KEYFAX News

DigitalSoundFactory.com is a stylish new downloadable sound resource initially specializing in vintage E-MU libraries; assembled and re-mastered in SoundFont format by veteran E-MU sound designer Tim Swartz.

Working under exclusive licence from E-MU and Creative Labs Inc., Swartz and his team have meticulously converted a wealth of classic sounds from the original Emulator, SP1200, Emax, and Proteus modules, into a massive library of SoundFont content—10,000 instruments and growing—that can be downloaded directly to your computer 24/7; for minimal expense, and with full support.

DSF libraries provide the opportunity to experience and use these world-renown sounds regardless of your current computer platform. The site also offers extensive demos, and provides detailed loading and usage instructions for all major DAWs and applications.

The revolutionary DigitalSoundFactory.com website was designed and built by the KEYFAX Web and Graphic Design team, and was launched in July 2007.

www.digitalsoundfactory.com

Spring 2007: KEYFAX takes over 3000 sq ft of new office space adjoining its present Santa Cruz facility for a new video sound stage, recording studio, and a live learning facility for a series of “Weekend Workshops” slated to commence in the fall of 2007.

“Although we only moved into our present offices less than three years ago we are already starting to get cramped for space,” says CEO Julian Colbeck.

“In particular, we were in need of a new and larger sound stage for our video shoots,” says Colbeck. “Plus we have reached the stage where our Audio and Video departments need completely separate edit rooms. The new space also gives us room to start something we have been wanting to do for many years: live workshops.”

The Weekend Workshops will initially focus on core technologies and techniques that KEYFAX has developed over the past 13 years including Cubase, MIDI, Sound Design, and the Yamaha Motif platform.

“We have produced more than 20 full-length training DVDs, we publish 10 websites, and I have personally written a dozen or more books on music technology. But there’s always been a demand for hands-on, personal tuition,” says Colbeck. “Now that everything in business seems to be going virtual this is the perfect time to go physical. Who wants to follow when you can lead?”

Everyone needs to be a synth programmer or engineer nowadays. And not just keyboard players, either. Guitarists and songwriters using the Cubase LE that tumbles out of the box along with your mixer or computer interface, drummers with a new DTX e-kit, remix artists running Reason, live DJ/musicians running Live!, videographers running Final Cut Pro or even iMovie. Garage Bandits… the list goes on and on.

Released June 2007, the Sound Advice DVD features almost 9 hours of ‘no parameter left behind’ expertise on analog-style synth programming and digital effects under the guidance of top sound designer Dave Polich.

"All you need to know about oscillators, filters, envelopes, dynamics and effects that will enable you to produce the sound that you are looking for on your synth - totally from scratch," says legendary producer and 2007 GRAMMY nominee Alan Parsons.

And good, original sounds equal good, paying gigs.

More details. View the trailer.

Date: Thursday, September 14 2006

Now celebrating their 25th anniversary with a US tour and new 2-concert DVD, contemporary jazz's exemplary group the Yellowjackets hit the Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz on September 14th in a gig sponsored by Keyfax NewMedia.

Featuring Russell Ferrante on keyboards, Jimmy Haslip on bass, Marcus Baylor on drums, and Bob Mintzer on sax and vocals, the Yellowjackets begin their US tour on September 7th in Chicago. In addition to the Kuumbwa date the group will also appear at the Monterey Jazz Festival on September 15th/16th.

"The Yellowjackets achievements - collectively and individually - are in the very top league," says Keyfax CEO Julian Colbeck. "We're delighted to be part of their quarter century tour."

Show times are 7:00 and 9:00 PM. Tickets $22/Advance, $25/Door. More info at www.kuumbwajazz.org.

Since moving into brand new offices at Santa Cruz’s premier business park in 2004, we have continued to expand our core businesses of music content, and increase our web development, DVD production, and on-line music tech. accessories business.

We have several major new projects lined up for 2006 and are now looking to fill a number of interesting positions within the company, including sales associate, web and video division team members, and a MIDI content manager.

