Found this little toy on the interesting yet random & oh so powerful StumbleUpon.com The musically perfect way to kill some time, as if there isn't enough time wasters on the web, here's another one. Angry Octopus developed this little baby Moog toy synth for online use whenever you feel so inclined. If you follow the second link below you can check out his other online synthesizer emulations too. (Yamaha CS01, Korg Monotron, Roland Juno 6, plus more!) All of the synths are hosted online and free to play around with right from your browser. They respond to MIDI too, so feel free to jam away on your MIDI keyboard. Twist some knobs, smash some keys, rock out & have fun! That's what it's all about!
I first saw this little beast on Livid's facebook page, the product has since been made more famous, post its appearance in Sweedish House Mafia's video for One. You know that madness in the beginning of the song? That's all from the OP-1. You're intrigued now, might as well keep reading.
The OP-1 is a portable synthesizer that also features MIDI & Teenage Engineering's exclusive "tape" feature. Inside is multiple types of synthesis (8 to be precise) including a form of analog emulation for you tone lovers. Most of you are used to controlling synthesis through the basic ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelope which is obviously built in to the OP-1. But, the OP-1 also features other types of envelope forms giving you even more control and customization over the sounds you create on the OP-1. Add to this a built in sequencer and sampler for creating drum loops and small samples of program info. The synthesis and drum sampler are all cool enough but, that isn't really what sets the OP-1 apart.
What does make it quite unique is the OP-1's "tape" emulation function. With this little tool you can record and manipulate sounds you've created to the tape function (HD) in real time. It's a 4 track tape recorder that's capable of capturing sound from the built in synth/sampler or from the inputs available with the OP-1's audio interface. A tape machine can in fact be a very cool sounding instrument. The first time I hit play on a 24 track I instantly re-wound the tape to record the sound of the tape starting up. It's truly an epic sound and while the OP-1 obviously isn't a Studer, it does it's best to emulate the effects of one. There are a ton of unique sounds you can concoct using the tape feature that will surely set your music apart from the masses. There's a small built in mixer so you can easily blend the sounds between the 4 tracks you've built up while jamming on top of the OP-1. The OP-1 connects to your computer via USB and shows up as a storage device. This allows you to easily pull material you've created onto the OP-1 right into your DAW for mixing and placement into your songs. The USB functionality also enables the OP-1 to act as a basic MIDI controller.
The built in audio interface features in's & out's via 3.5mm jacks @ 24bits & 96kbps. The OP-1 also has a small built in speaker so you can jam anywhere, did I mention the unit can be battery powered. Another neat feature of the OP-1 is it's G-Force motion sensor. This allows the user to shake or move the OP-1 complete with an effected audio response from the OP-1. Shake this beast and the sound will in turn shake as well! There is even rumors from Teenage Engineering that you will be able to connect multiple OP-1's for jamming with your friends without wires. That's what I just said, wireless digital jam sessions! The OP-1 might be worth buying just to keep in your glove box for long road trips with people like me who don't shut the hell up.
The OP-1 has gotten incredibly fantastic reviews from the audio world and if it's good enough for Sweedish House Mafia it's certainly good enough for all of us! You can't buy the OP-1 yet but as soon as you can I'll surely let you all know via ZeSoundSuite! Check out the video below of the OP-1 in action and for more information on the OP-1 & the company behind it; Teenage Engineering be sure to check out their webstie!
First and foremost I'd like to apologize for the stagnation of posts as of late. There was way too much on my plate and I was simultaneously hit with some personal issues I had to figure out. I had to do some major prioritizing with a very important new job as well as new mixing & mastering clients. Ze Sound Suite is in its infancy so unfortunately it got pushed to the back burner while I got all these other responsibilities under control. I really love teaching and love sound even more, creating this blog is a dream that has manifested itself into reality no matter how small it is. Hopefully one day with your help Ze Sound Suite will become my one and only priority, for now though, I have to balance my work with my hobbies, Now... lets get to why you're all here. To get some geek flowing!
No... Not me, another person sharing this amazing name with me has created quite the resource for all of you Ableton geeks. Nick's Tutorials is the online world of Nick Maxwell's Ableton tutorials. Nick set out to fill the gap left by most popular tutorial videos. He saw that everything available to consumers was relatively similar and decided to start creating Ableton tutorial videos that focus on much more than just the standard basics. Nick works as a sound designer and composer who's here to help all of you to create that sound your looking for in your productions.
I discovered Nick's Tutorials while randomly geeking out and doing some searching for new things to learn. I sent him an email requesting a little bit of information about himself and his website. He was more than helpful and I really appreciate it. So in recognition of him taking the time to chat with me, show him some love by reading this post and then giving Mr. Maxwell a visit at his website dedicated to enhancing the Ableton experience for thousands of users around the world!
At Nick's Tutorials there is a wealth of video tutorials on Ableton. Most of them are free but a few subjects are available for purchase. These dive deeply into the hidden potentials of Ableton and what it truly has to offer. Take a minute and check all 4 of these tutorial videos out. You might learn something new and that my friends, is the point of it all. Below is a breakdown of what Nick's tutorials has to offer you. Nick provides video clips from the series so you can see what you're getting yourself into before you drop the cheese. Keep in mind that this series of tutorials will surely demystify Ableton but, they also give you the basic knowledge you need to take your skills onto other programs and instruments.
