As a preface, let me explain that the following is my personal opinion and in no way reflects the viewpoint of Electronic Musician or its publisher. I‘m simply illuminating an issue I perceive to be justice denied, and this blog gives me an opportunity to speak out. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinion, I‘d love to hear your point of view.

Nobody likes music piracy, but is the Recording Industry Association of America‘s cure worse than the disease? Representing the interests of big record companies under the guise of protecting artists’ rights, the RIAA recently scored a major victory in its pursuit of those who share music online using peer-to-peer software. The organization‘s usual tactic is to employ legally questionable investigative techniques to identify individual file sharers and demand exorbitant extortion fees (typically from $2,000 to $5,000 a pop) under threat of lawsuit. Annually, the RIAA goes after college students, sending thousands of “pre-litigation settlement letters” to universities across America, “on behalf of record companies.” Most accused file sharers (or their parents) simply pay up, but every year a handful decides to fight back. In the past four years, the RIAA has brought more than 20,000 lawsuits against those who are unable or unwilling to meet their demands.

After years of intimidation and legal arm-twisting, last week the RIAA finally brought a court case to completion. It won a lawsuit against Jammie Thomas, a single Minnesota mother accused of sharing 24 copyrighted songs. She was never accused of downloading any music herself, but of making those songs available on her computer for others to download. The only evidence against her was circumstantial, and the RIAA never tried to establish whether anyone had actually downloaded any songs from Ms. Thomas‘ computer.

After two days of testimony and five hours‘ deliberation, a Federal jury awarded the RIAA and the record companies it represents nearly a quarter of a million dollars–$220,000, to be exact, or $9,250 for each song. If the RIAA were to collect every penny that Ms. Thomas earns, it would take more than 60 years to collect its winnings.

No doubt, the association is emboldened by its victory and will use the jury‘s decision as justification for pursuing more and more lawbreakers until… until when? Until people finally wise up and stop peer-to-peer file sharing? Until a federal court finally decides the RIAA‘s methods are despicable and illegal or that having P2P software and MP3 files on your computer doesn‘t violate copyright laws? Or until technology finally presents a resolution to the problem, most likely when record companies embrace some kind of file-sharing revenue model?

This week, the immensely popular rock band Radiohead will release its long-awaited new album, In Rainbows, its first without the backing of a major company. Beginning Wednesday, you can go to www.inrainbows.com and download the 10-track album for whatever you think it‘s worth. If you‘re willing to pay $1, you‘ll get it for $1. You‘ll also need a pay a small fee for charging your purchase to a credit card, but the point is that Radiohead would rather trust the integrity of its fans than trust an international conglomerate and the RIAA to collect proceeds from the album.

Rather than try to find a technological solution that would mutually benefit record companies, artists, and consumers, the RIAA’s legal team has seemingly chosen to attempt to destroy the lives of anyone who dares to defy them. Their apparent arrogance is made possible by the combination of unrestrained power, a culture of greed, and out-of-date statutes governing copyright. Fortunately, Ms. Thomas is appealing the court‘s decision, and Congress is considering sorely needed revisions to the U.S. copyright law. Until record companies are willing to consider a solution that fuses good technology with good business, however, the problem of illegal file sharing will continue no matter how many lawsuits are filed or how the law adapts.

Years ago I realized that any artist needs to have lots of talent in order to gain widespread recognition (yes, even those whose music seems completely worthless). I also came to recognize that being immensely talented and working hard offers no assurance that he, she, or they will “make it big.”

Case in point: I‘ve been enjoying the music of Over the Rhine since a few months after the release of their second album in 1992. With the recent release of their eighteenth album, The Trumpet Child, and despite well over a decade full of glowing reviews praising vocalist Karin Bergquist as “the greatest unknown singer of our generation,” well-deserved stardom continues to elude the Cincinnati-based band. However, The Trumpet Child is such a musical tour de force that perhaps OTR‘s career is finally about to take off for the stratosphere. On the other hand, judging by their history, perhaps not. In a world of megacorporate-controlled radio airplay and music marketing, cream does not always rise to the top. Nonetheless, if only through word of mouth, this new album should give OTR a long-deserved shot at stardom.