If you already live in or near Santa Cruz you will not need telling how inspirational it is to live and work here. Keyfax is also an environment where boredom is not an issue. There’s always something going on here, from video or photo productions, recording sessions, interaction with celebrity musicians, and tons of new gear.

Check out the current Job Applications and see if your skills and interests might align with one of the positions we have open at the moment.

Dateline: May 1 st 2005

KEYFAX NewMedia Inc. has been appointed as the official distributor for Steinberg product upgrades in the US.

Shortly after the Winter NAMM show in January KEYFAX began work on the SteinbergUpgrades.com website, a single location at which upgrades for Cubase, Nuendo, WaveLab, plus Steinberg’s suite of plug-in applications such as Groove Agent and HALion can be purchased.

Using on-line verification of current product versions by serial number, SteinbergUpgrades.com provides a simple answer to the questions of what, where, and how much, thus taking considerable pressure off Steinberg’s Tech Support team in Indiana through whom upgrades have had to be placed by phone in recent months.

The Tech Support Center is still able to handle upgrade questions and orders, but the new on-line system offers instant answers, guides to the features that can be found in latest version products, plus a full range of shipping options from the site’s built-in UPS module.

The SteinbergUpgrades.com project was headed up by KEYFAX’s Terry Shields and Etienne Demers-Martel, with close co-operation from Steinberg in Hamburg, Germany, the Tech Support Center in Indiana, and Yamaha Corporation of America in Los Angeles.

In due course SteinbergUpgrades.com will be offering new product at full list prices, plus access to the recent Cubase LE upgrade program for people who acquired, as opposed to purchased, the LE version, bundled with sound cards, mixers, and other hardware devices under OEM agreements.

KEYFAX NewMedia Inc carries a full range of upgrade stock at its California warehouse, and under normal circumstances any Steinberg upgrade product can be purchased and shipped Next Day if required.

KEYFAX pays close attention to customer service, offering toll-free access for shipping or order enquiries,

So you didn't have time to make it to Frankfurt, Germany for Musikmesse? Not a problem. KEYFAX's own Julian Colbeck took his video camera along and filmed this amusing report on the comings and goings of this year's event. So grab some popcorn, and get yourself comfortable.

Watch the show!

Flash and a broadband connection required.

Since the Pat Metheny Group first burst on to the scene in 1978, Pat has pushed the boundaries of Jazz farther and farther out in new directions. And with his latest effort, with partner Lyle Mays (and a host of new and returning PMG members) that boundary has been pushed farther still with the new album The Way Up.

This latest iteration of the PMG pulled into the Santa Cruz Civic Center as part of the 30 th anniversary of the Kuumbwa Jazz Center’ celebration. The core PMG players were in tow, Pat Metheny on Guitar, Lyle Mays on Keys, and Steve Rodby on Bass. New to this version were Gregoire Maret (from Switzerland), on Chromatic Harmonica (who played very much the style of the great Toots Thielman); Cong Vu (from Seattle) on Trumpet and Vocals; Nando Lauria (from Brazil) on Guitar, Vocals, and other instruments; and Antonio Sanchez (from Mexico) on Drums and assorted percussion.

In a brave and adventurous move to showcase the new album, the PMG started the show by playing a 68-minute non-stop set which encompassed the new album in its entirety! The work crossed all styles of Jazz, Classical and Modern composition with elements of Bebop, Steve Reich based minimalism, Ornette Coleman approved ‘Free Jazz’ and Claude Debussy inspired orchestration… all in all an amazing work.

And the audience drank up every note of the over 300-page score, punctuating the end of the composition with a 5 minute standing ovation. And that was just the first part of the concert.

As with most PMG concerts, the sound and energy of the band was top notch. Present were Pat’s mighty collection of Manzer acoustic guitars, his Ibanez signature guitar (which replaced his beloved Gibson ES175 which has become too fragile to gig with), and his Roland GR guitar-synthesizer array. And while Lyle Mays has slimed down his rig considerably over the years, his signature “Oberheim 2-voice” flutey-lead was still in the mix faithfully reproduced by his Korg Trtion.

