WORLD OF MUSIC ; PORTABLE KEYBOARD - Latest Portable Music Keyboards, Synthesizers and Music News

Vochlea’s Dubler Studio Kit is a realtime voice-to-MIDI package that comprised a software application and bespoke USB microphone.

You can sing your way to success with the Dubler 2 voice-to-MIDI software.

Vochlea is following-up the Dubler Studio Kit with Dubler 2, an improved software-only offering.

Update adds standalone operation so you can use it without a DAW.

As before, the idea is that you can record your musical ideas by ‘vocalising’ them; example-rather than using a keyboard or pad controller, but there’s more to Dubler 2 than audio to MIDI conversion.

You can also trigger samples, control synths, play chords, manipulate filters and effects, lock to a key, track pitch, bend pitch and control envelopes, velocity and MIDI mapping values simultaneously.

Unlike Dubler Studio Kit, Dubler 2 can also be used completely standalone – it includes a selection of synth presets and an 808 sample pack, so you can ‘play it’ without the need for any other software. You’ll still need to connect it to a DAW if you want to record, though.

In addition, there is a new UI, which is said to be more intuitive, while the rebuilt audio engine promises to be lighter on CPU. You can control external MIDI hardware, as well.

Users can now use their own microphone, though Dubler 2 can still be purchased with Vochlea’s own USB mic if you purchase the updated Studio Kit.

Compatible with PC and Mac, Dubler 2 is available now priced at £189. An upgrade from the original Dubler costs £59, and there is also a 7-day trial version.

The Dubler Studio Kit 2 is available for pre-order priced at £249, with delivery expected to be in November.

Find out more on the Vochlea website.

Alesis is trying to stand out from the market by pointing to the synth-action keys, velocity-sensitive pads and comprehensive software bundle when asking you to consider its V Series II.

There are 25-, 49- and 61-note models in the range, all of which offer eight pads with full level and note repeat controls, four assignable knobs, pitchbend and mod wheels, octave buttons and a 1/4-inch sustain pedal input. You also get an arpeggiator with six different modes, plus tap tempo, time division, gate and swing controls.

The software bundle is built around MPC Beats, the free-to-download pad-based DAW from Akai, and is bulked out with seven MPC Beats Expansion packs

Available now, the Alesis V25 MKII, V49 MKII and V61 MKII cost £80, £100 and £130 respectively. Find out more on the Alesis website.

Ableton announced Live 11.1, now available as a beta release, an update that adds support for Apple Silicon Macs and a variety of other improvements.

Ableton Live 11.1 adds native support for Apple’s M1 Silicon Macs, and you can try it right now. And if you have been waiting for it, its arrival is good news.

We are referring to native support for Apple’s M1 Silicon Macs, the first batch of which was released almost a year ago. This means that owners of M1 13-inch MacBook Pro will now be able to run Ableton Live without the need for Apple’s ‘translation’ software Rosetta, unleashing the full power of their computers in the process.

Whereas, owners of Windows machines and older Macs may be nonplussed by this news, Live 11.1 does also give them an updated Shifter device to play with. This adds a new mode for real-time monophonic pitch shifting, as well as delay, an envelope section, an LFO and glide functionality.

In addition, there are two new Max for Live utilities: Align Deay and MIDI Shaper. Align Delay enables users to compensate for lag when sending signals through their system, while MIDI Shaper generates modulation data that can bring more expression to MIDI performances.

Other tweaks include improvements to comping, updates to Clip handling and more.

Live 11.1 is available now in public beta.  You can sign up to the beta program on the Ableton website, where you can also view the release notes.

Full details are available at the Ableton website.