In the latest Maschine update (version 2.8.6) NI added the ability to change the color of your pads as well as move your pads and groups around directly from the controller. This may seem small, but for those who like to stay focused on the hardware it’s one less thing you have to go to […]

The post Maschine MK3 – Change Pad Color & Move Pads from the Hardware appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Hey what’s good fam! Just wanted to share a video for those using the Keith McMillen K-mix with Maschine, or those interested in what it can do. In this video I show how to set it up to capture streaming audio or “loopback” so that whatever is playing on your computer can be sampled into […]

The post Record Streaming Audio & Loopback Sampling in Maschine with the K-Mix appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Just checking out the demo of Reason 11 to see how Maschine works as a plugin in Reason (I hadn’t tried it since they added VST support) I put together this tutorial to show how you can sequence Maschine as a plugin/sound module in Reason. Pretty straight forward but Reason has some features that are […]

The post Using Maschine as a Sound Module in Reason 11 appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Still checking out the Reason 11 demo and wanted to make a quick video showing how to route channels from Maschine out to the SSL mixer in Reason. This gives you more control over individual pads or groups when creating a mixing.

The post Routing Maschine Channels to the SSL Mixer in Reason 11 appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Hey what’s good MT Fam! Just wanted to share a quick tip on how to erase events directly from the controller. There are multiple ways to erase notes, but if you quickly just want to get rid of all the notes for a specific pad this short cut is one to remember. It is one […]

The post How to Quickly Erase Events & Note Data appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Hey what’s good MT fam! Just wanted to share a workflow I’m using with Maschine and my iPad as a touchscreen. I tend to treat Maschine as an external device quite often, and run it as audio into whatever I’m using, be it hardware or another software. I’ve been wanting to find a touchscreen solution […]

The post Using Maschine with a Touchscreen? appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about fall gardening chores and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about late fall gardening chores and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Guest host Amber Kleinman and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about the advent of winter weather and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears welcomes Jere Lowe of Earth Friendly Supply Co. in Paonia. (Earth Friendly Supply Co. is a financial supporter of KVNF.)

The first episode of 2020 finds host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart discussing mid-winter gardening topics and taking calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and garden guru Lance Swigart discuss mid-winter garden topics, and invite calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears is joined by gardener Lance Swigart and Delta County Library staffer Sara Smith for a discussion about seed saving and the library's seed swap collection .

Host Jill Spears chats with gardener Lance Swigart and special guest Don Lareau of Zephyros Farm & Garden near Paonia. The episode's subject matter is GMOs - genetically modified organisms.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart welcome special guests, herbalists Pat Frazier and Alicia Michelsen of The Learning Council , for a discussion of the benefits of growing and consuming herbs of many types.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart chat about winter garden chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart chat about winter garden chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart, plus special guest Wind Clearwater, discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Guest host Amber Kleinman and gardener extraordinaire Lance Swigart discuss early spring gardening chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this special Pledge Drive Edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

Our intrepid gardening crew are once again calling in from their respective home gardens, ready to take your questions via email or text - worm@kvnf.org or 970-234-5863.

The coronavirus "safer at home" protocol is still in effect, so our gardeners are joining us once again via telephone. Host Jill Spears & gardening gurus Lulu Vockhausen & Lance Swigart are deep into spring garden preparation and planting.

The coronavirus "safer at home" protocol is still in effect, so our gardeners are joining us once again via telephone. Host Jill Spears & gardening gurus Lulu Vockhausen & Lance Swigart are deep into spring garden preparation and planting.

National Poetry Month is coming up in April and earlier this month Kishwaukee College held an interactive poetry workshop called, “So You Wanna Be a Slam Poet.” Some people may be familiar with spoken word poetry or may have attended a poetry reading. Bear Wolf is the adjunct professor of English at Kishwaukee College. He said there is a slight difference between spoken word and slam poetry. “The slam is the competitive part. You have a 3-minute time limit. You get two rounds. Your points are added up to see if you can get to the final round.” Wolf said these points are determined by random judges and they judge on a scale of one-to-10. Matt Weibel is the assistant professor of communication at the college. He said people should be authentic when they are performing slam poetry. “We don’t need another Taylor Mali; we don’t need another Bear Wolf. We need a you. We need you to be your own poet, to have your own style, your own flair.” Taylor Mali’s poem, “What Teachers Make” was one of

