Published 10/9/09
Beaterator sequencer for PSP
UK games developer Rockstar have taken a break from developing their violent, controversial and multi-million-selling Grand Theft Auto series, to create something a little more laid back. Endorsed by US hip-hop producer Timbaland, who has provided a huge library of audio content for the title, Beaterator allows the user to sequence songs of up to 240 bars using Sony’s PSP hand-held console. The software follows in the footsteps of the Music and MTV Music Generator titles for the Sony PlayStation and PS2 machines, encouraging players to create music with a set of beginner friendly tools, while still providing a surprising amount of depth for experienced producers.
The 16-bit, 22kHz audio engine includes a mixer with eight stereo track. Each track can each play an audio-loop (which can be time-stretched using a granular engine), an instance of the built-in synth, or a sequencer pattern. Every sequencer pattern can include up to eight sample channels, creating a maximum sample-count of 64, with samples being selected from the included bank of 1600 or imported via a memory stick. Each mixer track also accommodates up to two insert effects, which include Compression, 3-band EQ and Multimode Resonant Filter, alongside seven others. Beaterator’s monophonic, virtual analogue synth has three oscillators — each of which can have its waveshape continuously morphed from a sine wave to a variable pulse-width — as well as a multi-mode filter, a pair of envelopes and two fully assignable LFOs. As well as the standard song arrangement layout there is a Session Mode, allowing live performance and playback of loops and samples.
Rockstar appear to have squeezed some relatively powerful tools out of the tiny PSP (an impressive feat considering the console’s relatively low 333MHz processor speed), and although the sample rate is limited, the software could be a useful note-pad for drafting ideas on the move. The developers have also announced a version of Beaterator for Apple iPhone, due out in Autumn. The iPhone has around twice the processing power of the PSP, as well as a multi-touch display, and could allow for some interesting expansions on the concept. The Beaterator web site is now on-line, and includes some demonstration videos featuring Timbaland himself. Beaterator is due out in the US on September 29th 2009, priced at around $40, and will be released in the UK on October 2nd 2009, for around £30.
www.rockstargames.com/beaterator
UK games developer Rockstar have taken a break from developing their violent, controversial and multi-million-selling Grand Theft Auto series, to create something a little more laid back. Endorsed by US hip-hop producer Timbaland, who has provided a huge library of audio content for the title, Beaterator allows the user to sequence songs of up to 240 bars using Sony’s PSP hand-held console. The software follows in the footsteps of the Music and MTV Music Generator titles for the Sony PlayStation and PS2 machines, encouraging players to create music with a set of beginner friendly tools, while still providing a surprising amount of depth for experienced producers.The 16-bit, 22kHz audio engine includes a mixer with eight stereo track. Each track can each play an audio-loop (which can be time-stretched using a granular engine), an instance of the built-in synth, or a sequencer pattern. Every sequencer pattern can include up to eight sample channels, creating a maximum sample-count of 64, with samples being selected from the included bank of 1600 or imported via a memory stick. Each mixer track also accommodates up to two insert effects, which include Compression, 3-band EQ and Multimode Resonant Filter, alongside seven others. Beaterator’s monophonic, virtual analogue synth has three oscillators — each of which can have its waveshape continuously morphed from a sine wave to a variable pulse-width — as well as a multi-mode filter, a pair of envelopes and two fully assignable LFOs. As well as the standard song arrangement layout there is a Session Mode, allowing live performance and playback of loops and samples.
Rockstar appear to have squeezed some relatively powerful tools out of the tiny PSP (an impressive feat considering the console’s relatively low 333MHz processor speed), and although the sample rate is limited, the software could be a useful note-pad for drafting ideas on the move. The developers have also announced a version of Beaterator for Apple iPhone, due out in Autumn. The iPhone has around twice the processing power of the PSP, as well as a multi-touch display, and could allow for some interesting expansions on the concept. The Beaterator web site is now on-line, and includes some demonstration videos featuring Timbaland himself. Beaterator is due out in the US on September 29th 2009, priced at around $40, and will be released in the UK on October 2nd 2009, for around £30.
www.rockstargames.com/beaterator
