Tuna Pitch

Helps you tune your guitar (or any similar instrument), with 5 built-in presets, and the option to set all six strings to any note. Also, with the standard EADGBE tuning, there are Drop D, Drop C, Open G, and Open D tuning presets. All this from the comfort of your Dashboard!

I discovered Tuna Pitch while browsing the widget library at Apple.com last night. At the time, my acoustic was equipped with the Seymour Duncan Woody and plugged into my Apogee, so I figured why not give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked as advertised. It’s rare that I find a widget that is as useful as this.

Synth DIY by fonik

close up
flickr photo be fonik2000

My electronics workstation in the garage has been closed for the winter due to extreme cold.  Not that I’ve had the time, anyways.  However, the temperature is on the rise, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.  The big goal I’ve set for myself is to make some of my very own eurorack modular synth units.

And perhaps by cosmic coincidence, a modular synth enthusiast, who goes by the name of fonik, commented on one of my flickr photos a couple of days ago.  This led me to his photos, which led me to www.modular.fonik.de.  On his site, he shares in detail his custom modules and schematics.  Having a DIY guide to follow is exactly what I need.

“Rather a musician than an electronics engineer I was always looking for new sounds. This finally(?) let me to modular synth. Once I purchased some Dopefer modules for a modular guitar effect the plan rose to build my own modular synth… this was about 2 years ago and I never held an soldering iron in my hands before.”  – fonik

This is the position I’m in today.  The fact that he has been able to accomplish so much with in such a short period of time gives me hope that I, too, will be able to succeed in my modular synth building endeavors.

“From One Single Acoustic Guitar Note”

Tony Miracle, of Venus Hum, explores a technique he used in making the bands new release “The Colors In The Wheel”

Tony takes a simple acoustic guitar note and through manipulation and modulation builds an entire electronic composition in an unrehearsed 15 min improv captured on film.

Gear Used In The Short

G4 Powerbook
Oxygen 8 USB Keyboard
Doepfer Regelwerk Midi Fader / Controlor
Taylor Acoustic Guitar
Ableton Live