Native Instruments has been a pioneer in making tools like Reaktor that employ unique synthesis techniques. But more recently, that power has found its way to self-contained instruments.

Tucked into the release announcement of Komplete 11 comes some very big news for lovers of creative sound design and synthesis. It’s a new instrument called Form. It’s powered by Reaktor, but it’s been built from the ground up, according to NI. And it lets you drag and drop sounds to manipulate them into playable instruments.

Form is a hybrid sample-based synthesizer. Drag and drop a file onto the interface, and then play them back using granular techniques to manipulating pitch and time and “track” through the sample at different speeds and with different gestures.

That’s nothing new in and of itself, as a fundamental idea. But Form is all a matter of implementation. It combines adjustable playback and otion with an additive synthesizer, sample manipulation with rich modulation.

You can combine the additive oscillator with the sampled oscillator using frequency manipulation. (If you’re thinking that allows for some mind-blowing results, you’re right – and NI have somehow tuned this instrument so that you can wrap your head around producing some nice results.)

You can modulate just about everything, but you can also easily combine parameters into macro controls (perfect, of course, for NI’s own keyboard line, but also your favorite controller, too). There’s a set of performance tools for saving and recalling snapshots quickly, as well.

And there are a bunch of effects.

If you want to stay shallow, there are the prerequisite presets, of course. But things get interesting with various motion curves, which you can also edit in order to create unique movements through morphing sounds.

And because it’s powered in Reaktor, you can also go a lot deeper if you have a Reaktor license handy. In fact, this really shows us some of the fruits of what was developed for Reaktor 6 – regular readers will recall I was particularly interested in granular and sampling possibilities the moment I heard about new drag-and-drop file handling and table facilities. Here we are.

I’ve just started playing with an early build, and … uh, wow. More on that soon in our exclusive hands-on. But holy crap, it sounds good and goes deep – and the demos here are just the start.

NI has provided us with some genre-particular demos showing off the sound results. I’ll have more once I’ve had more time with the build.

And here’s a look at the UI:

Drag and drop your own samples to create new sounds, with waveform selection tools at the ready. Monophonic pitched sounds work especially well with this technique.

The Movement page lets you traverse that sound content.

Curve presets give you the ability to shape sounds in time.

There are preset curves for controlling movement and modulation, but you can also design your own curves (whoa).

The sound page gives you more options, and reveals the instrument’s hybrid synthesis – granular playback approach.

There are deep effects, too.

Watch (and listen to) this space. I’m pretty excited about this one, as I’m sure some of you are, too.

Form will be US$99/99€ on its own, or is available as part of Komplete 11. It is a Reaktor ensemble, so for the most part you’ll be able to see and edit the underlying structure. That really magnifies the values for existing Reaktor users, because you can learn from what NI have done.

The post Form is an all-new hybrid sample synthesizer appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Okay, enough teasing already. Behringer has a 12-voice polyphonic synth called the DeepMind. And now let’s talk about exactly what to expect, in one place.

The Behringer DeepMind 12 teaser campaign has gotten maddening – a trickle of videos and blog posts has introduced individual details one at a time. Yes, that even means getting as specific as just revealing the filter or going into some detail about why the name was chosen. Uli Behringer took over synth news in July online a bit like Donald Trump has dominated political news in the US – another day, another lead story.

But here’s the thing: the DeepMind 12 is impressive.

Pricing and availability

It’s a 12-voice analog synthesizer with a friendly looking front panel. And now, at last, we know the key detail – price. Behringer is projecting a price of US$999.99 retail, and shipping by the end of the year, but also projects heavy backorders.

That’s here on Gearslutz:
Uli on price

There’s actually something I find a bit peculiar about that post. Uli Behringer says that pricing of their products is set only by a “slim” margin above component cost, and implies competitors are doing something else. Since he doesn’t talk about volume (but only “demand”), the implication is both that competitors are gouging customers on margin and/or making stuff they don’t want. I think that’s disingenuous, unless I’m missing something. What I would say about Behringer is that they do seem to have mastered higher volumes, and own a lot of their own manufacturing and supply chain. Those things will keep costs down, absolutely.

Features

We’ve also gotten a lot of details here. Apparently the DM12 began as with the Juno-106 as inspiration, but experienced some significant feature creep.

And it’s got a lot of partners, too – including engineers from UK console maker MIDAS. Inside:

12 voices (the big feature, with various modes)

Four effects engines, powered by TC ELECTRONIC & KLARK TEKNIK.

A selectable 2- or 4-pole low-pass filter per voice, plus a shared high-pass filter, and modulation / envelope depth / key tracking

Gearnews.com has a nice write-up, too. I think it’s spot on that there may be a companion iPad app – and they note as well that you might want to be in Leeds to check it out in person on 20 August.

Hands-on videos

Some folks have already gotten up close and personal with the DM12. Starting with our friends and German neighbors at Amazona, who get into some of what went on behind the scenes:

SonicState also get an exclusive in, visiting Studio Stekker:

And lastly, the mighty Sound on Sound have a terrific preview of the instrument – maybe the most complete yet.

Courting controversy

I don’t remember the last time a synth keyboard has proven as divisive as the DM12 has this summer. One reason is the sheer amount of coverage it’s gotten. This has been a slow summer news-wise even by electronic musical instrument standards. So the Behringer has been this summer’s one big story. Other makers may be readying fall releases, but they’re refraining from teasing anything.

And into that vacuum has been a teaser campaign unlike any I’ve seen — multiple videos, coordinated leaks, flooding forums with posts, and working with multiple press outlets on exclusives. It’s easy to be dismissive of that, but any negative backlash there I think is outweighed by the extent to which this has built buzz. Expect at least one rival to copy some of the technique.

But then there’s the fact that this is Behringer. That has divided people on its own. Some are quick to defend low cost as a merit. Some have had positive experiences with Behringer products. Some really like the look of the DM12. And indeed, I wouldn’t dismiss the DM12 out of hand, not on quality of design or reliability. The synthesizer has behind it a very experienced and talented team. We’ll simply have to wait for the synth to become available to give it a fair review.

On the other hand, Behringer the brand has managed to accrue some bad karma. Let’s leave aside any question of quality; that can be hard to measure unless you’ve done extensive testing. (Retailers are better than this than press. Ask your local retailer what they see returned and what they don’t.) I’ve seen some people taking to social media to say they’ll never touch the DeepMind simply because of Behringer’s involvement in past questions of originality, with cases involving Mackie, Roland (BOSS), and Line 6. The DeepMind, by contrast, is clearly original, so this is really down to whether you think they are still answerable to past sins. Behringer has also left behind some disgruntled former employees, which you can review via glassdoor.de.

My sense is the real test is still the instrument. That’s the product of a company and its management, and originality and quality will show through – or not – depending on how well it’s executed.

And I’ll say this – the DeepMind 12 has already made 2016 more interesting. So, as summer comes to a close, here’s looking forward to finding out how the Behringer polysynth stands up once it’s available – and to whatever else we see in the increasingly busy synth landscape for the rest of the year.

The post All about the Behringer DeepMind 12, in one place appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Years ago, when Ableton’s Operator FM synth designed by Robert Henke made its debut, it was a revelation. Its clear panel design and flexible architecture made FM synthesis more accessible to countless Ableton Live users. But now Operator, while still a great go-to instrument, certainly deserves some competition. And that makes Bengal special. The production of Max for Cats (and Christian Kleine, another key designer of Ableton instruments), Bengal also innovates in the area of clear design and architecture. And with a semi-modular design, it goes further than Operator in opening up avenues for creative sound design.

The semi-modular idea is the key selling point. We’ve already seen live patching interfaces from Max for Cats. This time, you can use the patching metaphor to rewire the operators, filter, and other components in a ready-to-play instrument.

As with Operator, Bengal focuses on four operators. This time, you can use a bank of 20 sets of sine wave partials which you can edit directly, or you can load one of 40 wavetables, or you can drag and drop your own samples to use those as wavetables.

That flexibility alone should be a winner. But each operator also has additional features: independent ADSR envelopes with curve shaping and looping.

The key to FM synthesis, of course, is then how you route the different operators. Here, you can use one of six algorithms, or patch using the patch bay.

For the filter section, you get two multimode resonant filters. These also have different types – so in addition to lowpass, highpass, and bandpass, you get notch, comb with adjustable feedback, and the option of a Moog-style ladder lowpass. Each filter also comes with drive saturation and wet/dry controls. You can also route the two filters either in parallel or stick filter 2 after filter 1.

