New Gadget Madly In Hope

12 July 2011

Droneo 1.3 pattern feature

Droneo 1.3 is getting yet another class of evolving mirror: I'd better stop, or start a whole new droning app (which I want to do any way) - which is pretty fascinating.
Each reed gets not only an interval, but also a specially coded pattern string of harmonics of that interval (or 0). this pattern is played in a loop.
so, play three against two:
reed 1: 1/1 10 length is 2
reed 2: 3/2 100 length is 3 ...

play a harmonically based scale:
reed 1: 1/8 89abcdef
( I use hex digits for harmonics, but extend it 16 more places up to w)

now I can build up polyrhythms in a sensible manner, using an pitches I like, and explore micro melodies and phasing.
Also, I can simulate hammered dulcimer patterns like
1: 1/1 20003000
2: 9/8 02000300
3: 5/4 00200030
4: 4/3 00020003

and then I can change the "string's" tuning the same way.

Although a little tough to type in on the phone, droneo voices can handle them fine, and you could make something pretty impressive and long playing using just these 8 reeds.
01:27:28 - jhhlnet - No comments yet, click here to add one

07 July 2011

Tondo Review

There are two new sites coming on line called evolutionaryculture.org and evolutionarymusic.org, and the person behind it, Zac Laurent, has written a very nice review of Tondo. It'll be up on the site(s?) when it launches:


Tondo- a remarkable app for making remarkable sounds

Well, it has to be said: There are a lot of apps out there, especially music ones. Many are great, and a lot, not so great. Most do the same things but just look different.

It was about time I found one that looked and sounds different!

Henry Lowengard has made quite a few apps and this one stands out as being truly one of a kind. Tondo is basically a reactive kind of app in the sense that you can tweak in different way and see harmony and disharmony occur by ever so slight adjustments. It is visually appealing as it doesn't look like a normal music app, and it's likely because it isn't.

And that is why it's so great!

I feel like I'm traveling back in time to the days of early sonic experimentation, like I'm watching greats such as Luc Ferrari or Brian Eno messing with the early synths and theramins. Things were not predictable then, but they are now. I don't want predictability in apps anymore,I have enough apps that do that.

Tondo is a work of art, a masterpiece of an app that I am sure I'm going to use a lot. I beg the developer to add AUDIOCOPY so that the more distinguished and experimental of us iOS producers can export our experiments to other apps and use these unique sound sculpting possibilities for many other projects. As a standalone app it's also great and one can spend hours just tweaking and being immersed in true sonic sculpture!

Well done Henry!

11:53:33 - jhhlnet - No comments yet, click here to add one