Nick's Ableton Live Tutorials
Sound Design in Ableton Live: Analog: This 3 hour and 40 minute tutorial video aims to answer all of your sound synthesis questions as well as serve as an in depth guide into Ableton's most powerful instrument; Analog. In addition to being introduced to the world of subtractive synthesis and Analog the video also comes with ready made instrument rack presets. Now you've got all the sounds you will learn to create before you even start the video. From nicktutorials.com; "Unlike a lot of other tutorials, these videos explain each decision in the sound design process rather than simply moving forward and assuming that you know exactly what's going on. This is not a "paint by numbers" tutorial series but rather an attempt to empower you to do this stuff on your own. I invite you to join me for a few hours and learn the amazing sonic potential of Analog!"
Sound Design in Ableton Live: Operator: This tutorial covers the world of FM synthesis and Ableton's own Operator FM Synthesizer. Nick's aiming to change the game of FM synthesis instruction, offering a practical and simple approach to exploring the world of FM Synthesis while giving you the knowledge you need to master Ableton's Operator. Nick's goal in this tutorial isn't to show you how to create specific sounds. Instead, he offers an application based approach that instructs from basic to advanced to get you on the path of creating your own sounds. The information in this tutorial will be applicable for your entire life of production and you will find yourself using the knowledge from it in multiple scenarios far beyond the world of Ableton and Operator.
Sound Design in Ableton Live: Sampling Tools: Anyone can download a sample library full of hard hitting loops and catchy leads. If you're looking to take someone's work and use it as the bulk of "your own" productions, stop reading right now. However, if you're looking to create your own sonic space and unique sound for your listener then you might want to take a look at this tutorial series. This tutorial delves deep into the realm of taking normal sounds and turning them into something quite unique and your own. Here's a breakdown from nickstutorials.com highlighting just a few of the things you will learn in this series of tutorials.
-FIND out how to transform tiny, insignificant sounds into powerful drum hits through strategic uses of layering, tuning, filtering, and envelope modulation.
-CREATE a pseudo-wavetable synthesizer out of a few tiny chunks of audio. You’ll also learn how to create rich melodic pads and lead sounds.
-DRAMATICALLY alter and improve melodic sounds through slicing and reprocessing.
-UNDERSTAND how to utilize a combination of modulating sampler and effects parameters to create evolving textures and sound beds.
-DEVELOP a clear way of dividing a large number of parameters into small, manageable groups of related sound-shaping tools.
As you can see these tutorials aren't your average beast. With these you defenitly get what you pay for. You could spend years and years combing over live as well as countless books and material on various sound design methods or you could shell out a few ducketts and have a professional who's been working in the industry be your guide to the massive world of Ableton Live. And.... Guess what??? We're not even done yet, there's still one more for me to show you guys!
Sampling & Slicing in Ableton Live: This tutorial explores the world of sampling and editing within Live. Ableton can be used in so many ways and is so massive it's easy to get lost and furthermore, quite overwhelmed. Have no fear though. Once again Nick is going to make this a lot easier on your brains and stress levels. This series explores the side of Ableton needed to create sample based productions (DJ's looking to use live, this is your new beezy) Below is a video clip from the tutorial series as well as a breakdown from Nick's website giving you a little taste of what you will be learning in this set of tutorials!
-HOW to sample audio into Ableton Live for further processing.
-HOW to interface your turntable and other audio hardware with Ableton Live.
-ESSENTIAL techniques for layering samples to create massive, custom-tailored percussive sounds, including the effective use of filter enveloping and compression to thicken your sounds.
-HOW to utilize audio clips in preparation for slicing them up.
-THE controls and feature set of Ableton's included sampling device, Simpler.
-POWERFUL methods for creating a rich, evolving chord from simple melodic stabs.
-THE controls and features of the Drum Rack device, including how to create your own Drum Rack custom presets.
-HOW to create exciting new arrangements from simple loop-playback adjustments.
-EFFICIENT methods for rearranging, modifying, and resampling your work for further processing.
As you can clearly see Nick has created quite the resource for all of you Ableton geeks. This isn't some tutorial series for those wanting to sound the same as everyone else. It's a tutorial series designed to give you the power to create your own sounds. Everyone that uses Ableton is using the same tools, it's how you use them sets you apart from the masses. These tutorials will demystify Ableton for a lot of you and in no time you too will be creating quite the musical expiernce for anyone that listens to your tracks! I also took the time to ask Nick for some information about the future of his website and tutorial ventures. If you think what he has now is great just wait, he let me in on some ideas of his for the future, I'll now pass those onto all of you! "The future definitely holds exciting things in terms of expanding out into other software and instruments. Native Instruments Absynth and Massive have both been in heavy rotation, and Renoise has been inspiring quite a bit as of late, too. I'm also planning an electronic music workflow series where I go through the production of a simple track using sound design techniques from my other series along with teaching people basic mixing and composition." For more information on Nick Maxwell and his Tutorials please visit his website at www.nickstutorials.com
