SONIC TALK - Inside Music Technology

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.

After I gloat about the Olypmpic medals table, we talk about good working practices to make sure your ears stay healthy when wokring in the studio, then on to manuals paper and otherwise, followed by a spell on Alan Blumlein - grandaddy of stereo recording then the promising Girton Labs SenseSurface a sort of hybrid LCD/ hardware control system, then I wax lyrical about the iPod Touch and the pret...

Mark Tinley, PJ Tracy, Dave Spiers, Rich Hilton and host Nick Batt As well as the Olympic theme and singers and composers of Olympic theme songs, we linger in the backstage area to discuss band riders and unreasonable requests, a quick announcement for the B52's remix competition winner, GigaStudio to be no more, the enigmatic Studio Electronics Omega Orion - to Nelly Hooper and then 6 degrees of...

This week we think back to Thomas Dolby's Windpower which celebrates 26 years since it's release this week, then on to the latest iPhone apps - Beat Maker and a Tenori-on-a-like sequencer, MacBook Touch coming soon? Modular Synth beats, the Nevermind Baby is now 17 - what were we up to?

We take a look at the new Wii MotionPlus addition for the WiiMote which allegedly ads true 1:1 motion control and increases the accuracy of the 3D positioning and it's musical possibilities - it's demonstrated by the new WiiMusic titles with people "playing" various instruments at the recent E3 demo. Then we talk about virtuoso drummers - with plenty of drummer jokes, then on to famous sounds, gre...

This week we bask in the wonderful light shed by Grace Jones and her seminal Slave to The Rhythm album as well as taking a preview of her forthcoming release Hurricane, then we move on to the Nine Inch Nails Google Earth treasure hunt, of course we mention the recent 3G iPhone release then Crazy Coffins and the joy a man can find in choosing the right luggage, then we finish with the future of ret...

We first talk of plastic figurines and memorabilia as inspired by the Keith Emerson doll, then we're off on to Rich's work on Ramones album Subterranean Jungle, Devo take McDonalds to court, Jay Wasco's amazing rendition of Heart of Gold on the Swiss Army Bass and people who can play and sing one more instruments at a time, we then take the Audiocheck.net hearing challenge, then we discuss electro...

Sonic TALK -Sir Ken Robinson At LIMS

This week we talk of creativity, inspiration and divergent thinking thanks to Sir Ken Robinson - who I saw speak at the LIMS show on education day, then we put Rich Hilton on the spot with a legacy question from Dan Austin who wants to know whats the difference between Peak Limiting and Compression and how do you use it? Then the Korg Nano series controllers and we're done.

We skip through the mental futuristic photo browser that is Taggalaxy.de, then on to Krakli Software's rendition of Video Killed the Radio Star, then on to the Moog Guitar which gets it's official launch at Summer NAMM, the Electronic Music Guide, AES, Sonicstate. TV and Prince is 50.

I'd like to shout out a thank you to Dan Austin, who sent in a few topics for us to look at , the first of which is the classic New Order track Blue Monday, drummers who could play tight, then we're on to the reformation of Yazoo with Vince and Alison back on stage "like salmon", Robbie Ryan posts us a comment, the Wizard Master Control program- a funky sequencer, Melloman Walkman based Mellotron...

Starting out with the great Silibil n Brains hoax - two Scottish rappers who fooled the industry for 2 years, Noneric tells us about Snap, we cover Milli Vanilli, the Monkees and Audrey Hepburn too. Mark also has a theory about Pete Doherty and the KLF. Virus targets file sharers, Totally Wired - documentary of Schneiders Buero, Digidesigns' Transfuser grooves on and finally vegetable orchestra an...

Our topics this week range from a quick plug for the WNYC Radio Lab podcasts, intelligence and rhythmic accuracy proves drummers are clever (or does it?), in-ear monitor systems, Lipps Inc. Funkytown, and the largest UK music chain goes down. Finishing up we talk of the Moog guitar, which turns out to be real after all. Somehow from there we get to Toyah Wilcox and dis-lexia - who says we go off t...

We start by drooling over the wonderful treasure trove that is the rare gadgets at Wired.com, ponder Leon Theremins thrilling life and why no Gforce-o-mometer and Citroen DS? Then it's on to Metallica and downloads and of course Some Kind of Monster doc, the scary prospect of an MP3 tax in the UK, some real joy with the B52's remix competition and finally Apple clones on sale - good or no? A big t...

fter discussing the merits of Ostend we move on to the bizarre Beamz laser musical system, then talk boxes get some love - we missed them out last week due to time constraints, then a brief sojourn into music technology spotted at the fair (or carnival if you're US based), Garageband.com get some attention after last weeks Talking Heads topic, Mark's tinitus eq theory, a brief musical interlude fr...

Firstly we talk of old Mother Shipton, who may have forseen the collapse of the TC Electronic and Gibson merger, then we're on to Talking Heads - David Byrne spotted on the Heathrow Express, more on Jori Hulkkonen and his 303 orchestra, the Hobnox web browser 303/909 and fx environment, and finally the classic Oberheim OB2 and related synths.