With the iPhone 4 sporting a new operating system and Apple’s A4 1Ghz processor (which it shares with the iPad), the question has to be asked; will the iPhone/iPad be fast enough to be a reliable simple synth for live use?

Of course, there are a plethora of synth apps, from Theremins to drum machines, available for the iPhone, and if you just want a common-or-garden General MIDI synth there’s Crimson Tech’s Wavesynth, which is perfectly serviceable.

On course, the only problem has been that while a touchscreen interface is cute, and maybe even useful in a musical situation, it’s not exactly the same as, say, a real music keyboard. That’s where Line 6’s new MIDI Mobilizer comes in. It’s the first MIDI interface for the iPhone. So far, however, it only works with Line6’s own app which essentially allows you to record and play back MIDI data, It can’t really be used to control other apps on the iPhone. Yet.

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before the dots are joined and we can start using the iPhone/Touch/iPad as a tiny little synth module, for just dialling in a string pad or whatever. I’m not saying it’ll be any good, but I like the notion of turning up at a gig with just a MIDI controller and an iPhone or iPad. A 1Ghz processor should be plenty to do some reasonably simple sample playback, considering that it wasn’t that long ago that a 1Ghz processor in a desktop was considered state of the art.

Til then, I’m still dragging the laptop around I guess!

I was recently doing some music tech consultancy work which presented me with an interesting conundrum. Picture this: my client has a control room running a G5 Mac, with tie lines down a stairs to a live room containing the most beautiful vintage grand piano. The challenge was to be able to record ones-self on the piano, without a tape op, and without having to make constant trips up & down the stairs.At first, I thought the best solution was good-old PowerKeys, which I have written about on other occasions. But my client didn’t have an iPhone, and besides, it wouldn’t necessarily give the control or feedback required in this case.

What my client did have though, was a MacBook. So I got to thinking about the possibility of remote controlling the G5 from the MacBook over WiFi. This is very possible with Apple Remote Desktop and it starts at only $200. That went down really well then…

Another possibility was to use the new “Back to my Mac” service available for Leopard and Snow Leopard. Sadly, my client’s G5 was on Tiger, and he didn’t want to upgrade.

So, we needed a solution which worked on older operating systems, was simple to use, and preferably was cheap/free. I had downloaded the TeamViewer app to my iPhone out of pure curiosity, and decided to try it out as a possible solution. I just loaded up the app on the G5, and within about a minute, I was controlling it from my iPhone. So, I loaded it on the MacBook, and five minutes later, we were downstairs recording the piano remotely. It really was that simple.

There are other remote management solutions out there, such as LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, and Apple’s aforementioned products, but TeamViewer won out for pure simplicity, compatibility, and price. It works, on pretty much anything (including Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone/Touch), and it’s free. It’s also surprisingly responsive for a remote management system.

So next time you’re sitting behind your drums, at the piano, or even just over at the sweet spot behind the mic, but away from the keyboard, grab your iPhone/netbook or whatever, load up TeamViewer, and start taking control!

Apple’s Backup software is a really handy way to incrementally back up selected data, whether to your iDisk or to an external hard drive.

Unfortunately, Apple just upgraded Backup to 3.2, and as it says in the dialogue box above, “Backup no longer supports backing up files and folders outside your home folder.”This is a total drag, as many of us, I’m sure, have used Backup to send data from all sorts of drives to all sorts of other ones. Until now.

I really like using Backup because you can select only the files you want to back up, rather than having to back up a whole drive/folder at a time. You can even get it to auto-find certain file types, such as Word documents or Garageband files. All very nice features for a piece of software which is bundled as part of MobileMe.

But why de-feature a product like this? Unfortunately, creating “a new plan” for me means using Carbon Copy Cloner instead. Another great reason to use MobileMe foiled!

With that in mind, I’ve decided to publish my own Logic 8 pkl file, with transport buttons and a few extras besides (including a handy toggle between screens 1 & 2 and, of course, Save). I hope some people might find it useful. Of course, this is optimized for use with the standard Logic key commands, so I am not responsible if you accidently delete everything!

The people at PowerKeys are promising us an editor for PowerKeys, and I’m sure they’ve their eye on the iPad too, so expect some new features! I, for one, am very much looking forward to running apps like PowerKeys on the iPad.

You can find the Logic 8 pkl file here. Just change the .txt to .pkl and drag it to your PowerKeys dock icon, and enjoy controlling Logic from across the room or house.

Of course you’ll need the latest version of PowerKeys OS X, currently at 1.2, and the latest version of the iPhone app too. Oh yeah, and you need wi-fi. And Logic Pro 7 and upwards. And an iPhone/Touch. And a Mac. You knew that, right?

