Category Archives: Labs

[Ableton] Normalize Recorded Audio Samples

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Situation:

You recorded a nice sample from an external source (name it a bass synthesizer or anything else). After recording you see that the sample’s gain is too low.

Solution 1:

  • copy that pattern from the pattern view to the arrangement view
  • consolidate that sample in the arrangement view (CTRL+ J on Windows or CMD + J on Apple)
  • increase the sample’s own gain to 0dB
  • the tiny downside: bass samples get often distorted. If you don’t like auto-distortion take Solution 2 ;-)

Solution 2:

  • get yourself Audacity
  • load that recorded sample from Ableton into Audacity
  • go to Effects -> Normalize
  • et voilà: gain set to 0dB and no distortion

Enjoy…

[Muzaq] Bitwig Prepping To Launch Beta of Bitwig Studio Soon

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The Berlin based company Bitwig has eventually presented some details about their upcoming music software BitwigStudio. Bitwig Studio is targeting at professional and semi-professional musicians for producing and using live.

Features in Version 1.0

In addition to what people would expect like VST support, there seem to be some groundbreaking new features to be coming already in version 1.0:

  • dual heading for the use of several displays
  • Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and LINUX support (!!)
  • working on multiple documents
  • multiple automizations

Upcoming Features After  Version 1.0

Bitwig also announced features to be upcoming after version 1.0:

  • LAN multi-user jamming
  • multi-user music production via Internet
  • Native modular synthesizer/effects system

Background

The Bitwig company has been founded by former Ableton developers in 2008. They are located in Berlin/Germany.

Closed Beta Test

Although there is no reliable information at the moment about release dates, you can apply here for a beta test starting soon.

More Information

» Bitwig on the net

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V_t8GfH-v4

Update [Jan 28, 2012]

Forum threads indicate there is a tiny chance that Ableton might sue Bitwig for cloning parts of Live’s GUI, in legal terms for violating the protection of registered designs.

[iOS5] Workaround for iPad and iPhone w/ iOS5 running Animoog

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Abstract

You absolutely like Moog’s latest iOS application named Animoog and wanna control it from your Mac but it doesn’t work and you are running iOS 5 or iOS 5.01. So at the moment it seems there is an issue in Animoog related to a modification in Apple’s CoreMidi stack. On iOS 4.3.x devices the CoreMidi connection worked.

Walkthru

I. On your iOS device do the following:

  1. I assume you already installed AniMoog, didn’t you?
  2. Please shutdown the AniMoog app, in case it is running. Don’t just put it into the multitasking background (or just reboot the iPad or the iPhone)
  3. then open the AppStore
  4. download Pad MIDI
  5. run Pad MIDI
  6. put Pad MIDI into the multitasking background
  7. start Animoog

II. On your Mac/HackMac/iMac/MacPro/whatever do the following:

Continue reading →

[Win] Oracle VirtualBox: Workaround For Initialization Issue Pt. II

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Find our previously released workaround for initialization issues here.

CPU VT-X/AMD-V Issue

After configuring a dual core virtual machine and trying to start you may encounter a message box indicating:

  • Hyper-V launch failed; Either VMX not present or not enabled in BIOS.
  • Hyper-V launch failed; at least one of the processors in the system does not appear to provide a virtualization platform supported by Hyper-V.

This issue may occur no matter which host operating system you’re using. The reason for this might be:

  • you’re not using a CPU that supports hardware virtualization
  • your BIOS does not support hardware virtualization properly
  • hardware virtualization is disabled in your BIOS settings (check it!)
  • there is a bug in your current BIOS version
  • the trusted execution flag prevents booting properly

Known Workarounds

Try these settings in your BIOS:

  • Enable Execute Disable bit (depending on the motherboard manufacturer this can be called: XD-Bit, EDB, NX-Bit, AMD EVP)
  • Enable Virtualization bit (depending on the mobo manuf. this can be called: VT, IVT, AMD-V)
  • Enable VT for Direct I/O Access (depending on the mobo manuf. this can be called: VT-d based I/O)
  • Disable Trusted Execution Technology (depending on the mobo manuf. this can be called: Intel TXT, TET)

Of course, upgrading your BIOS to the latest version can also be of help, but flashing the BIOS is always a little risky.

Final Words

As we’re currently using VirtualBox only on the Windows XP platform we categorized this article under Win, anyway it is very likely that the same issue also occurs under Linux or Mac OS, as VirtualBox on all platforms derives from the same source code.

The above settings apply for example for installing MacOS SnowLeopard in a VM under Windows 7 on Gigabyte EP35-DS3 or Dell Optiplex 745/755.

[MacOS] Save Energy by Using Deep Sleep aka Hibernation

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Looking at the situation in Japan at these days, it seems overdue to begin worrying about all our energy consuming devices.

As a MacOS user we are used to some quite convenient features. Like just clicking sleep and the system goes to sleep.

What most of us don’t realize at this point is, that sleep mode logically requires energy as it will immediately wake up when I hit the keyboard.

So for me this began causing me a bad conscious – until I found the way to hibernate MacOS also on desktops

How to Hibernate aka Deep Sleep

  1. Download Axonic Labs’ Deep Sleep Widget for Snow Leopard 10.6 here.
  2. Unpack by double clicking
  3. Install to
    /Library/Widgets
  4. open terminal and
  5. enter in terminal:
    sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 3

Step 5. because Hibernation Safe Sleep is disabled by default on desktop systems like iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro’s.