Thanks in equal parts to the continuing expansion of Bergquist‘s vocal talents and her husband/multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler‘s songwriting and arranging proficiency, The Trumpet Child is OTR‘s best album ever. My wife Pam has it in constant rotation in our kitchen and bedroom, and at least half the songs are so catchy that I find them playing in my head at random moments. For both of us, it‘s currently the number-one pick on our iPods. The songwriting is amazingly strong and every arrangement is perfect for its song. The musicianship is top notch, and Bergquist‘s singing is equal parts polished and sexy, demonstrating a stunning degree of expressive control.

I must admit, I have mixed feelings about drawing attention to OTR. For the moment, fans like Pam and I are able to attend their performances in relatively small clubs, without paying through the nose for tickets to see a band so far from our seats we can‘t distinguish their faces. However, some musicians are so deserving of success that it would be unfair not to let the entire world know about them.

Over the Rhine is currently touring, and I recommend you catch their live act if you get the chance; I think you‘ll be impressed. The Trumpet Child is available as a CD or an LP from OTR‘s Web site, or as a download from the iTunes Store. You can listen to alternate takes from the entire album on OTR‘s Web site.

There was an interesting article in today‘s Washington Post. Just as the U.S. has fallen behind in gas mileage, we‘ve fallen even further behind in Internet speed. Americans invented the Internet, so how did we get so far behind? If you‘re curious about why we‘re still watching online video in itty-bitty windows (while people in Japan watch full-screen, broadcast-quality programming on their computers) and paying more for the privilege, you’ll find this article an eye-opening read.

Today marks two years since we lost one of electronic music‘s founding fathers, Bob Moog. I attended an event held in his honor in Asheville, North Carolina, three days after his passing. Here‘s an email I sent to the other EM editors the next day, describing the experience:

The Moog memorial event yesterday was just incredible. Bob’s son Matt organized the whole thing and served as master of ceremonies for a gathering of almost 300. From noon until 4:00, about 15 friends and family members took turns telling stories about Bob, most of them very humorous, very touching, or very enlightening, and often all three. The stories only reinforced what we already know about what a colorful character and what a genuinely modest, funny, and warm human being Bob was.

The celebration began with music from Bob’s favorite local band, Toubab Krewe. The first speaker was Herb Deutsch, who told how in 1963, he coaxed Bob into creating an instrument that musicians could really use, which led to the first keyboard synthesizers and a lifelong friendship. Dave Borden, who apparently had a talent for blowing up electronic circuits, told of how Bob gave him a key to provide full nighttime access to the Moog studio, where he was unknowingly used to idiot-proof synth modules.

Wendy Carlos was positioned as the keynote speaker. She began with an account of how she and Bob met at AES; her most quotable quote was that he was a scientist who spoke music, and she was a musician who spoke science. Alongside her stories about Bob, she played four recorded examples of her work, ranging from Switched-On Bach to Beauty in the Beast. Her recording of the Henry Purcell’s funeral procession from “A Clockwork Orange” was especially poignant.

Steve Dunnington, Moog Music’s heir apparent, played “Amazing Grace” on the theremin. Cyril Lance, a very talented musician and reportedly brilliant physicist who was Bob’s most favored choice to carry on his work, played guitar and sang a couple songs. Steve Martin, the director of the film “Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey,” told great stories of his experiences with Bob, Leon Theremin, and Clara Rockmore. Bob’s wife Ileana Grams and all his children shared their stories and feelings with the audience. The final speaker was a famous Japanese synthesist who had a close lifelong friendship with Bob and considered him his “master.” Bob even suggested the name for his daughter, Eureka, who had accompanied him and his wife from Japan the day before. Unfortunately, I don’t recall his name.

After the official event, a couple dozen of us relocated to Bob and Ileana’s house. Ileana gave a detailed account of how she and Bob discovered the cancer and how it progressed. He died at home, and they kept him there until the funeral. Wendy pointed out that Larry Fast’s father died of the same illness last year. A room full of synthesists was quite a stimulus for conversation. I was the first to leave, at about 9:30, and I got home at midnight–12 hours after the memorial celebration had begun.

