New gear from AKAI at NAMM
The Timbre Wolf looks particularly bold: a 4-voice polyphonic synth that’s set to retail for £300. It can be used as four monosynths, in 4-voice unison mode or as a 4-voice polysynth. Each voice has its own 32-step sequencer, and there’s a full-size 25-note keyboard.
Tom Cat, meanwhile, offers kick, snare, hi-hat and clap sounds and chromatically-tunable disco toms. You can adjust the tuning, amplitude envelope and volume of each voice independently.
There are also six pads and a 32-step sequencer, along with swing, pattern select and tempo controls. It’s said that you can ‘dirty up’ your beats using the ‘Maul’ circuitry. Tom Cat will sell for £150
Korg 2015 Launch Event – KRONOS and ARP
ARP ODYSSEY; Forty Years Later, A Complete Revival
Long stopped, the wheels of history have again begun to move
Anaheim, CA– January 21, 2015- – In conjunction with Arp Instruments Inc., Korg Inc. has revived the legendary analog synthesizer, the ARP ODYSSEY. Originally produced in 1972, the ODYSSEY quickly garnered a faithful following among musicians. Well respected for its high value, ease to play and portability, the ARP ODYSSEY had undergone several improvements during its history and continued to be a long-seller until manufacturing stopped in 1981 due to economic hardships and the digital surge. Loved by a wide range of musicians as a historical classic, its sound can be heard on numerous classic songs.
Now in 2015, Korg has brought back the ARP ODYSSEY for today while preserving the basic design of the original. The new ODYSSEY has a compact body, highly operable sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard that’s easy to play. In addition, a DRIVE switch (new function) is provided and connectors include MIDI and headphone output as well as Patch cables.
‘Together the engineers at Korg and Arp were able to nail the sound and feel of the original. Under the advisory assistance of David Friend, the co-founder of ARP Instruments, every detail was adjusted to replicate the original unit’s distinctive synthesis,’ shared James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. ‘Every aspect has been carefully considered to stay true to the quality of the original, down to the sophisticated semi-hard case.’
Korg has completely reproduced the original circuitry for artists looking to recreate classic sounds and explore new ones. The ARP ODYSSEY has been downsized to 86% of the original. Carefully selected parts are used in the familiar slider section, providing an operating feel that’s even smoother than the original.”
KORG Debuts Most Powerful Synthesizer with the New Kronos
Expanded Piano Engine, Improved Touch Panel Navigation, Improved Set List Mode, Search by Song Title Functionality, Redesigned Exterior
Anaheim, CA– January 22, 2015- – KORG USA debuted the new KRONOS, the most powerful version of its flagship synthesizer to date during Winter NAMM. For the first time enthusiast will be able to hear and see the new Kronos in action with live performances and in depth demonstrations by product experts and engineers.
‘The new Kronos features the unrivaled 9-engine structure from previous versions, with numerous improvements to both sound capability and overall functionality. Truly, the most powerful synthesizer on the planet just got more powerful,’ said James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products.
‘Our SGX piano engine, already revered for its German and Japanese grands, now also includes a 9GB Berlin grand with dedicated una corda (soft pedal) samples, plus sympathetic string resonance that works on all the SGX pianos” he continued. “It’s truly an amazing piano experience. There are new banks of sounds based on famous song titles for our cover players and those looking for ‘that’ sound for their recordings, plus a ‘best of’ bank from KaPro, who has created numerous libraries for the Kronos line.’
Other new features include system-wide Touch/Drag via the Kronos’ huge color TouchView™ screen; allowing the user to edit onscreen parameters faster and more naturally than ever.
An evolved Set List mode provides the capability to resize their custom text per set list entry, and enter text via either an onscreen QWERTY or external USB ASCII keyboard. Entries can also be color-coded for better organization and visibility, and users can even decide how many set list entries appear on the screen at time, allowing for more (and larger) onscreen text to remind you of lyrics, changes, or other notes.
An improved search function helps users to find the perfect sound faster than ever. Other improvements include onscreen metering in Combination and Sequencer modes, along with the ability to edit Programs within a Combination to hear the edits in context with other parts.
The improvements don’t end with the software, either; the new Kronos also boasts a new look, including natural wood side panels, easier-to-read silkscreened text, a sophisticated – and functional – vented back panel, and gold-plated audio I/O jacks.”
