iPad 2

[nicholas]

Samplers were once evil hardware for talentless wannabes, so were computer based sequencers, so were virtual instruments, same for time stretching, pitch shifting, auto tune and other effects done in software.

For the last few years a 100% software based studio has been possible due to increasing hardware speeds, this in turn led to the reality of the portable studio due to laptop technology.

A tablet today has the performance of a top spec laptop from a few years ago and with it this opens new areas of innovation and experimentation for producers and musicians just like all the evil new products that came before them such as multitrack tape recorders and guitars that plug into the mains.

[nicholas]

I was thinking of the pioneers of the last 50 years, from the introduction of the electric guitar, the multitrack recording studio, the analogue synth, the sampler and the DAW... All these things have been used and abused... But now we only remember the artists who were good... Not necessarily who were the most popular


not overly impressed by Lady Gaga, she doesn't write or compose the music (she has "input" to get a credit, but that is often little more than sitting with the production team during a session), but her production team have found a formula that does work and they use it well.


I'm no fan of the Prodigy, but Liam Howlett's smapler work on Fat of the Land is exceptional. I would have to say that Fat of the Land was really pushing the boundaries for samplers at the time, it's easy to do all that stuff now... But to do it on a few Roland W-30s and akai samplers in the late 90s was amazing. I would say that if you listen to that album from a technical stand point you will appreciate it more

I stumbled across this little gem of a site last night, i thought you'd appreciate it too!

http://www.synthmania.com/Famous%20Sounds.htm

[nicholas]

D50 Fantasia had to be there lol

Some classic sounds in there.

Eddie Van Halen's famous Jump brass always makes me smile when i hear it in other tunes.

[nicholas]

Jump Brass (Synth Brass) was missing though lol

Nah it's there, i actually found that site whilst googling for the name of a mid 90's Italo-house tune that sampled Jump that I've forgotten the name of. (It also samples an Afrika Bambaata acapella too if anyone remembers it?)

[nicholas]

Fairly useful little toy, even if typing on a touchscreen still stinks.

http://beta.swype.com

I've got big shovel hands and can't type on a touch screen without this.