When all was said and done, the PMG played for over 3 hours leading the audience through a wonderful mix of ‘classic’ PMG songs both old and new, letting each musician take their turn in the spotlight. A stripped-down version of “James” from the album Offramp featured just Pat, Steve and Antonio (who at times stole the show with his amazing drumming prowess), while the whole band kicked in full swing for “ Minuano (Six Eight)” from Still Life (Talking)). An interesting version of “Bacarole” (Offramp) featured Pat on his Manzer-built, 42-string Pikasso Guitar, while Cong Vu took the signature guitar-synth melody and played it on trumpet for a very different kind of vibe.

When the house lights did finally come up, there were nothing but smiles and the experience of an amazing musical evening.

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In conjunction with fellow Santa Cruz technology company Universal Audio, KEYFAX NewMedia is sponsoring the Santa Cruz stop on Pat Metheny’s 100 date world tour that begins on Feb 17th.

PMG will feature not only long-serving members Lyle Mays and Steve Rodby, but also the more recent delights of Cuong Vu (vocals, trumpet), and Antonio Sanchez (drums), plus new recruit Gregoire Maret (harmonica), all of whom were featured on the current PMG album The Way Up.

Although the set is sure to draw heavily upon new material the addition of Brasilian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Nando Lauria, a friend and colleague of several PMG members, who has augmented the line-up on many occasions, would seem to indicate that there’ll be plenty of familiar material as well – albeit in possibly unfamiliar guises.

The name of Pat Metheny speaks for itself, but most KEYFAX customers will be equally as enamored of keyboard Lyle Mays, a regular fixture in Motifator.com’s Best Keyboard Player polls, and one of the keyboard industry’s rare players with an identifiable style and sound.

Lyle uses a Yamaha Disklavier on this latest recording, but is probably most associated with vintage Oberheim and Kurzweil synths and we will be keeping a close eye on his rig for the Civic show to see how he incorporates these trademark tone colors into modern technology.

The March 2nd concert at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium is part of local jazz venue Kuumbwa club’s 30 th anniversary season. Tickets can be purchased from the Civic Box Office, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz, (831) 420-526, or through normal ticket agencies.

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Sept. 2004. Coinciding with the release of A Valid Path, his first new studio CD in five years, Alan Parsons chose Keyfax NewMedia to design and host his new website at alanparsonsmusic.com.

The site not only contains the latest information on A Valid Path, including track-by-track commentary from Alan himself, but also details Alan’s illustrious career from his days as a young engineer at Abbey Road working with George Martin and The Beatles, through to his multi-platinum days with The Alan Parsons Project.

“The site uses cutting edge multimedia content: flash-embedded high resolution still photography and video, audio, and animation… but in an accessible way; not just because we can,” says webmaster, and Keyfax media dude, Christopher Clement.

Comprising entirely fresh written content, unique tour photos, excerpts from recent live concert footage, a secure e-store selling CDs, T-shirts, and even ringtones including the Alan Parsons classic, Sirius, alanparsonsmusic.com reflects the same level of attention to detail that has driven Alan’s own musical career.

From engineering on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon in the 1970s to working with computer music wiz’s The Crystal Method in 2004, Alan Parsons has consistently pushed music technology to its limits, and for the first time on-line you can now hear, see, and read how he does it… from the man himself.

Alanparsonsmusic.com

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Having moved offices at the beginning of the year KEYFAX has now completed work on a full-function mLAN-based audio and video suite at the company’s new Live Oak Business Park location in Santa Cruz, California.

Under the direction of Media Dude Christopher Clement, and with video editor Andy Miller at the helm, KEYFAX has already completed several short videos and DVDs for Yamaha (an mLAN16e video, and a DTXperience website DVD for NAMM), and is currently mid way through a 2 hour, 5-language DVD on sound reinforcement due for release in the Fall.

The mLAN-based audio area uses PCs with AMD Athlon processors, and primarily runs Cubase SX with all the trimmings. Dual flat screen monitors aid a mixing process based around Yamaha 01x and StudioManager software. The i88s Audio MIDI Interface and an mLAN16e-equipped Motif ES complete the basis for this powerful mLAN rig that also incorporates an extensive library of software (and even the occasional vintage hardware) processors and sound sources.

