Namm2010
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Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer gets priced at $799, can't hold out on us much longer
Not since the debut of the Tenori-On have we seen so much buzz surrounding a niche music maker, and Teenage Engineering's OP-1 might just be the most anticipated synthesizer in the history of mankind. We've already seen just what it's capable of, and now it's starring in its very own music video. Better still, it's inching ever closer to shipping, with a recent newsletter affirming that it's 90 percent complete with respect to functionality. We're also told that it'll ship with a half dozen synthesizer engines and two sampler types, and a beta test is said to be "approaching." The outfit has just received its "golden sample" for the keyboard module, and it's waiting for a few more component suppliers to come through before belting out a final ship date. But hey -- at least you know it'll run $799 / €799, eventually. No time like the present to start pinching those pennies, right?
Dave Smith's Mopho keyboard prototype wows analog fanboys at NAMM (video)
Dave Smith's name is as revered in the synth business as those of Tom Oberheim and "Handsome Ron" Casio. Having had his hands in everything from the Prophet 5 synth to developing the MIDI specification to his own company (Dave Smith Instruments), the man has given electronic musicians plenty to be thankful for. The boutique's latest, the Mopho Keyboard (seen here in prototype form at NAMM 2010) takes the existing Mopho synth module -- a pretty sweet deal with its sub-octave generators, audio input (you know, for modulating stuff), and feedback options -- and adds a thirty-two key keyboard and a whole mess of controls. Like original, this new Mopho has a 100 percent analog signal path, ships with a sound bank editor for both Windows and Mac, and it sounds pretty, pretty bad ass. Look for it in the near future for around $800. Video after the break.
Teenage Engineering OP-1 synth gets the hands-on treatment (video)
We see so many great concepts disappear from view before becoming reality that you could excuse us if by now we're a little jaded. That said, we've been holding on to hope that Teenage Engineering's pocket sequencer / synth / sampler / controller was the real deal. And what is this? According to the gang at Create Digital Music, who got hold of one of these things at NAMM 2010, the thing is real -- and it's coming soon. Even for a prototype, the OP-1 appears to be an impressive creature: aside from sporting the aforementioned synth, this bad boy sports a four-track virtual tape recorder (with "virtual splicing" for editing your audio), a sampling feature that allows you to change the record speed in real time (for analog-like editing effects), and a dazzling display screen (at least when compared to the displays on current hardware). But that ain't all! Get a closer look in the video below, and with any luck we might be seeing it become available this year, for a price below $1,000.
Korg Sound On Sound sneers at multitrack recording, offers unlimited tracks
Multitrack digital recorders might not be front and center of the gadget lover's mind right now, but slap that "unlimited" modifier in front and all of a sudden interests are piqued and ears prick up. Korg has made official its new Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder, which will do exactly what its name suggests while keeping each overdub separate for future modification or retuning. You'll be able to fit up to 26 track hours on a 16GB MicroSDHC card and a dedicated guitar input is available alongside mic and line-in ports. Another useful-sounding feature is Sound Stretch, which should allow you to alter speed to between 25 and 150 percent of the original recording without altering pitch. Price is tentatively set at £230 ($375) for a March 2010 release.
Ultimate Ears 18 Pro headphones feature six drivers per ear
We've always had a soft spot for Ultimate Ears, but things are getting crazy now that it's flush with all that Logitech money: the headphone makers just introduced the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro custom monitors, which feature six drivers in each earbud. That's right, six drivers: two each for bass, mids, and treble, along with a four-way crossover and a three-channel design that keeps the low, mid, and high frequencies isolated until they reach your ears. Yeah, we want them -- too bad they cost $1,350. We'll stick with our Super.fi 5 Pros for now then, thanks.
Korg Kaossilator Pro makes its NAMM debut
Since the original Kaoss pad was released in 1999, Korg has been steadily improving the thing, adding crazier effects, more features, and earning the undying love of Brian Eno in the process. The Kaossilator, released a few years later, took the same X-Y controls and wide array of effects and added a synthesizer. What's this, then? Just in time for NAMM 2010, the Kaossilator Pro features 200 sound banks, a vocoder, loop recording with four loop banks, gate arpeggiator, the ability to limit the X-Y pad's note range to certain keys / scales, Librarian Editor software for managing samples on your Mac or PC, and more. Look for it for £355 (approximately $575) this March. PR after the break. Update: US product page is up, and lo and behold, this beaut's only $399 stateside. [Thanks, Nick!]
Ableton, Serato announce 'The Bridge,' cause DJs to faint en masse
Ableton and Serato -- two of the biggest names in live music production -- have been working in stealth mode over the past year to create what they've been billing as "the future of digital DJing," and today that new product has been revealed as The Bridge. Basically, you've got a thin layer of software that sits between full versions of both Serato Live (or Itch) and Ableton Live that allows output from both products to flow into the other -- DJ sets can be imported into Ableton with full control over effect parameters, tempo, pitch, and so on, and Ableton instruments can sit inside a Serato session. It's an interesting advancement, and the way the companies are talking, this is just the first in a string of products of the partnership; the good news is that The Bridge will be free to owners of both products, but unfortunately there's no release date yet, so raves are going to have to soldier on using last year's technology for at least a while longer. Hang tight, we're told it's "coming soon."
Otus Raw DJ controller outed ahead of NAMM
The big NAMM show's not started yet, but Otus is rolling out its latest DJ controller just in time. The Otus Raw is a controller that can work as one or two virtual turntable decks, depending on your needs, each with a SL-turntable-style pitch slider. Other notable features include mega-sized velocity pads, a layer switch for "virtually unlimited" possibilities, and we've got a feeling that with one of these bad boys, chopping and screwing Ke$ha's never been so mindlessly easy and entertaining. Regardless, the Otus RAW should be available this spring, though we'll have to wait a bit longer for pricing, unfortunately.
