Tablet instruments – are they just toys or will they break the ice
For the past 2 years the market has more or less been swamped with tablet synthesizers, drum machines, vintage clones, ambient electronic instruments for tablets. At first it was more or less an iOS only business, Android has been struggling for a long time with its user experience and more importantly with its audio latency. But now there is movement also on the Android side with several music creation app developers porting their apps also on to Android, ie FL Studio, Caustic to name but a few.
NOTE: We do not claim that this screenshot necessarily implies a poor music experience, it is for illustrative purposes only
All this is great in a sense but how much real music production is being done on these devices, sure there are bands and artists that claim that their entire new album has been done on a tablet, but seriously how many go beyond using them for leisure playing or perhaps inspirational journeys into the ambient worlds of many of these glossy and experimental tablet synthesizers. Of course in a studio environment you can hook these tablets up, attach necessary controllers and get it all in your DAW, but is it effective – will it actually transform how we create music, will it replace an acoustic guitar or piano to create a new tune or melody. As of right now it tends to be more an effects generator for adding cool sounds, ambient pads, chip sounds etc. To be honest music creation is much more than machines – in the end no song is better than the melody that forms the base of music creation – tablets will not change this.
Just to be clear, we are not hardware fanatics in any way, most is done in a virtual studio environments. The question we ask, can tablets really take the jump from a toy or perhaps experimental control surfaces, to be effective tools in the music creation process. With crisp graphics and UIs you can run awesome looking vintage clones, like the iMS-20, but still comparing the feeling of twisting a virtual knob to a physical one – the sense of precision is not the same, sure you can hook it up to a keyboard and sure you can get a “real” KORG analog synth for the price of a couple of visits to Starbucks, but it is not the same as dealing with the real thing. But maybe this is good enough for a greater crowd and we have with tablets definitely pushed the envelope on what defines a music production environment. However, what can be seen now is that we only get more of the same – more ambient synths, more vintage clones, more cheap drum machines and sequencers, more experimental control surfaces and hybrid DAWs.
What will be the next step and will we ever take these guys below seriously 
We sure do in one sense, but in another it still feels so 2012…
The Laptop Orchestra of Lake Forest Academy plays Radiohead’s “Meeting in the Isle” as they open their Fall 2012 concert. 8 musicians play and project iPads on sound panels behind them while using a combination of apps including Animoog, iMS-20, iElectribe, Reactable, and Garageband.
Reason DAW goes modular
Introduction to the A-Series Modular Synth Rack Extensions for Reason
The A-Series Modular Synth is the first fully modular synth for Reason, where you can design your synths however you want for whatever sound you can imagine. And because all the modules are mix-and-match, all those Reason effects and devices that you already have can go right inside your custom synth.
Analog synthesizers – Orage Magnétique
Prototype of the orage magnétqiue analogue synth
Roland INTEGRA-7 SuperNATURAL Sound Module Demo with Scott Tibbs
Roland keyboard specialist Scott Tibbs demonstrates the Roland INTEGRA-7 SuperNATURAL sound module (and A-49 MIDI controller) at Kraft Music.
Roland marcomm pitch:
With the development of SuperNATURAL sound and Behavior Modeling technology, Roland has blurred the boundary between acoustic and electronic instruments. Built upon these core technologies, the new INTEGRA-7 gives musicians a gold mine of the latest SuperNATURAL sounds in a fast-access, fully stocked 16-part module.
The powerhouse rack comprises a “greatest hits” collection of sounds from Roland’s flagship keyboards and V-Drums modules, plus a coveted lineup from the legacy SRX library. It also introduces a new technology called Motional Surround, a 17-part ambience engine that lets you graphically control the distance and position of each part within 360-degree sound field. With the immense power of the INTEGRA-7, you can create amazingly realistic and detailed orchestral arrangements, immersive, spatial sounds, and beyond.
TB303 programming with random tune tweaking
A quick demo of programming the TB303, then some random tune tweaking.
The Roland TB303 is a monophonic analog bass synthesizer married to a pattern-based step sequencer released in 1982. It features a single analog oscillator with two waveforms (ramp or square) and has a simple but excellent VCF (filter) with resonance, cut-off, and envelope controls. There are also knobs to adjust tuning, envelope decay, tempo and accent amount.
