The Percussa AudioCubes are an interesting controller which was released to the market a year or so ago. There is a good review on Creative Digital Music, which explores the limitation of triggering and looks in more detail at the notions of continuous control as a sculptural sonic element.

The Percussa AudioCubes are cubes capable of generating and processing audio and MIDI information.

• Lets you create unique sounds and musical patterns without twiddling knobs !
• Creates a stunning live performance.
• Helps you focus on your creativity and your music.
• Controls your MIDI-compatible instruments or software.
• Displays beautiful colours synchronized to your music.
• Does not need a special table or detection system.
• Does not need any camera’s or special lighting.

Percussa Cubes basics from Livid Instruments on Vimeo.

Wacom’s Wireless NextBeat DJ Controller

Wacom, best known for its line of graphics tablets, has announced the NextBeat DJ system, aimed at professional DJs.

Wacom’s Nextbeat is a fully integrated professional DJ system, incorporating touch sensor controls and innovative live performance functions. It also features a unique wireless portable control unit that docks with the main device:

E.A.R. sonic boom San Francisco Speak and Spell - NMETV Latest Music Videos and Clips

We recently did an Interview with Ric Holland from Wacom Australia, discussing out music and the use of experimental interfaces for realtime electronic music performance.  You can see the interview and some pictures HERE

Electric Gongs - an experimental music installation

The use of electyromagnets to excite these gongs provide a bow like responce which allows people to play particular pitches - looks like great fun

This   Create Digital Music » iPod Touch/iPhone for Music Round-up shows an extraordinary range of music performance software coming out for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  It is not entirely surprising as they include the same base OS frameworks as a full blown Mac - ie. Core Audio and Audio Units. It makes for an interesting future of micro-bands

Love these kits from Bleep labs - the thingamagoop is a small one led performance instrument for electronic sounds, glitchy blips etc

They also have a thingamakit which is a 2 LED performance interface, but you need to build it yourself, so being handy with a soldering iron will help

YEHHH for Dr BLEEP

The Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC 2008) is happening at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music - The University of Sydney this week - Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Michael Atherton and I (SYNC) are performing a new work for electric guitar and live electronics on Friday night and on Saturday night I am playing a new work for flute and live electronics, titled Fue Sho which I wrote for the Aurora Festival earlier in the year.

A special guest of the conference is Robert Normandeau, one of my favorite electroacoustic composers.

I recommend you check out the Concert Program and come and listen to all the great music. There are day time and night time concerts.

This is a crazy video of Mark Smart using the Continuum Fingerboard to drive 2 massive Tesla Coils, one bass and one melody, as part of a concert at the University of Illinois, Urbana Haken Audio - Performance ExamplesMark Smart performs live in Urbana, Illinois on March 7, 2008. This outdoor concert was part of a student-run open house for the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois