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Launchkey 88 brings a luxurious keybed to a budget MIDI controller
Novation's latest Lauchkey controller has an expansive 88-key semi-weighted keybed.
Novation's first keyboard for FL Studio offers a lot of utility for $200
The FLKey 37 and FLKey Mini put FL Studio's most important features at your fingertips.
Novation's Circuit Rhythm groovebox is $100 off for Black Friday
The sampler is $300 until December 6th.
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Novation Circuit Rhythm review: A modern sampler inspired by a classic
The Circuit Rhythm is a solid sampler at a reasonable price. The $400 groovebox takes of inspiration from the SP-404, but offers more modern features.
Circuit Rhythm is a portable $400 sampler for budding beatmakers
The budget-friendly groovebox brings the best of the Circuit workflow to lo-fi hip hop beat making.
Circuit Rhythm is Novation's stab at a lofi hip hop machine
Novation just released the Circuit Tracks, but it also quietly announced the Circuit Rhythm, an almost identical looking groovebox built around sampling.
Novation Circuit Tracks is a worthy successor to a beloved groovebox
The Circuit Tracks is a budget-friendly tool for getting into electronic music production and improves on the original Circuit in almost every way.
Novation and Aphex Twin's limited-edition Bass Station II embraces the weird
Novation’s Bass Station II is considered a modern classic in the synth world. In fact, even though the core three-oscillator analog sound engine is unchanged, the 2020 version of the Bass Station II feels like a completely different instrument from the one launched in 2013. One of the biggest additions came last year in AFX Mode (we’ll get to the details later), which was created in collaboration with Aphex Twin himself, Mr Richard D. James.
New Launchkey MK3 MIDI controllers add a powerful arpeggiator
Novation is updating its Launchkey MID controller lineup with deeper Ableton integration and a powerful new arpeggiator.
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.
The best portable (and affordable) USB MIDI controllers
Whether you're a musician always on the go or just tight on space, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a portable MIDI controller. I've been on the hunt for the perfect portable and affordable controller. (You don't want to lose or break something expensive while you're traveling, after all.) But honestly, there is no perfect controller. There are some very good ones out there, but none has ticked every box for me. Similarly, you'll need to figure out which one best addresses your specific needs, with the fewest trade-offs. None of these controllers rises head and shoulders above the rest to make it the clear winner. So I've laid out the strengths and weaknesses of what I think are the five best options currently on the market.
Novation announces Launchpad S with better MIDI support, we go hands-on (video)
A couple of years is a pretty good run in MIDI controller-land. It was 2009 when Novation's Launchpad turned the Ableton world onto its simplistic charms. It appears, however, the firm's decided it was long overdue a refresh, so that's exactly what it's done. Say hello to the Launchpad S. What does the S stand for? We're not entirely sure, but it could be for speedy, as Novation has ramped up the refresh rate to give a snappier response when you switch between modes. It could also be for superior lights, as the brightness has been dialed up in response to user feedback. It's also worth noting these pads are entirely USB-powered, making it trickier than simply sucking down more juice. One other superficial change -- perhaps more to give it its own sense of identity than anything else -- is a change of color. It's out with the original's black, and in with an almost metallic gray. So far so good, but we're really thinking that S stands for "software." Why? Because thanks to standards compliant MIDI implementation, the Launchpad S is now plug-and-play with a whole host more applications, not least core-MIDI iOS apps such as the popular FL Studio Mobile. We took a few minutes to get to know the Launchpad S a little better, which you can see in our video past the break.%Gallery-185229%
Novation launches MiniNova compact hardware synth with 'VocalTune' (video)
Phones, tablets and huge TVs not your thing? Then thank the stars it's not just the gadget-mega-brands releasing products today. Maker of fine music gear, Novation, has just revealed its latest offering too -- the MiniNova. The more astute among you might have worked out from the nomenclature that this is a compact synth, but we're assured it has full-size features. There's 37 ivories (ok, plastics) for you to tickle, while the sound and effects engine has the same DNA as the maker's flagship UltraNova. You may have noticed that goose-neck microphone up top, and that'll come in handy with the new "VocalTune" and vocoder features. It'll land in your studio with 256 preset sounds, but there's space for another 128 of your own creations. Sound like something you can get down with? Then if you sing a song to the tune of £300 ($629 MSRP / $400 at dealers), you'll be able to call one your own from October. Excitement-stirring demo video after the break.
