GEAR + TECH
Introducing LEGO Vidiyo’s Hottest New DJs: Alien, Unicorn, and the Party Llama
Last year The LEGO Group and Universal Music Group announced their new partnership, which seeks to encourage creative expression through both play and music. It wasn’t until this year that we learned the exciting venture would include a brand new platform called LEGO Vidiyo, which brings the illustrious brand into the world of augmented reality. Now, the platform is ready to unveil its first range of products. With LEGO Vidiyo, users are able to create their own music videos using a variety of LEGO kits, Minifigures, and AR technology. They call these products Bandmates, BeatBoxes, and BeatBits. Fans will be able to purchase six unique and portable BeatBoxes, which include a Minifigure that represents a specific music genre, a scanning stage, two special Beat...
Ableton Announces the Release Date for Live 11
Producers can finally start the countdown to the release of Ableton Live 11. Announced last fall was the next iteration of one of the world’s most popular digital audio workstations. Since then, producers have been anxiously awaiting the release of the upgraded software. While the release date was not known at the time of the announcement, developers have now confirmed that the new workstation will hit the market later this month. On Twitter, fans were notified of the release date and that there is a beta available now. For the Live 10 users reading this article, developers have shared a YouTube video comparing the two versions and explaining what’s new in 11. Ableton Live 11 will be available for purchase both online and in-stores on Tuesday, February 23rd, 202...
Monstercat’s NFT Debut Generates $180,000 in Just Two Minutes
Although most of the world is preoccupied with gaming the stock market, Monstercat has broken into the lucrative realm of non-fungible tokens or NFT. For those who haven’t caught the wave, NFTs are virtual collectibles similar to items found in video games. Oftentimes digital art or audio, the collectibles are powered by blockchain technology and are exclusive to the purchaser. For their digital debut, Monstercat released two separate drops on the NFT marketplace, Nifty Gateway. Dubbed, the ORIGINS Collection and Constellations Pack, the new collectables were designed by the digital artist, Giant Swan, and soundtracked by Varien. Before they hit the market, on Twitter, the label shared a preview of the two drops, showcasing some of the sights and sounds inside. A ...
LEGO’s New VIDIYO Augmented Reality Platform to Feature Music by Marshmello
Perhaps the world’s most popular toy, LEGO bricks have captivated the imaginations of children and professional builders for decades. The illustrious brand has spawned video game creations, television series, and interactive figures. Now, LEGO is set to move into the world of augmented reality with its new VIDIYO sets. In partnership with Universal Music Group, LEGO has created a new series of sets that will allow users to create custom music videos. VIDIYO centers around a mobile app that will record the brick sets, which include special 2×2 components called BeatBits that interact visually with the app. The augmented reality technology allows the user to create custom visuals and effects within their own video creations. As for the music, EDM superstar Marshmello&nbs...
Enter Porter Robinson’s Immersive 360° “Look At The Sky” Audiovisual Experience
After waiting eight agonizing months for “Look At The Sky,” it’s now clear that the release was worth the wait. Two days after finally unveiling his long-awaited Nurture cut, Porter Robinson has now launched an immersive 360° audiovisual experience for the song. Developed by VR and AR experience designer Active Theory, the intricate world of “Look At The Sky” uses gyroscope sensor technology to allow its inhabitants to scan the locale in 360°. Once you access the site, you enter into a cavernous night sky with a countdown gleaming in the distance. Once the clock sputters out, you’re instantaneously warped into a breathing, fantasy-like green meadow as the song’s lyrics come to life before your eyes. The “Loo...
Razer Unveils Prototype for “World’s Smartest Mask”
Gaming hardware and technology brand Razer has developed what they call the “world’s smartest mask.” Titled Project Hazel, the mask has the promise of being a more customizable and sustainable alternative to disposable surgical masks without compromising on safety. Following the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Razer was one of the companies that stepped up to provide much-needed PPE amid a global shortage. To date, the company has produced over 1 million surgical masks. However, as Razer’s Director of Design Charlie Bolton explains, that endeavor led to the realization that a more sustainable option was missing from the market. Thus, Project Hazel was born. First and foremost, Project Hazel has the high-quality filtration equivalent to that of an N95 respira...
