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Recommended Reading: Trusting companies despite privacy lapses
People say they care about privacy but they continue to buy devices that can spy on them Rani Molla, Vox In the wake of Cambridge Analytica, concerns about personal data privacy abound. Of course, Facebook isn't the only company that's been caught collecting and sharing user details it shouldn't have. What's most interesting about this entire saga is the fact that we continue to trust the likes of Amazon, Google and others despite these lapses. We continue to buy devices with cameras, microphones and other tech, and willingly put them in our homes. Recode data reporter Rani Molla explains why our trust hasn't entirely eroded in a piece for Vox.
Korg is working on a new DIY digital synth, no soldering required
When it comes to tiny synthesizers, Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operators immediately come to mind. Korg may give the company more competition later this year though, and it may take a more DIY approach to do so. At Superbooth 2019 last week, Korg showed off a prototype NTS1 Digital Kit, a diminutive digital synth that's "the evolution" of the development board it released last year for the Prologue's oscillators and effects. Details are scarce for now, and the only thing Korg is saying officially is that it's a prototype.
Korg's Volca Nubass is a vacuum tube analog synthesizer
Korg debuted its Nutube tech a couple years back, but so far the tiny vacuum tubes have only surfaced in select products. Nutubes have been used in a distortion pedal and a mini guitar amplifier head, one of which was made by another company. Now Korg is putting the tiny Nutubes to work in its line of compact analog synthesizers with the $200 Volca Nubass.
Elektron turned its Digitone groove box into a proper synth
If you're into synths and grooveboxes at all, chances are you're familiar with Elektron's Digitone. It's part of it's mid-range "Digi" line of instruments, and it's loaded with all sorts of gorgeous FM sounds. It's not quite as cold as the classic FM synths of yore like the DX7, but it's still capable complex digital tones, metallic chimes and retro pads. The Digitone Keys is basically the same instrument, but with a keyboard attached.
Uno Drum is a $250 drum machine loaded with features
IK Multimedia surprised many last year expanding beyond its normal niche of portable MIDI controllers and iPhone recording interfaces by launching an actual synthesizer. And, not only that, it turned out to be quite a capable competitor to the Volca's of the world. Now the company is expanding its line of standalone instruments with the Uno Drum.
Moog introduces the Matriarch: A four-voice semi-modular analog synth
Like it has in years past, Moog is unveiling its latest synthesizer during Moogfest. The company's annual music and culture festival kicks off today in Durham, North Carolina, and when it does, Moog will be building the new Matriarch patchable four-note paraphonic analog synth on-site. A progression from the Mother-32 and Grandmother before it, the semi-modular Matriarch is loaded: built-in sequencer (256 steps), arpeggiator, stereo ladder filters and stereo analog delay. The company says you'll be able to make some noise instantly though, with "no patching required."
Teenage Engineering's new pocket synth is a collaboration with Ghostly
Teenage Engineering's pocket-sized synths are some of our favorite music-making gear here at Engadget, Today, the company is adding another tiny device to its Pocket Operator line. The PO-33 Ghostly Edition is a limited-release version of the existing PO-33 K.O! Pocket Operator that crams a mini sampler -- complete with built-in microphone for recording sounds -- into your... well, pocket.
Crowdfunded Nanoloop synth doesn't need a Game Boy to make beats
Nanoloop has been a cornerstone of chiptune music for years, but using one has meant either owning a Game Boy or making do with a mobile app. You won't have to make those compromises for much longer. Developer Oliver Wittchow and crew are crowdfunding a dedicated, handheld version of the music-generating wunderkind. You'll still have a gamepad-like interface, four-channel synth and 4x4 matrix sequencer, just in a form factor that frees up your other gadgets.
Teenage Engineering OP-Z review: Small synth, big dreams
Read the fucking manual. It's pejorative advice usually dispensed to someone struggling to find an answer — one typically available to them with minimal effort. The OP-Z from Teenage Engineering doesn't ship with a full manual (though there is one online). But even if you read that thing from top to bottom, twice, I bet you still wouldn't know everything this magical box of secrets has to offer. It's a mind-bendingly complex, yet hysterically fun mini-studio that keeps on giving. And at $600, it's not crazy expensive, so you're probably going to get more than your money's worth.
IK Multimedia’s Uno synth packs big sound on a small budget
The affordable-synth trend of the past few years has been outstanding for anyone wanting to dip their toe into soundscapes and dance music. IK Multimedia, known mostly for instrument accessories for iOS, seems to have noticed there's money to be made in the expanding market. Two things could have happened: The company could have done a money grab and released a low-cost digital synth that beeps, boops and whirs just enough to appease new musicians. Or it could have built a solid inexpensive analog synthesizer that's not only portable but also powerful. Lucky for us, it did the latter.