Join us for the music of Crystal Gravy, of DeKalb, IL. They are a love-struck duo who even spent their first date writing their first song. We'll hear their performance in Studio A and talk with Crystal Gravy about their writing process, their relationship, and much more. We will even learn what "Hotel Stew" is. Keep up with Crystal Gravy by following their Facebook page. Find more of their music streaming on Spotify and available for download on Bandcamp! Crystal Gravy performing "Krug" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "First Blood" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "One More Storm" live in WNIJ's Studio A

When Víkingur Ólafsson was about 5 years old, he already knew what he wanted to be. "It sounds crazy, but I always saw myself as a concert pianist," he says. "Even if I wasn't a good pianist." The Icelandic musician, who turned 36 last month, has become a very good pianist indeed. Whether playing baroque or contemporary music, Ólafsson's technique is formidable, but it's transparency combined with warmth that has defined his singular sound. He is sought after by the world's top orchestras and concert venues and has signed on with the swanky Deutsche Grammophon record label. After well-received albums of Philip Glass and J.S. Bach , his latest album, Debussy – Rameau , was released March 27. The recording unfolds almost like a classical mixtape, with Ólafsson juxtaposing tracks by two French composers, born almost two centuries apart, who both broke new ground in music. The pianist says he tried to create a conversation between Jean-Philippe Rameau , the baroque master who literally

Someday, the COVID-19 pandemic will be history. And that’s why one DeKalb County photographer is urging people to document it now. Bob Myers took his wife’s advice. She’s DeKalb County historian Sue Breese, and she encouraged him to photograph the empty store shelves, the empty parking lots, and the altered daily interactions that are now part of life under the State’s stay-at-home order. In turn, Myers turned to social media to ask other DeKalb County residents to join the effort. For him, it’s important to keep the project local because it “makes it hit home more.” Myers has received photos of closed businesses, school lunch distributions, the parking lot tents at Kishwaukee Hospital, and a mother and daughter touching hands through a closed glass door. Of course, there’s a touch of humor, too. One photo is of a downtown Sycamore icon, the statue of Pumpkinfest founder Wally Thurow standing next to his old-time bicycle. Someone had already thrown a scarf around his neck for winter.

Krzysztof Penderecki , one of the world's leading composers, died Sunday at the age of 86. The Polish Ministry of Affairs announced his passing in a tweet. No cause of death was given. The Polish-born composer established himself while still in his 20s with jarring atonal works such as Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima , and came to be widely admired by music fans and musicians far outside traditional classical music circles. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood noted the passing of one of his idols on Twitter , "Penderecki was the greatest - a fiercely creative composer, and a gentle, warm-hearted man" he wrote Sunday. "My condolences to his family, and to Poland on this huge loss to the musical world." Untold numbers of people are familiar with Penderecki's music – perhaps without knowing it – thanks to films such as Shutter Island and especially The Shining , the Stanley Kubrick thriller that included the compositions Polymorphia and The Awakening of Jacob to frightening effect.

Rockford is getting not just one, but two poets laureate -- an adult and a youth. The adult poet laureate position will be a two-year position, and probably one year long for the youth. Rockford Area Arts Council (RAAC) Executive Director Mary McNamara Bernsten said the committee is still working that out. But, she said, people may start nominating poets next week. To be qualified for the positions, candidates must have lived in Rockford for at least one year. Adult candidates must be at least 18 years old by Oct. 23, 2020. Youth candidates must be aged 13-17 by that same date. McNamara Bernsten said the poets laureate will appear at public functions. She gave examples like Stroll on State, high school and college graduations, and the swearing in of officers in the police and fire departments. "You may be reading poems at ceremonial events," McNamara Bernsten said. "You could at the unveiling of a new building or bridge. You could be at city council meetings or other public meetings."