And then there are the modulation options:

Two LFOs (which can themselves become FM sources), 0.1Hz up to audible-range speeds
An eight-step sequencer (which outputs MIDI notes or modulation, plus scale snapping, swing, and randomization)
Four modifiers – smooth, scale, apply math functions, do four-way mixers
Six audio effects – reverb, delay, distortion, chorus, limiting, stereo widening

Each LFO and each operator envelope (not just the sources, the envelopes) is available for routing to anything – even to the effects controls. So even calling this semi-modular perhaps belies how much is there. You just drag from source to target, as you like – and this being software, of course, you get patch storage and recall and never run out of cables.

Once you’ve come up with your patching routing, you can also map to eight Macro controls on the Device – which in turn you can access from Push or other hardware controllers (like even my lowly Akai MPK mini keyboard, for example).

Now, any software instrument can pack a lot of power – one of the advantages of working in software as a medium is that you’re constrained only by available memory and computational resources. So the measure is really making this all accessible. And I think the key there is making the structure clear on the front panel. There’s also visual feedback, with a selectable Scope, Phase, and Spectrum view for showing your signal and its frequency and stereo positioning information.

Here you can see it in action (as demo’ed at the Ableton offices):

MaxforCats live from Ableton HQ! #bengal #newpack #ableton #office #fridaysocial #abletonlive #maxforlive #synth #modular #demo

A video posted by Ableton (@ableton) on Aug 19, 2016 at 9:47am PDT

Or watch the trailer for the release – charming, this one:

And lastly, here’s a complete video walkthrough of how to work with it:

This one looks epic. I expect to be spending a lot of my fall with this particular instrument, so expect more soon.

More:
https://www.ableton.com/en/blog/bengal-max-for-cats/

USD 59 / EUR 49.

The post Bengal could be the Ableton synth you’ve been waiting for appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Following Akai’s announcement of the new standalone MPC models – MPC X and MPC Live – they’ve also released some videos.

Sound on Sound has a walkthrough:

And there’s the requisite promo film from Akai:

It’s important to note that adding standalone mode here doesn’t mean taking away anything from the computer/hardware combo. The software on the standalone MPCs is identical to what was previously available via the controller — even besting it, thanks to the MPC 2.0 software launch. Plugged into your computer, you get all the advantages you’re used to. You can add plug-ins, control MIDI on the device over USB, and drag and drop materials back to your DAW. But untethered, you can work without a computer – which also means less complexity and stability hassles in live setups.

People evidently thought I was suggesting tossing your laptop in a bin. Far from it: I think the real story here is that your computer does what it’s best at (like hosting plug-ins, handling arrangement duties, and showing things on a big display), while avoiding the situation where it can become awkward (certain live setups, or on the go, or when you want to focus on a music workflow without distractions).

The other interesting story here is the new approach to clip launching in the MPC 2.0 software. Despite the comparisons to Ableton Live, it’d be a stretch to imagine this as a real Ableton alternative – Ableton Live’s software is a complete DAW built around the clip model.

That said, I can imagine a big use case of people who have gotten used to pattern launching because Ableton is their main DAW, finding this comfortable when they’re playing onstage.

Frankly, there are also plenty of producers and DJs I know who avoid live sets because they haven’t had a rig they felt comfortable with. Setting up Ableton as their live gig tool might be daunting.

Reaching another use case, there are MPC users who are comfortable with that tool for production, and even are happy to use it for end-to-end track creation. Those folks are likely to be excited about the ability to use Audio Tracks. Now, if you do all your vocals and arrangement in Cubase, I don’t know that this is really for you. But for the drum machine-focused workflow, where someone just wants to add some vocals and do all the rest of their song writing on the MPC, this could fit.

For their part, Native Instruments are also adjusting their approach to arrangement workflows on Maschine; I’ll cover that in a separate story.

Akai are also meeting artists in a series called “standalone challenge” – one clearly geared at the US market, with some Grammy-winning legends:

The post The new MPCs in videos, including how those clips work appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Wait… I don’t think I’ve ever basically said everything I needed to say in a story right in the headline before, but… yeah.

This is a control-for-control 808 clone in Eurorack.

And for anyone disappointed that Roland didn’t do a TR-08 Boutique Series at NAMM, here’s one that is probably exactly as analog fans would want it. You get the layout of the original 808, if a bit miniaturized and squashed, but control-for-control an image of the original. You get independent outs for each part. You get CV I/O for connecting to other modules. It’s Eurorack. It’s 60HP. It looks like there’s even onboard MIDI.

There’s no other info, but I betcha that mailing list will fill up fast.

Hi, System 80 makers – it’s your friendly CDM here, you know, the folks who used to awkwardly have “digital” in their name but now have just an even more awkward acronym that no one can say. Do let us know what you’re up to. Love ya bye!

http://system80.net/

Updated! It’s all going to be open source hardware!

While we remain committed to it, the open source hardware front has been a bit sleepy lately. This could change that.

Timo Rozendal tips us off that engineer Jeff Lee is responsible for this beauty. And even better, hardware and firmware alike will be open source. Check them out here:

https://github.com/minisystem/TR-808-Clone

There’s also an Instagram to follow:

https://www.instagram.com/minisystem/

More of Jeff’s work – on a “hybrid analog polysynth”:

http://polysynth.tumblr.com/

The post System 80 is a control-for-control 808 clone in Eurorack appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

The Elektron Digitakt sampler/drum computer may have been sitting silently under glass at last month’s NAMM trade show. But no matter: it was still the gear generating the most buzz.

The thing is, we’re already hearing enough about the Digitakt to pique our interest.

First, there’s that price — US$/€650. That’s terrifically affordable by Elektron standards. And then there’s the compact size, the accessible-looking controls and OLED, and the focus on sequencing and sampling. This just looks like a fun, friendly groove box.

It also looks like a device that could significantly expand the audience for Elektron gear, not only because of the lower price, but because of the design. And that means you should possibly ignore some of the naysayers who are unhappy this isn’t quite an Octatrack II. I made the comparison to the Octatrack just because this is a box that can sequence outboard MIDI gear and by doing so replace a computer rig (or significantly augment it).

I talked a bit more to Elektron to try to get some clarification, and here are some takeaways — at least while we keep waiting.

It should make crazy sequences. Combine Trig Conditions and Retrigs with per-track track length, and you should be able to produce some wild polyrhythms and asymmetrical rhythmic goodness. Trig conditions are really part of what make this distinct from other offerings – and the blandness of looping regular patterns.

And that’s important, because:

It sequences external MIDI gear. This was a big omission from the Analog line, and crucial to those of us who want Elektron devices as hubs of other instruments. The Digitakt seems to be all about simple, accessible sequencing both of internal sounds and external goodies. Elektron are mum for now on more details of the MIDI tracks and how they work, but… we’ll be watching for that detail.

It actually has a ton of space for sampling. So, a bunch of people got hung up on the 64MB sample storage. In fact, each project has 64MB of space into which you can sample (and sample external audio – this is a proper sampler). That may not sound like a lot, but remember, this is a drum machine, not a multisampling instrument. That’s over twelve and a half minutes of sample storage per project, at full-quality mono 44.1kHz/16-bit. Even with long one-shots, that’s way more than you’ll ever want. It is a drum machine, after all.

And it does audio tracks. Now, if you want to load backing tracks and the like, there are audio tracks, too – and 1GB of project storage.

It’s all about being quick and dirty. I love Elektron, I do. But for some of us, their high end devices actually do too much – resulting in a higher price, but also in more menu diving. The Digitakt seems to be the antithesis of that approach. For instance, Elektron confirms there’s no song mode. But… that simplicity is actually appealing, especially looking at that front panel.

Of course, there are many things this clearly isn’t. It isn’t a mixer / effects unit in the way the Octatrack is. And we’ve yet to see how much flexibility you get with samples, with audio tracks, and with MIDI tracks. But it’s promising nonetheless.

Yep. Still waiting.

https://www.elektron.se/

The post More details on the $650 Elektron Digitakt – and why we’re into it appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

This might just be a real spiritual successor to the Cracklebox. (That’s the classic – and very nicely unpredictable – creation of Michel Waisvisz, one associated with the research program at STEIM and many of the ideas about expression and nonlinear sound ever since.)

STEREO FIELD is a sound box / controller centered around touch plates, marked with concentric overlapping circles that represent the interconnection of two analog stereo circuits.

It’s a sound generator: you can make some (raw sounding) analog, atonal sounds by patching its circuitry to an output.

It’s also a sound processor: use incoming signal to combine (and distort) incoming sounds.

