Artist section update with exclusive interviews added each week

April, 2008

Check out the new artists' section on our website, with exclusive interviews from world famous artists sharing their life with the Lemur, on stage and in the studio. Featured artists include Richie Hawtin, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brian Transeau, Modeselektor and Matthew Herbert. New articles added each week !

JazzMutant at MusikMesse 2008 - Frankfurt / Hall 5.1 -Booth C48

March 12-15, 2008

For the fourth consecutive year JazzMutant is present at Musikmesse Frankfurt, the world's leading trade fair for musical instruments and live music. Come chat with the JazzMutant team to get the latest developments on the Lemur and put your hands on the critically acclaimed Dexter !

Daft Punk rock the Grammy Awards with 4 Lemurs

February 10th, 2008

Long time Lemur users, the world famous human robots played with Kanye West during the 50th Grammy Awards to perform the hit "Stronger". They appeared on stage in their pyramid with nothing more than four Lemurs! To use the Lemurs not only as controllers but also to integrate them as key visual elements of their performance, Daft Punk designed unique interfaces in perfect harmony with their setup, demonstrating once again the high customizability of JazzMutant's multi-touch controller and its high reliability for live performance.

More about Daft Punk : http://www.myspace.com/daftpunk

Introducing Dual Mode

December 4th, 2007

JazzMutant introduces the Dual Mode capability for the world's most ground-breaking controllers.

JazzMutant's hands-on multi-touch controllers have revolutionized the way people interface with computers, putting stylish, futuristic and - more importantly - ultimate functional control into creative environments everywhere.

But which controller is right for you? The Lemur, a generic controller that can be set up exactly to suit your needs, allowing for intuitive multi-touch control of instruments, effects, loops, live video, or anything else you need critical hands-on control of ? Or perhaps Dexter, that comes hardwired as the ultimate controller for your DAW ?

You can now get both on one single device : the Dual Mode capability lets any Lemur or Dexter run the two feature-sets on the same machine. Since Lemurs and Dexters are based on the exact same hardware, installing the Dual Mode capability allows you to select Lemur or Dexter functionality when booting up your controller, effectively doubling the potential for your JazzMutant hardware.

The Dual Mode capability is available as a download-only item from the User Area. Dexter owners can freely upgrade to Dual Mode, and access the entire range of customization offered by the Lemur. Lemur owners can decide at any time to acquire the entire Dexter feature set for 399 euros (including VAT for EU residents).

Jazzmutant at Remix Hotel LA, California

Nov. 8-10, 2007 - 3-9 p.m.

Living in LA? Never got a chance to experience the Dexter and Lemur? Jazzmutant is attending the Remix Hotel in Los Angeles on Nov. 8-10. Organized by Remix Magazine, the Remix Hotels gather in one place artists and software/equipment makers for workshops, trainings and panels. Jazzmutant's team will demo the Dexter and Lemur in a professionnal studio environment.

More info : http://remixmag.com/remixhotel/
SAE Institute of Technology
6565 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Announcing new distribution partnership in Japan

October 31st, 2007

Jazzmutant is proud to announce its new partnership with Japanese distributor E-Frontier, making all Jazzmutant's products easily available on the Japanese market.
E-Frontier has been known for distributing products to inspire and support artistic expression, and this new partnership follows that path.

For the occasion, JazzMutant is launching its Japanese website : www.jazzmutant.com/jp.

e-Frontier, Inc.
Shinjuku Square Tower Bldg, 6-22-1
Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku
163-1111 Tokyo
Phone: +81 3 3345 1126
http://www.e-frontier.co.jp
info-music@e-frontier.co.jp

Jazzmutant at AES Convention - October 5th to 8th, 2007

The Javits Center - New York, NY

Jazzmutant is proud to be present at the 123rd AES Convention in New York. Drop by our booth (1057) to discover the Lemur and Dexter plugged on professional setups. The AES, Audio Engineering Society is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to audio technology.
More info on: http://www.aes.org/events/123