By the way: first tests show that this Deep Sleep Widget is at least compatible to Chameleon EFI RC4 :-))

[MacOS] Handle DMG Images under Microsoft Windows

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Are you one of those lonesome people who tried to access the contents of a DMG image under Windows? Yes, there are several ways like converting to ISO with programs like Magic-Iso or mounting with Mac-Drive. All these solutions are nice, handy and well… expensive…

Simply using 7-zip is in my opinion the easiest way, as all of us should have 7-Zip installed anyway ;-)

  • right click the .dmg file
  • choose:
    7-Zip
  • a submenu opens, in that submenu choose:
    unpack to <nameofmydmg\>
  • wait a couple of secs while unpacking and
    open the subfolder <nameofmydmg\>
  • you should find a bunch of files:
    0.MBR
    1.Primary GPT Header
    2.Primary GPT Table
    3.free
    4.hfs
    5.free
    6.Backup GPT Table
    7.Backup GPT Header
  • The file for further examination is “4.hfs”. It mostly is a lot bigger than all the rest of the files.
  • now do a right click on "4.hfs" again and
  • choose 7-Zip
  • a submenu opens again, now in that submenu choose:
    unpack to <4\>
  • et voilà…

you’re done with unpacking… now fire IDA and find the jump ;-)

[Win] Oracle VirtualBox: Workaround For Initialization Issue

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“and first for something complete different”: Muzaq… coding or administrating system can’t do without gooood muzaq. Check our latest tunes here :-)

History

VirtualBox is an open source virtualization software. Originally it has been developed by a german company named Innotek, which has been acquired by SUN Microsystems in 2008. SUN Microsystems in turn has been acquired by ORACLE in 2010.

Innotek originally collaborated with Connectix on Virtual PC – a virtualization software targeting the Mac OS platform. Connectix has been bought by Microsoft in 2003. Innotek then decided to develop VirtualBox.

Status Quo

VirtualBox is used by many companies for virtualization and thus developing. Palm for example uses VirtualBox for WebOS development in an emulated environment. Thus allowing either Linux, Mac OS or Windows host systems for development.

CPU VT-X/AMD-V Issue

After configuring a dual core virtual machine and trying to start you may encounter a message box indicating:

VERR_VMX_MSR_LOCKED_OR_DISABLED

This issue may occur no matter which host operating system you’re using. The reason for this might be:

  • you’re not using a CPU that supports hardware virtualization
  • your BIOS does not support hardware virtualization properly
  • hardware virtualization is disabled in your BIOS settings (check it!)
  • there is a bug in your current BIOS version regarding

Known Workarounds

  • Disable USB for the virtual machine
  • Reduce the amount of CPU cores to 1
  • upgrade your BIOS to the latest version (this might be dangerous)
  • Disable VT-X/AMD-V
  • Disable 3D acceleration
  • Shutdown your host machine, unplug (!) from electricity for say 30 secs, reboot then

As we’re currently using VirtualBox only on the Windows XP platform we categorized this article under Win, anyway it is very likely that the same issue also occurs under Linux or Mac OS, as VirtualBox on all platforms derives from the same source code.

Any suggestions, hints or things need to be added? Don’t hesitate to tell us below…

[Pre] Recommended Incomplete Preware Packages List

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As of version 1.4 it seems Palm has managed to get WebOS out of beta status. Anyway there are still some things that could be a tiny bit better. We therefore compiled an (incomplete) list ;-) of packages, we are currently using on our Pre’s.

The Requirements

These packages require a Palm Pre put into developer mode and an installed Preware installer.

  1. Putting Palm Pre into Dev Mode by simply entering the Konami Code – see here how to do it
  2. Install WebOS-Internals’ Preware installer – see here how to do it.

Both steps are easy as saying “1, 2, Pre”…

The Incomplete Preware Packages List

Done and happy? Ok then, here we go:

Package Description PreWare Folder
Battery Saver Turns on airplane mode each night at a defined time Application
Brightness Unlinked Brightness of Keyboard and Brightness of Screen can now separately be adjusted Applications
MyTether Turns your Pre into a WiFi to 3G router. Extremely helpful on vacation. Not on PreWare, get here only…
Terminal Allows Accessing the Linux Terminal from within the Pre Applications
4×4 icons v4 No Arrows Plus More 4 Icons on Launcher Screen per line Patch
Ad Blocker Being on GRPS/Edge sometimes, you definitely don’t want to spend bandwidth on ads Patch
Capture with Volume Keys Shoot Images with the Volume Keys Patch
Confirm Delete Confirm Deleting an Email Patch
Fullscreen Mode Browser No Urlbar, No Application Frame, No Notification when scrolled down. Extends the browser to the full screen size Patch
Reduce Minimum Brightness Changes Minimum from 10 to 0 Patch
Fullscreen Mode Browser No Urlbar, No Application Frame, No Notification when scrolled down. Extends the browser to the full screen size Patch
Send All Contacts via Email Creates a vCard containing ALL contacts and attaches it to an Email Patch

Shouts fly out to the WebOS-Internals team and the guys at the Precentral Forums. That’s awesome work you’re doing.