And, it’s a controller: connect the output and use it as control signal instead of listening directly.

But its architecture makes it simple to do any of that with stereo or quad sound input and output. Those touch plates become timbral controls, but spatial ones, too.

As with any such instrument, what this sounds like or what aesthetic use it has is up to you. The demo videos are fairly gnarly, if you’re into that sort of thing. But note in particular the difference between controller:

___www.landscape.fm___Stereo Field sending modulation to a eurorack system. #analogsynth #modularsynth #eurorack #experimental #synth

A post shared by landscape (@landscape_fm) on Jan 30, 2017 at 4:56am PST

— sound processor —

Mood 2/2. RY-10 into Stereo Field. _______www.landscape.fm_______#prototype #synth #analogsynth #drummachine #modularsynth #experimental

A post shared by landscape (@landscape_fm) on Jan 22, 2017 at 12:09pm PST

— and sound source:

@cutscenesexp Testing the Stereo Field proto. Next we processed an OP-1 through it. ————————-#analog #synth #touch #experimentalmusic #noise #sounddesign #stereo #electronicmusic #instruments

A post shared by landscape (@landscape_fm) on Jan 10, 2017 at 9:05am PST

You can process inputs and outputs simultaneously, “weave” together sounds and spatial signals, and “inter-patch” beats and shifting colors. And those touchplates are sensitive such that you can use touch, or move your hands near the plates (Theremin style), or even breathe on them.

All of this is in an aluminum and maple enclosure with “gold immersion” touch plate. There are 4x minijack inputs and 4x minijack outputs, plus 1/4″ jacks, and each physical signal has a connection to its own touch plate.

It’s US$380, available now for preorder. Due to ship in April.

The hardware is a product of Brooklyn’s Landscape Tapes label, who have also done a beautiful tape cassette machine called the HC-TT.

It’s fascinating to watch these decidedly retro-colored projects, in terms of not just how they look physically but their approach to sound and control. One way to understand them coming full circle is that they’re not about some sort of look backwards, but rather the result of an experimental musical approach spreading from a handful of people to a wider array of people – now able to connect, and buy and sell projects, and share information, online. It’s nice that some positive things are happening online! So enjoy:

http://www.landscape.fm/

The post STEREO FIELD is a beautiful touchplate instrument and controller appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Since the classic synth has made a resurgence, the entry of low-cost remakes was pretty much a given. And no brand is perhaps more associated with cut-rate gear than Behringer.

So, while the 12-voice Behringer DeepMind 12 has only just arrived on the market, the company is already teasing some kind of sub-$100 synth line a well as the $400-ish (proposed) BEHRINGER D. It’s a clone of the original 1970 Minimoog Model D, in a desktop case (no keyboard).

And, well, it’s … as advertised, at least as far as what they’ve shared. And it puts an analog remake in a price range that approximates the cost of a couple of plug-ins, since Behringer says they’re aiming for “around US$400.”

There’s nothing here that diverges much from the original Minimoog. The main thing is, this adds MIDI and the ability to bolt the synth into a Eurorack case.

Other than that, it advertises a pretty bog-standard approach to making an analog clone of the Minimoog; most of these specs are just lifted from the original:

Analog synthesizer with triple VCO design
Reproduction of original “D Type” with matched transistors and JFETs
0.1% Thin Film resistors and Polyphenyline Sulphide capacitors for frequency stability
Analog signal path based on authentic VCO, VCF and VCA designs
5 variable oscillator shapes with pulse width variation
Classic 24 dB ladder filter with resonance
Fully analog triangle/square wave LFO
Switchable low/high pass filter mode
16-voice Midi Poly Chain allows combining multiple synthesizers for up to 16-voice polyphony
Overdrive circuit
Noise generator
Complete Eurorack solution – main module can be transferred to a standard Eurorack case
46 controls for real-time access of all important parameters
External audio input for processing external sound sources
Low and high level outputs
Comprehensive MIDI implementation with MIDI channel and Voice Priority selection
3-Year Warranty Program

Actually, the thing that’s perhaps most unusual about this is the address from Uli Behringer himself. In a rambling essay on GearSlutz, he points out the obvious – that the model D is no longer protected by intellectual property protections – but then veers well off that message into other territory:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/12480834-post77.html

In what is apparently an emotional defensive reaction to the electronic musician community’s emphasis on originality and authenticity, Uli goes into everything from open source hardware, Tesla, manufacturing expenses, the number of engineers Behringer/MUSIC Group employ, and how the idea for going to Eurorack came from someone on a forum.

Who’s afraid of killer clones? The Creamware Minimax, one of the clones that’s gone before – and one that skirts infringing on trade dress. (That’s look-and-feel that the Moog company could use as basis for legal action, even if the earlier patents have expired.)

The open source rant is a little puzzling, as there seems no implication that Behringer are contributing anything to the open source community. Rather, then seem to want to just rip off any public domain designs available to them. They’re allowed, but then I wouldn’t bring in the open source argument – and I know a little something about this.

And while I don’t quite follow Uli’s ethical argument vis-a-vis the Tesla company, he’s right as far as that goes. There are other Minimoog clones out there, and public domain designs are freely available. (Actually, the weirdest part about this argument is that Behringer are making themselves out to be more of an edge case than they are. Music instruments have long reused particular circuit designs after patents expired, if not always entire synth designs.)

Now, I suspect the target of all of this is the currently available part-for-part exact remake of the Minimoog, which is this:

Moog Music Minimoog Model D

In fact, it’s so clear that this is in Behringer’s sights, that it appears the bullet point list above was partly modeled on the spec sheet from the Moog Website. These specs also suggest that Behringer adopted two modifications from the model D reissue for their BEHRINGER D, as well.

But I think Uli and company are simultaneously both right and wrong about the official Moog reissue. It’s true that Moog Music are asking US$3749 for their keyboard, and I think it’s fair to say that’s out of the reach of a lot of musicians (and something a lot more would find hard to swallow for this particular synth). In fact, if I had four grand burning a hole in my pocket, I’d be inclined to go after some of the offerings from Moog Music’s own line before this.

I just don’t think there’s any comparison necessary. Moog Music’s reissue is a meticulously crafted, American-made instrument complete with keyboard. And Moog’s obsessive compulsive approach to reissues is perhaps partly explained by the contrast with a brand like Behringer. It’s not just about “doctors and lawyers”; it’s also about high-end musicians who want the real thing when they tour. (Yeah, some musicians aren’t starving.) Plus, it’s nice to know the Moog remakes exist just for the sake of them. They’ve gone so far, the originals almost seem slightly inauthentic (just not quite).

No, I think the real competition for the BEHRINGER D is in the new synths now available under $500.

Apart from everything you can pick up on the used market, which is a lot, you’ve got new instruments like the KORG volca series, Minilogue, and Monologue, the Arturia MiniBrute and MicroBrute, and (more modular-friendly) MakeNoise 0-Coast. Significantly, these are new instruments, too – ones with new character and new sounds to bring to your mix, which simply isn’t true of the now 40-year-old Minimoog (even the original).

You can’t pick up a Voyager for $400, but I think it is telling that even Bob Moog thought the Minimoog ought to be reissued with some adaptations and new ideas.

I also think it’s a mistake to assume this will take the Eurorack market by storm. That industry seems to be pretty loyal to boutique makers and credible small brands, which is part of the appeal of the whole area.

But don’t get me wrong: I do think the BEHRINGER D is likely to be a hit, if it makes it to market at anywhere near $400. Provided they get the sound roughly right, it looks like a practical offering.

The trick is if and when it makes it to market. Behringer have so far said this is a prototype, which they’re evaluating for interest.

Personally, this looks like a perfectly reasonable desktop clone of the Minimoog, and one that could be a big seller.

I just wish Uli Behringer would refrain from making the argument that somehow only Behringer can save starving musicians, and only by reproducing existing designs. I don’t believe that’s true – not when Korg, Arturia, Yamaha, Roland, Teenage Engineering, and many others are making loads of affordable electronic instruments using entirely new designs.

And great as the Minimoog was in its day, I think there’s a good argument for looking at the range of synths available.

Gearslutz message forum thread

Via: BEHRINGER D Synth – More Details announced [Synthanatomy]

The post Behringer to make an analog Minimoog clone for around $400 appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

There are string synths. And then there are sample libraries of orchestras. The strings synths produce sounds that are recognizably vintage, and more or less unrelated to actual orchestras. The sample libraries can get into obsessive compulsive detail and sound like an orchestra.