Jazzmutant at MEET Milano - September 21st to 24th, 2007

Fiera Milano - Milan, Italy

MEET Milano (Music, Event and Entertainment Technology) is the first and unique event thoroughly exhibiting the world of entertainment: music, professional technologies and broadcasting. Join Jazzmutant to experience the Lemur and Dexter on Midiware's booth. Discover the latest developments of the Lemur Multitouch Surface Controller and experience for the first time in Italy the Dexter. Jazzmutant will be present on the fair on Sept 21st and 22nd to demo both products and answer all your questions.
More info on: http://meetmilano.expocts.it

Jazzmutant Lemur takes centre stage with Björk
2007-2008 World Tour

The award-winning and revolutionary Lemur control surfaces have been wowing crowds around the world on their highest profile outing yet.

No one knows more about innovative performance than Björk, so it is perhaps inevitable that she is the first high profile artist to embrace the power and performance capabilities of the groundbreaking Jazzmutant Lemur for her latest tour, including the recent amazing performance at Glastonbury.

On stage, alongside two Lemurs, Björk sings with a 10-piece brass section that doubles as a backing band, laptop and electronics 'players' plus keyboard and percussion virtuosos. It's about as unusual a set-up as you'd expect from the world's most innovative and unusual performer, and it all combines to produce one of the most talked about live shows that's playing to stunned crowds across the globe.

Jazzmutant's Lemur control surfaces have bought the performance back into music making. No longer do computer musicians feel the need to hide behind their desktop and laptop machines on stage. With these futuristic controllers they have the ultimate playing surface to perform their music and can give their fans an opportunity to witness a real live spectacle.

Alan Pollard is the man responsible for much of the technology on the tour, while Damian Taylor is actually at the controls of one of the Lemurs on stage. Together they provide a valuable insight into how the machines enhance the experience for both players and audience alike.

"We were mixing Björk's album in London with Spike Stent last November," recalls Damian, "and Mark Bell [production, live laptops and controllers] pulled out the online [Lemur] demos that were posted on YouTube, just to say, 'aren't these cool?' At the time Björk was just beginning to think about touring the album and she really liked how strongly they represented elements of electronic music in a visual way. We wanted to see if they translated from looking cool into being a cool thing to use musically. Luckily the answer has been a resounding 'yes!'"

Damian and Mark now have two Lemurs installed as their main controllers on the tour and use them extensively with Ableton Live on pretty much every song. Of course other controllers could have been used, but few can match the power and the sheer beauty of the Lemurs, and those looks have also helped add a striking visual edge to the show.

"Absolutely!" agrees Alan. "The visual thing is important. There are specific cameras just on the Lemurs and we've put large plasma screens in front of Mark and Damian to show what is going on with them. That was originally Björk's idea, she's into anything that has got an interesting interface - she wanted people to see that this stuff is actually happening live. The electronics are very obvious and visual. In fact, we're using the Lemurs so much in the show now that we actually need a back up!"

The band are now so into using the Lemurs that they have even created several custom controller sets for the tour.

Damian: "We have 42 songs in the band's repertoire from which Björk will choose around 17 for each gig - but only a few hours before we go onstage. The fact that I could create controller sets for each song that let me perform completely intuitively was what really made the Lemur indispensable for me."

"Now that I've gotten used to the feel of the Lemur," he continues, "I actually really like the way the tactile interface encourages me to play live. I'm now fully rocking out during gigs and my body can interface with the Lemur in a totally visceral way."

