SONIC TALK - Inside Music Technology

After a quick mention of the new Macs and the i7 processor, we play a burst of the them from the Loveboat in honour of PJ Tracy who's enjoying a late honeymoon on a cruise. Then we start out with a Vince Clarke interview in UK free paper Metro, a quick chat about the international public unveiling of the Roland V-Piano in Bristol, next we discuss the Energy-XT small footprint DAW for Mac/PC and Li...

After shout outs to some of our new Twitter followers (we are sonicnick btw), we lust (well I do) after the new Apple 17 inch MacBook Pro, we get on to some nuts and bolts of touring and how we choose the gear that will make the show go on, the Ryan Gruss the drummer who releases a loop a day and writes a mighty fine blog too, Bebot - the polyphonic synthesiser for the iPhone and iPod touch - Jord...

After wondering where the EMS Synthi 100 system will go that's currently on eBay, and the items for sale in the Michael Jackson auction, we move on to the announcement that company behind Muzak - yes there really is one has announced Chapter 11 after more than 80 years in business, then the discovery that Madonna was last years top earner in the music list from Billboard, we ponder the ethereal wo...

First up we guffaw over the amusing and probably unintentional use of Microsoft's Songsmith vocal accompaniment software wiith some crackers from Billy Idol, The Police and Eminem, then it's the wonderful Diego Stocco's Music From Sand and all that sound design should be, pressing on we tackle Isao Tomita and finally AutoTune seems to be getting a lot of attention at present, we discuss what this...

Sonic TALK116 - Difference Between Dated and Classic?

Our first topic is based on the news that Steve Jobs is leaving Apple for a period of recuperation after the announcement of his illness. Many commentators are predicting the demise of Apple if he leaves them for good, but I'm not so sure. If that were the case, how do are panel handle the loss of a creative plaftorm? Then we're on to Quantum Leap's Silk - the new ethnic sound library from produce...

Sonic TALK114 - Post NAMM Post Mortem 2009

Sonic TALK113 - Happy New Year

Sonic TALK112 - The Christmas Show

We start with an homage to Oliver Postgate - the UK children's TV show creator who passed away this week, then we're on the Stylophone both real and iStylophone versions, then we're on to Christmas themes and No1 singles both UK and US - or rather lack of, then we preview the brilliant Sonic TALK remix from The Circuit Symphony which shows off the excellent VariPhrase technology of the Roland V-Sy...

PJ Tracy, Dave Spiers, Nick Batt. Our first moments are spent marveling in the wonders of Ad Jingles and their creation, with blasts from John Parr and Jonathan Hodge, then we discuss the recently announced Moog Taurus pedals reissue. Then a quote from Blixa Bergfeld on Disquiet gets us onto the topic of originality, then we talk about Raysgigs.com - a site where Ray Morrissey lists over 5000 gigs...

Dave tells us the latest installment from the weird world of hearing and balance tests and we ponder a positive word beginning with X, which takes us to Xanadu, Mark's theta wave podcast gets a mention, then we're on to the world's thinnest speakers, made of carbon nanotubes, Ray Kurzweil wonders if machines can have souls - discuss, then we're on to a topic sent in from Kayle Clements about repla...

First PJ tells us all about his recent Emmy winning experience, Dave pines for his new Roland D550 and MKS70, then we move on to the WiiMote to MIDI, Jordan Rudess shreds on the nanoKeys, then we ponder the merits of Resort Studios - Nassau Compass Point especially, then we're on to rare synths we have played..

We talk of the ZX Spectrum sound chip, last weeks Music Live! show in Birmingham, and AudioNerd's new plug-in TemperTemper which is a Microdiatonically Equal Tempered Metronome - a click that can be in tune with your track. Then it's on to the new Bond movie and jack White's theme tune and drum sound, FourTrack for your phone - old school for today, long-term relationships with electronic musical...

Electoral preamble aside, we move on to the subject of AsioHead's homework, who gamely rose to the challenge set last week to finish a track by this week - in fact we have two! Well done mate. Then we're on to the Yamaha Tyros 3 - the uber arranger keyboard as demonstrated by Martin Harris, which brings back memories of major chords for Dave Spiers, then more madcap research from those Microsoft b...

After hellos and discussion of various ailments we move on to the current economic climate and what that might mean for music, as well as plucking a few artists from the charts in the last two Uk recessions, then we're on to Dr Pepper and Chinese Democracy - thats the new album/single from Axel Rose, the mesmerizing Daito Manabe's MAX/MSP twitch patch video is up next, followed by the forthcoming...

After Dave Spiers tells us about his hearing tests from earlier today, we talk of the iTunes Genius recommendation system and other similar services, then its the great Reason bassline challenge and the panels own favourite b-lines, Nick embarrasses himself with girls singing about synthesizers, then we ponder the 7 music trends whose return must be stopped, which takes us into the world of warbli...

This week Mark is excited about his new iPhone app RJDJ which does seem pretty nifty, we then talk of the new Apple laptop range which seems to have omitted musicians and video producers from it's possible customer base by the exclusion of FireWire on the Mac Books and only FW800 on the MBPros, we touch on the panels experiences with the new Spectrasonics Omnisphere mega instrument, then we take a...

So this weeks show covers, Punk meets butter as Johnny Rotten appears in a butter ad in the UK - we wonder if it's all gone wrong and at what point is it acceptable to take the money and run. Then Dave drops a massive hint on the next 80's band to reform, Mark shows us an interesting duet between Le Bon and Debbie Harry, then we discuss the new Roland Cakewalk V-Studio, ProTools 8 and a time/pitch...

As this is episode 101, we indulge our grumpier sides and talk about things that really annoy us in the studio world, but not before we marvel at Matt Mahaffey's amazing rendition of classic AC/DC track Back in Black on drums and Omnichord, then we discuss the recently delayed release of the Linn Drum II and the availability of Dave Smiths new Mopho desktop synthesizer. Then we discover who are pa...

Sonic TALK100 - The Champagne Issue

First up we remember the voice of Don LaFontaine, Mr movie trailer himself, then we ponder the SPL Transient Designer which seems to be used so much these days, another brief spell remembering Richard Wright keyboard player with Pink Floyd, the wonderful International Dance Party machine and other party machinery and finally the Korg M3 Xpanded and other workstationery.

After thanking the powers that be for not obliterating us in the Cern particle accelerator experiment that took place on the morning of our recording, we move on to Sony's latest laptop recall gaffe, then the new HG Fortune The Dream Machine self generating VST synth, then the first 100 Million views for a Youtube video goes to.... After which we ponder the new Waldorf Blofeld keyboard and how Sug...

First up we ponder the significance of Universal Audio's latest UAD-2 Sharc powered DSP plugins and examine their claims in detail, then we run from the awesome attack of the musical robots - is no one safe? After which, we discuss the new wave of DIY stompboxes and otherwise, followed by EQ tips and pratice.

Firstly we talk of Creamfields and other weather dependent activities, then we're into Slau's response to Rich Hilton's question on M&S mic tecnhnique, sound libraries on hard discs and other sound effects related chat, then we talk of music that makes us cry, Psychedlic Furs and then to a topical politics in music.