But either way, we’ve been there before. There are great string synths around, but they tend a certain direction. And sampled orchestra libraries, while great, give you that feeling that what you’ve really done is to skimp the musicians of the Bratislava Radio Orchestra on a gig (and your feeling of being in the room with a full orchestra playing your own compositions).

Now, Output has had a scary knack for finding the zeitgeist of contemporary sound design and delivering it as a package. And with each new release, they’ve gotten a bit better at that – building on the set of tools in the last one.

Well, Analog Strings does look different. It’s an integrated instrument, but it’s also like having a huge toolbox of sound design tricks, samples, processors, and more. It’s a “things related to strings” toolkit.

Here’s a sense of the sound:

And here’s a full detailed walkthrough:

So there are solo samples, ensemble samples, big groupings, small groupings, weird sounds, conventional sounds. There are acoustic ensembles, vintage synthesizers, and sometimes unusual hybrids and oddball sources, too. 39 GB of sample content is included.

And then there are additional tools: arpeggiators, sequencers, dual tape loopers, and a bunch of modulation. Output has their usual array of “movement” and effects like phaser/delay, all of which you can sequence and (if desired) sync.

So the idea is, you then bind all those samples together, add reverse effects and looping, glue it all together, and then out comes something new. Think of it this way – a lot of the stuff in your pantry (sugar, flour, eggs) is pretty ordinary. But it’s capable of essentially unlimited combinations, thanks to some additional flavors, chemistry, and tools.

This is actually what I loved about Exhale, but already it sounds like they’ve got this working even better by expanding the range and diversity of samples. (If you’re listening, Ouput, I’d love an Exhale II or Exhale XL or, uh, Inhale. Strings are I think easier than vocals, though.)

Output is as always on it, as far as I’m concerned. Right now, production can’t just ape old sounds and expect to stand out. But that doesn’t mean necessarily you should become totally unrecognizable, either. So whether it’s film scores or EDM, experimental music or techno, I think you could convincingly apply this tool set and produce stuff that sounds like new hybrids.

There are probably better options if you just want conventional sounds. But if you want to warp those sounds a little or a lot, this looks tough to beat.

Also, while they do have presets handy (500 of them), I like that their building block approach makes it fairly easy to construct your own stuff from scratch.

But forget that, first I have to go download it and get going. I’m going to be busy in the studio this spring.

Built in Kontakt; works fine in (free) Kontakt Player. US$199 (discounts available for purchasing multiple Output products)

http://output.com/products/analog-strings

The post Analog Strings from Output melds string orchestras, string synths appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Here are two quick takeaways about the TORAIZ AS-1 monosynth introduced by Pioneer DJ, in collaboration with Dave Smith. One, it sounds great – but we figured that, given it’s basically a single voice from Dave Smith’s Prophet-6. Two, it’s got a surprisingly powerful sequencer/arpeggiator, with some extras like alternative tunings.

And it’s that second point that matters. If you just want to add bass lines to a DJ set, Pioneer has some competition. Roland can sell you not one but two different variations of the classic 303 – either the AIRA TB-3, or the Boutique Series TB-03. As many observed, the AS-1 even looks a whole lot like the AIRA, down to the touchscreen.

For that reason, I think it’s not enough just to buy a Pioneer AS-1 on the basis of its Dave Smith sounds. You need more.

I’m meeting with Pioneer later this week at Musikmesse for a closer look at the AS-1, so I thought I’d put out this hands-on now to see if y’all have any questions for them. The folks at soundrope have done an insanely video hands-on. It’s narrated in Japanese, but it won’t matter – you can follow the demo easily. (As usual, hearing Japanese voice over just makes everything seem better. If you want to be thoroughly confused, turn auto-translation on. We’re not at Babelfish level quite yet)

Through the power of computers, we don’t even need to learn foreign languages any more! Uh… actually, wait, maybe we do.

To me, though, what’s nice is the workflow on sequence creation, arpeggiator, and adding alternative tunings – plus the added power of having a complete effects section. You can see those below.

I’m finishing a review of the companion TORAIZ SP-16, but that’s a bit on the pricey side. If the AS-1 has the same solid build feel of the SP-16, it could be a real winner. Pioneer Link support can attract CDJ users, but then having a balanced monosynth here is terrific – and even though it says Pioneer on the front panel, this could wind up being the best Dave Smith monosynth we’ve seen in some years. Major correction: this doesn’t sync to the CDJ line. There’s no support for Pioneer’s Link protocol on the CDJ.

So, have a look, and let me know what else you’d want to know about it. Hopefully we can also rig up some DJ hybrid setups via the CDJ in coming weeks, too.

Here are those videos:

Scale mode isn’t a terribly new idea, but with switchable scales does a decent job of cramming melodic playing (and curves) into a small space (sorry, more Japanese talking here):

Alternative tuning looks especially interesting; I’m curious if you can load other tunings via the editor:

Quick access to programs and transposition are both useful live:

Arpeggiator, yes.

The effects section is really nice, as well, though now we’re potentially deep into prog rock / ambient / Tangerine Dream territory rather than DJ stuff (not that that’s a bad thing):

What I didn’t expect was a copious editor, including a sequencer, but you get that, too:

And here’s a nice demo with Ableton Live:

And if for some reason you wanted a listen to every single sound in the factory bank, well, SYNTH ANATOMY have you covered for the next 20-odd minutes:

Official site. Hey, what do you notice about this URL? Are we getting one in white? Chrome? Pink? Camo? (I think KORG shipped each of those at one point.)

https://www.pioneerdj.com/product/production/toraiz-as-1/black/overview/

Correction: It seems Pioneer is not adding Pioneer Link support, for plug-and-play sync with the CDJ and so on. That’s too bad – ideally, it would seem Pioneer would standardize on its own proprietary DJ LINK protocol, or else put MIDI on its CDJs, or else support Ableton Link. Here, it’s doing none of those – acceptable for a synth, but not something that integrates with Pioneer’s DJ products. CDM regrets the error (and will ask Pioneer about this, naturally.)

The post The AS-1 synth from Pioneer and Dave Smith is looking really cool appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Even in the age of the Internet, there’s no substitute for seeing people face to face. It just seems now we want a more concentrated dose – one or two really big international gatherings where we go all-in. And apart from California’s mighty NAMM show, it seems there’s nothing quite like Superbooth.

Here’s a preview, some highlights from last year – and don’t worry, if you can’t make it to Berlin, there will be a continuous livestream to the world and coverage we’ll deliver from the various partners covering the event.

With just one past edition under its belt, Superbooth has become the nerd singularity on the year’s calendar. And perhaps that because the team behind it, led by Berlin synth boutique legend Andreas Schneider, understand that the nature of such things is cultural before it is industrial. That’s not only about the culture of the people using the instruments, but those making them, and how the elites of the two have always worked hand in hand. (You can’t imagine Bob Moog without Keith Emerson and Wendy Carlos, Don Buchla without Suzanne Ciani and Mort Subotnick, Roger Linn without Hank Shocklee, the Synclavier without Jon Appleton, Tadao Kikumoto without Afrika Bambaataa, and … I could go on all day like this.)

So, yet again, Superbooth is a cultural statement. The weird is center stage, and the mainstream is at the periphery. Tiny vendors are superstars; big vendors sit on the sidelines. Analog and modular are first-class citizens; computers are the interloper. If you give a talk, you’re often also asked to give a performance, with equal time to each.

And bound through all of this is a statement about history – both of the synthesizer in general, and its unique character in Germany. Maybe that’s also Berlin’s edge over LA – whereas LA is a beacon to all that’s shiny and new, Berlin is the capital of a country that’s uniquely in touch with the history of electronic sound. (And of course, in turn, what makes that so interesting is that it’s often this history that most fires up the youngest generation – the kids who unapologetically embraced vintage instruments. The digital natives also had no idea that “digital” was originally assumed to replace something else.)

Oh, screw it – enough lofty words, let’s put it another way:

Superbooth is a place you can see Tangerine Dream on your ferry boat ride. You don’t get that on those Anaheim Disney hotel shuttles.

(If the excellent #INSTABONER are more your speed, they’ve that, too, via separate ticket.)

Superbooth is really multiple events in one:

• A “Messe” with nearly 200 exhibitors, from a who’s who of Eurorack modules to mobile apps to big names in audio gear
• A marathon music festival of concerts, both at the venue and at partner events around the city (even beyond what you get from a typical Berlin weekend, which for electronic music lovers is already insane)
• Workshops and DIY, from beginning to more advanced
• Lecture programming, generally combining talks with performance demos – so not just talking heads (and this is what’s getting streamed, too)

And then beyond that, this is now apart from NAMM one of the only times that the international scene comes together live and in person. It brings together a lot of Europe who can’t make the trip to the USA – and a lot more of the USA, Japan, and rest of the world are making the haul to Europe.