Video is also PC based, centered around Canopus DV Storm hardware and Edius 2.5 software, providing a level of power and flexibility required for co-ordinating multiple time-lines, and multiple tracks of video and audio, needed for making both instructional and marketing programs. Three-chip Sony cameras are used for both on location and for shoots at the Live Oak studio.

“Video, whether for the web or for full length instructional DVDs, is becoming an increasingly important part of our business, says Keyfax scriptwriter-in-chief Julian Colbeck. “Being able to see and hear what’s going on is key to understanding any music technology product.

To enquire about a video or DVD production contact julian@keyfax.com direct.

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Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz, April 20th 2004

Sponsored by Keyfax NewMedia

At almost 73 Joe Zawinul deserves to be putting his feet up; looking back over half a century of boundary-pushing composition and keyboard playing that spans big band swing, modern jazz, rock, pop, and, latterly, that fusion of exotic feels and sounds from Earth’s predominantly (and appropriately) hotter climates we call Worldbeat. Joe ought to be dusting off his umpteen Grammy’s (Weather Report, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, and others) and numerous other awards. At the very least, basking in the glory of having been instrumental in some of music’s most telling and lasting revolutions in recording history (Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, Heavy Weather, 8:30, Salif Keita’s Amen, Faces & Places)

But no, Joe’s opening a jazz club in Vienna (Birdland – what else?), written, he says, a staggering 700 new pieces of music over the past 18 months, and at the moment he’s battling around the USA in a minivan playing infectious, groove-driven Afro/Indian flavored jazz with a bunch of young lions (and one lioness) less than half his age.

Tonight they stopped off at the Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz, and simply tore the place apart.

Although most of the material was based on recent Zawinul Syndicate recordings (Faces & Places in particular), Joe’s style is production, not reproduction. Like a firm but friendly traffic cop, Maestro Zawinul sits in a three-sided box of keyboards and a mixer and, with lots of eye contact and the occasional physical gesture, teases out virtuoso performance after virtuoso performance from his Syndicate team members.

Most songs start out as a motif or texture (mixed in with an occasional vocal sample) from Joe’s arsenal of keyboards. And this is where Joe Zawinul stands out from the pack: Sure he’s using synthesizers - a Nord Lead, a Prophecy, a Wavestation, his trusty Korg M1 and even trustier Sequential Prophet t8 – but Zawinul’s are not fossilized sounds. Everything he plays sounds organic, unique, and freshly served.

With smiles and nods the band picks up on the groove like it was a jam, and slowly the song emerges. The rhythm section of Linley Marthe and Nathanel Townsley III frankly beggars belief. Mauritius born Linley, now living in Paris, wasn’t on bass, he was all over the goddamn thing. But unlike others blessed with a prodigious technical ability Marthe is still capable of sitting in a killer groove and letting others take the spotlight. And even when he is ‘playing percussion on bass’ it works, and sounds musical. Jaco would be proud. Linley’s one formal bass solo of the night – on which he not only played, fingered, slid, slapped and popped but also twisted and bent various bit of string and hardware to the point of almost taking his Fender Jazz in for service – ranks as simply the most impressive piece of bass playing I’ve ever seen.

Marthe’s chops might make the jaw drop but Nathaniel Townsley III’s fluidity and razor-sharp punctuation are key ingredients in the Syndicate’s spicy mix.

Then we come to the next of the night’s many shockers. For a few numbers Calcutta-born New Yorker Amit Chatterjee seemed perfectly content supporting the material with understated, albeit highly groovy guitar work; rattling off the odd quirky run to let you know this wasn’t just feel at work here. Then he and Joe noodled around for while; Joe triggering some moody, ethno-industrial vocal samples while Amit laced in some simple sitar lines triggered using his MIDI guitar.

