Looking like a cross between a computer keyboard and a grid controller, Yamaha introduces its new finger drum pads, allowing players to create rhythms using just their fingers. These brand new products, currently comprising of the FGDP-30 and FGDP-50, run from an internal rechargeable battery and feature an on board […]
Introduction It’s one of the most common cultural songs used in the English-speaking world today, and probably has been for well over one hundred years. Happy Birthday is thought to have evolved from a song used as a morning greeting in an infant school setting during the 18th century. Over […]
Manatee is another Kickstarter success, having raised nearly £70,000 and smashing the ~£50k goal for Fred’s Lab. This instrument is their most powerful instrument to date, sporting a four-part, 10 to 16 voice multitimbral spectral synthesiser module with full MPE (MDI polyphonic expression) support. The spectral engine is a smart […]
Along with the JT-4000 MICRO comes Behringer’s PRO VS MINI 4-voice hybrid synthesiser featuring four morphing oscillators per voice, analog low-pass filter, 16-step sequencer and arpeggiator. It’s a recreation of the Prophet VS synth, but in a portable form factor. Hardware includes 27 touch sensitive capacitive touch keys plus a […]
Sequential has announced a desktop module version of its Trigon-6 polyphonic synth. This compact and portable instrument has all the sound generation capabilities of the keyboard version, including three oscillators per voice, a ladder filter updated with dedicated drive and feedback control, and the expressivity and potency to deliver warm, […]
Behringer has announced the launch of its JT-4000 MICRO, a portable four-voice hybrid synthesiser with two analog modelling oscillators per voice, analog filter and arpeggiator. The emphasis is on portability and programmability, and claims to be a faithful reproduction of the JP-8k sound engine with a supersaw waveform. In addition […]
Although many people already seem to think Yamaha has discontinued the MONTAGE, a few days ago an official, albeit slightly under-the-radar announcement was made on the YamahaSynth website to confirm it. The MONTAGE music synthesiser is now officially discontinued — in other words, if you don’t already have one and […]
Clavia’s gorgeous and feature-rich Nord Stage keyboard first debuted in 2005, meaning we’re fast approaching 20 years as the Stage 4 has just launched. Kitted out in striking red and boasting stunning piano, EP, organ and other sounds ripe for performance, they’ve become a staple part of well-off musician performers […]
Synclavier Digital has announced its new Regen desktop synth, looking fine in red trim and with lots of features to keep you satisfied. It’s a digital FM synth designed for desktop use, and containing the power of an enhanced and optimised Synclavier II DSP engine. It has a full colour […]
In this article we take a look at M-Audio’s popular Ableton Live capable Oxygen controller keyboards, currently available in seven models, three regular and four “pro” versions. Overview All feature high quality keyboards and a range of control pads, knobs, buttons and sliders, in varying numbers. Only the Pro Mini […]
Another week and another Behringer XENYX release is upon us. Chasing the heels of the 1002SFX and 1202SFX and the 502S/802S comes the 1003B premium analog 10-input mixer with five microphone preamps and optional battery operation, so you can mix on the move without needing separate power or using up […]
Peru-based AtomoSynth has teased its social media followers with some basic information about the second version of its Eurorack Tottem drum synthesiser. The new Tottem features four independent, all-analog percussion synth voices, two of which featuring full percussion synth with triangle and square wave oscillator, an envelope for the “sweep” […]
There’s a pattern of releases emerging from Korg, as following the wavestate SE and platinum wave sequencing synths comes the opsix SE and opsix SE Platinum altered FM synths. Claiming it to be “a digital synth like no other”, this instrument builds on the expansive sound engine in the original […]
Steinberg has announced the release of SpectraLayers Pro 10 and SpectraLayers Elements 10, its spectral audio processing software. Spectral audio processing is a set of techniques used to manipulate and analyse audio signals in the frequency domain, and involves converting the audio signal from the time domain to the frequency […]
A few days ago we were sent a link to a video about a current prototype software synth which bases its sound production and manipulation on Newtonian physics. Don’t run away! As developer Evan Mezeske (former engineering leader at Google) states, “it’s not necessary to understand the mathematics or physics” […]
Introduction Your DAW is at the centre of your music-making lifestyle, but you don’t want to be tied to simply operating it using a mouse, trackpad or computer keyboard. Of course it’s doable, but it’s not always fully intuitive or as immediate as you’d like. You may be a proficient […]
Introduction to Launchkey Novation makes some lovely controllers, and in particular those with deep integration with Ableton Live. As well as the Launchpad line of matrix controllers come the Launchkey family for those who need the ability to play notes on a traditional synth-style or semi-weighted keyboard as well as […]
With the recent news that Roland has expanded its line of E series entertainment arranger keyboards with the launch of the E-X10, and not so long ago the E-X50, we take a look at the four current models in its lineup, what their main features are and how they compare. […]
Korg has announced updates to its wavestate wave sequencing synthesiser with the launch of the wavestate mkII, the wavestate SE and the limited edition wavestate SE Platinum. Here we take a look at what you can expect from the new instruments and how they enhance the original wavestate. wavestate mkII […]
Behringer continues to expand its XENYX line of analog mixers with the launch of the 1002SFX and 1202SFX models, hot on the heels of the 502S and 802S. As the model numbers suggest, these are 10 and 12 inputs respectively. As expected, they seamlessly connect to a computer via USB. […]
Behringer has just launched its “tribute” to the classic Moog analog audio gear with the BODE Frequency Shifter 1630 in Eurorack format. Claiming to be an authentic recreation of the famous ’70s module, it features state-of-the-art circuitry including a voltage-controlled beat frequency quadrature oscillator. It can accurately shift the entire […]