I spoke to Herr Schneider himself and the organizers about what to expect from this year.

The big thing is — more. There’s both more quantity and more range in the offerings. This is by no means a modular-only or analog-only show, either, as every major digital vendor has rushed to be part, too. (It seems, like the music scene itself, they’ve also fled Frankfurt am Main for Berlin’s fresher, more international music climate – leaving Musikmesse’s halls almost completely stripped bare. I did have some nice, uninterrupted meetings there, though.)

Superbooth I expect to be as wonderfully chaotic as ever, as full of ear-deafening din that the machines themselves.

As before, boats (and now better transit connections) will lead showgoers from Berlin’s center out to the former east. This time, the event takes place in Köpenick, the cosy suburb on the Spree that once apparently housed the families of the DDR elite. (The ex-radio facility Funkhaus will still hold Ableton Loop, but Superbooth swapped venues.)

Andreas has shared some other picks.

In the history area, you get the likes of Krautrock specialist Wolfgang Seidel.

There’s lots of new fare for kids, too. Schoolchidren will arrive in the morning, get schooled in modular, then present their own compositions by noon.

Adults can make things, as well, with a big DIY area with free soldering iron access. There’s the famous rotating modular carousel camped out at C-Base, the geek haven that occupants claim is the wreck of a spaceship. And there are even workshops and events available without a ticket, encouraging new people to get involved.

In stark contrast to the usual consumer-oriented artist offerings at most trade shows, Superbooth instead delivers events like Kasia Justka making cooking sounds with bacon and eggs.

Last year’s participants were more gender balanced than the manufacturers and presentations, so this year there’s a particular focus on women, led by Superbooth’s own Jessica Kurt – rounding out presentations and getting more female-identified artists access to knowledge.

To get a feel for what this is all like, here’s SonicState’s epic tour through the sprawling complex from last year:

I was lucky enough to be part of some meeting of minds, demonstrating that generations of analog and digital, software and desktop hardware and modular, can all come together in some new fusion at these sorts of events. (Our best conversations were backstage, though!) The guests: Stephan Schmitt (Native Instruments/Nonlinear Labs), Roger Linn, Robert Henke (Monolake), Tony Rolando (Make Noise), Julian Parker (Native Instruments).

I already have a huge agenda, and I’m glad to add more to it. So if you’re planning to be there, give a shout!

The post The nerdiest synth meet in the world, plus Tangerine Dream on a boat appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Novation’s Circuit drum machine/synth/sequencer combo already found a lot of fans. Now it looks like they’ve got another all-in-one grid instrument – this time, a mono/paraphonic synth with sequencer. And whereas the Nova polysynth in the Circuit is hidden behind controls, here you get loads of hands-on control.

The Novation Mono Station has leaked via retailers like Dutch prodjstore and are already making rounds on social media. Most interesting I’d say, apart from combining the grid sequencer with a hands-on synth, is that modulation matrix. (It’s not bad having distortion plus a multi-mode filter with overdrive, either.)

In a nod to analog fans, you also get a full complement of CV controls round the back, in addition to MIDI and USB.

Novation are in town here in Berlin for Superbooth, so we’ll be sure to talk to them – and see what they’ve got to tell us about this or anything else new.

But to see this from the makers of the beloved Bass Station I’d say is good news indeed for desktop synthesis fans. And it continues the trend of putting sequencers on these instruments instead of keys. (See also: volca series, Roland AIRA, Pioneer AS-1, Circuit of course, and so on.)

Specs leaked, too:

Two oscillators with individual control of sync and tuning parameters
High-pass, low-pass and band-pass filters with slopes of 12dB and 24dB
Three distortion modes
Choose monophonic or paraphonic modes with individual glide control
Four-by-eight modulation matrix that enables complex alteration and routing
Load and save up to 64 patches on the device
Three sequencer tracks (two oscillator sequencers, one modulation sequencer)
32 velocity-sensitive RGB pads
16 scale types
Changeable sync rates
CV/Gate, CV mod plus MIDI In, Out and Thru for connecting and controlling separate hardware
Backup patches and sessions with Components

— and there are selectable waveforms, sawtooth, triangle, square, and sample + hold. (That “square” wave is actually PWM, too – you get a pulse width control. Corrected from an earlier draft of this article.)

Looks like another hit.

The post Novation Mono Station synth sequencer just leaked via retail appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

“All synths today just sound the same.” Sure. Fair. Well, but then something comes along that sounds more like it’s ready to produce a trippy soundtrack for a wandering scifi epic about a journey to Jupiter, filmed in early-70s Czechoslovakia.*

Meet the Quandrantid Swarm. It’s the latest creation from French boutique Eowave, whose inventions have always tended to the experimental and unique. And while they also do modular now, I can’t help but feel this is Eowave at their best – making desktop instruments and oddball interfaces. These are creations with an eye to the past, but in some sort of alternate history that bent in a different direction.

There’s actually a lot packed into the Swarm’s retro-styled prototype. The synth voice itself is digital, but that gets routed through a 2-pole analog filter, modulation with eight selectable waveforms, and – what really defines the vintage character here – a spring reverb.

There’s also a unique touchplate interface, which acts as a keyboard (either monophonic or polyphonic) or an eight-step sequencer.

Plus there are patch points on the main panel, making this a bit of a tiny submodular.

MIDI and CV/trig connectivity let you integrate this with your studio.

While they’re unveiling the prototype at Superbooth amidst a sea of modulars, this also demonstrate the particular place desktop gear can occupy. Sure, you could cobble together something sort of like this using a modular rig (though probably for a bit more scratch). But while that flexibility has inarguable value, I think there’s also something special about defining this particular set of functions as a single, integrated instrument.

Release date is TBD, with tentative retail pricing set at 499€. I’m seeing people complain about the price but I don’t know what they’re on about – there’s literally nothing that competes with this particular instrument, as it’s a one-of-a-kind invention. And I’m sure some people will find a home for it.

I had to miss the first day of Superbooth, but this is way up on my list to go see tomorrow, so shout if you have questions about this or anything else Eowave and I’ll dig up some answers.

In the meantime, for singular synths and ribbons and things, see:

http://www.eowave.com/

*Actually, there probably is such a film – exploring the masterpieces of Communist cinema should really be a topic for another post, if anyone wants to contribute. Poland, the DDR, and USSR had some gems I can think of off the top of my head. And… yeah, I’d still choose the Eowave to continue the tradition of unusual sounds, because those things still sound futuristic today. Maybe even more so.

The post Eowave’s Quandrantid Swarm is a weird scifi synth like no other appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

What if you had an effect in hardware that acted like tape – with tape heads, adjustable speed, and so on? But what if that tape were … digital, instead of analog? And what if it were run by a … robot? And sequenced? Wait, huh?

Well, step again into the wacky imagination of Bastl Instruments. They showed off an early prototype of this concept back in 2015, only to have the hardware go off the radar for a while. Now, it’s back in a more or less completed instrument, one that delivers on that early potential. It’s called Thyme.

Even after just a short play, Thyme looks like it might be worth the wait. It’s possibly the most sophisticated design from Bastl to date. Whereas modules and desktop hardware from Bastl have mostly focused on cheap, playful ideas, Thyme is a fairly advanced effect with loads of functionality. While I can’t repeat the price estimate, I think it’s also fair to say this will be at a higher price point than Bastl’s existing desktop gear.

The particular stroke of genius here is with one set of controls, mimicking a whole lot of effects categories normally found in multi-effects units. (Think “delay, phaser, reverb, chorus, pitch shifter, multi-tap delay, tape delay, tremolo, vibrato, compressor,” to believe their list – and in just a few moments of testing, we hit a lot of those.)

A lot of these sounds originally arose out of tape techniques in the first place. What Bastl have done is to reorganize all those same temporal effects around a tape interface.

Some of those (like delay) work in ways that obviously come out of analog tape. Others work in more digital-sounding ways, performing sonic feats that would normally be impossible with tape. And, this being a Bastl instrument, you can push the envelope of digital sounds to get crunchy, bit-degraded digital extremes if you want – though you can also get some gorgeous, ringing textures, too. For those who love aliased timbres, it might just be a must-buy.

And while some of these things are possible in hardware, it’s just terrific to have physical controls in this layout. It feels like an instrument right away – with the knobs themselves arrayed where tape capstans normally would be.

