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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.
Korg unveils a full-sized, assembly-free MS-20
The Korg MS-20 is an undeniable classic. It's been reborn as an app. As a shrunken-down mini model. As a DIY kit. And then as a DIY kit again, but without the keyboard. Until now though, there hasn't been a ready-to-roll, full-size reissue. But for NAMM 2020 Korg is going all in on the nostalgia with a faithful to a fault rendition of the MS-20 -- right down to the packaging and manual.
ZOIA Euroburo is a modular synth you can put inside your modular synth
Empress Effects ZOIA is perhaps one of the most exciting guitar pedals to come out in recent years. It's effectively a self-contained modular synth in a stompbox format. So, it only makes sense then that Empress would take it and stick in a Eurorack format, so that this mini digital modular synth could sit inside a larger modular synth.
Korg resurrects the legendary ARP 2600 synth for a limited run
The ARP 2600 is one of the most iconic synthesizers ever made. (And easily the most expensive piece of music equipment I've ever actually touched.) Everyone from Brian Eno, to the Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails and Stevie Wonder have played one. It was even used to create the voice of R2-D2. And after being discontinued 39 years ago it's making a limited return to production thanks to Korg.
Korg's Wavestate resurrects a classic '90s synth for the modern age
There are countless different styles of synthesis, but one of the more rare and distinctive is vector synthesis, in which different sound sources are dynamically blended to give a sense of movement. One of the most iconic vector synthesizers is the Korg Wavestation. Its unique sound was all over the place in the early 90s, from Genesis, to Depeche Mode to the X-Files. It was particularly well regarded for its pad sounds. But, it was also a very short lived family of instruments, being introduced in 1990 and discontinued in 1994. There have been a few other vector synths (including the Korg OASYS) in the years since, but none have resonated with musicians quite like the Wavestation. Korg is ready to give it a go again with a spiritual successor called the Wavestate.
Behringer's latest synth clone is based on the Octave Cat from the 70s
Behringer hasn't been shy about its plans to clone some of the most iconic synthesizers ever made. In November alone, the company debuted the Poly D based on the Minimoog Model D, the Wasp Deluxe based on EDP Wasp and the TD-3 based on the Roland TB-303. Not wanting to let the calendar flip before it could tease its next revival, Behringer showed off the CAT synth earlier this week -- a Eurorack-compatible instrument based on the Octave Cat that debuted in 1976. The original was used by acts like Chemical Brothers, Devo and many more.
Orba is a tiny, fun and surprisingly expressive instrument
I am simultaneously deeply fascinated by and deeply skeptical of strange niche instruments. As fun as a classic Stylophone is, for instance, it's pretty tricky to make decent-sounding music with. Even quirky controllers like Roli Blocks have a hard time finding a foothold in my life. But I still can't resist their allure. So of course when I heard about Orba, the new instrument from Artiphon, I had to check it out.
Boss' SY-1000 is a synth orchestra you control with a guitar
There's more than one way to turn a guitar into a synthesizer. But Boss and Roland have always gone for the most elaborate and complicated approach. While the new SY-1000 can be played simply by plugging in a guitar or bass via a standard 1/4-inch instrument jack, it really shines when connected via Roland's proprietary GK pickup. Unlike a lot of other guitar synth pedals, the GK pickup system allows for polyphonic tracking of notes on a guitar without the use of MIDI, which can be a little unreliable. The SY-1000 builds on the tech in the SY-300 which turns your guitar licks into everything from a gnarly synth lead to a rich pad, or even a thick Leslie-like organ.
Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z companion app is now available on Android
When it came out earlier this year, there was one small omission to the otherwise excellent package that was Teenage Engineering's diminutive but powerful OP-Z synth: you couldn't use its handy companion app if you had an Android phone. Nine months after the fact, the company has addressed that issue with a new beta release that you can download from the Google Play Store.
Orba is a tiny instrument that you shake, tap and twist
Artiphon first made a splash back in 2013 when it started showing off a rather rough prototype of a device that would eventually become the Instrument 1. By the time it hit Kickstarter in 2015 it had undergone a serious facelift. In its final version it was sleek and futuristic, with an almost minimal design. Now that company is back with it's second product, the Orba, and it takes many of the core concepts of the Instrument 1 to their logical extremes.