——-
ARP Odyssey Specifications
Keyboard:
37-note (Slimkey, No velocity sensitivity, No aftertouch)
Maximum Polyphony:
2 voices for duophonic; normally monophonic
Controllers:
Transpose Positions: 2 octaves down, normal, 2 octave up
Proportional Pitch Control:
b (Pitch down) Pad: about -2 / 3 octave – (Modulation) Pad
# (Pitch-up) Pad: about +2 / 3 octave
Noise Generator:
Noise Spectrum Types (white and pink)
Portamento:
Maximum Speed: about 0.01 msec./oct
Minimum Speed: about 1.5 sec./oct
VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator):
Waveforms: Sawtooth, Square, Pluse (Dynamic Pluse)
Frequency Range: VCO-1 in low freq. mode, 0.2 Hz – 20 Hz: VCO-1 and VCO-2 (audio range) about 20 Hz – 20 kHz
Warm Up Drift: 1/30 semitone from turn on max
Pulse Width: 50 % – 5 %
Pulse Width Modulation: ADSR, +45 %; LFO, +15 %
Voltage Controlled Response: 1 V/oct
Maximum Frequency Shifts: LFO sin wave, +1/2 oct.; LFO square wave, +1.5 oct.; ADSR, +9 oct.; S/H, +2 oct.
* VCO-1 is low note priority, VCO-2 is high note priority.
VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter):
Types: Low pass (I: 12 dB/oct., II III: 24 dB/oct.)
Frequency Range: 16 Hz – 16 kHz
Maximum Usable Q: 30
Resonance: 1/2 – self oscillate
Voltage Controlled Response: C3 key (left edge): 0 V, C6 key (right edge) 3 V
VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier):
Dynamic Range: 80 dB
Ring Modulator:
Type: Digital
Input Signal: VCO-1, VCO-2 (square wave)
Sample & Hold:
Command Sources: Keyboard or LFO trigger
Sampled Signals: VCO-1 sawtooth wave and square wave, VCO-2 square wave and pink noise
ADSR Envelope Generator:
Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.
Decay Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec.
Sustain Level: 0 – 100 % or Peak
Release Time: 15 msec. – 10 sec.
AR Envelope Generator:
Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.
Release Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec.
Control Input Jacks:
Pedal: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Portamento Foot Switch: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Audio Output Jacks:
LOW:
Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Output Level: -20 dBu@ 10 kΩ load
Output Impedance: 10 kΩ
HIGH:
Connector: XLR connector
Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu@ 1 kΩ load
Output Impedance: 330 Ω
Headphones Jack:
Connector: φ6.3 mm stereo phone jack
Maximum Output Level: 50 mW + 50 mW@ 33 Ω load
Output Impedance: 10 Ω
* Controllable by volume knob.
External Audio Input (Ext Audio Input) Jack:
Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Input Level: -10 dBu
Input Impedance: 22 kΩ
MIDI Connector:
IN
USB Connector:
Type B
CV IN/OUT Jacks:
Keyboard CV (IN/OUT): 1 V/oct.
Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack
GATE IN/OUT Jacks:
GATE IN: +3 V (minimum)
GATE OUT: +10 V, key down; 0 V all keys up
Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack
TRIG IN/OUT Jacks:
TRIG IN: +3 V pulse min., 10 μsec. Duration minimum
TRIG OUT: +10 V pulse on key depression, 10 μsec. Duration
Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack
Power Supply:
AC adapter jack (DC 9 V)
Power Consumption:
6.5 W
Dimensions (W x D x H):
502 x 380 x 120 mm / 19.76″ x 14.96″ x 4.72″
Weight:
5 kg / 11.02 lbs
Accessories:
AC adapter, phone cable, mini-phone cable, owner’s manual, dedicated semi-hard case
Options:
VP-10 Volume Pedal, PS-1/PS-3 Pedal Switch”
Teenage Engineering PO-12 Hands-on
A quick look at the new, Nintendo Game & Watch-inspired, LCD display for the PO-12 synth line. Here, it’s the “factory” melodic instrument. Stay tuned fora bigger demo, though – this sounds a LOT bigger than you think.
