All posts by Satri

Announcing the iOS Music World Map

Animoog Users Map, , , ,

Mobile devices is bringing a revolution to music creation, and this revolution is worldwide!

You’re correct, this initiative is not specifically associated to Animoog but it’s very similar to the crowdsourced Map of Animoog Players, for which you are all invited to add yourselves. I updated its instructions some time after launch and it’s now much easier to follow the steps to put yourself on the map.

The iOS Music World Map is an attempt from the members of the Apptronica label, myself included, to build an open and crowdsourced map of iOS music stakeholders. The intent is essentially to map iOS music app developers along with iOS music hardware manufacturers.

All the details and the map itself are available over the collaborative Github site.

Right, the map doesn’t show much at the moment, any crowdsource effort has to start at some point, and this is now. And you can help by contributing to it! :-)

In order to have consistent map, we need to agree on some rules as to what is displayed on the map to maintain it’s usefulness. Anyone can propose amendments to those guidelines. Here’s the initial version of those guidelines.

Here’s the categories and their associated symbols and colors:

  • iOS Music App Developers
    • App developers use the ‘mobilephone’ icon example in the dark blue color (#0000FF)
    • The developers must have published or updated an iOS music app in the past two years
    • The pushpin is the location of their headquarters, or the office in charge of developing the iOS music app
    • iOS musical instruments as well as other apps that are obviously related to iOS music creation are allowed
  • iOS Music Hardware Manufacturers
    • Hardware manufacturers use the ‘industrial’ symbol example in the orange color
    • Location of their headquarters or office in charge of the product
    • Must be currently manufacturing and shipping iOS-compatible music hardware
    • Location of distributors is not allowed
  • iOS Music Artists
    • iOS Music Artists use the ‘music’ notes icon example in the green color (#32CD32)
    • Can be a registered music label as long as it is at least 80% devoted to pure iOS music
    • Can be an recognized artist with at least a full album of pure iOS music. By ‘recognized artist’ we mean an artist able to live from his iOS music creation revenues. If you have a better rule to identify which iOS music artists should be on this map, let’s discuss!

You have ideas pertaining to other categories that should be represented on the map? Let us know! The map uses the Maki symbols which can be directly displayed on GitHub. Cheers — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Announcing the Animoog Users Map!
  2. ‘Unanimoog’ Featured by Moog Music, and other Animoog news
  3. Announcing Animoog.org
  4. Animoog and iOS 9: Works fine but warnings & Animoog Fan Art

VCS3-like Custom Animoog Controller

Playing, ,

There’s no doubt how passionate Animoog players can be! Len Burge built a wonderful custom Animoog controller and told us about it in a comment on this very site. Here’s what it looks and sounds like!

The description that comes with it goes like this:

« This is the Animoog controller. Like the iVCS3 controller it is a custom controller for iPad mini app “Animoog” with a custom Animoog template that lays over original iVCS3 graphics. Front panel-keyboard is a customized Arturia minilab. The 30 knobs on upper panel controlled by livid instruments brain V2. 3 ten-turn potentiometers now controlling Animoog’s Attack. Joystick modular provided by Doepfer. For construction pics please visit www.lenburge.com »

There’s plenty of construction pictures on Len’s website! Here are the references to not the first time we mention custom Animoog controllers, it was actually one of our first posts in June 2014, if you have an interest in those, you might also for alternative MIDI controllers that are not dedicated to Animoog but inspiring nonetheless!

Thank you for your patience Len! He contacted me in mid-December it’s only today I’m able to follow up! Expect a lot more in the coming weeks, including an update to the list of third-party expansion packs with new packs of free presets from readers of Animoog.org, and yes, they’re good! :-) Cheers — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Anicontrol and a Custom Animoog Controller
  2. Alternative Controllers for Animoog
  3. Controlling a light sculpture with Animoog
  4. The ‘Expressive MIDI’ Proposal and Animoog

Animoog 2.3.3 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.3 Released

Animoog App, Moog

The good news about the latest Animoog releases, version 2.3.3 and version 1.2.3 for iPhone, is that they are the result of feedback from members of the community of Animoog players: Moog Music is listening and they’re serious about improving Animoog. I’m happy Moog takes Animoog seriously since I’m seriously counting on Animoog to have fun playing freetronica tracks! ;-)

These fixes are directly related to the following issues and requests mentioned by Animoog players on the official Moog Music forums: here and here as examples.

What’s new with this version:

  • Fixed regression where the delay rate knob position wasn’t properly being interpolated anymore
  • Added support for MIDI program change, mapped to the presets in the currently active category in the order they’re displayed
  • Improvements to Audiobus integration stability
  • Fixed occasional glitches at the end of making a recording

I updated the Animoog Wikipedia page accordingly. Stay tuned, more exciting Animoog news in the coming weeks, cheers! — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Animoog version 2.2.8 and Animoog for iPhone 1.1.10 Released
  2. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.5 Released
  3. Animoog for iPhone 1.3.0 Released, as well as Model 15 1.1.0 and Animoog 2.4.4
  4. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.2 Released

Animoog 2.3.2 & Animoog for iPhone 1.2.2 Released

Animoog App

Happy 2016! It begins well with updates to our dear Animoog. Animoog version 2.3.2 and Animoog for iPhone version 1.2.2 have been released.

