Music And Gadgets

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Palm Sounds: Su-Preme MPA - Sample based music production app

Palm Sounds: Su-Preme MPA - Sample based music production app: "Android music seems to be getting more interesting, especially with this app (amongst others) coming along. More on Su-Preme MPA here."

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Palm Sounds: Akai Lpk25 with iPad and Yonac Mini Synth Pro!

Palm Sounds: Akai Lpk25 with iPad and Yonac Mini Synth Pro!: "Well, looks like I need to get myself a Camera Connection Kit! Nice video Hank! iPads at the Apple Store"

Monday 18 October 2010

Dj Agent M RnB / Hip Hop DJ mixes Leeds United Kingdom

Dj Agent M - Just Bubbling Oct 10

New mix to celebrate the launch party @AC.HQ Bradford

1 Wil.i.am ft Nicki Minaj - Check it Ot 
2 Usher FT Pitbul - DJ Got Us Fallin In Love  
3 J Lewis - Shut Em Up 
4 Taio Cruz FT Jennifer Lopez - Dynamite 
5 Jay Sean - 2012 (It Aint The End) 
6 Willow Smith - Whip My Hair 
7 Trey Songz - Love Me Better 
8 Keri Hilson - Last Time 
9 Monica Ft Notorious B.I.G - Everything To Me 
10 Jazmine Sulivan FT Swizz Beatz and Mary J Blige - Holding You Down Remix 
11 Sarah Greene FT Lupe Fiasco - Dirty Rose 
12 Justin Beiber Ft Kanye West Raekwon - Runaway Love Remix 
13 John Legend Ft The Roots - Our Generation Remix 
14 Raphael Saadiq - Its A Shame 
15 K Michelle - I Just Cant Do This 
16 Faith Evans FT Raekwon - Everyday Struggle 
17 Angie Stone - Hey Mr DJ 
18 Hope She She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player)


Dj Agent M - Just Bubbling Oct 10

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Virtual DJ just gone to version 7 - New Improvements + free Version

Not gonna talk too much about Virtual DJ. You either know it or you dont Keep reading there is a free version. If chances are you've seen me use it if you've been to any recent events over the last 6 months.




The beast just got better.
* support for up to 99 decks (you heard that right)
* Skins for 4 or 6 Decks if 99 sounds too much lol
* Rewire which nearly brought me to tears if i read correct means that track i make in Renoise can be played and mixed live.
*Line In/Mic support
*Also (one these big brown eyes spotted was) iphone/ipad remote which is coming pending Apple approval.


Well for those who wanted to try out Virtual DJ or are wanting to start out dj-ing you can download Virtual DJ Home edition (which sorta laughs in the face of anyone who bought a midi controller and go the le version) free to download here

Tuesday 31 August 2010

iPAD every studio should have one.

Right im not gonna get into a long session explaining how good the iPad is.For one i dont have one yet but i will be soon.

I have an ipod and since gettting my creative juices back and producing music on everything but renoise i've found the ipod a tool thats worth its salt for just (i stress just) £150. I know that might sound alot to some but considering how much it costs for a midi keyboard and daw control surface beat pad etc.and to be able to use the touch screen o do all this. also if you compare what a jazzmutant can do and realize that an ipod or even ipad can do the same for less (£800 less) its crazy.

I'll post some examples even youtube vids if possible of simple things an ipod can do.

Friday 11 June 2010

Faith Evans is Back!!!!!




Faith Happens to be one of my favourate singers. She always has good production and rides the beats well.If you havent heard track hot i'll get a Youtube link for you. but for now check this out :)

Monday 5 April 2010

HTC HD2 with Vin Rock From Naughty By Nature

The Legendary rapper that is Vin Rock from Hip Hop Group Naughty By Nature shows up at the iPad launch with a HTC HD2 thats just been launched in the US (T-Mobile)

I take it he likes it ;)

Hey Vinny?? You Down With OPP? (Other Peoples Phones)

Check the Video out.

Monday 29 March 2010

Just Bubbling April 10 (Easter Mix)


Just Bubbling April 10



1) Usher ft Will.I.Am - OMG
2) Toni Braxton - Make My Heart
3) Madonna Ft Justin Timberlake - Across The Sky
4) Jazmine Sullivan - Jumpoff Remix
5) Rihanna Ft Reef The Lost Cause - Hard (Benja Styles Remix)
6) Mary J Blige - I Am (Marley Marl Remix)
7) T-Pain and Lil Wayne - Waist Of A Wasp
8) Neyo - Take It To The Floor
9) Trey Songz - The Machine
10) Ryan Leslie - Tonight
11)Maxwell - Bad Habits Remix
12)Usher Ft Jadakiss - Daddys Home (DJ Ted Smooth Remix)
13)Chris Brown FT Ludacris - How Low Remix
14)Keri Hilson - She Aint Me
15) Omarion - Speedin
16)Jaheim - II Pink Lines
17) Erykah Badu - Window Seat



