels: computer music, Malstom, NNXT, Propellerhead Reason, Subtractor, thor

Lets not dream anymore. I have recently stumble upon a site in Squidoo that contain a huge collection of basic electronics to schematics to advanced synth modules. This site contain a Do It Yourself Synth Sites, Other Sound and Electronics Web Sites, Synth Kits, Electronic Component Suppliers, Smaller Projects and Pedals, Miscellaneous Synthesis Projects and Kits, Spring Reverb circuits, Learning About Analog Synthesizer Design and Construction, Learning About Modular Analog Synthesis, Videos of DIY Synths, and Other videos from DIY Synth Makers. A really useful website for a synthesizer maker.

Visit http://www.squidoo.com/buildASynth/ for more info.

Labels: analog synthesizer, electronic music., modular synth

This is fucking crazy! Some music/ electrical geek actually use a tesla coils to play the Super Mario Bros Theme Song. This stuff isn't going through a pair of speaker. In the above video, two Solid State Tesla coils are playing the original Mario Bros theme song at the 2007 Lightning on the Lawn Teslathon sponsored by DC Cox (Resonance Research Corp) in Baraboo WI. The music is created from the sparks. The two Solid State Tesla coils are controlled over a fiber optic link by a single laptop computer. Each coil is assigned to a midi channel which it responds to by playing notes that are programed into the computer software.

Labels: greeks, Super Mario Bro, Tesla Coils

Looper's Delight is one of the website in the vast ocean of Internet that has a good update of looping events and other useful information on loop base music.

Labels: computer music, looping, loops

Dualtone (www.myspace.com/dualtone) is the performing alias of a 20 year old undergraduate currently at the School of Art,Design and Media at NTU.

She has recently released her self-titled EP, on Singaporean electronic music label/collective SILENTT(http://www.silentt.net), on the same day of her most recent gig, held at Home Club.

Her 7-track EP is a blend of melancholic, brooding vocals and dark, industrial, electronic flavoured trip-hop, at times veering towards progressive metal, and includes a few short ambient 'bookend' pieces. ("Sirenus" and "Closure")

The highlights of the EP are "Faultlines" and "Sweet Talker", two intense, caustic, propulsive numbers while "Machine" and "Sue Suicide" are slightly slower trippy, druggy pieces.

The bittersweet, cathartic vocals on the EP have deep roots, as she makes it a point to make songs that are strongly tied to her feelings and emotions. According to her, 'Machine' is about the obsession and idealistic self-delusion of one's existence, while 'Closure' is more about the crashing down of expectations and the forced closing up of unhealed wounds.

The EP also demonstrates Dualtone's polished and varied production skills even at a tender age, which is a nice touch for a debut independent release.

Dualtone is definitely one Singaporean musician to look out for in the future.

You can purchase Dualtone's CD EP for $8 at Straits Records (Haji Lane) or direct from the artist or label at their MySpace sites. International: Order via PayPal online at www.myspace.com/dualtone



*review written by Ikram, 28.10.07* Ikram is also a freelance writer for http://gratisvibes.com/