namm
Latest
Korg’s Opsix mk II synth is based on the FM sound engine of the original, but with 64 voices
Korg is back with a refresh of its popular Opsix FM synthesizer. The Opsix mk II boasts twice the polyphony, 64 voices, and a bunch of new sound shaping options, like filters and LFOs.
Yamaha takes on Teenage Engineering with its colorful SEQTRAK groovebox
The SEQTRAK groovebox from Yamaha borrows a lot from Teenage Engineering's OP series, fused with classic sounds from the company's classic synths.
Playtime Engineering debuts two new music makers for kids
Playtime Engineering has unveiled a pair of toy music makers, the Blipbox SK2 synthesizer and the Blipbox myTrack groovebox designed to help even the youngest musically-inclined minds produce, record, save and share their electronic beats and melodies
The 2022 Winter NAMM Show has been rescheduled for June
The National Association of Music Merchants has delayed the 2022 Winter NAMM Show.
Poly Effects fully merges Digit and Beebo into one super pedal
The Poly Effects Digit and Beebo are two of the more interesting guitar pedals to come out in the last few years. They were built on the exact same platform and their firmware are completely interchangeable. Now the company is taking the next logical step, and combining them into a single firmware and single pedal under the Beebo name.
Korg teases Drumlogue, a hybrid analog / digital groovebox
Korg announced the next member of the ‘logue family: the Drumlogue. It will be a hybrid analog / digital groovebox. Judging from the short teaser video, that means some analog drum voices similar to the Volca Beats, as well as PCM and digital synthesis voice.
The miniKORG 700FS is an overdue reissue of its first landmark synth
Korg is finally giving its first synth the miniKORG 700 the recognition it deserves with a 100-percent analog reissue: the miniKORG FS. The company even brought back the original designer, Fumio Mieda to oversee the development.
Korg reinvents a cult favorite with the Modwave wavetable synthesizer
In 1985 Korg released the DW-8000, an analog-digital hybrid synth that combined at the time cutting edge digital oscillators with analog filters. The Modwave is an all digital take on the DW, updated to fit in with the company’s modern lineup, including the Wavestate and Opsix, which focus heavily on knob-per-function controls and live performance.
Korg's ARP 2600 M is a 'mini' version of an iconic synth
The ARP 2600 M is about half the size of the original and one-third the weight. But it still packs all the classic sound design modules.
Behringer clones more well-known synths from Moog and Roland
Behringer isn't about to slow down in its effort to clone classic synths. The company has introduced two more not-so-subtle modernizations, headlined by the System 55 Modular Synthesizer (above). The Eurorack-friendly design includes more than 20 reproductions of modules from the legendary Moog 15, 35 and 55. It includes the requisite mix of attenuators, filters and oscillators needed to recreate that '70s Switched-On Bach-like sound as well as a Sequential Sequencer and a new power supply module.
Finally: A guitar pedal you’re supposed to spill beer on
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the history of guitar pedals. But, I'm fairly confident in saying there has never been a pedal quite like Rainger FX's Minibar. It's an overdrive pedal, but one that requires a little something extra to work -- a liquid. There's a small container on the top that says "pour liquid here" and, until you put something in there it simply wont make a sound.
Behringer’s synth clone train keeps rolling with modular System 100
Regardless of your opinion of Behringer, you can't deny that the company is tireless in its efforts to bring affordable versions of classic synths to the masses. In 2019 alone it successfully launched clones of the Korg MS-20, ARP Odyssey, Sequential Circuits Pro-One, Electronic Dream Plant (EDP) Wasp Deluxe, not to mention the TB-303, TR-808, VP330 and SH-101 all from Roland, and a polyphonic version of the Moog Model D. And we know there are plenty more to come, like the Octave Cat. So it's no surprise that, shortly after it revealed it was getting into the Eurorack case game, Behringer announced its plan to clone some of the most iconic modular synth components ever made: Roland's System 100m.
MicroFreak update adds new oscillator and modes for simplified noise-making
When Arturia announced the Microfreak at NAMM last year, we told you there was nothing stopping the company from adding new oscillators down the line through firmware updates. Well, guess what -- it's got a new oscillator.
The Moog Subsequent 25 offers classic synth bass with modern amenities
Anytime Moog releases a new synth it's worth getting at least a little excited about. And the Subsequent 25 (or Sub 25) is no exception. It's the successor to the Sub Phatty -- basically the standard bearer for classic Moog bass sounds over the last several years. The Sub 25 takes what made its predecessor such a powerful and aggressive tone monster and just goes bigger.
Gamechanger Audio introduces an optical spring reverb pedal
Gamechanger may have only released two guitar pedals so far, but the company has shown that it can live up to its lofty name. Its Plasma Pedal, for one, stands out in an ocean of distortion effects, thanks to both a staticky, lo-fi timbre and its astounding visual presentation -- xenon plasma shoots around a vacuum tube as you play. The Light Pedal, the company's latest creation, rethinks the traditional engineering behind spring reverb effects, replacing the electromechanical components with optical sensors. The result is a vintage-sounding echo that sits somewhere between the snappy guitar sounds of the '60s and the atmospheric squeals heard in classic rock tracks from the '70s.
Akai's MPC One is a (reasonably) affordable music production machine
It's been a few years since Akai's iconic MPC line has seen a significant new entry. But at NAMM 2020 the company is not only introducing a new model, but specifically going for the entry level... or at least what qualifies as entry level for an MPC. The MPC One in a $699 standalone production studio that basically takes all the essential parts of the series and skips the luxuries.
Blipblox gives its kid synthesizer a grown-up makeover
Blipblox made something of a name for itself creating a synthesizer for kids. But the brightly-coloured, big-buttoned device -- with a surprisingly robust digital synth engine under its hood -- has proven such a success with adults that the company has made a grown up version: Blipblox After Dark.
Roland's Zen-Core engine lets instruments share synth sounds
Roland basically abandoned pure analog synths. Instead it's been focused on improving its digital instruments and software that pay homage to the past, while embracing the future. But here's the thing, thanks to powerful audio processors there's very little these days keeping one synth engine tied to any particular device; The Microfreak borrows heavily from Mutuable Instruments Plaits and the Organelle runs patches built in the cross-platform, for instance. Roland has apparently decided this is a harbinger of the future of synthesis and so it's launching Zen-Core, a synth engine that will work across a wide swath of its instruments.
KeyStep Pro aims to be the MIDI command center of your home studio
Arturia's KeyStep is pretty beloved among hardware synth enthusiasts and bedroom producers alike. It's an affordable, versatile and impeccably built MIDI controller. Honestly, the only real criticism I have of it is that, for something that's supposed to be portable, it's just a bit too big and heavy. So, Arturia decided to lean into the idea of the Keystep as a studio staple with the KeyStep Pro and just forgot about the whole portable thing. Instead of simply adding a bunch more keys though, Arturia decided to focus on what made the KeyStep so popular in the first place. It beefed up the sequencing capabilities and added even more ports to the back for connecting gear.
Novation's Launchpad Pro controller is now a standalone MIDI sequencer
Novation's Launchpad is one of the most popular pad-based MIDI controllers out there, but the company hasn't been resting on its laurels -- it just released its Launchkey Mini keyboard controller that we are big fans of. The Launchpad is getting an upgrade too, with the announcement of a new Pro version of the controller.
