With bragging rights on one of the first ever drum machines in the form of the DoncaMatic Rhythm Machine, to the more modern Volca Drum & Drumlogue, KORG has a wealth of experience in electronic drum & rhythm machines. So, it comes as a nice surprise to see them announce a brand-new performance-orientated pad instrument the MPS-10 that looks to combine sought-after drumming and percussion performance capabilities that feature high-quality samples and sounds. The MPS-10 features 10 pads, a sampler, a looper and dedicated CC pads all with a suite of connections and a dedicated mounting bracket for cymbal stands.…
Author: Lachlan Powell
The Korg Keystage is set to be one of the first MIDI keyboards to adapt MIDI 2.0 (more on that later), it boasts polyphonic aftertouch, an in-built audio interface and official Ableton Live integration alongside a suite of other features setting it up to be a next-generation MIDI Keyboard. It seems like everyone knows MIDI 2.0 has been in development, but no one is quite sure what it is and how it will be implemented into the tools and instruments we love. Put simply, it expands the capabilities of MIDI by making it a dialogue protocol rather than simply sending…
KORG continues to add to their popular family of new-age digital synths with an update to the bonkers wavetable instrument the Modwave. MkII looks to add a lot of the improvements implemented in the recently announced SE models and Wavestate mkII with increased polyphony, aftertouch support and more. While already an incredibly deep and powerful digital instrument, Modwave mkII increased its voice count from 32 to 60 voices which is just nuts. A nice cosmetic makeover has been added as well, which is always a nice way to elevate what is largely the same workflow. Unique to the Modwave mkII,…
Yamaha has just announced the new Montage M range of synthesizers with three new models aimed at different players, the M6, M7 & M8X. With a new AN-X engine to produce high-quality analogue modelling with unique features like voltage drift and ageing functions to produce a more vintage sound, this looks like a serious addition to Yamaha’s range. It’s interesting that Yamaha are using the label ‘synthesizer’ rather than ‘workstation’ or ‘workstation synthesizer’ as other brands like KORG have with their flagship keyboards like Nautilus. The Montage M boasts everything a workstation does like multi-engine capability, loads of filter sets,…
Arturia’s PolyBrute goes deeper with firmware 3.0: new distortion modes, tuning options, effects routing and more. Arturia’s flagship polysynth, the PolyBrute, will now have a stack of extra features that look to extend the already powerful performance capabilities of the instrument. On top of the new features, there is a new set of presets for users to get stuck into as well as optimization for existing features. On top of the new distortion modes there is a new ‘Stereo Layer’ mode which allows you to split the analog voices between the left and right channels which will create a rich…
The Apollo Twin X has been an industry standard for professional desktop audio interfaces with its impressive unison-enables mic preamps, SHARC DSP and UAD Plug-ins. Windows users can now get in on the fun with a USB version that is Windows-compatible. The Apollo Twin X Duo USB is also a Heritage Edition model giving users an impressive collection of UAD plug-ins from 1176 compressors to amp modellers and more. What would be the point of getting a shiny new Apollo interface if you didn’t have any plug-ins to use it with? Hopefully, this new USB Windows model is the very…
One aspect of brass instrument performances that most libraries struggle with is the very subtle and delicate sound of small ensemble playing, capturing more of the players audible sounds like lip buzz and valve clicks. Native Instrument’s Valves Pro does just this, a premium collection of brass instruments including instruments like Euphonium with over 60 articulations to accurately capture the solo and ensemble sounds of soft and subtle brass performance. Typically, most virtual brass libraries include samples for Trumpet, Trombone and Tuba and in premium collections French Horn – covering lower, mid-to-low and mid-upper registers. Valves Pro goes further and…
Korg has announced new after-touch models to their flagship workstation and performance synth, Nautilus with 61 and 88-key versions. Korg is also making this available to existing Nautilus owners who can upgrade their standard Nautilus to the after-touch version with a keybed replacement. The spiritual successor to KORG’s hugely popular workstation, the Kronos, now has all the performative options that after-touch offers with the Nautilus AT. There are two kinds of keyboard players in the world – those that care for after-touch and those that don’t. For those that don’t know, after-touch keybeds detect whether a player exerts more pressure on the keys after the…
Yes, you read that correctly a new Eurorack Synthesizer module from instrument designer David Cranmer generates CV signals from Uranium ore to create unpredictable events in your patch! A special jar made from borosilicate filled with uranium order is set in front of a Geiger counter which detects radiation events from the decaying ore. These events are mapped to a number of outputs including gates, triggers and CV allowing unique and random events to be created and sent around your patch. While it may seem like a novel idea, it is a unique way to generate random events and keep…
KORG have just released the 61-key SE model of their wave sequencing synth the Wavestate, it will also come in a limited-edition Platinum finish for those so aesthetically inclined. The Wavestate builds on Korg’s very cool wave sequencing design from the 1990s. As a keyboardist myself learning of a 61-note model for the Wavestate immediately piqued my interest as it means being able to explore a full-size keyboard and perform more dynamically than the 25-key predecessor. Wow does it play well — the made-in-Japan natural-touch keybed with after-touch really makes this synth appealing to keyboardists. Being able to control a…