The controls are all tape-inspired, but let you modulate freely between all these different effects:

Speed
Delay Coarse
Delay Fine
Feedback
Filter
Spacing (between extra heads)

And then there’s the requisite wet/dry control.

In addition to dialing these in directly, you can modulate them via LFO (with various waveshapes, selectable by push-button), external CV, or an envelope follower. The envelope follower lets the dynamics of the signal modulate the result, and open up treating the whole thing as a kind of dynamics processor, too. These various modulation sources are what Bastl have slightly charmingly called the “robot” – but you can also think of this as powerful modulation.

To this, Bastl have added buttons on the bottom, which serve both as preset storage and recall and step sequencing. So you can simply tap on a preset you want when you need it, or you can make elaborate series of sequenced effects by arranging patterns from those presets. I was particularly impressed that in my brief test, extreme changes between presets didn’t stop the Thyme from shifting from one setting to another seamlessly.

All in all, though, I think it’s some seriously clever stuff. And to anyone complaining that there were “no new ideas” at Superbooth, I’m impressed that you couldn’t get past the entryway without stumbling across two very new ideas from Bastl. It’s true that a lot of the Eurorack phenomenon is, by its very nature and economy, variations on a theme. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for fresh perspectives in electronic music hardware, generally – and we can count on Brno’s scene of inventors to shake things up.

I can’t wait for this one to arrive.

(You can’t hear it in this video … I will try to collect some audio today, or else stay tuned for our review. CDM is overdue a Brno, Czech field trip too, or I can try to lure them out to Prague next time I’m there!)

Oh yeah, and for history’s sake – flashback to 2015 and the earlier prototype. The concept was there, but not fully fleshed out. This isn’t just two years waiting for refinement; clearly, in those two years, they really developed what the hardware was about.

Specs:

analog Input Gain knob up to +20dB
9 parameters: Tape Speed, Delay Coarse & Fine, Feedback, Filter, extra heads Spacing and Levels, Dry Wet Mix and Volume
each parameter has a dedicated modulation source called the Robot
each Robot is a powerfull modulation source: LFO, envelope follower, external CV
freeze button reconfigures the signal flow to create tape loops
link button compensates the change in Delay time caused by adjusting the Tape Speed
tap tempo
internal or external clock for synchronising Delay, Robot or Sequencer
8 presets organized in 8 banks (64 presets)
32 step sequencer with 4 patterns for sequencing presets
switchable stereo/mono input
stereo output
stereo headphone output with volume knob
MIDI Input and Output
analog Clock Input
CV input 0-5V (volt per octave for Tape Speed and Delay Time)
footswitch jack for bypass
hi-fi audio quality

http://www.bastl-instruments.com/instruments/thyme/

The post Bastl’s Thyme is an advanced digital effect inspired by tape appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Roland has a simple idea: take digital drum pad hardware, and simplify it. What you get is fun and ready little boxes you can stamp with your foot, play with your hands, or hit with a stick.

Instead of one big unit with a bunch of features or a whole electronic kit, the SPD::ONE line is four different compact units with particular sets of sounds. There’s a kick, an “electro” unit, a “percussion” unit, and a “WAV” sample loader. All four also double as MIDI controllers for your computer.

I think people who never even thought they wanted a drum pad might suddenly decide they do. I’m not a drummer, but I like hitting stuff, and I sort of have rhythm. That counts, right?

Today’s news kicks off another batch of products Roland is announcing online via stream rather than a trade show. Now, if you were hoping for a Boutique series 808 (or 727!), you may be disappointed. But what we get instead, while showing Roland’s BOSS side, is also useful.

Let’s review:

All four units have some common features:

• Super simple four knob controls: dial in a sound, tune, adjust volume. (Depending on the unit, you get some other basic parameter control – over effects and tuning on three models, or headphone mix on the WAV.)
• Battery (4xAA) or plug-in power
• Use them on a surface, or stick them into your kit, via a mounting adapter in the box (also works on mic stands)
• USB MIDI support for use as a controller (transmits a single note and velocity from the pad only)
• Drag and drop sample import – on all but the WAV, you get one slot for up five seconds, 44.1 x 16-bit mono. The WAV gives you 4GB, and includes more options.
• Small and light: 2 lbs (900 g), and a sort of thick-ish palm-sized config, just 150 cm wide.
• Nice pads. I’m told the feel should be similar to what you get from Roland’s PD-8 V-Pad. (In fact, someone should go DIY a rig with that and a Raspberry Pi. Just sayin’.)

The number of sounds (not including the WAV) isn’t immediately obvious. There are 12 banks, set by knob. The first 11 are presets, with each having a variation accessible via a small button on the front panel. The twelfth is your user storage. On the WAV, there’s a different configuration, but more on that in a bit.

Full retail list (street should be less):
255EUR (incl. VAT), or 309EUR for the WAV
US$250, $300 for WAV.

The price really says it all. Something like Roland’s own Handsonic is way more powerful, but it’s also less portable – and it’s $900. It’s a different beast. This is more like an impulse buy you can add to an existing rig.

Mounting hardware is included in the box.

Note the sensitivity controls on the side.

The WAV is definitely the most versatile of the four, and because you can load your own samples, could well replace the others. Let’s look:

The three sound models

The electro comes with 808 and 909 sounds. Now, some CDM readers em>might opt for this over the WAV, just because there’s a built-in reverb/delay.

The percussion is a bit like the electro, but with more realistic sounds (well, since now an 808 or 909 sounds like an 808 or 909 to us). It’s got the full range of greatest-hits percussion. It also has the reverb/delay.

The kick is a bit of a misnomer – it’s more than just kick sounds. It’s more like a set of sounds you’d want to play from your foot. (You can do that with any of the units here, but this one is set out of the box with that assumption.) So of course there’s a TR kick, and some variations on acoustic kick drums. But there’s also a guiro, ankle bracelet, cowbell, clap, and cymbal.

Instead of reverb/delay, this is the one with reverb/distortion.

And the fourth one for custom sounds

Prediction: the SPD:ONE WAV PAD is about to become one of those pieces of kit you see in live electronic rigs and drum kits.

First, what you lose versus the other models: there’s no built-in delay/reverb, and you do pay another fifty bucks.

But what you gain is 4GB of internal storage and more flexible playing modes.

In place of the tune and delay/reverb knobs, you get a dedicated headphone knob and click/master mix knob. That means you have hands-on control over your monitor mix and can listen to a click if you want.

And then there’s the various ways you can make use of that 4GB of space. It’s a bit hack-y, but that’s somehow cool.

First, you bump up the hardware to stereo support in addition to mono.

There are three use cases here:

Click tracks. You can create a custom click and run that through the headphones, while playing at the same time.

Backing tracks. You have 4GB of space, so full backing tracks are totally possible. But the SPD:ONE WAV is restricted. Once you’re playing a backing track, you can’t layer anything else. (For that, Roland would prefer you buy something like their SPD-SX, which can do both simultaneously.) I’m guessing this might still be useful to someone – like keeping the unit around to play backing tracks on a couple of songs, then using the remaining slots for triggering live sounds. (It’s still a set of backing tracks you can trigger with a foot or a stick, but I don’t know if everyone wants to pay three hundred bucks for just that alone.)

Custom layered sounds. There are multiple monophonic, polyphonic, looping, and layered options here. Let’s break them down, since Roland’s info isn’t so obvious. You’re essentially the sound designer here, in that you’ll choose the mode based on the filename you enter for your sounds. (There’s a cheat sheet silkscreened onto the front panel, so you don’t have to go hunting for a PDF.)

One shot mono: each additional trigger stops, then re-triggers the sound.

One shot poly: each additional trigger starts a new sound layer over top. (Forgot to check the maximum polyphony; will do that.)

Loop alt: trigger to start a sound. Once the sound ends, it will loop from the beginning. Trigger again to stop the loop.

Phrase alt: trigger to start a sound. Once the sound ends, it will stop playing until it’s re-triggered.

Layering: Here’s where things get interesting. You can layer up to three sounds per patch, set volume for each, and even have certain layers trigger at particular velocities. (Betcha some intrepid hacker makes their own GUI editor.)

Watch this video for more on that advanced functionality:

And here’s a quick start on using this for click tracks:

Deja Vu

I was scratching my head for a directly comparable product. (There are more sophisticated options that do more, but this is unique in doing one task in a very particular way.)

It turns out, the brand that did this before is Roland / BOSS. And actually, their first effort looks nice – I like that one is a synth. (Maybe a Roland AIRA variant to go with the others is in order?)