Upcoming shows :

• 07.09.24 - Madison Square Garden, New York
• 07.09.21 - Jacques Cartier Pier, Montreal
• 07.09.17 - Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia
• 07.09.14 - City Limits Fest, Austin , Texas
• 07.09.11 - Fox Theatre, Detroit, Michigan
• 07.09.08 - V Festival Toronto, Canada
• 07.09.02 - Connect Festival , Scotland
• 07.08.31 - Electric Picnic , Stradbally, Ireland
• 07.08.26 - Festival "Rock en Seine", Paris, France
• 07.08.23 - Ar?nes de Nimes, Nimes, France
• 07.08.21 - Ar?nes de Nimes, Nimes, France

More info : bjork.com

Jazzmutant at Siggraph Emerging Technologies 2007 - San Diego, August 5 to 9, 2007

San Diego Convention Center San Diego, California USA

Pioneer in the multi-touch technology since 2002, Jazzmutant has been the first company to develop and market a product using a multi-touch surface, the award-winning Music and Media controller Lemur.

Many multi-touch interaction techniques have been introduced in the last few months, building a strong interest from the public, but besides focusing on zoomable user interfaces, none of them have showed how this technology can really improve productivity in a computing environment.

For years, video and graphic designers have been asking for advanced and richer control solutions, and a multi-touch input is certainly the answer to those requests.

Jazzmutant is proud to have been selected by the Siggraph Emerging Technologies Committee in San Diego to demo a new prototype device for digital imaging involving multi-touch control. This solution will go beyond mere finger-drawing and clearly illustrate a new way to interact and improve productivity with drawing and video editing software. Furthermore, the solution presented will be the very first multi-touch enabled Tablet PC shown to the public.

Join us at Siggraph to discover a new way to interact with Digital imaging softwares that just can't be achieved with touch input alone !

MusikMesse 2007 saw the world premiere of JazzMutant's Dexter, the latest addition to its range of Multitouch enabled controllers. While the Lemur's modular concept aimed at maximum versatility and adaptability, Dexter is devoted to one unique master plan : bringing the power of Digital Audio Workstations to your fingertips, in a creative and user-friendly manner. For the first time, controlling DAWs feels natural instead of adding an intermediate level of complexity. In a word, Dexter amounts to what DAW users have been longing for years : a Controller. At last.

Great ergonomics
Hasn't every musician or producer fantasized of controlling their favourite Digital Audio Workstation by touching the actual user interface directly on the screen ? JazzMutant has partnered with leading software companies to make this dream a reality.
Dexter redefines the very interaction between Digital Audio Workstations and the users. This laptop-sized control surface has been designed with only one purpose in mind : making user experience more pleasant, playful and efficient.
At the foundation of this design lies JazzMutant's patented Multitouch display technology. At last, a control surface combines the two features that any serious controller should offer : great ergonomics for your hands and thorough visual feedback for your eyes.

Intuitive workspace
One glimpse suffices to get acquainted with Dexter's workspace. Its design is crystal clear and immediately understandable. Dexter is fully self-documented : all functions are available through explicit icons.
The main interface on Dexter accurately mimics the mixer of your DAW.
For greater visual comfort, each individual track is drawn with a specific color that represents its current state : shades of blue differentiate active tracks from muted ones, while red or yellow backgrounds make record enabled or soloed tracks stand out from the rest.
For smarter navigation a unique set of buttons allow you to rearrange Dexter's mixer on the fly. These allow instant sorting of your channels based on your needs. For example, press the View Solo button to display only the soloed tracks on the screen. With Dexter, channels you don't need never get in your way.

Unique surround control
With its unique palette of tools dedicated to sound spatialization, Dexter is a dream come true for multichannel work. Its breakthrough surround panner provides live monitoring of up to eight channel positions in the surround space at one time. Sound sources can naturally be moved around using the tips of your fingers in the most intuitive manner. Dexter also introduces novel ways of reshaping the whole surround soundscape through simple finger gestures. Rotation of all your sources can be achieved by manipulating the panner just like a spinning vinyl ! Drag two fingers apart to spray all sources away from the center.

