intermorphic.com Blog

For more details, check out the relevent ‘latest update’ section in the intermorphic forum. Suffice to say, the Noatikl and Liptikl updates are minor, but for Mixtikl we are starting to make some interesting changes.

Our primary goal for the initial release of Mixtikl was to port pre-existing miniMIXA V3 away from Tao intent, remove elements no longer necessary or relevant, spruce up the UI, and ensure the app worked fine on our first target platform – Windows Mobile.

We succeeded in that, and as the dust is settling we are now able to start “turning the tanker” (lots of mixed metaphors, there, but who cares ). Mixtikl is a complex application, which comes from its inherited miniMIXA DNA, and miniMIXA had certain ways of doing things. Our job moving forwards, is to find the ways we can modify Mixtikl it to make it clear what it is, what it does and ensuring that it does the things you want it to; that means simplifying it is some ways.

Our first next task, therefore, has been for us to alter its default behaviour so as to make it clear “from the off” that it is a ‘live’ mobile music mixer for performance and entertainment – and not an arranger or or cell sequencer. The aptly named ‘Performer’ is the main application, and so we have focused making on changes to this. The really key change we have made is to alter the default behaviour of content cells when selected. When selected, they now loop indefinitely, until deselected. This makes it very easy to get a mix going, where you are in control and playing content from banks of content you have available in the mix, or add to the mix as it is going. We will be updating docs in the coming days.

Additionally, we wanted to start adding support for certain operations that would mean it would work great on touch screen devices without D-pads (such as iPhone and HTC Touch HD). With this latest release we are getting there on that, too.

As Mixtikl is so deep, and there are so many things we want to add to it, it is going to take some while for us to make the changes we want! As ever, if you have any suggestions for improvement, do send these in via our contact form.

Hoping you enjoy the new changes!

tim and pete

OK folks, it is with a heavy heart that we report this, but as of today, all Tao Group employees have had their employment contracts terminated (and Tao Group was where we were employed up until today). We have just got back from a staff meeting with the administrator. This means, too, that Tao Group is no more as a company. We cannot really say what happened, but you will likely be reading about it from other sources.

Why this has happened is mainly around issues to do with the continued funding of Tao. It is a sad day that employees who have worked hard for up to 17 years at Tao now find themselves in this unenviable position, especially seeing as everything was starting to go so well for Tao.

So, what is going to happen to the various Tao intent technologies, and in particular to miniMIXA (of special interest to me and Pete, as we are the developers of this)? We don’t know yet. If and when we can say something, we will.

These developments, sad as they are, mean that Intermorphic can now start in earnest – so please a check on the site and this blog. Intermorphic is developing multimedia tools to aid creative activity. In the first instance these will include generative music engines and lyric generation tools. This may be a niche area, but we are going to have fun doing it!

We wish success to all former Tao employees in finding new employment quickly, and we are sure they will, as they are a hugely bright and talented bunch. It has been an enormous pleasure and honour working with them and Tao these last few years (well, since we sold SSEYO to Tao in 2002), and they built some amazing technology.

Intermorphic, here we come!