Today Mac World came with some happy news that Other World Computing (OWC) has succeeded in making 6 GB RAM modules for Macbook and Macbook Pro. The RAM will be delivered as a 4GB and a 2GB module. Mac World describes that the modules are working on all Intel chips of the new “Penryn” model and the old “Santa Rosa” model, but that’s not completely true. As far as I know the chips has been called “Santa Rosa” since the first Mac Book Pro models but it’s only models from june and in some cases november of 2007 that are supported according to OCW. On Macbook it’s only models of “late 2007″ that are supported. The cost for the 6 GBs is $480 + shipping (3800 SEK+ shipping according to today’s rates). Right now they have a mail in rebate if you send back your old RAM.

All ways are good except the bad ones. I was at a friend’s birthday party the other night and he had made a simple and funny backprojection solution. The party was held at an office and in one of the smaller rooms they had a big glass window facing the big big main room. On the glass window they had taped two paper table cloths and projected video from within the little room with a normal office projector. The quality was quite okay with exception from the visible line in the middle where the table cloth had been taped together.

Stanton will soon be releasing the SCS.3d, a muti-touch MIDI controller at the wallet frienly price of $299. It would be nice to see what this control could do for a VJ. We will see if we can can get our hands on a SCS.3d for testing.

There is a good report at Future Music (I really recommend to subscribe to their news letter if you want to get the latest news about new midi controllers), so it feels unnecessary to write more here. There is also more info at Stanton.

There are more products within the same SCS range: The midi dj mixer SCS.1m and the player SCS.1d which are also looking delicious. For people making music, the SCS.1m also has a built in FireWire sound card. But what makes me happy as a VJ is that both units seems to have 4 endless encoders. But I don’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.

Yesterday iTouch Midi released some updates in their range of midi applications for the iPod and iPod Touch. They have improved the xy-pad app and changed the name to iTM Pad and they have also released a new app called iTM Tilt that is using the gyro.

I tried iTM Tilt together with Modul8 but I thought it resulted in jerky motions. iTM Pad, on the other hand, works perfectly. It has preset functions where you can set different start points. It has a spring function that will let the object return to the start point when you stop dragging it around. Finally, there are tree function keys that also sends MIDI to your computer. They are good for switching graphics in your VJ software.

It has started pop up some interesting midi applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch now. iTM MidiLab from iTouchMidi is the most interesting one for the time being. If you buy the program form iTunes App Store and downloads the software to your computer (Mac), you will get access to the following:

• Midi button matrix (4×4 and 8×8)
• Midi keyboard (C-2 -> C8) with pitch bend
• XY pad (that sends CC 18 & 19)

iTouchMidi also has an application coming up called iTM Tilt that that uses the iPhone’s gyro but it seems to still be in a beta.

Before summer Futuremusic dropped some interesting news that Korg will release their new Nano series around christmas. The Nano series is three midi controllers in mini format. Who hasn’t longed for something smaller to lug around? The price is estimated to a low $100. The only disadvantages I can imagine are that they are too light weight and will move around and that you can’t connect several Nano products to each other so you will need one free usb port per Nano unit. I’m also wishing for that there are endless encoders on the nanoKONTROL unit, but that might be pushing it…

• nanoKEY: 25-key touch sensitive keyboard.
• nanoPADS: 12 “drum pads” and a xy-pad.
• nanoKONTROL: 9 faders, 9 knobs, 18 buttons

All info on Korg’s web site.

If you want to do the opposite and maximize your midi controller you should go for a real midi organ, check this out!