TOOLBOX MAKE LOOKS AT MUSIC
Korg Synth for Nintendo DS
$20 korgds10synthesizer.com
When I first saw this synth program, I thought it would be an interesting game. I was way off: it turned out to be a complete synthesizer with
surprisingly good sound quality. It holds up to 21 different sessions,
and each session has up to 16 patterns of 16 steps. It has two “
oscillators,” each with its own virtual Keyboard, KAOSS Pad, Sequencer, Patch
screen, and Edit screen. It comes with sound presets, but you can
modify them or make your own. It also has four customizable drums.
You can either write a song using the sequencer or you can record
yourself playing it on the Keyboard, KAOSS Pad, or Drum Pad.
After you record your song, the DS- 10 will turn it into a pattern on
the Sequencer screen. You can even use the wireless connectivity to
create a shared session. It isn’t a Moog, but for $20, it’s an excellent
portable music machine. —Adam Zeloof
Boss RC-20XL
Loop Station
$260 makezine.com/go/loopstation
Despite its daunting name, the Boss RC-20XL Loop
Station is surprisingly simple to use. Layer upon layer of
guitar riffs, piano progressions, and vocal harmonies can
be looped atop each other with the press of a pedal.
How does it work? The RC-20XL records your riff and
plays it back to you in real time. Play a line, press the pedal,
and your music immediately repeats. Press the pedal again
and overdub an additional line over your first; repeat up to
11 times. When you’re satisfied with your creation, the entire
loop can be saved to the internal memory for later use.
The dual-pedal device has three inputs for mics and
other instruments, so countless sounds and tones can
be utilized. Start with a drumbeat, groove a funky bass
line, shred a face-melting guitar solo, and then you may
need to fire your bandmates. You now possess an entire
orchestra of sound sitting under your sneakers. Whether
it’s for practice, live use, or just impressing your friends,
this is a great buy for any musician. —Justin Morris
156 Make: Volume 21
Transform
Analog
to Digital
B@;;I<M@<N
CD recorders
$35 used, $200+ new
There’s an easy way to cheaply get songs
off your old vinyl albums and onto CDs,
which can easily be loaded into i Tunes. All
you need, besides your ordinary analog
music setup (turntable, speakers, preamplifiers), is a CD recorder like my old
TEAC RW-CD22 that will transfer music
from your albums to a CD-R or CD-RW.
With stores selling used vinyl for less
than a dollar, music fans can load up to
70 minutes of music onto a recordable
CD. Just connect your turntable to the
recorder with standard A/V cables —
although since most recorders offer CD
copying, you may have to switch from
the digital-digital mode to the analog-digital mode. Now roll down the windows
and blast some Barry Manilow, and show
those punks how cool you are.
—Brian Kerfs
