You’ll be able to listen to us on the go. Check us out on your mobile device today. You’ll be able to stream music from here flawlessly even on 3G networks! We’re having issues with Safari and Firefox due to limited HTML 5 support but on Google Chrome it’s perfect. As more support is provided you will see better performance. We will soon be changing Deftune’s entire layout as well so stay tuned. Feel free to send us some comments and feedback!

It’s inevitable that the iPad should revolutionize the way music is produced and played live. Apple has already revolutionized the way music is distributed and it looks like the innovations keep coming at a tremendous rate. I was blown away recently when I was lucky to see it in action and witnessed its simplified workflow and smooth response. If you were to compare it to your typical computer system loaded with your favorite music programs i.e. Pro Tools, Logic Pro, or Ableton there would a lot more setting up to do before you can start creating let alone worrying about the right type of midi controller to get. If you look closely at the video with my friend Mario as he tears apart Propellorhead’s Rebirth, the classic program that emulates the Roland 303, 808, and 909 you’ll see that there’s hardly any set up involved, just tap on the icon and get creative. He literally had a full production going within a minute of turning it on. You can hear me laughing hysterically like a little kid who just got a new Xbox 360 for Christmas. LOL. I also had a vid of the Electribe app by Korg but I’m having issues with the video file so you’ll have to wait on that. There’s also a couple of software synths featured in the video that you should check out.

If you hook it up to a serious recording rig it would be unstoppable. Just buss it out to a stereo input hit record and start pounding away. Another great feature is the space saving potential. Rather than having to worry about cables, keyboard stands, and the whole nine, you just have this thin piece of creatively engineered technology that’s smaller than the size of a medium sized notebook that allows you to make anything your soul desires. There are scores of apps already lined up for the iPad, all of which will be available with the click of a button. Some things I’d like to see are ways you can connect multiple iPads together with sync capability and sharing of information within the music apps. I’d also like to see a feature that would allow you to easily export your audio files via a wi-fi enabled server. A high quality DA converter would be nice or a straight digital audio connection to your computer would be ideal. Apple, make it happen please. Steve, you already let me down with my whole laptop fiasco so please make sure this gets added to the high priority list. THANKS. Anyway, The potential as you can see is endless. If you’re making electronic music this is something you should really consider having in your arsenal.

Up Close And Personal With The iPad – Video

Purchase Propellorhead’s Rebirth

Purchase Korg Electribe

With rumors circulating the past few weeks it is now certain that Apple has indeed purchased LaLa. LaLa currently provides a music streaming service which offers 8 million songs. In comparison to Apple’s iTunes service which offers 11 million songs for download at roughly 99 cents per track, LaLa has risen as a major contender to the mega retailer due to its low cost of 10 cents per track which allows the user to stream a song for an unlimited number of plays from any computer with an internet connection. Couple that with a soon to be released iPhone app and you’ve got yourself an incredible service. In today’s market LaLa is one of the few retailers providing a unique business model which not only puts money into the hands of artists and record labels, it creates an effective way of spreading the music quickly throughout the web via an embeddable music player and word of mouth.

Details of the acquisition have not been made public yet and many are still uncertain of Apple’s plans with the newly purchased company.

Building The Deftune Project Studio

Alright, so things have been a bit busy here the past week and for good reason. I’m working on building up a small project studio which is what I consider to be one of many corner stones for Deftune, LLC. You’ll be seeing a couple more changes here real soon and I’ll begin by sharing with you all my experiences in building the project studio which MAY give you some insight on what we’ll doing here in the near future. I might even slip and just tell you what’s up somewhere within this post so pay attention. I’m going to spread this project out into multiple posts so stay tuned.

All week I’ve been looking into getting my first studio control surface with an audio interface that would work with Pro Tools and offered multiple input and output options. What’s a control surface you ask? A control surface is basically a controller that you can use to control a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Think of it as a gigantic mouse. A DAW is used to record a number of digital audio tracks utilizing a computer and an audio interface. An example of a DAW would be Pro Tools. I looked at several options and I chose the best products that would give me the best balance of quality and affordability.

Check Out The List

Digidesign 003

The 003 comes in 3 flavors:

Digi 003 Factory Firewire Audio Interface (with Pro Tools LE)

Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Pro Tools LE System

Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Factory Pro Tools LE System

Differences

The are a couple major differences between the 3. The 003 Factory and the 003 RACK are essentially the same except for one major difference. The 003 Factory has surface controls with full motorized faders. The 003 Factory and the 003 RACK has 4 pre-amps while the 003 RACK Factory model has 8 pre-amps but 1 less MIDI out. Integrated surface controls and additional inputs were a big deciding factor for me. You CAN however purchase the Digidesign Control 24 Pro Tools Control Surface or Digidesign Command 8 Control Surface surface controllers to use with the 003 RACK models but you’ll end up spending A LOT more. The Factory model 003s also come with $3000 worth of professional grade software plug-ins.

Similarities

- 18/18 Simultaneous ins/outs
- No Phono Pre-Amps
- 48V Phantom Power
- 8 Channel ADAT and 2 Channel S/PDIF
- BNC Word Clock
- 2 Head Phone Outs
- Firewire
- Internal Power Source
- Kensington Security Lock

Digidesign Comparison Chart

Other Options

I also checked out the M-Audio Project Mix I/O

M-Audio offers a product called the Project Mix I/o which is comparable to the Digidesign 003 Factory. It supports Pro-Tools M-Powered which almost identical to Pro Tools LE. One upside of the Project Mix is that it offers 8 pre-amps versus the 003’s 4. One area where the 003s trump the Project mix however is the quality of its pre-amps. The 003s have a much higher dynamic range giving you more output as well as better frequency response. This made it a really tough decision but with the Project Mix priced at about $1000 less it made me lean more towards choosing the Project Mix, especially after checking out Black Lion Audio’s Mod option which gives you HD recording quality as well as higher quality pre amps that are much better than a standard 003’s for less than $500! Sure the 003 Factory models do come with the $3000 plug in package but I already have access to better quality plug ins so that wasn’t much of a deal breaker for me. Also, with the extra inputs of the Project Mix I have the option to record an entire drum kit all at once if I needed to. The extra pre-amps was just something I felt I would need in the long run. Another great feature about the Project Mix is that it supports other DAWS besides Pro Tools such as Apple Logic Studio, which I use A LOT. Oh, and BTW, M-Audio AND Digidesign are owned by Avid.

Final Decision

With my mind set on the Project Mix and Black Lion Audio upgrade I shopped around on Ebay and I was able to find one for $880 with a $200 rebate. The Black Lion upgrade costs roughly $495. The only downside it’s a LONG process which can leave you waiting months for an appointment but from what I’ve heard it’s definitely worth it.

Total cost= $1,175

So, if you’re working on setting up your first studio and you want to keep your expenses low this is my recommendation. If you have questions about the Project Mix feel free to leave me a comment. Stay tuned for further updates on the Deftune Project Studio.

Up next on the horizon….DJ Mixers.