Check out everything at Roland:

experience.roland.com/tfr2017a/

The post Roland does for drum pads what stompboxes did for guitar effects appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

What do you need your boxes to do? For a lot of people, that’s making grooves, producing nice-sounding drums, manipulating samples, and playing sequencing – and then mucking about with them and breaking everything. You might call that a “drum machine.” You might call it, in fact, a “laptop.” But the faster mucking around gets, the more fun you’re likely to have.

On this scene, enter the Elektron Digitakt. Part of why I wanted to share Cuckoo’s friendly, accessible videos on the Elektron Octatrack yesterday was to help set the stage for the Digitakt. Does it do everything the Octatrack does? No, not quite – but it does do most of what the older flagship does, in a smaller form factor, with a nicer screen, and more accessible hands-on controls, and a much lower price.

So, in fact, you might even have missed that one of the things the Digitakt has borrowed from the Octatrack is the ability to play eight sequenced tracks.

And, sure, while the Digitakt doesn’t have the massive effects section from the Octatrack, it does serve the “play stuff and mess around with it, maybe without a laptop” use case.

Here’s that hands-on – in a video that’s “almost a tutorial”:

It’s a bit weird to skip to sound samples for a digital sampler (hey, it’ll sound like whatever you want), but here’s that, too:

And finally, here’s an extensive live jam:

More:

https://www.elektron.se/products/digitakt/

The post Get hands on with the hot new Elektron Digitakt appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Over the weekend, PPG mastermind Wolfgang Palm let slip his latest creation: PPG Infinite. In previews for iPad, we see an innovative touch synth full of morphing and wave shaping tools.

There are two videos. The first one … uh … well, mainly involves hearing some sounds and staring into the void of space. (True fact: this is what normally happens inside my brain when I look at my to-do list on a Monday.)

But the second video actually reveals plenty – way more than just a teaser. And even from these screenshots, the “Infinite” name suggests that PPG took basically everything they’ve ever done and built a fresh synth around it.

There’s vocal synthesis (à la their Phonem app and plug-in).

There’s wavetable synthesis, with fingers gliding through representation of waveforms, as per the original PPG Wave synths and PPG’s first app, WaveMapper. (Palm is the inventor of wavetable synthesis.)

There’s also the new functions of their follow-up synth WaveGenerator, with more ways of generating and navigating and shaping waves.

And then it seems there’s more.

If you blinked, you may have missed something, so let’s get some frame-by-frame replay. Infinite sees synth wizard Palm teaming up again with designer Cornel Hecht (who also provides the spacey background music for these videos).

Here, we get a unique-looking synth architecture, one that adds loads of touch-accessible morphing modes for combining sounds, as well as something called the “noiser” – which appears to be a spectrally-shaped noise source.

And at its heart, there’s the functionality that made the first PPG app such a breakthrough on the iPad, the ability to “touch the sound” by scanning and morphing wavetables with 3D and 2D views. That visual seems now greatly expanded as a central user paradigm, and it seems to me that it could be reason to see iPads running this app alongside beloved hardware synths in the studio or onstage.

Of course, the other Palm apps have also now been available as VST/AU plug-in, so I hope we’ll see that for this, too. (No reason to choose, either – you might use your iPad to shape presets, then loads those into the plug-in when it comes time to track and arrange and finish tracks. I need to research whether multi-touch computers on Windows can support touch gestures for plug-ins – not sure on that – but even with a mouse, this looks fun.)

Let’s have a look:

Touch is central to the UI. These morphing options look especially nice and accessible, even if you aren’t ready to delve into every nitpicky detail of the architecture and sound design:

A glimpse of the architecture, including simplified oscillator controls and these morphing and noiser options:

The oscillator interface really appears to shine via touch interaction:

A closer look at those controls:

The presets are suggestive of the combination of two or three of the previous instruments from PPG – and indicate some diversity of possibilities with this one, from vocal-ish presets to percussion to pads, bass, leads, and all that business:

For those so inclined, it appears you can get really deep with mapping by key range and matrix-style modulation:

I love the LFO interface, both for its advanced parameters (for going deep) and clever touch adjustment (for quick play):

Stills don’t do it justice, but as in the other PPG apps, it’s really getting your grubby fingers on the 3D waveform view that looks like fun. Combine that with some new vocal synth options, and … sold.

It’s about time for an exciting new soft synth, especially with Alchemy having disappeared into Logic and most of the headlines covering hardware. And for all the depth and diversity on the iPad, this could be one that stands out on that platform – not least if it’s paired with desktop plug-ins so you don’t disrupt your workflow.

Ready, Wolfgang. Watching for this one.

Stay tuned to CDM for this one, with team coverage by myself and Ashley (Palm Sounds).

wolfgangpalm.com

The post PPG Infinite’s touch morphing could make it soft synth of the summer appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Let’s skip the specs and get straight to the point: this should be a product category. Zoom’s new box is a mixer, audio interface, effects, and audio recorder in one.

And that’s significant, because across genres from electronic to traditional instrumental, people need to do all these things. You need to mix signals. (Now, even electronic musicians are fairly loathe to play with just a laptop and nothing else.) But you also might need to connect a computer. But you might want the mixer to still be a mixer when the computer isn’t there.

And then, above all else, you need to be able to record the damned gig. You know, like, just in case you don’t totally suck.*

And that’s what this is.

It’s a mixer. that can record up to 14 tracks at once, or play 12 tracks at once. (The first two channels are Hi-Z for an instrument, and 1-8 offer 48V phantom power for power.) It’s about as small as it can be but still has full-size connections and actual faders.

It’s a headphone monitor with five outs with mixes you can customize and save.

It’s a click track source with a metronome built in.

It’s an audio interface when your computer or tablet or whatever is there. No drivers needed, so it works with iOS, Raspberry Pi, whatever. Four outs, so you can do 4-channel mixes or a separate monitor mix and stereo to the PA. It works as an A-D converter, too, with latency adjustments.

It’s a recorder. Automatic start/stop. Load projects via USB, or just take the SD slot out. Connect a footswitch if you want to start recording that way.

And it’s got compression and effects. Built-in compression control for 1-8. (Zoom’s compression used to be awful on its early recorders; they’ve fixed that.) And there’s delay and reverb.

So it’s the session recording, mobile recording, practice tool, live performance tool your band / solo electronic act / ensemble needs.

$599. Available in September.

I’ll probably get one. And kudos to Zoom, too, for their video recorders, which similarly understand life for the musician in the age of the Internet.

But if competitors are smart, they’ll get on this category, too. Because I believe it really will be a category. (A 6-channel version of this that fits in a backpack would also be lovely.)

LiveTrak L-12 [zoom.co.jp]

* Actually, I’ve some bad news for you: probably now that you have the recorder with you at all times, you will suck all the time. Seriously. The thing that made those live gigs so great was the fact that some idiot didn’t understand how to use your recorder, or you forgot the batteries, or you didn’t have the right adapter cable.

Then again, be positive. Probably, one day when you least expect it, you will play once more at that level of genius, spontaneity, and innovation, right before you accidentally drop the SD card from LiveTrak L-12 in a river full of piranhas.

There you have it: the LiveTrack L-12. Gee, why don’t manufacturers let me write their ad copy for them?

The competition.

Okay, if you don’t mind carrying your own recorder, there are now many mixers with built in audio interfaces. But probably the nearest rival to this comes from PreSonus. It doesn’t have the track count of the Zoom, or the band-oriented separate headphone outs and various extras. On the other hand, it’s more compact and has the dedicated sends this is missing.

StudioLive AR8

Maybe you’re happy using some other solutions, too. Let us know in comments.

The post Zoom figures out mixer + interface + recorder is exactly what we want appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

What if you could merge the patch-ability of modulars with powerful digital DSP – not just circuits? The Percussa SSP is the latest entry to try just that.

It was inevitable: modulars, at first resurrected precisely because they had simple circuitry and knobs in a predictable space, are starting to get computational powers. This isn’t just cramming a computer in a Eurorack. The Percussa uses embedded processing power, in the form of the increasingly ubiquitous ARM architecture – this is what makes your smartphone, your iPad, your Nintendo DS, your Raspberry Pi, and your Canon PowerShot all work.

And that’s the brainpower – lots of open-ended number crunching, sound processing capability. The quad core engine, which will support Percussa’s own stuff as well as third-party C++ code (opening this up to a community), could run loads of effects or oscillators all on a single module, all in parallel. And it’ll run audio at high bit resolution and sample rate.

Oh, yeah, also – clouds of oscillators. (This is cloud as in sound, not cloud as in Internet, unlike this recent Roland Cloud offering.)