Slowly Amit began to sing: short, slow, mournful phrases at first, building to impossibly long passages that soared and swooped over multiple octaves. After a while the band began to egg him on and a strong, demanding rhythm was established, crescendoing into a blistering groove with Amit in full flight, rattling off a stream of what almost sounded like Indian-style rapping, punctuated by alarming bullfrog croaks. The momentum was electrifying. This was a groove that would have been a standout at a rave, a London nightclub, Ibiza…

Joe Zawinul has gone on record as saying Amit Chatterjee is simply the best singer he’s ever heard. He must have been talking male singers because equally fulsome – and justified – praise headed Sabine Kabongo’s way after she’d hopped on and off stage a few times to sing and chant, in a variety of African languages, predominantly in a supportive role to the flurry of instrumental music all around her.

“I’ve worked with Ella, Sara…” said Joe in his introduction. “And Sabine is right up there with them.” The pair of then set Duke Ellington’s 1934 tune Come Sunday and, Joe was absolutely right. I don’t know why it was so moving to hear someone who’d been singing in traditional African styles all night slip into Western jazz (perhaps it was just great to understand the words?) but Sabine’s performance was simply stunning. Joe Zawinul frequently rails at the undermining presence of bootleggers, but damn, where was a MiniDisk when I needed it. Guess we’ll all have to wait for the official live CD.

It seems almost scandalous to leave the great Manolo Badrena, he of Heavy Weather fame, almost as a footnote. But the ebullient Puerto Rican seems to be having a blast with this outfit and I’m sure draws no negative inference. For most of the night Badrena was content to kept the beat bubbling; only once emerging from this truly supporting role when he played (in all senses) with what looked like a length of plastic piping with a chain dangling out of one end. This object seemed to have a life of its own and Manolo sort of chased it around his percussion rig; slithering over the timbales, skeetering down the gong… it made for a unique percussion solo and was, as I suspect is ‘The Object’s’ handler, enormous fun.

The whole is normally greater than the sum of the parts, but with the Zawinul Syndicate, those parts are just way too special. Somehow Joe Zawinul manages to keep tabs on his illustrious crew, and it is no small testament to Zawinul’s composition, arrangement, and bandleading skills that the sum is, still, and very much, music of the highest caliber.

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It was April 1994 when “Twiddly.Bits” and “Keyfax Software” first appeared in the pages of a music magazine and the liberating concept of ‘MIDI Samples’ was presented to the world as an aid to the often stiff and mechanical world of MIDI music production.

The brainchild of keyboardist and author Julian Colbeck, then fresh from touring the world with Yes/ABWH, and Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, Twiddly.Bits caught on quickly and subsequent collections to General Instruments were soon produced featuring none other than Steve Hackett himself, Yes sticksman Bill Bruford, and many other illustrious musicians.

A number of events are planned as part of the April 2004 10 Year Anniversary celebrations including sponsorship of a concert by legendary Weather Report keyboardist Joe Zawinul at Santa Cruz’s famed Kuumbwa club, launch of a brand new Twiddly.Bits MIDI Sample collection (Future Beats), and a BBQ at the new office location in Santa Cruz’s stylish Live Oak Business Park.

Over the past ten years Keyfax has gone on to become an award-winning DVD production company and world leader in music and technology web design, and is taking this opportunity to thank its many thousands of customers worldwide with a whole series of “10” themed specials including crazy discounts on Twiddly.Bits libraries, lottery-style freebies, give-aways, and much more.

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Joe Zawinul is one of but a miniscule number of keyboard players that anyone outside of the specifically keyboard-playing fraternity has actually heard of or could actually name.

Credits ranging from Weather Report to Miles Davis are only part of the answer. In addition to his prodigious playing ability, Zawinul has always delighted in pushing the boundaries of electronics, sound design, and MIDI control. So it is with great pride that KEYFAX NewMedia is sponsoring The Zawinul Syndicate at Santa Cruz’s famed jazz venue, the Kuumbwa, on April 19th.

With two shows at 7PM and 9PM tickets are $22/Adv $25/Door. Please visit http://www.kuumbwajazz.org/calendar/index.htm for more information on the show, and http://www.zawinulsyndicate.com/ for more information on the man himself.

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If you’re in the LA area around 15th January and are a bone fide member of the musical instrument industry and preferably a NAMM member…. Be sure to stop by the Yamaha exhibit at the 2004 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim and say hello to the Keyfax crew who will be on hand to answer questions about the many Yamaha-related sites run by Keyfax NewMedia.

