Roland has updated its RD line of digital stage pianos with the introduction of the RD-800. Roland claims the RD-800 not only has a new, sleek look but also “many improvements in sound, feel, and versatility”. Sound-wise, Roland has added more acoustic piano samples, plus authentic vintage electric pianos, organs, […]
Synth, Electronic & Audio
261 posts
Preempting NAMM 2014, Roland has announced its new breed of music workstation. The FA Series, available in 61-key (FA-06) and 88-key (FA-08) models, is naturally being talked up by Roland, with hyped statements such as “taking the ‘work’ out of the music workstation”, “completely reimagines”, “effortless real-time power”, “ultra-fast workflow”, […]
The VTC-1 Vacuum Tube Compressor is an analog-modelled VST compressor featuring “warm analog, fat pumping and transparent sound.” Pentode Audio says that, compared to modern compressors, VTC-1 has a different inner structure and principle of work. There is no threshold knob, so you set the amount of compression by increasing […]
Meet Ototo, an experimental synthesizer which can turn anything with a conductive surface into part of a musical instrument. The Ototo board consists of 12 touch pads which can be touched directly to trigger notes, or alternatively connected up via cables to any conductive object. It also has four sensor […]
We’ve just seen this amazing new gadget which attaches to your iPhone or iPod touch, turning it into a complete motion controller for use with a range of apps and other devices. The AUUG Motion Synth consists of hardware which allows you to attach your Apple device to your wrist […]
If you have fond memories of having to use dial-up modems to use the Internet (anyone under the age of 25 need not concern themselves) then you might like the Music Modem, a portable sound generator that lovingly recreates those sounds just for you. It looks a bit like a […]
We’ve seen some pretty nifty alternative controller interfaces for your iPad/iPhone, like the DrumPants, but how about a wearable ring which allows you to use gestures on the palm of your hand to control apps on your smartphone or tablet? The Fin is a flexible, wearable thumb ring which can […]
Smartphones and tablets now make great portable recording studios, thanks to powerful processors and a plethora of high quality apps. The weak chain in the process is that of sound capture. The standard microphones built in to this hardware just isn’t designed for high quality capture. This is where an […]
We all know guitarists love their pedals, but when I saw the BeatBuddy pedal, I knew it wasn’t just a great idea for guitarists, but for any musician needing an easily controllable beat. (OK, I know founder David Packouz said just the same in his video, but I thought it […]
Diagram A is Daniel Greenwood’s “mental feedback research project” that’s been ongoing for over 20 years. All electronics are self-designed and handmade. The Indiegogo campaign is for a limited edition set of noise synth devices which come with: multiple inputs/outputs multiple pad touch sensitive control for skin contact 4 oscillators […]
MONOpulator is an all-in-one four-track 8 step sequencer, sampler and a drum machine, currently seeking funding on Indiegogo. Developer JD Sweet lays out the following features: Place kick drums, snares, hi hats and crashes up to 8 positions each. 200% pitch control to speed up or slow down Playback & […]
Propellerhead Software has got hold of a sample tutorial chapter from the very impressive new book Reason 101 Visual Guide to the Reason Rack – Creating Kick Drums. “Robert Anselmi, the man behind Reason101, has just released a very comprehensive book called Reason 101 Visual Guide to the Reason Rack. […]
Hailing it as the first motion-tracking controller for iOS (iPad/iPhone), IK Multimedia has introduced its iRing gizmo. Although not aimed specifically at musicians, it could certainly be used with music apps. iRing is a wearable ring with markers imprinted upon it. One side contains three dots in a line, while […]
It may be far from the conventional sort of rhythm MIDI controller one thinks of – an electronic drum kit, perhaps, or the drum pads on a controller keyboard – but in fact it’s possibly one of the most natural ways of capturing human rhythm. Consider the idle (or even […]
Masami Takeuchi has announced an album of theremin music: “Theremin Vox Collection Vol.1”. It combines the sounds of acoustic piano and the Gordin Masazane theremin, which his own company produces. “The Gordin Masazane can produce sound by either oscillators or traditional heterodyning and also includes waveshaping features more commonly found […]
Dave Smith Instruments has just shown off the module version of its Prophet 12, which it says “boasts the same power and sound as the Prophet 12 Keyboard.” The Prophet 12 Module’s streamlined interface allows quick and easy control of every parameter on the synth. Each synth section can be […]
The popular Piano Wizard computer game system, designed to simply teach a user to play simple songs in just four steps, has been approved by the Autism Hope Alliance (AHA), gaining an “Autism Approved” seal. AHA has pioneered the Autism Approved program, designed to highlight numerous products, materials, clothing, toys […]
Anyone lucky enough to own one of Clavia’s wonderful NordLead or NordRack instruments (original or ‘2’ models, not ‘2X’ ones) might be interested to know of a particular “hidden synth” mode. Apparently it’s been a rumour/possible hoax for quite some time, but it’s been found by a writer in the […]
Here’s a neat review, demo and tutorial of the latest free version of Jam Synth, all rolled into one. Jam Synth, for iOS devices (preferably an iPad) is a pitch-to-MIDI converter which works great with guitars, vocals, and other electronic instruments. It’s great when you have a non-MIDI device which […]
Anyone requiring precision volume monitoring and control need look no further than Waves Audio’s latest offering – the WLM Plus Loudness Meter V9. The Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter plugin provides precision loudness measurement, metering, correction and adjustment tools for broadcast, movie trailers, games, packaged media and more. Fully compliant […]