Firstly, Microsoft finally ended the nightmare that was Vista, with the full release of Windows 7. The launch has been a resounding success, and undoubtedly, Windows 7 will usher in a new and successful era for Microsoft. Even self-confessed Mac fangirl Cali Lewis of geekbrief.tv admitted it’s a great operating system, much to the chagrin of some of her own fans. Those holding their breath since XP can finally upgrade to something they see as decent, and those on Vista can look forward to a faster, less cluttered and more satisfying user experience.

Meanwhile, Google just announced their new Google Maps Navigation software, which will give Android 2.0 phone users a turn-by-turn GPS navigation system. It includes voice activation, integration with Google’s StreetView (so you can see exactly what each turn looks like) and of course it leverages all the Google Maps and Google Search features we’ve come to know and love, so you can, as the blurb says, “search for ‘the Museum with the King Tut exhibit’”. Oh, and it’s free. TomTom and Garmin employees are probably already updating their CVs.

To top it off, Google also announced their new OneBox music search system, which allows users to find, preview and purchase music. Again, it leverages Google’s search technology. For example, you can type in a few lyrics of a song to find it, which is something I know many of us have been doing with Google for years (get with the programme iTunes!). Thanks to partnerships with MySpace, Rhapsody, Pandora and iLike , you can now listen to previews, and (this is the one record companies will love,) it will suggest various ways of purchasing the music. Unfortunately, this service is currently only available in the US.

We all knew Windows 7 was coming, but I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Google waited for this week to announce their two new services. Google Maps Navigation software will eventually become available for other phones, including the iPhone, but we’ve been here before with Microsoft. When a company develops an OS and a crucial piece of software (such as Microsoft Windows and Office), guess which OS gets preferential treatment? Great GPS software on a phone could be a dealbreaker for many users, and no-one is better placed than Google to do Sat Nav well, and you can bet the best experience of Google Maps Navigation will be on Google’s own OS. On the music side, an open system (as opposed to something closed like iTunes) will definitely attract users and creators alike. Google plans to make this service feel more like using Limewire than iTunes.

Meanwhile, Apple have reached a zenith of sorts: iPod penetration has reached a type of saturation point; their latest OS is basically a minor upgrade; and the initial euphoria of the iPhone is being replaced by a sort of “so what?” feeling, as other phone makers catch up.

Think about it: Apple’s ad campaigns (“I’m a Mac/I’m a PC”, “There’s an app for that”, and “10,000 songs”) will soon start to sound a bit lame against strong rival phone and handheld operating systems, and the might of Google’s search applied to music.

Of course, the great white hope for Apple is this mysterious “Tablet”. The Tablet may be Apple’s game-changer, revolutionising the world of publishing the way the iPod changed music forever. But now there’s no doubt that Apple needs to change the game, and soon.

This is a significant development for many companies, perhaps including Google, who have had their Google Voice app rejected recently, on the grounds that it altered the iPhone “user experience”. It will also be of interest to RealNetworks, who have pre-announced the Rhapsody iPhone App to try to force Apple’s hand into acceptance.

The pre-announcement strategy, also applied by Spotify (with YouTube videos and lots of press) may be working. Apple are feeling the pressure, not only from users, but more importantly, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to be more open about their app acceptance policy.

Rumours have been floating around that Apple are planning a subscription based model for the next generation of iTunes software, which may be available as soon as September. Is it possible that Apple are just going to buy Spotify? After all, the iTunes engine was originally developed by Casady & Greene, and not Apple, and they are not shy of buying the right software when it suits them. Funnily enough, it’s Facebook and not Apple who have been allegedly courting Spotify, but the Apple/Spotify match seems like a no-brainer to me.

Oh yeah, and Snow Leopard’s available today too.

Logic Studio adds features like “flex time”; a much needed upgrade to its time manipulation abilities on the timeline, and better workflow tools to allow easier exporting and importing of settings and tracks between projects. Also included are some new features for guitarists like better amp and stompbox emulation, and a bunch of “how tos” modelled on the similar feature in the latest Garageband. None of the upgrades seem like “must-haves” to me, though the most tempting new additions are probably in the new MainStage, which now (finally!) has MIDI Out implementation, and the ability to include basic audio tracks and loops in your live setups; nice!

Final Cut Studio’s improvements also appear relatively minor, though the new ProRes codecs promise better quality at lower data rates. Motion 4 expands its 3D abilities with new shadows, reflections and depth of field. DVD Studio remains at version 4, and there are point five updates to Color and Compressor. Frankly, some of the upgrade highlights in Final Cut Pro itself, such as the ability to discuss your edit in realtime with iChat Theater, seem a bit like clutching at straws.

Overall, nothing earth-shattering has happened here, but the upgrades are reasonable and most will probably find an excuse to make the move soon enough for the price.