Obviously, Bob had lots of very good friends who thought the world of him.

For a couple years I‘ve been watching the progress of Realtime Instruments, a virtual orchestra being developed by Audio Impressions. The company has been demonstrating its impressive work-in-progress for several successive NAMM shows, and the first installment is on the cusp of shipping. Realtime Instruments Strings (aka DVZ Strings) will be available as a turnkey system that includes performance software, a sample library, microphone-bleed simulation, and three rackmount computers for $11,999. A software-only version is $3,499.

It had to happen, I suppose: Peavey is getting into the guitar-amp-modeling act. Onstage and in the studio, the MSDI (Microphone Simulated Direct Interface) gives you the sound of a miked speaker cabinet. For live use, you can plug your amp directly into the MSDI, and it has an XLR output to connect to your audio interface, recorder, or sound system. Peavey expects the MSDI to retail for $149.99 and ship before winter.

Open Labs had its NiKo and MiKo Windows-based keyboard workstations on display, replete with a new software bundle called V4. The upgrade features E-mu‘s Proteus X 2.5 soft synth with a huge collection of sampled instruments from E-mu, ARP, Moog, Oberheim, Roland, Hammond, Rhodes, and others–about 25 GB total. Unfortunately, when the Open Lab assistants tried to demo the new sounds for me, someone had forgotten to pack the key CD to disable copy protection.

Well, I think that wraps it up for my Summer NAMM coverage (it‘s about time I finished, eh?). It was a good one, and I look forward to next year. Very soon, you‘ll be able to see photos and video of the show‘s highlights on EM‘s Web site.

It‘s been just over two weeks since the third and final day of Summer NAMM, and it‘s about time I wrapped up my show blog, don‘t you think? I ended up spending an extra night in Texas after American Airlines canceled my flight, ostensibly because of a storm that struck and was gone within an hour. Once upon a time, airlines would have comped my hotel room under such circumstances, but those days are probably gone forever.

Alesis showed me some previously announced products that just began shipping, a couple announced products that still aren‘t shipping, and a couple new products that won‘t ship for a while yet. In the first category, the DM5 Pro Kit is an electronic drum set complete with sound module, and it streets for about $599. You can read about it here. The i|o Control is a compact FireWire audio interface and control surface, and the MasterControl is its bigger sibling; they were both announced in January, but neither is close to shipping. Probably the coolest new hardware from Alesis was the Performance Pad, a variation on the ControlPad that has a built-in drum machine with 233 sounds and connections for a hi-hat pedal and a kick-drum pedal. It should be out by the end of the year.

Next door at Akai, the MPK49 isn‘t shipping yet either. First unveiled at Musik Messe, the MPK49 is a USB MIDI keyboard with drum pads, some impressive performance features, and assignable controls that include extra-large sliders. It should finally ship by the end of October.

I was so excited about DigiTech‘s GSP1101 that I forgot to mention the Vocalist Live 4. It‘s a vocal effects and harmony processor that can simulate voices singing in 4-part harmony with only a single voice and a guitar as input. Like the TC-Helicon HarmonyControl, it actually analyzes your guitar chords to find the correct harmonies. It also features reverb, compression, EQ, and more.

There‘s more to come, so stay tuned.

Although Summer NAMM has definitely scaled back compared with a few years ago, it‘s still quite fun and interesting. I am amazed at the number of companies that have no new product introductions or only a handful. Most say that they‘re holding off until October‘s AES show in New York, which will be a much larger event than this show is Austin.

That isn‘t to say I haven‘t seen some exciting products. I think the one I‘m most pumped up about is the GSP1101 from Digitech. It‘s a single-rackspace guitar preamp and processor that takes a unique approach to amp modeling and effects. It‘s designed to be used with your existing guitar amp, but its USB port can handle audio, which means you can use it as an audio interface for your guitar. I don‘t have time to give you a lot of details now, but you can check it out here.

I don‘t normally get excited about headphones, but another product I feel enthusiastic about is a new pair from Audio-Technica. The ATH-M50 headphones are the most comfortable, best-sounding phones I‘ve ever wrapped around my ears. They‘re beautiful and reasonably priced ($199 retail), too.