Instant navigation
Dexter has been designed to offer the most immediate access to any features of your Digital Audio Workstation. The era of dreadful navigation buttons to configure tracks and devices is foregone.
Dexter introduces a novel way of browsing through your project. The Track Edit mode offers a clear overview on all the parameters of an individual channel, including graphical EQ display, effects editing, bus sends, and surround panning.
Dexter includes an arsenal of fancy widgets meant to make operation even more efficient and pleasant. The smart Overview widget displays a miniaturized picture of the whole mixer. Dragging a finger across it discloses the content and state of each bank of tracks.

Superb plugin interface
The way common control surfaces has dealt so far with plugins is just dreadful. Dexter is the first controller ever to address this frustrating limitation. For that purpose, Dexter supplies just the right tools to master all your EQs, dynamics and effects.
Dexter's beautiful EQ controller will amaze you straight away. Exactly mirroring the filter curve of your sequencer's EQ, this appealing interface particularly benefits from Multitouch technology in order to bring spontaneity and precision to the uppermost level.
Forget about those unnatural key sequences to access a particular parameter of an insert on a track. Dexter lets you jump from the touch of a finger to a unified interface that shows every effect and parameter in a clear way.
For the first time, DAW controlling actually looks and feels natural.

Unprecedented precision
JazzMutant introduces a whole new concept with Dexter : that of zoomable controllers. You can now tweak in real time the resolution you want to acheive from one controller. Zoom in on your faders when you need that extra bit of precision in a mix. Zoom out when you're looking for the widest range achievable. Dexter brings matchless precision to your mix that top-of-the-range physical faders just can't compete with.

Introducing the Dexter DAW Controller and Presenting the Lemur v1.6

JazzMutant at MusikMesse 2007 – Frankfurt / March 28-31
Hall 5.1 - Booth C48

For the third consecutive year JazzMutant is present at Musikmesse Frankfurt, this year with exciting news and a new booth, now centrally located in Hall 5.1.

Bringing news of the latest developments with the Lemur Multitouch Surface Controller, we also proudly introduce our second product, the Dexter DAW Controller, the next chapter of our unique control technology.

JazzMutant, the leading company in multitouch sensing technology development, announces next major update for the Lemur Multitouch Control Surface, bringing intuitive workflow and ease of adaptation together with maximum efficiency and control power.

The JazzMutant Lemur - already the most advanced and innovative controller created for musicians, sound designers, composers, audio engineers and media artists - does now set the next level of control.

After taking the turn to complete workflow optimization with the last update, the new Version 1.6 does not only include a boost of added functionality, it also brings instant and smooth communication between the Lemur and the host computer providing simplification and out of the box usage.

New JazzDaemon background application for seamless integration, immediate communication and smooth network operation. New internal storage of modules, interfaces and projects at the Lemur including smart navigation.

New local browser dialogue with project view and interface pre-view facilitates easy managment and instant availability of projects, templates and modules from the Lemur. Adjustments of default settings and MIDI + OSC routings now directly possible from the Lemur.

3 new objects and improvement of all present Objects. Refinement of workflow with better visibilty and graphical representation of function. Hiding complexity and achieving simplicity.

New grid function for precise and clear control adding visual indicators for exact parameter positions.

Visit the 1.6 page for in depth information.

Lemur Version 1.6 Public Beta - November 20, 2006
JazzMutant announces beta phase of next version Lemur.

Control takes a turn.

Already unmatched and essential before, the Lemur now again sets the next level of control. After taking the turn to complete workflow optimization with the last update, the new Version 1.6 does not only include a boost of added functionality, it also brings instant and smooth communication between the Lemur and the host computer providing simplification and out of the box usage.

The Lemur Multitouch Surface Controller at AES Convention – October 6 to 8, 2006

Moscone Center, San Francisco CA,
Booth 844 and Booth 1542

Our USA distributor Cycling’74 exhibits at this years AES Convention in San Francisco. Check out Cycling’74’s extensive Lemur demos at booth 844. For the first time the Lemur will be featured on InnovaSON’s booth 1542. AES, Audio Engineering Society is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to audio technology.