Now, of course, If I’d bought the CD, I’ve have all those details, or some of them anyway. But who buys CDs anymore? Crappy plastic jewel cases that just break when you open them, oversized discs designed in 1982 with the storage capacity of, well, a crappy CD. Heck, I’ve got a nosering that can store 10 uncompressed CDs worth of audio on it, and it won’t scratch either (though it does chafe a bit when I put it in).

So, I’m stuck staring at a thumbnail of Duffy, which is not all bad, but not entirely satisfying either. Sure I could go to Google and Wikipedia and find out about Duffy’s blocked nasal passages and the foiled plot to kill her stepfather (true!), but that’s not the point. I want the propaganda! I want the edited version. I want to know how much Duffy and her record company want me to know! I want the digital equivalent of a 12″ sleeve, preferably a gatefold. But I’m still staring at a thumbnail of Duffy. And yeah, it could be worse, but it’s not what I want.

And then I got to thinking (in a Carrie Bradshaw kind of way, but hopefully not as vacuous), about all the music that’s been illegally downloaded over the past few years. Billions of dollars of the stuff, allegedly, if you believe the record companies. Because every time someone downloaded that really disappointing Madonna album no-one could listen to more than once because it was so rubbish, they “literally” robbed €17.99 from the music industry’s pocket. Of course, this is a very dumb way of measuring the losses due to illegal downloads, and everyone knows it.

But then, why do people download illegally? Because it’s easier than buying online? That used to be true, but not so much anymore. Even without a credit card kids can use services like textatrack.co.uk to buy music on their mobile phones.

Do people illegally download just because they can? Sure, maybe to an extent, but we could all walk out of a supermarket without paying and quite likely get away with it, but we don’t.

So why do people do it? The answer is painful and simple: they don’t believe music is worth it.

The music industry is in big trouble right now. Sales are on the floor, and that’s before the recession. The “illegal downloads are killing the industry” excuse doesn’t wash anymore. Even without the P2P nightmare, record companies are close to dying, and they need a lifeline. Simply put, record companies have got to figure out a way to put value back into music, as the perceived value of purchasing music for the average consumer has all but disappeared.

So what could they do to help the consumer rediscover the value of music? I think at least a small part of the answer is staring them right in the face. It’s the part I’m not staring at right now, as the cover of the Duffy album etches into my retinas. They need to find the digital media equivalent of “album art”.

You see, in the golden age of music buying, we never bought music purely for the music – it was all the other stuff as well! It wasn’t even just the 12″ sleeve, with all the nice artwork and the cool info. It was walking down the road with the 12″ sleeve under your arm which said “I like so and so,” but actually said much more. It said, “I belong”.

The possible synergies between handheld devices, social networks, media centers, cloud computing etc and music are endless. Imagine, for a start, more interactive digital artwork, with simple animations and interactivity; not just a pdf that the printer sent to the duplicator, but a flash-style version of it, which opens up for you as you listen to the album on your iPod

Or how about music videos that incorporate you into them? Add your photos and be part of the animation. Or, albums that automatically invite you to a special “discounted concert club”. Or songs that are actually little applications which allow you to remix them or add other elements etc, even ones which store the actual patches/sounds used so you can play or even change the melody. I don’t know! Crazy stuff like that! I’m just making stuff up. Think of your own ideas!

Of course, the music industry have tried to use “multimedia” to sell, or enhance the sale of music, with things like extended CD-ROMs, or DVD/CD double sets, or album web sites. The problem in the past has always been that the device used for listening to music (CD player/MP3 player etc) and the device used to interact with the added value multimedia (the computer) were different, often in different places (sitting room/bedroom versus den/office), and most importantly were associated with different activities (pleasure versus work). Now, the devices are the same. THE SAME! This is big, big news for the music industry, but I’m not sure they even know it yet.

Just this week, Apple announced iPhone OS 3.0, which will,amongst other things, allow apps on your iPod to access the music on your iPod. It will also allow apps to incorporate e-commerce features. These sort of features, which will soon become available on all mobile OSes, if they aren’t already, could allow the music industry to leverage the newfound synergy between music player and mobile device which could be at least a small part of the saving of the music industry.

The search for the digital gatefold is on!

All of them are searchable by music genre, but very few by location, so if you want to find out the news in your area, forget it. But no problem finding 218 different death metal channels. Great.

But then I came across WunderRadio from Weather Underground, and finally, my search is over. The first thing it does is politely ask if you mind it finding out where you are, and then it gives you a bunch of local stations to peruse. All the usual internet stations are available too, but the reliability of the streams seems great. It’s €4.99, which I guess isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper than a DAB radio, which is what I was going to buy to extend my radio palette.

If you want internet radio on your iPhone, especially in Ireland, buy this. Just be careful with that 1 gig download limit on your O2 account!