Get it here
http://www.house-mixes.com/mixes/playmix/48720/play.aspx
or
http://mutantproductions.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2010-03-27T14_13_47-07_00

Monday 15 March 2010

Virtual DJ Pro 6.0.7 Released

I wrote an article waxing lyrical about Future Decks and how virtual DJ was a bit expensive to upgrade. Well after playing with version 6.0.6 for a day I had to upgrade to the pro version. The video mixing alone is worth the plunge for me. Also the extra skins and net search (streams video or mp3 tracks like spotify if you dont have the track with you) If you dj on a netbook some dj software dont cater for smaller screens. Virtual Dj is brilliant for my Asus EEE 904 hd  and even copes when i dont use my usb soundcard. For me i got by on what i had with the LE version but pro is much better. scratching is not amazing. But its on par with future decks and also i noticed that when you hold down cue button on my hercules controller i can press play and let go of the cue button and the track will continue to play (just like cd decks)

At some point i'll write about video mixing but i've posted enough videos for you to make a judgement. The new version was released last week

This is what I got for my money :)



  • Twin independent zero-latency players with:
    • Standard controls (play, pause, stop, cue)
    • Volume control
    • Pitch control (from -34 to +34%)
    • 3 band equalizers with Kill + gain

  • One-click beat matching and synchronisation (new FAME algorithm)

  • BeatLock engine: your songs will always stay in time, and you can work your mixes incredibly faster than any other DJ could

  • Automatic beat-matched crossfading

  • On-the-fly automatic BPM calculation

  • Automatic pitch matching

  • Automatic level matching

  • Automatic beat matching

  • Dynamic beat visualizer for easy drag'n'drop beat-matching

  • Real scratch simulation

  • Virtual scratch: Scratch your mp3 with your bare hand

  • Automatic beat-aware LOOP function

  • Synchronised sampler with 12 instant slots

  • Master Tempo pitch algorithm

  • Automatic first beat and last beat detection

  • Automatic 4/4 phase detection

  • OSC network synchronisation

  • Infinite number of beatlocked desks (local multi-instance or network)

  • Infinite number of cue points saved per songs

  • Beat-aware effect plugins (included: beatgrid, flippin, vocal remover, filter, flanger, backspin, brake, etc...)

  • VST effects compatibility

  • Video mix with TV output (mix songs and/or video clips !)

  • Full karaoke support

  • Proprietary of FreeFrame video effects

  • Inifite number of video effect simultaneously

  • DJ-adapted video transition plugins

  • Song database engine with easy-to-use search feature

  • CoverFlow or text-only song browsing

  • Compatible with iTunes playlists

  • ID3 compatibility

  • Automatic filter folders

  • Automatic Hot-Swap of external harddrives

  • Ready-to-burn file recording to burn your own mixed CDs

  • Broadcast on the Internet

  • CD to MP3 encoder

  • Optional 3D sound card, 2 sound cards or Y-splitter for real-time monitoring or external mixtable use

  • ASIO soundcard compatibility

  • Fully customisable (skin engine and shortcut macro enngine)

  • External MIDI keyboard compatibility for shortcuts

  • Compatibility with most external controllers (DMC2, DAC3, iCDX, TotalControl, BCD2000, DJConsole, etc...)

  • Optional automatic mixing: Virtual DJ recognizes the style of the music (techno, hip hop, lounge) and adapt its mix in consequence



  • Here it is in action









    You can also try it out here


    and buy here

    All in all i can say there are quite a few dj software available...some free some you have to pay for. Deckadance used to be my fav but im leaning to Virtual DJ as it ticks all the boxes apart from timecode vinyl (Torq is best for me as i have Maudio connectiv). But its down to personal choice in the end. I'll write a bit about the other software I have as and when I have the chance. But if you have Tracktor or Serrato let me know what you think of it.

    Sunday 14 March 2010

    More Video Mixes

    As usual I've been busy making some remixes for you all. Im gonna have to stop recording videos for a few days or else i wont have time to make any mixtapes for you all lol


    Timberland Feat. Justin Timberlake - Carry Out Remix


    Rihanna Feat. Young Jeezy - Hard Remix

    Monday 8 March 2010

    A New Neo-Soul Mix series.....VIBES



    Been wanting to do a Neo-Soul/Hip Hop-Soul Mix series for Months.  Hope you like it.



    1) LL Cool J Feat Terri Walker - Paradise (James Yarde Remix)
    2) Jon B - Patience
    3) Mary J Blige - Didnt Mean
    4) L Marie - Do Your Thing
    5) Steve Spacek -Dollar
    6) Amp Fiddler - I Beleive In You (MadLib Remix)
    7) Christina Aguilera FT Termanology - Back In The Day
    8) Mos Def - Brown Sugar
    9) Joe - Just Relax
    10) Common Ft Erykah Badu - In The Light
    11) Brand New Heavies FT Q-Tip - Sumtimes (Ummah Remix)
    12) Eric Benet - Spiritual Thing
    13) J Dilla Ft Dwele - Think Twice
    14) Kelis Ft Raphael Saadiq - Glow
    15) Shola Ama - A Love Affair
    16) Amel Larrieux - Get Up
    17) Denise Williams - Free
    18) Devina - So Good




    http://filesd.house-mixes.com/controls/DownloadMix.aspx?mixid=41570
    or
    http://www.podomatic.com/share/index/1019080/1278364

    Renoise - 2.5 now out

    My Fav Beat making program has gone Gold!!!

    Which means its out of Beta Testing. Here is what  the Renoise team had to say...




    Renoise 2.5
    In case you missed it the first time around, new features in 2.5 include:
    • Pattern Matrix: A birds eye view and editor of the song
    • Cross Track Routing for “Meta Devices” and new devices like the “Signal Follower”, which allows you to sidechain other tracks parameters
    • Plugin Grabber: Render Plugin Instruments to Renoise Instruments, Samples
    • Vastly Improved MIDI Mapping
    • A Bunch of New Internal Effects
    • And much more...
    A detailed description of what's new can be found on the Renoise 2.5 launch page.
    We've also rewritten the user manual from scratch and published new video tutorial specifically geared towards using Renoise 2.5.
    We'd like to thank the Renoise users for all their help durring the beta phase. It's you that makes Renoise the world class audio application and community that we are today.
    Registered users can download their personal copies from the backstage. New users can download and try out the demo.
    Oh, and one more thing. Let's celebrate!

    Monday 22 February 2010

    New player On the Windows Phone DJ Scene. mixHDJ


    Just caught this app courtesy of 1800PocketPC.Com
    I was thinking about the Dj apps for the Windows phone and  was going to write a blog about them. 1 being quite useful but dated and the other being a bit.....useless. Then Comes mixHDJ. The HD I guess is because its was made with the HTC HD2 in mind. Im guessing that its because the screen is compactive (smooth touch screen use live iphone) Where as other windows phones are Resistive (made for stylus use) I've tried this on the my Touch Diamond 2 and it works. My only problem was that I couldnt figure how to cue up the next track but granted I tried the demo 2 minutes after finding out about it and didnt use headphones. The interface looks quite slick and easy enough to get started.

    This is the sort of app windows phone needs to highlight how good it is and what it is capable of. If you have a HD2 and want a DJ app £4.99 is a good price if you ask me (touch Dj on iphone is £11) plus it looks like a Pioneer CDJ 1000.

    If you dont have a HD2 try the Demo

    To Buy or find out more check the website and the video below.

    Sunday 21 February 2010

    1st Recorded Video Mix


    I mentioned Video mixing on a previous blog. I just got into the craze thanks to Virtual DJ and my brilliant Control Mp3 E2. So the stumbling block was how do I record the end product as Virtual DJ only records Audio. EDIT: I just purchased Virtual Dj 6.0.5 and has video recording (1.03.10)

    Well there were 2 options i discovered

    1. Buy a DVD Recorder or
    2. Buy Fraps.
    I've used fraps before but only to take screenshots so after a mess about I recorded some video's for your viewing pleasure just so peeps have an idea what video mixing is and what it can do.

    The 1st one is up as Mercy remix (its the video mixed with make a loop of "make me move" by Janet Jackson.)




    I've done another which is a mix of Jay Z's Dead Presidents (Instrumental) with the Video of Heard it all Before by Sunshine Anderson which I'll be uploading. These are by no means finished article video's like i said they just highlight what video mixing can do.



    I was actually surprised by the amount of people people who had never seen a video mix so I hope someone out there learns something valuable.

    Wednesday 10 February 2010

    Futrure Decks...Gotta Love it!!!

    Was messing with this DJ Program Future Decks from Xylio last week with my Hercules Control Mp3 E2. The Mapping (especially the scratch pad) is tighter than the Version of Virtual DJ I own. Seeing as I already own 4 Dj software already and have home improvements to pay for im quite reluctant to shell out ca$h. But boy its kinda hard not to.