Novation Twitch touchstrip DJ controller makes the scene at Musik Messe 2011 (video)
We're not professional musicians by a long shot, but when we do get a chance to break away from the relentless torrent of cellphones and tablets, nothing quite hits the spot like a little music appreciation. Of course, when done Engadget-style this usually means a gadget of some sort -- and we'd be lying if we didn't say that Novation's newest didn't whet our appetites for some after-hours beatmatching. Twitch is essentially a full-figured DJ controller, but instead of some sort of round jog wheel (which the current reviewer has always found to be extremely counter-intuitive) the company added a touch strip, which can be used for everything from finding the beat to zooming in and out of the waveform display (after watching the video, it's hard to believe we've been beatmatching without pinch-to-zoom for this long). This bad boy also boasts a full compliment of controls for Serato, Traktor NI, and Ableton Live. You're probably interested in seeing how it performs in the real world, but unless you're in Frankfurt for Musik Messe, you're going to have to settle for the video after the break. Look for it in July for a street price in the $500 range.
Novation outs Dicer controller for the digital DJ
Novation's just announced the USB Dicer controllers for all you digital DJs. The backlit devices -- which are sold in pairs -- can be mounted to the corners of turntables for easy access, and they're compatible with Scratch Live DJ. You can control Serato Cue-Point, Loop Roll and Auto-Loop all from the Dicers, without having to touch your laptop (which means you'll look a lot cooler, right?). The Novation Dicer will be available starting in late June or early July, and they'll run you $99. The full press release follows.
Novation Launchpad speaks Ableton Live's language... on video!
Look for a new slate of buttons to control Ableton Live? Even if you're shaking your head as if to signify "negative, Jim," you still owe it to yourself to peek the video in the read link. The newly announced Novation Launchpad is the self-proclaimed Ableton Live controller, with an 8 x 8 grid of do-anything keys, dedicated scene launch buttons and nearly limitless possibilities. It's up for order now from a variety of respected e-tailers, and based on the preview alone, we'd say it could very well be the best $199 you've ever spent. (This month.)
Music Thing: Novation's ultra-cheap synth/soundcard/interface
Each week Tom Whitwell of Music Thing highlights the best of the new music gear that's coming out, as well as noteworthy vintage equipment: Wait! Come back! Stop scrolling! Why should you read about a boring-looking grey synthesizer? I'll tell you why. This week, music geeks have been talking about two things. The first is the Bleep Labs Thingamagoop, the tiny, cute, handmade-in-America noise box with a strobing LED tentacle and surprisingly reasonable $100 price tag. The Thingamagoop represents one end of what's interesting in music gear at the moment -- fun, handmade, not necessarily very practical analog gear put together in garages by Make magazine readers.Then there's this grey plastic synth. It's Novation's new Xio, which represents the other big thing happening in music gear: astonishing value for money. This thing is a USB audio interface, with phantom power and a pre-amp, so you can record using real professional microphones. It's a MIDI controller for racks and soft-synths, with a cool touchpad and joystick and lots of knobs. It's a nice-feeling (if short) semi-weighted keyboard (there's also a 49-key version). And, it's a real stand-alone analog-modelling synth, which you can tweak in your deckchair while it runs off 6 AA batteries. The Xio costs £229 (Maybe $350-$399 retail), significantly cheaper than it's nearest rival, the 3 year-old MicroKorg, which has mini keys and no controller or USB audio features. It's amazing.Chinese manufacturing and cheap DSP chips have revolutionised the music gear business. Sure, this stuff doesn't have much soul, and it probably won't be collectable in 20 years, but it's making the average dorm-room studio a far more exciting place to be. Anyway, you can always invest the change in a small family of Thingamagoops.