Arturia's MicroFreak is an affordable synth that lives up to its name
Arturia already has a compelling low-cost analog synth in the MicroBrute. And an affordable analog drum machine in the DrumBrute Impact (that FM drum sounds bonkers). Now it's adding a digital synth at the same $349 price point and, well, it's a weird one. The MicroFreak has 11 different oscillator modes, including seven that were designed in collaboration with Mutable Instruments, which is renowned for its Eurorack synth modules. In fact, Arturia claims this puts the power of Mutable Instruments' much loved Plaits unit in a standalone synth. Oh, and there's nothing stopping Arturia from adding more oscillators down the road through firmware updates.
Moog's Sirin is an analog bass synth capable of soaring leads
Moog's DFAM percussion and Mother-32 semi-modular synthesizers are Eurorack-friendly instruments that can expand your sonic tool kit for around $600. As part of a week-long "House of Electronicus" event in LA, the company is debuting another $599 analog synth: the Sirin. This new instrument is based on Moog's Taurus Bass sound engine, but a pair of oscillators have been tweaked to achieve pitches way above middle C, hitting notes up to D8. In other words, this bass synth can do a lot more than just lay down some angry low-end tone, it can also produce soaring leads.
The latest Stylophone is much more than a tiny toy synth
The Stylophone line of tiny analog synths has been around for decades. The greats like Bowie and Kraftwerk have used them on iconic tracks, so they're not just limited to hobbyist use. At NAMM this week, Dubreq unveiled the latest, and the most powerful, version of the Stylophone to date: the Gen R-8. The same overall look is here from previous models with controls up top and a touch pad down below, but the Gen R-8 is larger than the "toy" synths that came before it. This is more comparable to the size of a compact keyboard synthesizer.
Teenage Engineering is making modular synths for the masses
Modular synths are all the rage right now. And it's not just the usual players either. Korg and Stylophone recently dipped their toes in the modular world. And now Teenage Engineering is getting on the bandwagon. The company is best known for its portable music creation tools like the OP-1 and OP-Z, not to mention the damn near disposable, but kinda awesome Pocket Operator line. This year it's making it first modular system and also its first analog synth with the Pocket Operator Modular series.
Korg introduces Volca Modular and Volca Drum synths
Korg's popular Volca line is getting larger and weirder with two additions: Modular and Drum. The affordable and portable line of battery powered synths has covered a lot of ground since first being introduced in 2013. There's a drum machine, a pair of analog synths, an FM-flavored love letter to the '80s, a mixer and even a model dedicated entirely to the kick drum. But for 2019 Korg is reaching much farther afield.
The tiny synth craze has gotten out of hand
Calculator watch fans rejoice: there's a new contraption that makes your wrist wear a little more useful. Audioweld has made what it claims is the first synthesizer watch -- which is appropriately named Synthwatch. The husky contraption offers a set of seven keys for capturing tunes via a companion app for iOS and Android. With that software, you can control recording, access a sequencer and tap into a bank of 200 sounds. Of course, tiny instrument works on its own too, and you don't need to have your phone out to use it.
Teenage Engineering's OP-Z synth finally goes on sale in October
We got our first look at Teenage Engineering's next synthesizer in early 2017, and now the company is gearing up to finally ship the portable instrument/control center. The OP-Z is set to go on sale next month, but the company didn't include pricing info in its availability announcement this week. However, pro audio retailer Sweetwater has the OP-Z listed at $599. As a refresher, the compact synth offers a 16-track sequencer that enables live composition of audio, visuals and lights at the same time. Teenage Engineering says this is the first device with that skill set.
SKULPT is a tiny, feature-packed synth for under $300
Ultraportable, inexpensive synthesizers are everywhere these days, including solid entries from Korg, Roland and IK Multimedia. Now, UK-based Modal Electronics (makers of high-end boutique synths) is looking to enter the category with a new under-$300 synth called SKULPT, which is set to go live on KickStarter July 13th.
Moog's Grandmother is a retro-inspired synth for all skill levels
Moog continues to move forward with its line of retro-inspired electronic instruments with a new standalone semi-modular analog synthesizer called Grandmother. The $899 unit works all on its own, or can be connected to other sound making devices, like Moog's Mother-32, which doesn't have a built-in keyboard.
The $200 Uno synth crams a ton of features into a small package
IK Multimedia is known for its wide variety of music gear, including MIDI controllers, mixers and instrument interfaces. Now the company has just launched its first analog synth, a compact little machine named Uno. The company's own Erik Norlander (one of the designers behind Alesis' Andromeda synth) collaborated with Italian boutique synthesizer maker Soundmachines to create the Uno. The device has a small footprint, though it packs a ton of manual controls for easy programming. It's made to serve both newbies and veterans: Uno has a two octave touch-sensitive keyboard and 100 different presets, along with selectable scales and an arpeggiator to make getting up and running easy.