Richie Hawtin’s PLAYdifferently Manufacturer Releases MODEL 1.4 DJ Mixer
Four years ago, Richie Hawtin‘s instrument manufacturer, PLAYdifferently, released the MODEL 1 DJ mixer, seeking to change the way a standard mixer functions. “With MODEL 1, we set out to build a new breed of DJ mixer, more akin to an instrument, with levels of control and quality that inspired creativity,” Hawtin said. Now, the MODEL 1.4 has arrived, to better suit those looking to mix at home or on tour. The compact MODEL 1.4 is a smaller incarnation of the MODEL 1, offering more convenience without compromising the quality or function of the mixer. The four-channel MODEL 1.4 mixer is built to suit modern times, where streaming DJ performances from home is a more feasible way of sharing music amid quarantine measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbs...
Watch Diplo Make a Beat Using His Tesla
From self-driving to generating wet fart noises in “fart mode,” Teslas really can do it all. They can even be used to produce music. Diplo shared a video today in which he makes a beat from scratch—with his Tesla. Using nothing but his car’s dashboard, he recreated the beat of “New Love,” his new Silk City single with Mark Ronson and Ellie Goulding. What is this sorcery, you ask? It looks like Diplo used a program called TRAX, a digital audio workstation (DAW) offered by Tesla in one of the company’s recent vehicular software updates. The in-car music studio had been available to owners in late 2019, but it has now been enhanced with expanded capabilities. While TRAX is much more limited than industry-standard DAWs like Ableton a...
The layering system: how to layer clothing for the outdoors
Now that spring is finally on the horizon, we’ve updated our guide to the layering system and how best to adapt your clothing to suit any outdoor condition Springtime is almost upon us and with it come the capricious weather conditions that define the season. Mark Twain once said, “In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” Here in the UK, spring weather so often described as “mixed” or “unpredictable” essentially includes anything from perfect hillwalking conditions with blue skies, sunshine and a cooling breeze to treacherous conditions laden with mud, stormy skies and gale-force winds. As I prepare for my first expeditions of the year, I’ll be using the following layering system, a tried-and-tested method fo...
Check Out Kygo’s New Noise-Cancelling A11/800 Headphones
“They’re brilliant for blocking out any unwanted distractions while I’m traveling on tour.” Chart-topping dance music star Kygo has released a new line of over-ear headphones. Combining his passion for sound quality and all things music, the famed producer has teamed up with some of the industry’s top engineers to build the X by Kygo line. The A11/800 over-ear headphones are a noise-cancelling delight. Working in conjunction with the Kygo Sound app, the headphones have the ability to equalize and let the user control how much ambient noise is blocked. A clever “awareness mode” cancels ambient noise at 50% while amplifying voices, so there’s no need to worry about removing the headphones when listening to somebody speak. As ...
Roland’s Verselab MV-1 Allows Producers to Create Complete Songs Without a Laptop
Roland‘s latest offering is a game-changer for music production, a powerful instrument encompassing a groove box, vocal processor, and sampler in one device. Best of all, it enables music producers to create an entire song in under ten minutes—no laptop required. The architects of the iconic TR-808 drum machine have another cutting edge product on their hands, a standalone music studio that conveniently aims to do it all. The instrument arrives with 3,000 sounds preloaded, but an endless supply remains at producers’ fingertips via Roland Cloud. Melody writing is made easy with key quantization and variety is oftentimes a button push away, allowing producers to easily add arpeggiation, pitch bend, and much more. The device’s song mode keeps organization easy, al...
COVID-19 Conspiracy Theorists Spread “5G Chip” Image—But it’s Really a Diagram of a Guitar Pedal’s Electrical Circuit
If you’re looking for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic while simultaneously stuffing the heaviest, djentiest guitar chugs directly into your bloodstream, you’re in luck. Apparently, the new COVID-19 vaccine has a Boss Metal Zone guitar pedal inside it, ensuring that everyone who receives the vaccination will not only be protected against the virus, but also instantly become metal as f**k. In truth, recent reports indicate that some coronavirus conspiracy theorists believe the vaccine injection was created merely as a vessel to implant a “5G chip” into the unsuspecting populace’s bodies and track their every movement. As we all know, any image on the Internet, especially top secret governati documents that say “confidential” in bold&nb...
