GoKawiil
Tech News
A retro gaming audio enthusiast recorded 46 classic MS-DOS game soundtracks across seven different General MIDI sound modules and their software emulations, including the Roland SC-55 and Yamaha MU80, producing 322 lossless audio samples for direct comparison. The author also released the underlying MIDI and REAPER project files so others can reproduce or extend the tests themselves.
A developer released fcbnerd, a free command-line utility for macOS that reads MIDI signals from devices like the Behringer FCB1010 foot controller and either runs shell commands bound to specific pedal presses or outputs each MIDI event as JSON for other software to interpret. It works with any CoreMIDI-compatible source, not just the FCB1010, and is installable via Homebrew or built from source using Swift.
A PianoDisc Protégé owner used AI models Astra and Fable to analyze and recreate a self-playing piano arrangement, then fed Fable a purchased PianoDisc MP3 to study its format. Fable decoded the file's hidden MIDI channel and discovered PianoDisc embeds obfuscating 'decoy notes' to prevent extracted MIDI from playing correctly elsewhere, then built both an encoder and decoder capable of replicating and stripping that protection. The poster is now asking whether releasing this decoder and encoder publicly would be legally permissible.
A technical write-up explains how SMPTE timecode, particularly the Bi-Phase Mark 'LTC' sync tone, is recorded onto audio or video tape tracks to keep equipment synchronized, alongside notes on VITC and BCD data encoding. The author traces the origin of the research to building a low-cost MIDI tape sync device, which became a long-running product called the TS1 supporting SMPTE Drop Frame and MIDI Time Code.
Storm Summoner is a new MIDI controller designed specifically to interface with modern effects pedals, many of which are stereo, programmable, and no longer rely on traditional stomp switches. The device positions itself as the playing interface for this new generation of pedal-based instruments rather than a conventional footswitch accessory.