Special Report: Musikmesse 2008
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4

Performance as Art: Yamaha Tenori-On

Like the Percussa AudioCubes, the Yamaha Tenori-On is hard to describe. A little harder, even.

Reminiscent of Korg's Kaoss Pad series, the Tenori-On, according to Yamaha, is a "unique 16x16 LED button matrix performance controller with a stunning visual display. For DJs and producers it is a unique performance tool enabling them to perform using MIDI and load Tenori-On with samples to 'jam/improvise' within their set BPMs." Oh-kayyy....

Well, why not follow the example from the AudioCubes and show a little video. And, yes, that visual display is stunning. I'm not quite sure how the guy in the video does what he does with the Tenori-On, but the device sure does belong in the "Dude, I so gotta play with this thing next time I visit my music store" category.

Proving you can chew gum and play music at the same time, Yamaha's demonstrator rocks the new Tenori-On, a Space Invader of sound. (Click to watch video.)

Close Move

www.global.yamaha.com/tenori-on

Trend Alert: Solid-state Recorders Everywhere

Remember DAT, MD, or — gasp! — audio cassettes as media for recording your audio? Well, those days are over.

For both portable and stationary applications, solid-state memory in the form of SD flash-RAM cards or Compact Flash modules has come to replace tape and discs, and a broad range of recorders using these media is already being offered by a number of companies.

The Edirol R-09HR is the latest version of Roland's popular flash recorder, now with higher resolution.

O'Reilly Digital Media has reviewed at least seven of these devices so far, and we have four more reviews underway. At Messe, Roland released a new spin in this category, the CD-2e, a palmtop device that records to either SD or CD, while M-Audio presented mock-ups of their flash-based MicroTrack II.

Compared to other media, solid-state memory is easier to handle, makes for quieter operation, provides faster transfer rates from the recording device to a computer, is less prone to data loss, and is often cheaper per megabyte, too. What's not to like?

Sell Your Songs: Rebeat Music Distribution

You seriously enjoy making music, writing your own songs and performing live, but what about selling your music? Rebeat Digital is a software package that promises to let you sell your songs via more than 250 online music stores, including iTunes, Musicload, and Napster.

It's not just the software, but a software-plus-distribution-contract package: you grant Rebeat exclusive distribution rights to your music for at least one year. Once you upload your tracks to Rebeat's servers, the company will encode them as required for the respective online outlet and upload them to the respective websites, making the songs available for purchase within 3–90 days after you uploaded them.

The price? A one-off fee of 99€ for the software, 1€ per uploaded song, and 15% of the revenue you make on your sales. All in all, this sounds like a compelling way to sell your own music with little administrative overhead at reasonable costs. It's also is a gateway into the major players among the online music stores for those who have not signed any "normal" record deal.

www.rebeat.com