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Category Archives: Music Software

Interview with Dan Barry of Riffstation Guitar Learning Software

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Riffstation is a new guitar learning software developed by Sonic Ladder Ltd. It’s billed as the ultimate jam and practice tool for guitar players. It’s got a bunch of features including slow down, key change and guitar isolation technology and lots more.

What immediately stands out about this product is that you can use the music you already have on your pc or iPod in wav, mp3, wma formats. It allows you to take your favorite songs and manipulate them to learn the chords and riffs, create your own backing bracks, and build new riffs and songs.

I recently had an chance to interview Dan Barry, one of the founders and developers of Riffstation to talk about the development of this software and the technology behind. I highly recommend that you check out Riffstation for yourself.

Interview with Dan Barry of Riffstation

1. How long did it take to develop the Riffstation software which allows you to learn the chords, master the riffs and create custom jam tracks using songs in your own music collection?
DB: We formed the company in late 2010 and began developing Riffstation as a product in early 2011, so I guess you could say it was in commercial development for about a year but we had all been working on some of the technologies in Riffstation for several years before that. Our guitar isolation technology dates back to 2004 believe it or not!

2. The Riffstation development team also includes Mikel Gainza, Martin Gallagher, how did you guys first get together? And can you share a little bit about how this idea for this product came to be?
DB: Mikel and I founded the Audio research Group in a university in Dublin in 2006. Martin joined one of our projects in 2007. We all have an engineering/computing background and we are all guitar players so when we decided to form a company we know what our first product would be.

We specialized in developing algorithms for music and audio processing and we always had a slant on building tools which were useful for learning so Riffstation was a combination of all the things we do well. Riffstation is the kind of thing we wished we had when we were learning guitar, so figured we’d build it.

3. In my view, the coolest feature is being able to use your own music collection to learn songs and mix new jam tracks instead of midi files. Was this feature the critical to your vision for Riffstation?

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3,300+ Preset Tones for Guitar Rig Users

If you’re a Guitar Rig user, there’s a new site for preset tones. If you want to find a huge amount of Guitar Rig presets located in one place instead of searching for them one by one all over the web, then Guitar Rig Presets Online is the place.

Vax Highy form Guitar Rig Presets Online has edited and organized over 3,300 presets. You can register for free and download a number of presets. There’s also a premium membership for access to additional tones. As a member, you can

  • Download and utilize up to 3300 presets
  • Listen sound samples before download
  • Share your own presets with members
  • Possibility to pick up other members shared tones
  • Discuss with members

The site also includes some sound samples to check out and the positive feedback from members should encourage you to check it out for yourself.

    For more information, visit Guitar Rig Presets Online

New StompBox for Your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

From Griffin Technology and the Frontier Design Group comes the StompBox Controller for your iOS device. It’s a 4 button foot controller that allow you to switch effects through through your device. It can be programmed to the desired effect adn with a 1/4″ jack it can also be plug into headphones and other instruments.

The question is … Would you be you bold enough to gig with it?

The StompBox is priced at $99.99, available at Apple Store and Griffin.

Like Peanut Butter and Jelly … Guitars and Lasers?

M3i Technologies, a company based in Germany has developed a laser pitch detection system for guitars. It uses a laser diode pickup and bridge piece to monitor the changes in string length and calculate the pitch of the string.

The advantage of this system is that it will allow users to record in real-time. You can digitally capture a guitar performance, or to turn it into a MIDI synth.

And it’s not just for the guitar, the system can perform with any type of stringed instrument that has a fingerboard, fretted or fretless, and may be picked or bowed.

Before you get too exited, the LPD(Laser Pitch Detection) won’t be available until sometime in 2012.

For more information on this product visit M3i

via Mobile Magazine

Inkdt Adapts Laptop Skins Technology to Guitars

I recently caught up with Paul Brinker, founder of Inkdt Guitar Skins. Paul says “Inkdt is a new, innovative way to add custom graphics to your guitar. Inkdt has taken the technology of skins, commonly used on laptops and cellphones, and has adapted it as an easy way to give your guitar a custom painted look. Inkdt skins are easy for anyone to apply and can be removed at anytime without harming the original finish of your guitar.”

The skins are printed on a transparent material and are designed a number of guitar brands including Gibson, Fender, ESP, Squier, and most acoustic bodies. The average price of the skins is between $35 and $40. Custom designs are also available.

He’s is currently pushing to grow the business with a new website design being developed as well as some big announcement coming soon. Paul is also asking for your vote for Inkdt in the Cincinnati Innovates Contest which will reward the most innovative business with $25,000.

To view the gallery of current designs and for more information on Inkdt Guitar Skins, visit Inkdt.com