Here’s the official changelog that applies to both new versions:

  • Fix for Animoog not properly working with Cubasis through Audiobus
  • Fix for mod wheel and pitch wheel not working properly when visible on screen and played from external MIDI
  • Fix for poly-legato MIDI, now using the proper MIDI CC 84 message and correctly sending and receiving the MIDI data
  • Better support for varying sample rates
  • Updated Audiobus to 2.3.1
  • Updated AudioCopy to 3.1-final

Unrelated, while I just updated the list of Animoog presets to version 1.3, one of you contacted me to share even more free Animoog presets! I’ll test them in the coming days and update the table accordingly as soon possible. Cheers — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.5 Released
  2. Animoog 2.3.3 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.3 Released
  3. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.2 Released
  4. Animoog 2.2.5 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.4 Released
Animoog Expansion Packs table

New Expansion Packs Table version 1.3, including new ‘Vector Universe’ Presets

Expansion Packs,

Here’s a present for the end of the year! A major update to Animoog.org’s list of expansion packs. This is the location where you’ll find presets and timbres that don’t show up in Animoog’s in-app store. As usual, you’ll find a web version with the invaluable links, as well as png and pdf versions.

The shiny new stuff in version 1.3:

  • Finally the appropriate presets and timbres count for Animoog’s bundled content. The table itself don’t list individual timbres categories, you’ll find them in David’ comments. Immense thanks to you David, everybody will benefit from your contributions!
  • A new expansion pack available, and it’s a good one, rejoice! Nikita Klimenko and I got in touch two months ago regarding Nikita’s ‘Vector Universe’ presets for Animoog, which bring a selection of 115 excellent new presets. They’re available for 5$
  • I improved and added some links in the description of presets, for those wanting to know more about their origin, as well as minor enhancements to the table

My honest opinion after quite a view jam sessions with the Vector Universe presets, I consider them of high interest. Of course that’s a pretty personal statement since your tastes and use cases might differ, but if you like Daemian and Alba Ecstasy presets, chances are you’ll like Nikita’s ‘Vector Universe’ presets you too.

Nikita’s was very nice to provide the presets for free to the ones amongst you following Animoog.org on Twitter. Thanks Nikita.

Animoog enthusiasts can now benefit from a total of 1,896 presets and almost 5,000 timbres. Thanks to the sound designers sharing their work. Year 2015 ends with happy news for all of us Animoog players. 2016 promises to be as exciting! ;-) Cheers — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. 1,713 Presets: a Major Update to List of Animoog Expansion Packs
  2. Altermoog – 30 New Free Presets for Animoog and Version 1.1 of the List of 3rd-Party Presets
  3. Introducing the Exhaustive list of Animoog Expansion Packs
  4. New Free Packs: 2,224 Animoog Presets Now Available — Major Update

Animoog Sale for Black Friday: 9,99$/1,99$

Animoog App, Moog,

Chances are that if you’re reading animoog.org, you already own Animoog! Let’s see this as an opportunity to tell your friends about it or buy the iPhone version or the iPad version if you don’t already have it.

Here’s the Moog announcement: prices for Animoog are down to 9,99$ for the original Animoog, and 1,99$ for the iPhone version. Sale lasts until Monday night. Enjoy! — Alex / Satri

moog-black-friday-2015

Related posts:

  1. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.2 Released
  2. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.6 Released
  3. Animoog 2.2.2 Released
  4. Major Animoog Discount: $4,99 / $1,99

The ‘Expressive MIDI’ Proposal and Animoog

Moog, Playing, , ,

Animoog and modern alternative controllers push the MIDI standard beyond its current capabilities — not surprising considering it’s a protocol devised in 1983! A few major stakeholders including Apple, ROLI and Moog Music are working on an extension to the MIDI standard, currently named Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression specification. You guessed right, Animoog would directly benefit from this new specification.

For the past two years I’ve been looking for an iPad app that would properly record Animoog in MIDI. By properly I mean that the replay from the MIDI app to Animoog sounds exactly like the initial Animoog take. Apps I tried fail to record Animoog‘s MIDI properly for fast polypressure changes / legato and all the crucial subtleties that Animoog does. I asked around to no avail. One of the Animoog developers at Moog publicly confirmed there is no such app yet. I badly want this, full MIDI support was even at the top of my initial wish list for Animoog in March 2014.

So, what is this Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression specification? From the specification’s Executive Summary:

“The goal of this specification is to provide an agreed method for hardware and software manufacturers to communicate multidimensional data between controllers, synthesizers, workstations, and other products. The proposed extensions define rules for using MIDI channels to represent one note each, and to use per-channel control parameters to represent note changes in three or more dimensions.”

