Canadian Musician November / December 2019 | Page 74

TECH
TOOLS
Vancouver-based company APPIX has launched a new broadcast
technology and lighting effects tool designed to create immersive
experiences and audience engagement at concerts and events
through an in-venue smartphone app. The app uses Bluetooth-based
transmission technology that operates without pairing and requires
no cellular data or wi-fi. Event organizers can engage audiences
with exclusive promotions, weather and emergency alerts, and cus-
tom content. Event producers can also light up attendees’ phones
to create a moment that is harmonized with the show’s lighting
and production. Before the event, fans are instructed to download
the app via a ticketing email or on-site promotions at the venue.
www.appix.app.
The Capo Touch app is designed to help musicians improve their
ability to play by ear and their understanding of harmony, melody,
and rhythm. Using the songs in the user’s music collection, Capo
Touch guesses the beats, chords, and key of songs to help break
them down to their individual parts. Users can slow everything down,
scrub to hear specific notes, and create regions that loop for learning
specific parts. Specific instruments and vocals can be isolated and
users can change, add, or remove the detected chords to help iden-
tify alternate chords and voicings. Each song is saved as a project, in-
cluding the loop regions, chord changes, and the playback position.
www.capoapp.com.
74 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
Sonarworks, maker of sound calibration software, has re-
leased a series of e-books to help musicians and engineers set
up their home studios. In the e-books, Sonarworks combines
its in-house research, design, and applications experience with
the knowledge of other experienced mixing and mastering en-
gineers. The first e-book in the series addresses studio set-up.
Topics such as room dimensions, acoustic treatment products,
and monitor choice and placement are discussed in detail,
with illustrative images and helpful references to specific tools
and products. The second e-book focuses on how music cre-
ators can articulate their sonic vision more accurately by work-
ing in a trustworthy physical space. Other e-books in the series
feature guides to studio headphones and audio interfaces.
www.sonarworks.com/blog/ebooks.
The Tempo app for iOS and
Android phones offers a
reliable and intuitive metro-
nome along with a number
of other features. It keeps
going in device lock mode,
making it a useful aid for live
drumming. Tempo’s interface
morphs between modes that
present a different combi-
nation of functionalities op-
timized for the task at hand.
Five modes for phones are:
Basic, Preset, Setlist, Practice,
and Gig. On the iPad, Preset,
Gig, and Complete modes are
available, the last providing
access to all controls. Other
features include: 35 different
time signatures, including
compound and complex me-
ters; six rhythm patterns for
simple meters and three for
compound meters; the ability
to customize accents or turn
beats off to create more complex
rhythms; tap tempo function; and tempo ranges from 10 to 800. Us-
ers can also store presets in multiple setlists. www.frozenape.com.