    Here Is what you get for your money




    - classic DJ setup with 2 decks, pro mixer and playlists
    - fully manual or automatic mixing (one-click beat-matching)
    - video mixing (including pitch, break, reverse, scratch on video)
    - timecoded vinyls/CD support
    - seamless intelligent looping and "skipbeat"
    - automatic BPM detection (grid like) with batch-mode function
    - vinyl simulation including scratch, pitch, reverse play, brake
    - separate headphones output and song pre-listening
    - support for VST effects and AudioUnits, eqs, filters
    - analog input for microphone/turntables/CD-players, Talk-Over
    - controllers supported natively (zero-configure):
      Behringer BCD2000/3000, M-Audio Xponent, Reloop DJ-IE2, Vestax, all Hercules
    - additional MIDI IN with LEARN - assign knobs/switches to fx parameters
    - advanced support for external mixers
    - pitch scaling for harmonic/key mixing
    - advanced auto-mixing including Mix-In/Mix-Out (Cue In/Out) points
    - perceptual automatic gain
    - sample player (sampler)
    - record your mixes to WAV or AIFF
    - KeyLock (MasterTempo) with on/off selector, gradual pitch bend
    - ASIO/CoreAudio low-latency support
    - browsing system with unlimited lists, disk explorer, database, iTunes support
    - load the whole song in RAM memory for instant access
    - audio-cd support on Win/Mac (intelligent cd detection/loading)
    - can read mp3, m4a, wav, aiff, ogg, cda, mpeg, avi, mov, mkv, wmv and more


    Itunes playlists are supported as is Video mixing. Its not as well known as Tracktor or Virtual DJ but for £59 its tempting as the full features of Virtual Dj pro are only available when you shell out £200+

    Like I said i've been going crazy with a demo version and it even got the thumbs up from the wife so once I get my hands on this then i'll give it a proper review. Make sure you try it out though here
    http://www.xylio.com/index/page/en-fdp-download-menu-none-0.html

    Thursday 4 February 2010

    Renoise - I love This D.A.W and keep coming back!!



    I've been making beats for as long as I can remember and as well as being a DJ im more known round my ends as a producer. The thing that has held me back but in a lot of aspects given me an edge is the fact I use tracker software.
    The appeal for trackers back in the day was that there was no need for hardware such as samplers and midi keyboards etc to make beats. I chose an Amiga over an Atari ST (which most were using) more than 10yrs ago, chopping samples to make my own instruments and loops, using the computer keyboard to trigger sounds instead of a drum machine or keyboard. Also sounds can be played in step time for those like myself who arent the best piano players. The result was some very tight beats on a shoe string budget. The problem was taking it to a studio to mixdown and using vocals not easy when most people dont have access to free studiotime.

    I've been using Reniose for more than 5 yrs now. I've tried fruityloops Ableton  Live, Reason , Acid pro to make beats but always come back to Renoise. I have to say I Ableton is brilliant  but Renoise keep adding new features

    Check these out what it can do
    http://www.renoise.com/about/what-s-new-2-5/

    Also check out one of my productions.

     Its not remix for saiqa  by  DJ Agent.M

    Saturday 23 January 2010

    Just Bubbling Jan 2010

     
    Just Bubbling Jan 10


    1)Chris Brown FT Lupe Fiasco - Girlfriend
    2)R Kelly - I Love The DJ
    3)Rihanna - Bubble Pop
    4)Jaheim Ft Jadakiss - Aint Leaving Without You Remix
    5)Trey Songz - Say Aah (Ted Smooth Remix)
    6)Chrisette Michele Ft Freeway & Tek - Unconditional
    7)Alicia Keys Ft Beyonce - Put It In A Love Song
    8)Alicia Keys FT Raekwon CNN & Styles P - Empire State Of Mind Remix
    9)Snoop Dogg Ft Fat Joe - I Wanna Rock Remix
    10)Maxwell Ft Nas - Help Somebody Remix
    11)Mary J Blige - Wait Until Tonight
    12)Kardinal Offishal Ft Elephant Man - Clear Remix
    13)Jason Derulo - In My Head
    14)Esmee Denters Ft Justin Timberlake - Follow My Lead
    15)Nathan Ft FloRida - Caught Me Slippin
    16)Mariah Carey Ft Jermaine Dupri OJ Da Juiceman Big Boi Gucci Mane - H.A.T.E.U Remix
    17)NeYo - Thats Entertainment
    18)Jay Sean FT Thara - Thats The Way Love Goes
    19)Toni Braxton - My Ring
    20)Amerie - Swag Back Urban Noise Remix
    21)Mario Ft Marsha Ambrosius - Rules
    22)Skillz - 2009 Rap Up

    Download Here

    Sunday 17 January 2010

    Happy Belated New Year!!!

    Happy New Year.

    Sorry for the delay in blogging. Been hard at work since the holidays and im working on a new mix. Also got Xewton Music Studio for Ipod which im testing out and will blog my findings so far. Managed to use the Zune music player for pc and like a lot. Pity it doesnt work with my HTC Touch Diamond 2 (windows Phone) hopefully microsoft will sort out software when they release WM6.6 and not let us wait till Windows Mobile 7 will have some more music news soon :)