Multidimensional expression… funny that Animoog.org launched in early 2014 with the following subtitle (still in use!) ‘an other dimension of music’! If the MIDI Manufacturers Association accepts this proposal, which I hope they will, the final name for the specification might become ‘Expressive MIDI’.

To demonstrate that I’m not extrapolating or fabulating a bit too much, Animoog is actually mentioned as an example right in the technical specification document:

“Sentences like ‘Linnstrument is an Expressive MIDI [compatible] controller’ and ‘Animoog is an Expressive MIDI [compatible] sound engine’ are easy to formulate correctly, and provide a clear sense of the value proposition.”

The specification is still considered Draft and its supporters hope to have a final version by the end of 2015. A link to the Expressive MIDI specification was publicly shared at least last April. To access it yourself, follow this link to Google Docs. Revision 1.25 is only three weeks old.

I’m no MIDI expert myself, but that doesn’t stop me from rejoicing at specifications that will allow me to further enjoy Animoog! As usual, don’t hesitate to share additional info in the comments section below. Cheers! — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Animoog on the LinnStrument and the ROLI Seaboard with Expressive MIDI
  2. MIDI MPE Version of the Song-Haven Animoog Presets
  3. Announcing ‘Pianimoog •• discoverY’, Free MIDI-Controlled Animoog Solos
  4. Anicontrol and a Custom Animoog Controller

Animoog 2.3.1 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.1 Released

Animoog App

I’m a bit late on that one, here’s the release notes for the recent Animoog updates!

Animoog 2.3.1 released on November 6th:

  • Support for AudioShare on iOS 9
  • Support for AudioCopy on iOS 9
  • Proper warning when not using 44.1kHZ and trying to interface with AudioCopy/Paste
  • AudioBus state saving now preserves the name of the active preset
  • Minor audio engine performance improvements

Animoog for iPhone 1.2.1 released on November 7th:

  • Support for AudioCopy on iOS 9
  • Proper warning when not using 44.1kHZ and trying to interface with AudioCopy/Paste
  • AudioBus state saving now preserves the name of the active preset
  • Minor audio engine performance improvements

More exciting updates to be published over the coming weeks :-) Regards, Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Animoog 2.2.5 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.4 Released
  2. Animoog 2.2.1 and Animoog for iPhone 1.1.3 Released
  3. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.2 Released
  4. Animoog version 2.2.8 and Animoog for iPhone 1.1.10 Released

‘I Dream of Wires’ Documentary, Animoog’s Origins

Animoog App, Moog, , ,

In a nutshell, if you’d like to understand where Animoog comes from, from the very beginning of sound synthesis and modular synthesizers up to now, I strongly encourage you to watch the ‘I dream of wires’ documentary.

When I discovered and fell in love with Animoog, I knew very little of electronic music — its origins and history. While I’ve been slowly learning, I watched ‘I dream of wires’ over the weekend and not only numerous pieces of the puzzle found their place, but I learned much in this information-packed documentary.

While the documentary focuses on the modular synthesizer, I consider it really helps understanding where Animoog comes from — its sound design capabilities and even its user interface. Animoog is even shown for a second or two in the documentary itself, the only app to make an appearance.

This documentary was also inspiring to me at multiple levels. I hope it will do the same to you. Here’s the trailer. Enjoy! — Alex / Satri

Related posts:

  1. Videos: Understanding Animoog Sound Design

Animoog 2.3.0 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.0 Released, and surprises!

Animoog App, , ,

Excellent news, a few hours ago were released Animoog 2.3.0 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.0. Major improvements include increased iOS 9 compatibility as well as the latest Audiobus SDK.

The official release notes for the iPad version:

  • Support for Audiobus state saving
  • Support for configurable sample rates and buffers sizes, up to 96kHz/1024
  • Support for iOS 9
  • Better background audio behavior
  • Support for latest Audiobus version
  • Auto-scroll for timbre slots will now be canceled when there’s a touch on the right table with categories

Animoog for iPhone 1.2.0 also brings support for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Meanwhile, I continued to receive Animoog Fan Art contributions after the initial call. Here’s two new examples, one from Jon Rawlinson aka PantsofDeath, and the second one from Bobby Simmons. Thanks guys! Yes, I’ll publish all the contributions I got in a new home for such content. And I’ll continue collecting the result of your inspirations!

Jon-Rawlinson_Animoog-fan-art

Bobby-Simmons_Animoog-fan-art

I consider running Animoog.org as being amongst my most tangible contributions to the Animoog community, but I also help improve the app itself by acting as a beta tester. I’m grateful to Moog which sent me a Moog beta tester T-shirt – I got it in the mail today! Thanks Moog :-) — Alex / Satri

IMG_1711IMG_1712

Related posts:

  1. Animoog 2.2.1 and Animoog for iPhone 1.1.3 Released
  2. Animoog 2.2.5 and Animoog for iPhone 1.2.4 Released
  3. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.2 Released
  4. Animoog for iPhone 1.1.6 Released