Teenage Engineering has announced a new line of pocket sized synthesizers dubbed pocket operators. All three models come without casing where the components and artwork are visible directly on the printed circuit board. The battery powered pocket operators also come with a segment LCD screen, built in speaker, alarm clock (Finally, a manufacturer has figured out the one feature musicians have been clamoring for! —Ed.) and a stand made from bent wire. All models also feature parameter locks as well as synchronization functionality and they all have 3.5mm line in and line out. Each model has its own set of effects such as filters, bit-crushing, delay, stutter and many more.
PO-12 / rhythm — the rhythm is a drum machine with a 16 step sequencer with 16 different sounds which are a mix between synthesis and samples
PO-14 / sub — the sub is a bass line driven synthesizer. it’s got a 16 step sequencer with 16 sounds and 16 effects/playing styles
PO-16 / factory — the factory is a melody / lead-synth oriented machine with a 16 step sequencer, 16 sounds and 16 effects/ playing styles
Part of the development of the new gear was some sort of convoluted collaboration with Cheap Monday, a maker of jeans. There’s some backstory about TE needing lab coats and turning to Cheap Monday for inspiration, but the whole thing just sounds “over-baked” and “over-produced.” No pricing has been announced.
NAMM 2015 – Moog Modular Re-issue
Sweet 
[NAMM] Tom Oberheim Two Voice Pro
Here’s a presentation of Tom Oberheim’s Two Voice Pro synthesizer at the NAMM Show 2015
KORG unveils ARP Odyssey Analog Synthesizer
Originally produced in 1972, the ARP Odyssey was updated with several improvements throughout its history and was manufactured until 1981, due to economic hardships and the rise of cheap polyphonic digital keyboards.
The new Korg Odyssey has a compact body, highly operable sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard. In addition, a new ‘DRIVE’ switch is provided and connectors include MIDI and headphone output as well as Patch cables have been added.
According to the company, “Korg has brought back the ARP Odyssey for today, while preserving the basic design of the original”.
The New ARP Odyssey
“Together the engineers at Korg and Arp were able to nail the sound and feel of the original. Under the advisory assistance of David Friend, the co-founder of ARP Instruments, every detail was adjusted to replicate the original unit’s distinctive synthesis,” says James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. “Every aspect has been carefully considered to stay true to the quality of the original, down to the sophisticated semi-hard case.”
Korg has completely reproduced the original circuitry for artists looking to recreate classic sounds and explore new ones. The ARP Odyssey has been downsized to 86% of the original. Carefully selected parts are used in the familiar slider section, providing an operating feel that’s even smoother than the original.
Product Specifications:
- Keyboard: 37-note (Slimkey, No velocity sensitivity, No aftertouch)
- Maximum Polyphony: 2 voices for duophonic; normally monophonic
- Controllers: Transpose Positions: 2 octaves down, normal, 2 octave up
- Proportional Pitch Control: b (Pitch down) Pad: about -2 / 3 octave – (Modulation) Pad
# (Pitch-up) Pad: about +2 / 3 octave - Noise Generator: Noise Spectrum Types (white and pink)
- Portamento: Maximum Speed: about 0.01 msec./oct
Minimum Speed: about 1.5 sec./oct - VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator): Waveforms: Sawtooth, Square, Pluse (Dynamic Pluse)
Frequency Range: VCO-1 in low freq. mode, 0.2 Hz – 20 Hz: VCO-1 and VCO-2 (audio range) about 20 Hz – 20 kHz
Warm Up Drift: 1/30 semitone from turn on max
Pulse Width: 50 % – 5 %
Pulse Width Modulation: ADSR, +45 %; LFO, +15 %
Voltage Controlled Response: 1 V/oct
Maximum Frequency Shifts: LFO sin wave, +1/2 oct.; LFO square wave, +1.5 oct.; ADSR, +9 oct.; S/H, +2 oct.
* VCO-1 is low note priority, VCO-2 is high note priority. - VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter): Types: Low pass (I: 12 dB/oct., II III: 24 dB/oct.)
