Jul 24

Ableton Live is something of a dichotomy. For live performance and remixing it provides the best possible software interface…which is seriously constrained by the worst possible hardware interface…a screen and a mouse. And if that’s not bad enough, running Live on a laptop, on stage, makes it look more like you’re surfing the web than performing. The answer is a control surface that frees you from the prison of the computer and lets you play ‘Live’. Although there are plenty of these around, until recently, none were optimal or optimised for working with Live. However, Akai Professional’s dedicated Live controller, the APC40, changes this. Continue reading »
Jun 26

If you think that HDSLRs are the only game changer in town, think again. Over the last few years there’s been a revolution going on in lighting, at the forefront of which are Litepanels. In fact, their use of proprietary LED technology is so innovative that last year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded them an Emmy! Continue reading »
Jun 11

Ableton Suite 8 is 50 percent live performance instrument, 50 per cent digital audio workstation…and 50 per cent remix tool. If that sounds like 150 per cent…it is! Based around the latest release of Ableton’s now legendary ‘Live’ application, it adds into the mix no less than ten instruments and sample libraries. If you’re not already familiar with Live, either you’re an Alpha Centaurian Ostrich, or a member of Status Quo. Either way, you can familiarise yourself with what it is and does here. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Ableton Live 8 • Ableton Suite 8 • DAW • DJ • Music Technology • Reviews
May 21

Last month, people travelled from all over the country to attend Oli Sorenson’s (AKA VJ Anyone) two day VJing workshop at OFVM in Oxford. Given that he is one of the world’s top five VJs (according to no less an authority than DJ Magazine) and the man behind London’s ‘AV Social’ and ‘Dark Fibre’ nights, it’s hardly surprising that his workshop proved so popular. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Course • Oli Sorenson • VJ • VJ Anyone
May 09

Canon recently gave me hands on access to their newly announced and yet to be released XF305 & XF300. Although I haven’t had a chance to shoot with them yet, I have seen ungraded footage from a couple of shoots on which they’ve been used and am extremely impressed with both the cameras themselves and the results they are capable of delivering. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Canon • Canon XF 300 • Canon XF305 • Preview • Video
May 04
All Posts, Apple, Cameras, Canon, Courses, Film, HD DSLRs, Hardware, Nikon, Photography, Reviews, Software, Video, Web

Vincent Laforet is a highly successful and award winning photographer who, back in 2008, managed to get hold of a prototype Canon 5D MKII for a weekend. The result was a visually stunning short film entitled ‘Reverie‘, that spread across the net like wildfire, capturing viewers imaginations and giving birth to the HD DSLR ‘movement’. Last weekend Laforet lead a workshop that, in its own way, was just as unique an experiment as that first short. Why? Because all three days were broadcast live on the net. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Apple • Cameras • Canon 5D MkII • Canon 7D • Film Making • HD DSLR • Nikon D3s • Photography • Reviews • Software • Tuition • Video
Apr 15
NAB 2010
A week might be a long time in politics, but 24 hours is even longer in technology, as evidenced by this year’s NAB, which, regardless of the non attendance of some high profile companies, will go down in history as one of the most significant NABs ever. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Aaton Penelope Delta • Adobe CS5 • Apple • Arri PL Mount • Canon • Canon 5D MkII • Canon 7D • Canon XF 300 • Canon XF305 • Euphonix • EVIL Cameras • HD DSLR • Lenses • Litepanels • Micro Four thirds • NAB 2010 • Nanoflash • Nikon • Panasonic Af101 • RED • Redrock Micro • Scarlet • Sony • Zacuto • Zeiss
Feb 20

Two things were ubiquitous at this year’s Broadcast Video Expo, 3D and the Canon 7D. There was even a stand doing its best to exploit both trends, with a stereo 7D rig. Over on the Canon stand itself though, it wasn’t just the 7D that was causing the buzz… Continue reading »
Tagged with: Broadcast • Canon • MPEG2 Codec • Video Cameras
Jan 12
All Posts, Apple, Audio/Music, Awards, Cameras, Computers, DJ, Design, Features, Hardware, Lightroom, Photography, Photoshop, Plugins, Software, VJ, Video, Web, Writing