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau (RACVB) wants you to stay home and write songs. "Stay Home Songs" is a community song writing contest that is open to all ages and all types of musicians. There is no fee to enter and all genres of music are welcome. Musicians who live in Winnebago County and may enter one original song that is less than three minutes long. Nick Povalitis is the vice president of marketing and sports development for the RACVB. He believes this contest creates an engaging way for people to stay together during Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order. "We want to do our part to tell stories and connect people," Povalitis said. "Musicians are some of our best creators and there are a lot of talented musicians within Winnebago County and the Rockford region." This includes the contest judges. Jodi Beach, Vince Chiarelli, Duntai Mathews, Miles Nielsen, and Antonio Ramirez will select the winning songwriter. The winner will receive a $200 gift card to a

Dark Heart News is a high-energy rock and roll trio from Chicago. They have a wide range of influences from rock legends like Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The White Stripes, to blues masters such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hear Dark Heart News' full performance in Studio A right here! You can keep up with the band and purchase their music at their website . Dark Heart News performing "Snake Eyes" live in WNIJ's Studio A Dark Heart News performing "Driven and Lonely" live in WNIJ's Studio A Dark Heart News performing "House of Kings" live in WNIJ's Studio A

Some people respond to suffering by turning it into art. That's true even with the harrowing experience of a pandemic. In the early 1400s, an Englishman named John Cooke composed Stella celi , a hymn to the Virgin Mary referencing the Black Plague which, according to some sources , wiped out half of Europe. Its text speaks of the "ulcers of a terrible death" but also the assurance that "the star of heaven ... has rooted out the plague." Cooke's hymn is unlikely the first direct musical response to a major pandemic, but it is one of the earliest. Many more composers, over the millennia, have been inspired to write music in times of crisis. YouTube As pandemics resurfaced and new ones cropped up, people centuries ago were, in general, keenly aware of the precarious nature of life. Johann Sebastian Bach was no exception. He was orphaned twice by age 10 and lost half of his 20 children and his first wife. Bach wrote music that could comfort in times of distress and music that directly

Art fairs are common around springtime but for a lot of vendors this year, it’s not business as usual. That’s due to COVID-19 and social distancing. Two Fox Valley Area artists found a way to help bring in revenue, despite what's going on. Kelsey Rankin is the founder of Hemp Club Jewelry . She worked with her friend Laura Lynne to create a Virtual Artisan Market. “We kind of handpicked our vendors that we wanted to participate. It was an invite only, artisan handmade is what we wanted to stick with,” she said. “Because there’s a ton of people that we know out there but we wanted to keep it small in manageable for this first one.” Rankin said she understands that people are hesitant about receiving packages in the mail. She refers to advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. “So just wash your hands. Make sure you are being careful with any foreign object coming into the house. And if you feel like you need to wipe it down, do so. Just follow the

Listen to a special edition of Sessions from Studio A this week, as celebrate the first ever Public Radio Music Day. Sessions has been on the air for 4 years and has had over 100 artists featured on the show. In this episode, we'll take a listen back through the years to a variety of performances recorded for Sessions from Studio A. Local musicians need your support now more than ever. Download an album, buy some merch, and most importantly, go see a local artist live once you are able. We at WNIJ would like to thank all the artists who have performed on Sessions from Studio A and all of the listeners who support the show. You are what keeps music on public radio alive and strong. Thank you. Don't forget, you can find the full episodes of these performances here in our show archive and watch behind-the-scenes video on our YouTube channel .

The Rockford Area Arts Council wants your kids to create short videos not just for fun, but for educational purposes. Alone Together is a film showcase for students in grades 1-12 in Winnebago, DeKalb, Boone and Ogle counties. They are encouraged to shoot a short, creative video about any subject that interests them. RAAC Executive Director Mary McNamara Bernsten said this includes artistic subjects like dancing and drawing but also math, science, and foreign language. "You know kids are online all the time," she said, "and they're thinking, 'Oh, I'm in my French class right now and I am just memorizing all these vocabulary words.'" She continued, "You could go to our file on YouTube and find some fun, kind of innovative ways to look at your vocabulary words using some film project that a student has created." Alone Together is the Arts Council's response to COVID-19. McNamara Bernsten said that artistic expression during the quarantine is a way to connect and relate to each other's

We have a unique episode of Sessions from Studio A this week. Like so many others, the current pandemic has put our normal work on hiatus. Join us for a special "quarantined" edition of the show featuring ambient music from Rockford's Micky Torpedo. Micky is releasing four ambient albums this year, based on the changing moods of each season. We'll hear music from his Winter and Spring Cycle albums this hour. We also sat down to chat virtually with Micky about his approach to writing music, as well as his involvment in Rockford's Rock and Roll Institute. You can keep up with Micky on his Facebook page and download his music on Bandcamp .

