Jay-Z: Tidal Streaming Service

Tidal offers two price tiers: For $9.99 a month, Tidal Premium boasts standard quality sound along with high definition music videos. Tidal HiFi will cost $19.99 a month and features the Lossless High Fidelity sound quality that its competitors can't offer...

Oh Jay-Z...

$20 a month for music that I won't even own when I decide to cancel my service? I know, these are the days where streaming is king, but I have a hard time switching over and sticking with this trend. I currently have SiriusXM that came with my car and I only keep my it because when I try to cancel; they offer me another 6 months for $20. Then I realize when a song comes on that I like and I turn it up that the signal is so compressed and crappy sounding, that I really need to say no thank you the next time around.

I honestly don't understand offering the two tiers of streaming. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I am going to guess that the majority of the people who do subscribe are going to pay for the $9.99 standard streaming service. If the quality is anything less than 320 kbps for the standard streaming then he is really ripping people off.

I also love the end of the above quote

...sound quality that its competitors can't offer...

Apple knows a thing or two about quality when it comes to music. It will be intersting to see how the streaming space will end up, when they relaunch Beats and integrate it into all of their devices.

Appsanta - Discounted apps up to 60% off

Realmac Software has teamed up with developers of well known apps to give discounts for the holiday season, and is located at appsanta.co.

Some of the apps that you can get on sale are:

There are quite a few more apps available, and wouldn't doubt that more are added over the next couple of days.

DM-1 Drum Machine Released for Mac OS X

Fingerlab has released it's previously iOS only Drum Machine software for Mac OS X.

I have had the iPhone version for awhile and have only tinkered with it. Hoping to get into the OS X version and really learn how to create realistic drum tracks and then possibly that will lead to some advanced tinkering in the iOS version.

According to their description on the Mac Appstore 

DM1 for OSX is fully compatible with DM1 for iPad, you can share files between them.

Here is a list of the apps features:

DM1 is an advanced Drum Machine. It turns your computer into a fun and creative beat making machine. Easy and fast to use, loaded with 86 superb electronic drum kits and beautiful hyper-realistic graphics, DM1 has been designed for a lot of instant fun.


With Midi In & out, DM1 is ready to fit your digital audio workstation.

As electronic musicians ourselves, we, at Fingerlab, have developed DM1 with the intention of delivering the perfect mix between fun playability and powerful sonic capacities. We always keep in mind the importance of a beautiful design with the right balance of powerful abilities while avoiding clumsy, overbusy interfaces. 

Check our 86 electronic drum kits. 20 classic vintage drum kits plus 66 in-house produced electronic kits, edited and mastered at Fingerlab professional studio.

DM1 offers 5 main sections:

1 - THE STEP SEQUENCER Just turn on and off steps in your sequence to create cool beats, or unexpected rhythms!

2 - THE DRUM PADS simply lets you play and record the beat that tickles your fingers on the keyboard. No need to be a first-class drummer, automatic quantize does the work for you.

3 - THE MIXER for quick and subtle sound mixing of your drum kits. Featuring settings for volume, pitch, pan, sample length, custom drum kit element for each channel, mute and solo mode.

4 - THE FX TRACKPADS a creative duo of FX trackpads to distort, modulate and transform your beats. The effects include: Overdrive, Delay, Reverb, Phaser, Dalek, Formant, Resonant Filter & Compressor.

5 - THE SONG COMPOSER allows you to quickly make a song with the beat patterns you have created. Just drag and drop the patterns onto the timeline. Fast and easy.

DM1 for OSX is fully compatible with DM1 for iPad, you can share files between them.

Specifications:

• DM1 The Drum Machine for iPad winner Apple design Award 2012
• Fullscreen Retina Display 
• Smart ergonomy for fast creativity and fun 
• 86 vintage and produced drum kits, mastered at in-house Fingerlab Sound Studios
• import your samples and create your own kits
• Mixer with pitch, length and level rotary controls, pan controls, and custom drum kit per channel 
• Automation Panel for a precise and intuitive control of any Mixer parameter over time 
• Automation recording for FXs
• FX Trackpad for real-time sonic destruction and multi-FX 
• Time signatures
• The Randomizer tool
• Extra fast drum kit loading 
• Playable pattern selection for extra creativity 
• Mode song with intuitive editing 
• High-quality export 
• Full Midi Implementation 
• Import & Export your song project