Last week, I had a look at another take on the post-PC sound machine – and if that one looks like it was imagined by a guitarist, this one appears to have been envisioned by a lover of embedded computers and Eurorack.

Export to hardware, virtual pedals – this could be the future of effects

While there is some open-ended potential, that’s not to say that this is an empty canvas. There’s a lot of sound capabilities there already. Out of the box, you’ll get some instant capabilities – more depending on how much crowdfunding revenue comes in.

Percussa already has built working ‘modules’, including a 3D morphing wavetable oscillator, a sampler, an LFO for modulation, filters, a step sequencer, and building blocks for signal processing. Based on funding received, backers will get more modules free shipping with the hardware.

If that’s not enough, other virtual modules could become available in time – including third-party ones.

And the SSP is looking like a handy hub for a modular rig – and very possibly a replacement for a computer – thanks to SD card recording, loads of patchable I/O, and MIDI and USB (both a device port and a host port, so you can connect various USB gear).

Now, of course, you might still wonder why you wouldn’t just use an iPad or a computer. But there is still a lot of patching possible here, meaning of course the idea is to mix this with other modules. There’s loads of I/O – 16 inputs, 8 outputs, all high-quality, for elaborate processing of various audio signals in parallel.

Stretch goals feature more – there’s already MPE (expressive polyphonic control of MIDI) as one feature. I do kind of hope they get to the 3D accelerated graphics.

Percussa provided some images here. More details on their Kickstarter page.

It looks great, though I do have to wonder – do you really want something like this in Eurorack form, or do you want essentially a dedicated sound computer to take a different form factor (one that might well include some patching)? That is, does this look like the hub of a Eurorack setup, or just a sound machine on its own? (Of course, this could be either of those things to different people as-is – but as we do delve into the post-PC age, all these questions get asked anew.)

Combining this with your analog gear could look something like this:

More details. The project doesn’t come cheap – you’re looking at around 1.5 grand – but looks like over a dozen users are ready to take the plunge, even sight unseen and unheard, in advance. And the payoff for that investment is an extraordinary amount of high-quality audio processing power, the likes of which could cost several times more in equivalent hardware systems.

Percussa Super Signal Processor Eurorack Module

The post Percussa’s new Kickstarter project wants to be the brain of your modular appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Roland keeps adding to its Boutique series remakes of its classic back catalog. Here’s the scoop on the new SH-01A (SH-101) and TR-08 (TR-808).

What you get is shrunken-down, modeled editions of the SH-101 and TR-808. And the hardware improves on the originals with some extras, like USB (audio/MIDI), MIDI DIN connections and battery power. The 808 also now has a built-in compressor, real-time entry, and fills and sub-patterns. The SH-01A keeps the triggering powers of the original, but adds a powerful four-voice architecture for chords and thick unisons (which also works in conjunction with the classic sequencer).

Here’s a quick hands-on jam with myself and Roland’s Nick de Friez – I can tell you it’s a heck of a lot of fun.

Having done some research with Roland and had a little hands-on time, here’s what we know so far.

They’re $349. US$349 means these are really competitive.

They’re digital models. Yes, Roland again are revisiting their analog past with digital remakes. But that’s producing hardware that’s affordable, low noise, and that runs easily off USB or battery power. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re perfect remakes. I heard some legitimate authenticity nitpicking about the TB-03, for instance, but those had to do with specific behaviors programmed into the new hardware that people didn’t like. The problem wasn’t analog or digital; it was more about human taste. (Given differences in taste, and variances in the originals, that means I suspect the remake game will continue a long time.)

Roland (via Japan) have also confirmed to CDM that they went back to the original SH-101 and TR-808 hardware to make new models of the originals. These are still assembled from the same proprietary analog circuit behavior modeling, but into a new finished product.

Upshot: these won’t sound exactly like the SH-101 PLUG-OUT for the SYSTEM-1, or the 808 model on the TR-8. I got to hear both new models enough to say they sound pretty darned good, but comparing them to the first-generation AIRA or to the original analog Roland classics will take more time.

For all the hang ups on those kind of detailed sonic comparisons, though, I think usability is actually where these things are differentiated.

Both have all the controls of their original predecessors. So Japanese – you get all the controls of the full-sized original, but scaled down (and slightly adjusted accordingly). And this is really what sets apart the Boutique line from the first-generation AIRAs. The Boutique line give you more or less the historical controls, if shrunk in size. Speaking of shrinking:

All the controls feel better than the earlier Boutique range. The knob caps on the TR-08 feature a ribbed, easy-to-grip surface and a smaller diameter. They’re still not for big fingers, but they’re a lot easier on the hands than the TR-09. (I know; I own one.) The SH-01A is improved over the previous synths, too – instead of sharp faders, you get a tapered design and better texture. It’s less painful and more fun. There are other touches, too, like a textured paint finish on the SH-01A; somehow with just minor adjustments, everything feels and looks a little better. (I still like the TB-03 and TR-09, but they’ll get a little jealous.)

The SH-01A has four voices. If you want to use the 01A in “classic” 101 mode – one oscillator – you of course can. That’s “mono” mode. But there’s more: Poly mode for 4-note polyphony, Unison mode stacking those four voices into a really fat (and very Roland) sound, and Chord mode for four-note chords. The chordal mode is especially nice to combine with the sequencer. It’s really like having four SH-101s.

101 patch memory! Now you get 64 patch memories for SH-01A sounds. Take that, analog.

The SH-01A’s sequencer is brilliant. The sequencer works over CV/Gate, MIDI, and USB. Even better, you can trigger the SH-01A externally – so take the trigger out from the TR-08 (or TR-09, or the rim audio out of another instrument like the TR-8), and you can make unique musical patterns. This is part of what defined the original SH-101, and now you can combine it with the SH-01A’s chords and so on.

In other words, the SH-01A does everything the 101 did. It just adds the ability to see what you’re doing on an LED, and to use chords as well as individual notes via the same sequencer paradigm. And it adds MIDI/USB to the trigger in – but you can still use the trigger in.

And the SH-01A has more than a sequencer. The 101’s arp modes, legato, and glide options (plus modulation) make for lots of additional playing flexibility.

That SH-01A paint is nice. I can say there’s a nice texture to the paint for the first time. (Yeah, so, after you get involved with talking to industrial engineers and working on manufacturing, you notice these things.) And Roland has confirmed alternative colors are coming, presumably in some sort of limited run – you can see red and blue on their site. As with shipping details, though, no word yet on how to get the alternates.

Sub steps and real-time entry on the TR-08 make it more fun to program. Sub steps give you rhythmic subdivisions of steps (16 each) for fills, rolls, and complex rhythmic patterns. Real-time entry lets you tap in parts without changing modes.

There’s a useful trigger out. Select by track, then send a trigger to … the SH-01A. Or other gear, of course – modular or desktop.

There’s a compressor on the TR-08. I really want this on the TB-03. (Dear Santa: firmware update?) But the TR-08 gets a useful compressor for the kick and snare. That can give you some really booming kicks; I tried it and it’s nicely transparent and … when you want it, aggressive.

Individual outputs are available over USB. The TR-08 works the way the TR-09 does. You get only stereo out (or split mono out); for more outs, you can parts separately over USB. I’m sure this will get some complaints – it’s nice for computer users, but means the market is still open for those wanting standalone hardware with lots of outs, especially if you want to use them live. (It is just $349, though, remember… and to be perfectly honest, I’ve been able to live with this on my TR-09. Ducks…)

Put them together with the trigger and enjoy. It’s the trigger out – to trigger in from TR-08 to SH-01A that’s really fun, because you get not just sync but the ability to create patterns by triggering individual steps. (That is hard to say in words, easy to see in a video.) You can also use the TR-09 this way.

We’re getting them soon, but… not sure when. Roland haven’t announced shipping dates yet. Expect these to be tough to get at this price. But we’ll have more hands-on time with them so you’ll be ready to make the most of them and compare them to what else is out there (including from Roland).

Now, more pics. Video/audio coming shortly.

Hands-on videos from Roland, featuring Mathew Johnson:

And round up some artist interviews:

Official product pages are now up:

https://www.roland.com/global/products/sh-01a/

https://www.roland.com/us/products/tr-08/

Also, if you own an AIRA TR-8 drum machine, you’ve now got a powerful way of triggering external samples via MIDI (including on the Roland SP-404SX / new black SP-404A). Our explanation of that:

Roland updates AIRA TR-8 so it can trigger samples, MIDI gear

The post What you need to know about the Roland Boutique 101, 808 reboots appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.