COVID-19 has caused uncertainty in the lives of many. During hard times, in the past, people found relief by attending comedy shows. But what do you do when comedy clubs are closed and the comics are left to find humor for themselves? A few northern Illinois comedians share how they are making it through this pandemic. Rudy Ruiz is a comedian from Aurora. He said he misses the stage. “Now that we’re not allowed into comedy clubs or open mics or even writing groups, it’s like a withdrawal,” he said. He said making people laugh is like a superpower and the pandemic is the enemy. “It’s like kryptonite right now. It’s like we can’t do anything and a lot of us are going crazy,” Ruiz explained. He said he knows some comics have tried to do virtual comedy shows but he doesn’t understand that concept. “We need the audience. You know we have that immediate response like, 'This joke did well,'” he said. He said he can’t capture key things like that without the live interaction. He also said

April is National Poetry Month. Aurora’s poet laureate Karen Fullett-Christensen and the City’s deputy poet laureates talked about the power of poetry and how this pandemic is influencing their writing. The conversation took place Monday on Facebook live. Fermina Ponce is one of Aurora’s deputy poet laureates. She said she can’t avoid writing about COVID-19. “I’m not unaware and my creation and my muse is not getting detached or free from what we are living,” Ponce said. Anthony Stanford, another poet laureate, isn’t writing much poetry these days. He said the pandemic has inspired him to write short stories about how things will look in 10, 15 or 25 years. “Because this will be with us. If not this, then something else. This has forced us to change in all manner of things,” he said. Quentin Johnson is the third deputy poet laureate. He said even though we are inundated with daily updates about COVID-19, he wants to take a different approach when he writes. “It’s been my mission to

The East State Street Kmart in Rockford and four Sears stores elsewhere in Illinois have been targeted by Sears Holdings to close in early September. The Kmart store on Sandy Hollow Road in Rockford closed in early April this year. A Kmart store formerly located at Riverside Boulevard and Forest Hills Road closed more than a decade ago and was replaced by a Sears Essentials store, which closed in 2011. While reporting a net loss of $424 million in its quarterly report this morning, Sears Holdings announced it had identified 100 unprofitable stores across the country, “72 of which will begin store closing sales in the near future. ” A list of 15 Kmart stores and 48 Sears stores was posted on the corporate website early this afternoon. The announcement included this statement: “We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted.” It said a small group of stores was pulled from

A northern Illinois economic development group is working on what’s being called a “code of ethics” for its member communities. They’re not alone. In this WNIJ Friday Forum, Guy Stephens looks at codes that are being created and what they can mean to economic development. Striking a balance between competing local interests to achieve a benefit of all long has been a mantra of regional economic development. No one involved seems to disagree. Still, it has been deemed necessary to “get it in writing.” The Region 1 Planning Council is an economic development alliance that comprises the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP) and the Economic Development District of Northern Illinois (EDDNI). It includes the City of Rochelle along with governments in Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone and McHenry Counties. The Council has been working on its so-called “code of ethics” with the aim of having something in place this year. It would, among other things, prohibit local governments from

Sears Hometown Stores in Sterling, Plano and Moline will be closing during the current business quarter, the company announced over the weekend. The websites for all three stores already are announcing “Store in liquidation” sales. They are among “90 to 100” underperforming Sears Hometown locations remaining after 21 stores were closed in the previous quarter, President and Chief Executive Officer Will Powell said in the quarterly earnings announcement. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. , was spun off from Sears Holdings Corp. in 2012. Most of the 882 Sears Hometown locations are independently owned and operated, offering Sears brands like Kenmore and Craftsman as well as other national brands. The Sterling and Plano stores both are owned by Sean Austin, according to Plano Sears Hometown Store Manager Redell Morgan. He said the last day for the Plano store will be July 23. Morgan said he is the only full-time employee at the Plano location, which has six part-time employees. The