It’s not a performance synthesizer because you have to program a pattern of notes and timing info into it (sort of like a drum machine). Patterns can then be linked into songs. It was originally made to accompany a drum machine, the TR-606 specifically, and provide bass-line accompaniment to guitarists, keyboard players, etc. It was not a successful product in its time. As a result, creative DJs and aspiring electronic musicians found them for next to no money and began using them for techno and acid music. Usually a single pattern is continuously played while the performer tweaks the knobs creating an exciting and expressive musical event.
The TB-303 has become one of the most sought after vintage synths ever! It has helped develop and stylize many forms of electronic music including House, Acid, Trance and Ambient. If ever there was a need for a repetitive bassline/groove or an extremely resonant and bubbly sound, the 303 is KING. Truly a unique machine with a very identifiable sound! It has spun off several imitators as well: Novation Bass Station, ReBirth, Doepfer MS-404, MAM MB-33, Syntecno TeeBee, and more (see Related & Alternative Gear sidebar).
A short sequence showing how a TR606 sounds when distorted.
The 10 things we enjoyed the most at NAMM 2013 and major trends
Time to sum up this years Winter NAMM show with a gallery of the 10 things that made this year’s event so great. I guess there will be few surprises to those who regularly follow our web magazine or any other of our web mag colleagues in the msuic creation business either
Overall trends for this year include:
a. More vendors takes the route of Arturia’s MiniBrute – analog, low price point, performance sized
b. Modular synths are hotter than ever, as well as the DIY micro synths
c. The controller / control surface segment is getting over crowded – who needs them all
d. Software retro clones of vintage classics has come to its peek
e. All analog synths are alive and kicking
f. All you can eat tablet instruments – iOS is all fed up, now vendors are looking to Android and other platforms
g. More innovation is needed in the DJ space
Here is Steelberry Clones’ top 10 list!
1. Moog Sub Phatty
2. KORG MS-20 Mini
3. KORG KingKORG
4. Arturia SparkLE
5. Dave Smith Instruments – Prophet 12
6. Roland V-Combo VR-09
7. AKAI MAX49
8. NORD Electro 4
9. NUMARK Orbit
10. KOMA Elektronik
That’s it for this year’s NAMM show, next up is MusikMesse in Frankfurt.
Please leave your comments if you agree or disagree with the listing or if anything ought to be added. We know that we probably should have included some software products as well, but we might come back to that later in the week.
The Wheelharp – indepth video
“A curious instrument from the 2013 NAMM show. It has stings that move in contact with a rotating “bow” to play the strings like a violin. Yes. They are very expensive but quite lovely”
Connecting the MS-20 Mini to your Modular systems
Modular synth manufacturer The Harvestman has announced a new module that’s designed to make it easy to connect the new Korg MS-20 Mini to modular synthesizers.
Here’s the official announcement:
I announce with great satisfaction ENGLISH TEAR, the first in a line of small utility modules.
This module features the expected “voltage processor” attenuverter and big offset knobs, but also includes a full set of functions for interfacing to an MS-20. Easy conversion from exponential volt-per-octave to linear hertz-per-volt and back, as well as V-trigger to S-trigger conversion. Jack normalling fixes the voltage processors to these converter circuits, so you may scale the input voltages as desired. The log/expo converter circuits also have many other uses in your modular system beyond the conversion of pitched voltages.
Pricing and availability are to be determined.
Physicist of Sound | Carsten Nicolai
Sound and science converge in Carsten Nicolai’s installation work, which perform autonomously to embrace the tension inherent in accidents.
For more information:
http://thecreatorsproject.com/creators/carsten-nicolai
Checking out Cakewalk Sonar X2
Brandon from Roland walks us through Cakewalk Sonar X2 and its ability for multitouch mixing on touch screens.
Cakewalk marcomm pitch:
From getting a great tone to releasing the final mix, today’s musicians must master every element of the music production process. SONAR X2 is there every step of the way and takes each element to the next level of power and usability. And thanks to the revolutionary Skylight user interface, SONAR X2 lets you move seamlessly among the elements, instantly going from recording to editing to mixing and back again. And do it all with a single Smart Tool. It’s genius.
DATAMASKIN
