Yamaha PSR-EW425 / PSR-E473 models launched
Yamaha has upgraded its PSR-E/EW line of keyboards with the introduction of the PSR-EW425 (76 key) and PSR-E473 (61 key) models, adding to the series and eventually superseding the PSR-EW410 and PSR-E463 respectively. Launching in the Spring, they are still part of the more entry-level portable keyboard ranges provided by Yamaha but boast a step up to “pro quality sound” previously reserved for models in more expensive ranges such as the PSR-S/SX series.
Despite the ongoing slightly weird numbering Yamaha chooses to use, the new keyboards are identical in all but the range of the organ-style keyboard. Only 64 note polyphony although this should be ample for all but the most demanding musical pieces.
Other features include 820 voices, a range of digital effects, 290 accompaniment presets, groove creator, audio sampling, a “lite” version of Yamaha’s Super Articulation feature leading to more realistic instrument sounds, live control knobs, microphone input and vocal effects, and a volume mega boost.
We’ll be covering these models and comparing them to the previous versions in this line soon.
Recreating Josty Electronic / JostyKit MU610 kit organ
An interesting build from organfairy who recreates a Danish made kit organ.
“I found some building instructions for a Danish made kit organ on this webpage https://www.nrhf.no/Skjemabank/Josty%2… and decided that it could be interesting to recreate. That is what this video is about.”
Synth uses real-time asteroid data for presets
A browser-based synth, asteroidblock.io, is allowing anyone to use real-time data from asteroids as a basis for creating sound patches.
Apparently, the “web-based, interactive, atmospheric pad synthesizer queries NASA’s asteroid API, using live proximity data to throttle initial parameters of the synth” although we are not sure how you are supposed to know if you’re really ‘listening’ to an asteroid, or its data, or in fact anything like that.
It is in beta so it’s not perfect, but I think ‘fun’ and ‘experiment’ are the words here.
Parallel Synths in Tracktion Waveform
Running synths in parallel is amazing, especially once you start adding modifiers (modulators) to whatever parameters you want. Tracktion Waveform makes working like this so easy with Racks. You can do whatever you like in Waveform Racks, whatever kind of complex routing you can dream up. Your only limitations are your own imagination (oh, and the power of you CPU)!
I pushed my CPU to the limit with parallel synthesis in one of the racks I demonstrate here with a full 8 synths with several modifiers. My Ryzen 9 was spiking to 90% and beyond. Of course it was. I was asking it to do crazy stuff with some seriously powerful synths, all running at the same time!
Since that 8 synth patch needed such a silly amount of power to run, I removed a few synths to make it more workable for general use. For demonstration purposes, I built a simpler rack in this video with just 2 synths. I enjoyed the sound of that so much, I know I’ll be returning to that one regularly, tweaking it to find new sounds for whatever project I’m working on.
The synths I used in these racks are as follows. Some of them are free, all of them are awesome!
Biotek2, MOK Miniraze, Vital, Surge, Odin2, Collective, Retromod Fat, u-he Podolski
Making LO-FI Hip-hop with a KOTO Synthesizer
This Casio Keyboard cost $2000.. Because its Pink. | Casio SK-1 Unicorn