The latest member of the web team is 01xRay.com, a site for the NAMM-launched 01x mLAN Mixing Studio. In addition to being able to catch the 01x in action you’ll also be able to see snippets from the forthcoming 01x DVD (also produced by Keyfax NewMedia) entitled The 01Xperience.

See you at the show!

NAMM Dates are: January 15-18, 2004.

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Keyfax is now shipping the earliest units of the splendid STC-1000 or ‘Flat.Boy,’ as we affectionately refer to it.

A customizable pad-style controller and alternate MIDI controller in one sturdy unit, the STC-1000 can not only control assignable parameters on your soft synths, it can generate music articulations, and act as finger-drum complete with zones and unbelievable sensitivity. MORE

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In addition to running www.motifator.com KEYFAX is also co-coordinating the Motif Loyalty Program, a unique opportunity for owners of the original ‘Classic’ Motif who want to purchase the new Motif ES, to do so with additional ‘Thank You‘ of some free content, choice of training DVD, discount coupons for Yamaha accessories, and an extended warranty.

Even purchasers of the pre-owned Motif instrument can get in on the act, receiving almost the same goodie pack simply by virtue of buying their Motif from someone who’s trading up to a Motif ES!

Using custom php databasing technology, with full on-line registration and verification KEYFAX has ensured the Loyalty Program both easy to co-ordinate, and efficient to use.

Although this was initiated by Yamaha Corporation of America, Yamaha Canada has now mirrored the program, and it is hoped that other Yamaha distributors around the world will follow suit in due course.

More from www.motifloyalty.com

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Monday 21st July

The day after a NAMM show is supposed to be one of rest, especially one of rest in the ear department. But, hey, gigs come when they come, and for the folks here at Keyfax the inaugural Company-sponsored Gig came on the Monday following the Summer NAMM extravaganza in Nashville.

Joey DeFrancesco is, in case you needed the introduction, most likely the world’s most spectacular proponent of the Hammond B3. Certainly the world’s most spectacular proponent of the Hammond B3 under 35 which, incredibly for a man of Joey’s stature (in both senses) he is.

Joey DeFrancesco hit the scene and the stage early, landing the Miles Davis gig when he just sixteen. Over the ensuing years he’s played with John McLaughlin, Jimmy Bruno, Houston Person, Kenny Garrett, and finally, on his second recording for the Concorde label (Incredible!) in 1999, with Mr. B3 himself, Jimmy Smith.

Not much accompanying Joey but trading notes with him speed-of-light lick by speed-of-light lick was Dr. Lonnie Smith “The Turbonator” as he seems to be happy being known: a legendary figure in jazz having worked with the likes of George Benson, King Curtis, Etta James, Dionne Warwick, and Grover Washington over the past 30 years.

A “two Hammond B3” show is not your everyday type of gig, but the two packed houses at Santa Cruz’s famed Kuumbwa club were treated to not just a ferocious display of musicianship, but also stagecraft. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen musos having so much pure fun on stage.

Supported by two equally cool figures in the shape of Byron Landham on drums and Carl Lockhart on super slinky guitar, Joey and Dr. Lonnie didn’t so much go through any particular repertoire of material as explore, and frankly devour an entire Menu Gourmonde of Hammond B3 tones, textures, and musical motifs.

Impossible runs flew about the stage like 4th July fireworks, sonic-warfare intensity growls and rumbles shrunk into glistening hazes over a fraction of a second. Talk about dynamics. Talk about feel.

The Hammond Organ Company is clearly proud of their new champion. But so is Yamaha, who has recently approached Joey about an Artist Endorsement program for the Motif range of synthesizers.

To this end we will be conducting a full interview with Joey DeFrancesco in the next few weeks. Meantime, if this prodigiously talented cat lands somewhere near a gig by you this Fall, do not miss out on a truly memorable evening.

For full details on Joey’s touring schedule, plus discography etc, please visit joeydefrancesco.com.

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Spurred on by the collection of DVDs Keyfax produced for the Motif family of workstations, a DVD has now been released that explores Keyfax’s ‘home grown’ Twiddly.Bits MIDI Sample libraries on Yamaha’s industry-standard keyboard workstation.