Frequency Range: 16 Hz – 16 kHz
Maximum Usable Q: 30
Resonance: 1/2 – self oscillate
Voltage Controlled Response: C3 key (left edge): 0 V, C6 key (right edge) 3 V - VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier): Dynamic Range: 80 dB
- Ring Modulator:
Type: Digital
Input Signal: VCO-1, VCO-2 (square wave) - Sample & Hold:
Command Sources: Keyboard or LFO trigger
Sampled Signals: VCO-1 sawtooth wave and square wave, VCO-2 square wave and pink noise - ADSR Envelope Generator:
Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.
Decay Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec.
Sustain Level: 0 – 100 % or Peak
Release Time: 15 msec. – 10 sec. - AR Envelope Generator:
Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.
Release Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec. - Control Input Jacks:
Pedal: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Portamento Foot Switch: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack - Audio Output Jacks:
- LOW:
Connector: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Output Level: -20 dBu@ 10 k? load
Output Impedance: 10 k? - HIGH:
Connector: XLR connector
Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu@ 1 k? load
Output Impedance: 330 ?
- LOW:
- Headphones Jack:
Connector: ?6.3 mm stereo phone jack
Maximum Output Level: 50 mW + 50 mW@ 33 ? load
Output Impedance: 10 ?
* Controllable by volume knob. - External Audio Input (Ext Audio Input) Jack:
Connector: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Input Level: -10 dBu
Input Impedance: 22 k? - MIDI Connector:
IN - USB Connector:
Type B - CV IN/OUT Jacks:
Keyboard CV (IN/OUT): 1 V/oct.
Connector: ?3.5 mm monaural phone jack - GATE IN/OUT Jacks:
GATE IN: +3 V (minimum)
GATE OUT: +10 V, key down; 0 V all keys up
Connector: ?3.5 mm monaural phone jack - TRIG IN/OUT Jacks:
TRIG IN: +3 V pulse min., 10 ?sec. Duration minimum
TRIG OUT: +10 V pulse on key depression, 10 ?sec. Duration
Connector: ?3.5 mm monaural phone jack - Power Supply: AC adapter jack (DC 9 V)
- Power Consumption: 6.5 W
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 502 x 380 x 120 mm / 19.76″ x 14.96″ x 4.72″
- Weight: 5 kg / 11.02 lbs
- Accessories:
AC adapter, phone cable, mini-phone cable, owner’s manual, dedicated semi-hard case - Options:
VP-10 Volume Pedal, PS-1/PS-3 Pedal Switch
Pricing and Availability.
The new Korg ARP Odyssey has an MSRP $1400. Availability is TBA.
NAMM 2015: Roland\’s New JD-XA machine
NAMM 2015: Roland\’s New JD-XA – Big Daddy Of JD-Xi Now this looks interesting too
New video from Laibach – No History
Order SPECTRE: http://spectre.laibach.org/spectre/
Laibach tour dates: http://www.laibach.org/future-events
Laibach WTC store: http://wtc.laibach.org/
Deluxe CD: http://smarturl.it/SpectreDeluxeCD
CD: http://smarturl.it/spectreCD
LP: http://smarturl.it/spectreLP
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/spectreiTunes
SPECTRE TOUR
http://www.laibach.org/future-events
Video for No History was made by artist Vuk Jevremović, a big fan of Laibach. Vuk Jevremovic was born 1959 in Frankfurt am Main (Germany), but he spent his childhood in ex Jugoslavia. Following the family tradition, he studied Architecture at The Technical University Belgrade and graduated in 1984. After spending some time in the navy as a diver, he decided to dedicate his life to art: painting and drawing. He started exhibiting in 1986 and during the following years he was considered as a promising young artist in former Yugoslavia. He decided to move to Munich in 1991 where he studied at the academy of Fine Arts with professor Gerhard Berger. Later, he graduated as master student with professor Joseph Kosuth, 2002.
His inclusion into the animation world was due to a casual encounter with one renowned animator, Nedeljko Dragic, from Zagreb. He joined the animation course Dragic was giving and felt in love forever with the moving images. His first animation was based on a cheetah in motion, The Wind Subsides. That first film was shown all over the world, and it won 2 Grand Prix and 17 Awards. The next film, inspired by a R.M.Rilke’s poem, Panther, was also successful. It won 15 international awards and came into final balloting for the Oscar award (1998) as best animation short.
Since then, his life has been linked to animation and he has continued to create short films: Diary (2000)Oscar qualified, Faces (2002), Quercus, (2003), The Wheel Turns (2005) , Close Your Eyes and Do Not Breathe (2006) ,Lux (2007) and Patience of the Memory (2009) Oscar qualified.