Behringer’s Poly D stacks four Moog clones in one synth
Behringer has a reputation for producing clones of classic synthesizers that are a little too similar to the originals. While these low-priced units help musicians get faithful, analogue reproductions of prohibitively expensive vintage keyboards, Behringer's strategy of using the same schematics as the originals rubs some purists the wrong way. Announced today, the company's Poly D makes it seem like the manufacturer could be shifting gears and taking some artistic liberties when it comes to reinterpreting old instruments. The unit is similar to Moog's Minimoog Model D -- which Behringer has already cloned -- but adds several features that make it a much more flexible synth.
Behringer cloned the buzzy Wasp Deluxe synth
Behringer has been cloning old analog synths and drum machines, and doing it for cheap. Its latest creation is the Wasp Deluxe, an "ultra-affordable homage" to the iconic synth born in 1978.
The Osmose synth is both futuristic and familiar
Expressive E isn't quite the household name that, say, Korg is. It's a small French startup with just a couple of niche musical devices under its belt. But its Touché and Touché SE are unique in the way they allow musicians to control and sculpt their sound. They're essentially expression pedals with four degrees of motion that you control with your hand. It's hard to explain, so maybe just watch this demo. What's exciting though is that Expressive E took what it learned from the Touché and built its first standalone synthesizer: Osmose. While it looks rather unassuming and perhaps even a tad boring, it hides some powerful features inside.
Arturia’s V Collection 7 plug-in synth suite is $200 off for Black Friday
Arturia creates some of the best plug-in versions of vintage synthesizers; users get authentic new wave and classic rock sounds without filling an entire room with keyboards. Musicians who want to recreate the sounds of decades past can get at least $200 off the standard price of the company's V Collection, which groups all of the individual soft-synths into one package. The Black Friday sale price of the suite is $299, but if you've bought qualifying Arturia products before, the price drops even lower to $199.
Korg Minilogue XD update adds key triggers for synth sequences
We really liked Korg's Minilogue XD synth for its blend of power with a relatively affordable price, but there were some omissions that prevented it from living up to its creative potential. Thankfully, Korg appears to have tackled many of those gripes at once. The music giant has released a 2.0 firmware update for the Minilogue XD that delivers considerably more control, most notably key triggers for the sequencer. You can create a sequence and transpose it anywhere on the keyboard with a single note -- in other words, you can dramatically alter the sound of a sequence on the fly.
Behringer unveils a Roland TB-303 clone
Like many other synths and drum machines, the Roland TB-303 was a commercial flop, but years later became a staple of electronic music. An authentic 303 will run you over $2,000 these days, but Behringer will soon offer a fully analog clone of the unit at a fraction of the price. According to MusicRadar, the TD-3 will feature very similar sounds while adding features not found in the original 303, like 16-voice polyphony and a distortion circuit based on Roland's own DS-1 guitar effects pedal.
The Organelle is a music computer that can do almost anything
Not long ago, "portable" was basically a synonym for "toy" when it came to keyboards and synthesizers. Sure, a classic Casio like the VL-1 is not without its charms. But it's not exactly a serious musical instrument. That's changed a lot in recent years, partially due to miniaturization and clever engineering but mostly thanks to the relentless march forward of computing power. Perhaps no device is more emblematic of this than Critter & Guitari's Organelle. It is, at its core, a computer, and I don't mean that in the same broadly defined way that almost all electronics are computers. I mean that inside there's a Raspberry Pi running Linux. It's this fact that makes the Organelle so unique and flexible. Unlike other portable music gadgets, like the Pocket Operator, that focus on being a drum machine or a sampler, the Organelle tries to be all the things. It's a synthesizer, a sampler, a sequencer, an effects processor -- almost anything someone with the right coding skills can dream up. But there is a danger in trying to be a jack-of-all-trades: You often end up as a master of none.
Arturia's Analog Lab VST is now just $99
Arturia has made a name for itself with its reasonably-priced and easy-to-use synths and MIDI keyboards, now it's offering its popular Analog Lab VST for a bargain price, as well. Reduced to $99 from $199, the virtual studio gives you 6,500 presets, built-in effects, splits, multis and even a live mode, plus a sound store packed with thousands of presets from artists and genres, too.
Relive Yamaha's synth history without leaving the couch
From the '70s onward, synthesizers have been just as integral to pop music as electric guitars. Yamaha (along with a handful of other brands like Roland, Korg and Sequential) has served as an industry innovator, and in turn has helped shape the sonic characteristics of various genres. To celebrate Yamaha's latest flagship synth, MONTAGE White, the brand has created a virtual museum of sorts, which recaps 45 years of iconic designs.