Running for 60 minutes “Exploring Twiddly.Bits MIDI Samples on the Yamaha Motif” focusses on loading and using Twids on the Motif, with scenes ranging from turning Motif into an limitless drum machine, playing with construction sets of jazz grooves and motifs, to showing how you can make excellent use of complex time signature beats from maestro Bill Bruford.

Although the focus is mainly on Motif usage, the DVD also contains two bonus scenes originally shot as web footage for DTM magazine in Japan. One shows the basic principles of cut and paste and how to build up complete tracks just using material from a single Twiddly.Bits title (Reggae Grooves). The other shows how to turn Twiddly.Bits MIDI parts into audio (on the Logic Audio platform), utilizing soft synths and samplers.

“We didn’t plan this as a major DVD release." says KEYFAX Major Dude Julian Colbeck. “But so many people have asked us for tutorial footage, and since we had the material this seemed like a logical product to make. This has also enabled us to keep the cost really low. In fact we even throw the DVD in for free on some of our Twiddly.Bits Specials.”

Though primarily aimed at the Motif user, this DVD provides plenty of tips for any workstation application and, with the bonus footage, offers an excellent introduction to the many ways in which Twiddly.Bits MIDI Samples can improve the range and quality of digital music production.

Check out the Twiddly.Bits or the "Twiddly.Bits on Motif" DVD

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Pre-release testing for “GridLok,” the new tempo-synced LFO collection for Logic has already elicited high praise from some of the most influential electronic music producers in USA and Europe.

Dave Tipper, co-founder of London’s Fuel Recordings currently promoting his third album SURROUNDED (his first for Myutopia Recordings) calls GridLok:

“Not only a useful tool, but also an invaluable time-saving device, freeing up hours that would otherwise be spent laboriously drawing in control data.”

Tipper, who is also a skilled turntablist goes on to say:

“GridLok’s data files cover all the quantizes needed to create diverse rhythms and can be used to control a multitude of parameters from surround pans to plug-ins. It’s a must for any musician/engineer using automation.”

Check out more on Tipper at:

www.liquidinjuredhearing.com
myutopiarecordings.com

Meantime classical violinist Kenji Williams of ABA Structure, now emerging as one of the California Bay Area’s leading electronic music producers working in trance and progressive house, felt that GridLok was:

“ Gold for any producer. It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. With hours, days, weeks of time saved programming in control data one can now combine GridLok’s already programmed collection of different rhythms and wave data to create further new, complex, intricate patterns, rhythms, and effects.”

Kenji, who can also be heard on John Digweed's Bedrock compilation says that saved programming time can be put to good creative use.

“I can spend more time producing and composing and taking the music to the next level, which ultimately is what music technology is all about.”

Finally, British iconoclast Si Begg (Cabbage Boy, Culture Crusher..), who’s first solo album under his own name, Director’s Cut, continues to defy pigeon-holing, says:

“Yeh. They’re really cool. It’s almost like adding tempo matched oscillators and LFOs to your fave plug-ins, not to mention having tempo-matched ‘Gates’ on all yer tracks. A lot of fun and a massive time-saver. I like!”

More about Si at NovaMute Records, and www.squat.com

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Keyfax has now put together a whole range of USB accessories on Motifator.com’s MotifMart, from the almost ubiquitous USB memory sticks, to USB gooseneck lights, to a whole series of stylish custom built hard drives.

The original motivation for the range was the new Yamaha Motif ES for which Keyfax runs the Motifator.com website. However items such as the hard drives, CD-ROM, switchers, remote controls, lights etc can be used on any USB-equipped computer or musical device.

Visitors to the MotifMart can choose their hard drive memory capacity on-line, and can even choose to have the drive pre-loaded with content such as Keyfax’s Twiddly.Bits MIDI Sample collections.

“USB may not be the fastest standard around” says Keyfax’s Terry Shields. “But when you look at the prices, and the way you can switch between Mac, PC and direct-to-instrument without the hassle of having to download new drivers, it’s an extremely friendly system to use.”