The Lemur Multitouch Surface Controller at Apple Expo Paris – September 12 to 16, 2006

Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles Hall 5, Stand G41

On Saturday, September 16th, Jazzmutant invites you to visit the Booth of Playback, our french retailer aboard the Apple Expo. The Lemur v1.5 will be demonstrated by the Jazzmutant team with updated templates and examples for Emagic LogicPro, Ableton Live, Native Instruments’ Reaktor and Traktor DJ, Garagecube Modul8 and Cycling74 Max/MSP. Pass by and witness the difference between limiting controller chaos and pleasant practise !

LemurLand during the SIESTES ELECTRONIQUES Festival Toulouse
June 30 to July 9, 2006

Liquid Club, 2 av Atlanta, 31000 Toulouse – Saturday, July 1st, 2006
Lemur Workshop, Saturday, July 1st, 2006

This years edition of the SIESTES ELECTRONIQUES festival offers a superb selection of live performances in a unique city environment and we count ourselves lucky to participate in hosting the LemurLand event at the LiquidClub. Presenting the LemurLand ClubNight for the 2nd time this event will once again celebrate the rich potentials of audio visual performances. http://www.les-siestes-electroniques.com

Modeselektor, France Copland and Koyote&Goon will be serving up the finest in electronic beats in a series of live performances and DJ sets completed by the excellent visual live set of RISC. On July 1st we would like to invite you to explore the new features of Version 1.5 and learn how the lemurize your setup. Contact us for your workshop participation at get.lemurized@jazzmutant.com

JazzMutant Sessions during the SONAR 2006 Festival, Barcelona – June 15/16/17, 2006
http://www.sonar.es/2006/eng/spro/cifras.cfm

Artists performing with the Lemur during the SONAR 2006 Festival, Barcelona
http://www.sonar.es/2006/eng/agenda_c.cfm

We will be present during the whole festival and prepared to meet you around the corner of Sonar festival at our temporary JazzMutant Headquarter Barcelona between June 14 and June 19.

We are proud to announce the following artists performing with the Lemur during this year’s Sonar Festival :

Friday, June 16 :		Matthew Herbert, Sonar Night at 03:45 am, Location: Pub
Saturday, June 17 :		Modeselektor Live, Sonar Night at 04:15 am, Location: Club Pfadfinderei Visuals, Sonar Night, Location Club Richie Hawtin DJ, Sonar Night at 04:30 am, Location: Pub

JazzMutant at the Nime2006 Conference at IRCAM, Paris – June 8, 2006

http://recherche.ircam.fr/equipes/temps-reel/nime

The 2006 International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression is the 6th conference on new musical interface design and technology following the initial NIME workshop at CHI 2001. Since then, international conferences have been held in Dublin, Montreal, Hamamatsu, and Vancouver.

This year, the conference is hosted by IRCAM - Centre Pompidou, in Paris from June 4-8 2006 in collaboration with the MINT/OMF of the Sorbonne University. Including workshops and a special session, the conference spans over five days. During this period, research papers, demos, performances and interactive installations will be presented, covering state-of-the-art and emerging technologies in the field of musical interfaces and instruments.

The conference will be held in conjunction with IRCAM’s annual Festival of Performing Arts Agora and the Music Technology Convention Résonances, joined for the first time in 2006 to form a single event running from June 1st to June 17th.

NIME 06 will provide a unique opportunity to confer with an interdisciplinary audience of artists, scientists and technologists on the latest developments in musical interface design and musical expression. The meeting will also offer the possibility to network with a flourishing local scene of interface and instrument makers, research labs, and computer music institutions.

JazzMutant initiated the OSC Meeting during Nime 2006 in association with IRCAM and CNMAT (The Berkley Center For Music And Audio Technologies) and is official partner of the NIME Conference. You are welcome to practice the new experience of human interfacing at our booth at the Résonance Technology Meeting.