At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s the start of a new decade and this, in conjunction with the Technofile celebrating its 5th birthday (albeit slightly belatedly) seems like the perfect opportunity to give out some awards. Unlike everyone else’s awards though, the Technies are not for the best of 2009, or even for the best of the noughties. They are for, what, in the opinion of The Technofile, is the best software and hardware currently available to creative professionals. Whether it was released yesterday or 5 years ago is immaterial, the only stipulation is that you can go out and buy it…or sit at home and download it (legally, of course) now. So, without further ado: Continue reading »
Tagged with: 2010 • Ableton Live 8 • Ableton Suite 8 • Access Virus • Act! by Sage 2010 • Adobe After Effects CS4 • Adobe Creative Suite CS4 Master Collection • Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 • Adobe Illustrator CS4 • Adobe InDesign CS4 • Adobe Lightroom 2 • Adobe Photoshop CS4 • Akai Professional APC40 • anti virus • anti-spyware • APC40 • Apple • Apple Final Cut Studio • Apple iPhone • Apple Logic Studio • Apple Mac Book Pro • Apple Motion 4 • Apple OS X • Arturia • Arturia Analog Factory 2 • Arturia ARP2600 V • Arturia Brass • Arturia CS-80V • Arturia Jupiter-8V • Arturia Minimoog V • Arturia Moog Modular V • Arturia Prophet V Arturia Prophet VS • Audio Ease Altiverb 6 • Audio Ease Speakerphone 2 • AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9 • Awards • BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer • Best Control Surface • Best DAW • best gadget • Best Hardware Synthesizer • Best Reverb • Best soft synth • Bob Moog • Camel Audio Alchemy • Camel Audio CamelSpace • camera • Canon 5D MkII • cell phone • compact digital camera • computer • computing • contact management • Convergent Design Nano Flash • DAW • distortion • DJ • DJ deck • DJ mixer • DJing • DSLR • DTP • E-MU Systems Emulator X3 • Edirol V4 • Final Draft 8 • firewall • Gadget • GPS • Graphics Tablet • HDR • HDRsoft Photomatix Pro 3 • Holga 120 GN • Illustration • iZotope Trash • Laptop • Lightroom plug-in • Line 6 Bas Pod • Line 6 Guitar Pod • Litepanels • Microsoft Windows 7 • Microsoft Windows XP • mobile phone • motion graphics • music tech • Music Technology • Nik Color Efex Pro 3 • Nik Dfine 2.0 • Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0 • Nik Silver Efex Pro • Nik Viveza 2 • Nikon D3s • Norton Internet Security 2010 • Novation SL MkII • onOne Focal Point 2 • onOne Genuine Fractals 6 Professional • onOne Mask Pro 4 • onOne Photo Frame 4.5 • onOne Photo Tools 2.5 • onOne PhotoTune 3 • Operating System • OS • Panasonic Lumix DMC GF-1 • phone • Photography • Photoshop plug-in • Pioneer CDJ 2000 • Pioneer DJM-800 • Pioneer DVJ-1000 • Pioneer SVM-1000 • Portrait Professional Studio 9 • Predator • Propellerhead Reason • Propellerhead Record • Propellerhead Rewire • Proteus 2000 • Quark Express 8 • Resolume Avenue 3 • reverb • Ricoh GXR • Rob Pappen • Scriptwriting software • Sekonic Dualmaster L-758 Cine • Sennheiser • Serrato Scratch Live • Snow Leopard • Sony PMW EX1 • Sony PMW EX3 • Sony Vegas Pro 9 • SSL 9000k • Sub Boom Bass • Technics SL-1210M5GEB • The 10 Year Suite • The Technofile • TomTom Go 950 Live • Video • Video Editing • VJ • VJ deck • VJ mixer • VJ software • VJing • Wacom Intuos 4 L • web design • Write Brothers’ Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 • X-Rite ColorChecker Passport • Xtreme Lead
Dec 11

When Adobe made Lightroom, they forgot to include the manual…or even any comprehensive offline help. However, they do publish an ‘official training workbook’, that is available as an optional extra. This does kind of beg the question, why can’t they just include its content in the Lightroom help menu, as doing so would offer a far better user experience. Whatever the answer, if you are serious about making Lightroom your photo editing and management software of choice, you’re going to need some help, because whilst, prima facie, it’s easy to used, like an iceberg, much of it’s might is buried, so this book comes highly recommended. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Adobe • Books • Lightroom • Photography • Reviews