LYRICS
No history
No repent
No surrender
No descent
No commandments on the wall
No god, no rules to scare you all
I’m here to take you forwards
You gotta kill your stupid fears
You got your whole life
You’ll need a sharp knife
Don’t wait
Cut through the system’s rules
Less is more for the fucking fools
If you wanna take the prize
You got a world to fight
Go on
Some rhythms must remain
Unbroken riots in reverse
You take the front line
I’ll find a good rhyme
Get to it
Don’t cycling to faking scores
The base is solid and in place
Just take the first cut
We’ll get the time right
Don’t wait
Use the wisdom of ancient sages
Call out for heroes
Who will be the creed
Of a new political faith
Use the language of misunderstanding
Disguise it
Occupy Wall Street
And judge the intentions of those we don’t trust
TOUR DATES: http://www.laibach.org/future-events/
Bitwig Studio 1.2 around the corner – check it out at NAMM
Bitwig has announced it will present the forthcoming Bitwig Studio 1.2 update at NAMM 2015 from January 22nd – 25th (Booth 4901 in Hall C).
Following the announcement, Bitwig will offer a sneak preview detailing the all-new features scheduled for the next major update, free for all Bitwig Studio license holders. Additional surprises can be expected on the actual release date of Bitwig Studio 1.2
Highlight of Bitwig Studio 1.2
- Group Tracks — Consolidate and simplify your mix.
In our next major update you can dramatically improve the navigation of numerous tracks in every view of your project while consolidating the signal flow of multiple sources through a single Group Track. The feature introduces a new style of editing in the Arrange View called “Meta Clips.” Meta Clips allow easy editing of clips from multiple tracks in group track timelines. Group Tracks also expand upon Bitwig Studio’s Multi-out VST functionality, providing a convenient way to setup tracks for multi-timbral VST instruments, and useful functions to organize and consolidate your entire mix. - Audition Browser — Browse, Audition, Insert, Swap
You created the part and now you need the proper sound, groove, or melody. To accelerate the browsing workflow, all devices in Bitwig Studio 1.2 feature an Audition icon. By clicking Audition, your entire catalog of sound becomes available. Browse, audition, swap and insert anything from presets and samples to full clips of sounds during playback. Whether or not in use, the Audition Browser can be hidden completely from view to save on precious screen real estate. Bitwig Studio’s advanced browsing eliminates the boundaries between devices to offer a meta view of all available sounds in one category. Searching for the right bass? It doesn’t matter if it’s a Polysynth preset or a sample, you now have the freedom to audition all your content in place, on the fly, to find sounds quickly and to get back to what is most important, making music. - Factory Content Update — Demo songs, amazing presets, and all new sounds.
The launch of Bitwig Studio introduced us to artists and producers around the world making the most of the devices included with Bitwig Studio. Since then, our Sound Team has been hard at work creating new standards that provide a fluid experience when navigating from one preset to the next. These standards were presented to several new partners to develop an extraordinary new addition of content and workflow to the Bitwig Studio Factory Library, sure to inspire music makers and sound designers everywhere. We are proud to introduce three new demo songs, over 500 fully-functional presets, and optimization of every preset in our Library with the help of Detunized, Mode Audio, Sample Magic, and Overclock Inc. as part of the Bitwig Studio 1.2 update. - Support for High-DPI and Retina Displays — Experience our next generation user interface in brilliant detail.
Bitwig Studio 1.2 is optimized for Macbook Retina and Windows High-DPI displays for a graphical user interface that is sharper than ever before.
Bitwig Studio 1.2 is a free update for all Bitwig Studio license holders. The Bitwig Studio 1.2 Beta will be available in February to select license holders.
More information: Bitwig
Grendel Grenadier – Video Demo
A quick run through the Grenadier’s functions: playing the keypad in real-time, activating the analog sequencer, storing a rhythm in the 32-step event loop, synchronizing two Grenadiers, and some basic patching.
The audio is recorded direct (not through an amplifier/microphone), with reverb and delay FX added. Uploaded January 2015
(Official Rare Waves LLC video)
More info at rarewaves.net/products/grendel-grenadier
DATAMASKIN