A vehicle produced in Belvidere has topped a new list of cars with the most American content. Fiat Chrysler ’s Jeep Cherokee came in at number one on the list created by Cars.com . The website looked at which cars were manufactured in America, had the most American parts, and support the most American factory jobs. Four of the top ten cars on the list are made by foreign-based companies. But Cars.com’s executive director, Joe Wiesenfelder, said, these days, all manufacturers are global. “And even what you consider an American brand might import vehicles from across the border," he said. "Whereas what might at one time been considered an import brand is building the cars here in the U.S.” Wiesenfelder sees the list as a service for someone who’s looking at what car to buy. “If they’re interested in contributing to the U.S. economy," he said, "they might see that it’s on the American-Made Index and say, ‘well, that’s one more count in its favor.’” Two other cars produced in Illinois made

Fiat Chrysler Automobile announced Saturday that CEO Sergio Marchionne's health had suddenly deteriorated following surgery and that its board of directors had chosen Jeep executive Mike Manley to replace him. Marchionne, a 66-year-old Italian-Canadian, joined Fiat in 2004 and led the Turin-based company's merger with bankrupt U.S. carmaker Chrysler. Manley, 54, had been heading the Jeep brand since June 2009 and the Ram brand from October 2015. The announcement, at the end of an urgently convened board meeting, marked the end of the Marchionne era, which included the turnaround of failing Fiat, the takeover of bankrupt U.S. automaker Chrysler and the spinoffs of the heavy machinery and truck maker CNH and supercar maker Ferrari. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that due to his deteriorating health Marchionne "will be unable to return to work." Marchionne, 66, had already announced he would step down in early 2019, so the board's decision, to be confirmed at an upcoming shareholders'

A storage safe manufacturer is closing two Chicago-area factories and moving operations to Mexico to counteract the effects of metal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. The Chicago Tribune reports Stack-On Products will lay off about 150 people at its Wauconda and McHenry plants when they close Oct. 12. Human resources director Al Fletcher said Tuesday the decision to relocate operations to Juarez, Mexico, was made about two months ago. That's when Trump announced tariffs on numerous goods and materials from China as well as other countries. Stack-On makes products ranging from tool boxes to gun vaults. Fletcher says the company has a plant in China and another in Mexico, and its only U.S. factories were the two in the Chicago area.

Rochelle has leveraged its location, and resources like its municipal railroad, to spur a lot of business activity in its corner of Ogle County . Now it’s set to move into neighboring Lee County in a big way. You don’t have to go far anywhere in Rochelle to hear the sound of a train. Tracks belonging to the country’s two largest railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, intersect here. Union Pacific also has an intermodal facility in Rochelle to move cargo between trains and trucks, taking advantage of the city’s proximity to Interstates 88 and 39. Moving around Rochelle’s business parks, there’s another sound you might hear: a switch engine, a small locomotive used in railyards, releasing cars loaded with material for use in one of the many businesses served by the city’s municipal railroad . That city line links those companies with the big railroads, providing a direct connection to and from markets across North America, and eventually the world. Jason Anderson is Rochelle’s Economic

Tronc. Comedian John Oliver once said that was the sound of a stack of newspapers being thrown into a dumpster. Now, the Chicago Tribune reports its parent company, Tronc, is changing its name back to Tribune Publishing. The Chicago-based company made the announcement Thursday. That ends a two-year run for the often-mocked corporate moniker. The name change becomes official next Tuesday. The company didn’t say what was behind the name change, but recently, its second-largest shareholder said he hoped to convince others to change the name back because “Tronc was a silly name.” The Tribune also says the name change comes at a time when there are potential buyers showing interest in the storied media company. “tronc,” by the way, was intended to be written in all lower-case letters and stood for “Tribune Online Content.”

Every fall, northern Illinois farmers set up roadside shops to get their crops to market, as well as get visitors to check out their farms. You can find several of these along a stretch of Lincoln Highway east of DeKalb. One of the largest is Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park. It has a pumpkin farm and apple orchard, plus a lot of family attractions. These range from train rides and corn mazes to climbing walls and a "bouncing pillow." Co-owner Kimberly Kuipers says these were inspired by taking their own kids to nearby farms. "They were very nice, but there was just a lot of stuff to look at and our kids wanted to climb over everything, and were constantly getting in trouble so we thought, 'Why don't we take what we want to see for our kids, and see if we can duplicate it at our own farm?'" she said. That's what attracted Michelle Barton and her children. "I love it, and we have a great time, so we enjoy running around and doing all the activities." Kuipers says her biggest source of