Okay, it‘s time for me to hit the show floor for Summer NAMM‘s final day. You‘ll hear from me again when I get back home to Charlotte. Happy travels!

Over at the Roland/Boss area (it‘s much too large to be called a booth), musicians were demonstrating some new toys and others not so new. I was most excited by the Boss RE-20, a digital stompbox version of the tape-based ‘70s-era Space Echo. Also on hand were the ME-20 and the ME-20B, two stompboxes for guitar and bass that essentially pack an entire Boss pedalboard into a compact form factor. Roland‘s new SonicCell is a black box with a USB connection that puts an SRX-expandable synth on your desktop. The SP-555 is a compact sampling workstation offering 16 pads, live looping, lots of COSM effects, and plenty of interactive features. Roland‘s Cube series of amps continues to expand with the Cube Street, their largest battery-powered guitar amp yet. And for drummers and wannabes, there‘s the HD-1, a more compact, entry-level variation on the V-Drums.



When I wandered by Belkin‘s booth (Belkin at NAMM? That‘s news!), I discovered that the TuneStudio is almost ready to ship. Just in case you didn‘t notice all the publicity it got when it was announced, the TuneStudio is an iPod-based recording studio that goes a bit beyond any other iPod-recording device, and it looks pretty neat, too.



Sony had an accessory that will definitely interest owners of the PCM-D1 digital field recorder. The XLR-1 is an adapter that provides a pair of XLR inputs for balanced mics and houses AA batteries that supply phantom power.

Saturday I expect to check out new gear from Akai, Alesis, Audio-Technica, Behringer, Digitech, and others. I‘ll get back to you and let you know if I see anything exciting.

Friday was the first day of Summer NAMM 2007, and the floor was a lot busier than I had expected it to be. So far I haven‘t spotted any really earth-shattering products, but I did see a few very cool pieces of gear and some nice software.

My day began with a press conference at TC Electronic, and the thing that impressed me the most was the Digital Konnekt x32. It‘s a FireWire audio interface that incorporates a digital patchbay and a format converter. TC was also showing off the cool new G-Natural, a multi-effects stompbox for acoustic guitar and vocals. (Why didn‘t I think of that?) TC Helicon did an impressive demo of the HarmonyControl, which converts chords you play on your guitar to MIDI data for controlling harmony generators–again, a very ingenious idea, and no hex pickup is required. In addition, TC Helicon introduced two VoiceTone effects pedals specifically for vocalists.

Next I headed over to Notion Music, where I saw a demo of Progression, a new program for guitarists. It‘s a composition program that provides standard notation and tablature, guitar and bass amp modeling, a chord library, and samples of acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, piano, and clav. It also hosts VST plug-ins and imports MIDI files and has features specifically for MIDI guitar.

Another product that impressed me was Focusrite‘s Saffire Pro 26 i/o, a FireWire audio interface that furnishes eight Focusrite-quality preamps, two instrument inputs, 16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe, stereo S/PDIF, MIDI I/O, A/D/A conversion, and a handful of useful plug-ins. If you don‘t need Lightpipe, you can get the rest of the same features in the Saffire Pro 10 i/o and save a few bucks.

Yamaha is here, but I didn‘t see a lot of product introductions that would interest EM readers. The MG series of mixers has been greatly expanded, with ten models to suit a variety of applications, and three of them have USB. Two new arranger keyboards, the PSR S700 and PSR S900, are relatively affordable descendents of the Tyros2. I also saw an inexpensive 12-pound piano called the NP-30 that sounded quite good but had a very light action.

I‘ve been fascinated by the music-brain connection ever since I got my hands on Dan Levitin‘s spectacularly enlightening book, This Is Your Brain on Music (2006, Dutton). So I read Sunday‘s “Glad You Asked” column in my local McClatchy newspaper, The Charlotte Observer, with great interest. A reader submitted the question, “Why are old songs so unforgettable?” The columnist‘s answer, of course, was all about cognitive neuroscience. You can read the column here.