With the recent news that Novation has expanded its FL Studio-based FLkey controller keyboards to include 49 and 61 key models, we now take a look at the four-strong devices and compare their features. Each of the controller keyboards has been designed with Image Line Software, the makers of FL […]
Oberheim has announced its OB-X8 desktop module is now shipping, offering up the sonic power of the OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8 into a compact unit for studio and even on-the-road use. The OB-X8 module features the same sound engine as the award-winning OB-X8 keyboard, featuring an all-analog signal path with […]
Being totally honest, I prefer pianos to remain as the manufacturer intended. However, many people look to enhancing or altering the look of a musical instrument by decorating it in some way. This is certainly possible, but it’s important to plan and research what methods are best for the particular […]
BandLab has announced that it is to rebrand its Cakewalk DAW into two new distinct products, Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next. as it seeks to “make its renowned music production software even more accessible to global creators.” The original Cakewalk DAW will be renamed to SONAR, a name last used […]
You write about one granular synth and then another pops up on your news feed. Sonicware has just started shipping its first batch of LIVEN Texture Lab granola synth/effector units, offering a range of sample-licious features in a cute case. Main features of the LIVEN are the ability to sample, […]
Introduction Ableton has unveiled two versions of its latest Push instrument, with one of the third-generation devices being a truly standalone instrument which can be used to record and perform with Live 11 instruments and effects. The other needs connecting to a Live-enabled computer at all times to function. Both […]
The small Czech company behind Vector is teasing us with a new synth plaything, the Tempera. On its website the words “granularity – record – resample” scroll merrily past while we switch our gaze to the flashing lights and colours on the accompanying mockup animation. Those fast off the blocks […]
PWM has announced that a new synth is to launch in the summer, and it comes with a bittersweet backstory. The Mantis, based on the legendary WASP synth, was a collaboration between Chris Huggett and Paul Whittington, founder of PWM. Chris passed away in 2020 after battling cancer, but he […]
Introduction The Yamaha Piaggero keyboards are a range of lightweight, entry-level keyboards designed with the beginner pianist in mind. They offer an introduction to digital pianos without the expense, weight and required playing strength of more advanced instruments. As they are manufactured by Yamaha they still have some quality to […]
Hot on the heels of the MPC X Special Edition from Akai comes the MPC ONE+, featuring the same core performance of the flagship MPC X SE but with the addition of WiFi and Bluetooth to allow for instant plugin download and wireless updates, plus 16GB of onboard storage, an […]
Sixteen years on and we’re only a little over the accidental desctruction of a Bösendorfer grand piano during removal, and in the main we’ve managed to avoid some of the ‘quirky’ things people do to pianos. So imagine our shock (which you may well discover for yourself in a moment) […]
Yamaha has announced the launch of two new models in its low-cost, ultra-portable NP line of digital piano-style keyboards, namely the NP-15 and NP-35. The numbering suggests a direct upgrade, or possibly replacement, for the NP-12 and NP-32 models. So far it only appears to have been announced for the […]
Behringer announces the availability of the EDGE analog semi-modular percussion synthesiser featuring two oscillators, multi-mode filter, dual 8-step sequencer and 16-voice poly chain. Touted as the perfect companion to the CRAVE, it claims to be a powerful and flexible drum & bass machine packed with features and functions. Behringer has […]
Casio is a well-known brand offering a wide range of digital pianos and music keyboards. Here we look at the main ranges of instruments which come with 88 keys. An electronic instrument with 88 physical keys most closely mimics the majority of acoustic pianos, and removes the need to transpose […]
Arturia has announced the latest incarnation of its universal MIDI controller, the KeyLab Essential mk3, available in both 49 and 61 key versions. Designed to offer the main controls a musician primarily operating a DAW would need, it’s a decent piece of kit at a reasonable price. You can read […]
Almost as long as digital keyboards and pianos have been around, the question of polyphony comes up. It’s a quick, easy measure of how many distinct sounds can be created at any one time by a single musical instrument. An acoustic piano effectively has unlimited polyphony, restricted only by the […]
Read the specifications on modules, synths and other electronic instruments and soon enough you will come across the term “Eurorack” and then some mention of units, modules and connectivity. What exactly is Eurorack and why is it popular particularly amongst electronic and synth musicians? What is Eurorack? Eurorack is a […]
You can hardly fail to have noticed the speed with which artificial intelligence (AI) tools have arrived on the scene and are now talked about, used and exploited in many areas of society and subject areas. Whether you think AI is a good or bad thing, and to what degree […]
A recent Gizmodo article looked at some entries in the “Museum of Failure” including the Juicero, We-Vibe 4, Lawn Darts and Google Glass. Perhaps more surprisingly was the inclusion of the Roland TB-303. They write that “musicians quickly hated the gadget, mainly because it sounds nothing like a bass guitar. Despite this, […]
What is a hammer action keyboard? A hammer action keyboard is a type of keyboard found on certain types of electronic musical instruments, such as digital pianos and synthesizers. It is designed to replicate the feel and touch of a traditional acoustic piano keyboard. The term “hammer action” refers to […]
Anyone with an interest in mathematics as well as music may take look at the two time signatures — 3/4 and 6/8 — and initially think they are equivalent. After all, 3/4 is the simplified fraction of 6/8, right? Well, yes, partly, but in music these are not simple fractions. […]
