Expressive E used NAMM to show off its incredible Osmose “standalone expressive synthesiser”, which boasts a whole range of controls built right into the keys and keyed itself, for the shaping and manipulation of sounds. Most keyboards don’t offer a lot of expressive possibilities by themselves, even if fitted with […]
Andy
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Along with the newly announced MyTracks, Blipblox used NAMM to show off the second incarnation of its synth aimed at “up and coming musicians” (kids, basically). Unsurprisingly, the look and feel is very ‘toy-ish’ but don’t be fooled that this translates into a meaningless or substandard product. What we have […]
Still relative newcomers to the digital piano market, having been founded in Italy in 2013, Dexibell has nonetheless created some impressive instruments, including the VIVO H10 digital piano line. The company has used NAMM to showcase a stunning addition to this line of digital upright and grand pianos, with a […]
Behringer is one of the bigger names not to be attending this year’s NAMM but it hasn’t stopped them from launching new products, including the latest additions to their popular XENYX line of analog/USB audio mixers. The XENYX 502S and 802S are five and eight input mixers respectively, and come […]
Sound Particles is wowing NAMM delegates with “the first spatial synthesiser plugin in the world”, SkyDust 3D, offering instant 3D sound simply by playing notes. “Fantastic for stereo and exceptional in 3D” it’s definitely grabbing the increasing demand for immersive and three dimensional soundscapes in music production, cinematography and the […]
One of the quirkier instruments to hit NAMM — along with the TERRA and the Blipbox MyTRACKS — is the current Indiegogo sponsor-seeking InstaChord. At first glance it looks a bit like a cross between a video game music controller, enlarged calculator and a keytar (but, hmm, without the keys) […]
BlackBT has shaken up NAMM and the ’50 years of stagnation’ in the controller pedal market, with the demonstration and launch of its SusEx wireless pedal, suggesting it is no longer an “accessory of afterthought” but “a critical part of your musical creative workflow”. Claiming it to be the world’s […]
SOMA Laboratories has shown off its latest, and as yet unfinished, synth concept: TERRA. This “highly conceptual device” has the “core idea… unity of nature and technology, a perfect balance between simplicity and versatility”. The curvy wooden shell of this prototype unit points to the ethos of a certain uniqueness […]
Blipblox has teased NAMM attendees with a cool new music making ‘toy’ aimed at kids, which will land sometime in 2024. The Blipblox MyTRACKS may look a bit clunky — an interesting hybrid of toddler toy, small spacecraft control panel and controls from a ’90s home computer driving game controller […]
Polyend has used NAMM to showcase the next generation of its Tracker hardware: the Tracker Mini. This portable audio workstation offers eight tracks for stereo audio and MIDI sequencing, audio-over-USB, built-in battery and microphone, gamepad quality buttons, and lots of sampling and sound design tools. The user interface has been […]
Very few electronic instruments are as iconic as the Hammond B-3, and its influence and sound can be felt and heard across many genres and styles of music. Once you hear it, you never forget it, and many musicians (who haven’t been lucky enough to play let alone own one) […]
Yamaha used this year’s NAMM Show to reveal its next generation Transacoustic pianos, to be initially available in two model ranges, the TC3 and TA3, totalling eleven instruments. These are existing models of acoustic piano, including uprights and grands, to which the Transacoustic technology can be fitted. This is therefore […]
In the world of digital pianos, Kurzweils don’t seem to get nearly as much recognition among the general population of musicians as, say, Yamaha, Roland or Casio, and yet the company has been producing high-quality instruments for many years. In this article we look at the current offerings from Kurzweil, […]
Students of the piano, particularly those who have had some more formal training or lessons at some point, will likely be familiar with the concept of musical scales. They may well have been drilled to practice these at every opportunity, to the point of boredom and fatigue. So why exactly […]
In 2006 Yamaha launched its first DGX (digital grand) in the ‘600’ series. Previously, as early as 2002, Yamaha introduced the DGX line with the DGX-200, followed by other models including models in the DGX-300 and DGX-500 line. They also brought out YPG models which had similar specifications to an […]
Yamaha introduced the first two models in its more compact and portable P Series of digital pianos in 1994, and now nearly thirty years on there have been twenty models in the entire line, with four currently on sale and sixteen discontinued. Portable may be a relative term in comparison […]
Today we are blessed with a plethora of software, apps and keyboards with built-in music theory/practice features, but back in the 1980s that wasn’t the case. Yamaha built a range of mini ‘toy’ keyboards, primarily aimed at children but usable by any budding musicians, called the HandySound Yamaha decided to […]
Yamaha has introduced its new line of CK stage keyboards, currently comprising of the CK61 and CK88 models. Claiming to combine the sounds and organ/synths of the Yamaha CP and YC stage pianos in one unit, it has a “totally new sonic palette” and an “intuitive interface”. Highlights include a […]
Structure A one octave A# harmonic minor scale is made up from the eight notes A#, B#, C#, D#, E#, F#, G## (A) and A#. This can be extended across the keyboard as required for two, three or four octave scales. Here are the notes of one octave depicted on […]
Structure A one octave D harmonic minor scale is made up from the eight notes D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C# and D. This can be extended across the keyboard as required for two, three or four octave scales. Here are the notes of one octave depicted on a […]
With the introduction of Roland’s latest portable digital piano in the FP range, the FP-E50, we take a look at the feature set of the entire current range and compare their specifications. Quick Highlights Don’t want to read lots of specs and comparison tables? Here are the quick takeaways for […]
