The Williams Allegro 88-Key Digital Piano features 88 weighted hammer-action, velocity-sensitive keys, with 64-note Polyphony, 8 Preset Voices; 2 pianos, 2 electric pianos, 2 organs, strings and upright bass and 8 Preset Demo Songs, Effects; Reverb and Chorus, Layer and Split modes, large LCD display, a Metronome feature, MIDI In/Out, 2-track recording with song recording and playback.

The Allegro though is not a grand piano and has limited voices, but has good piano sounds. The grand piano is excellent and so is the pop piano as well. The electric pianos are good with electric piano 2 being the best of the two. It has the basic church organ and a very good rock organ. Both church and rock organ are supported with a Boss RT 20 for Leslie feel. Strings are for layering and the bass sound is an upright type sound, and when you layer a couple of sounds it grows on you. The Allegro keys are weighted - the touch sensitive and feel is good. The control modes are straight forward with an easy 3 digit LED display. The MIDI In/Out connections enables you to use it as a basic controller with your favorite DAW.

Despite weighing 17.2 kg, the Williams Allegro has held its own as a practice piano at the house. If you are looking for a decent full size 88-key digital piano for a fraction of the cost, this is it! - Williams Allegro. The simple and easy of use digital piano is ideal for beginners, advance players or occasional players as well. And with great Sounds, Style and Price!

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The Monotron Delay must be a smashing success for Korg. Taking the single oscillator design of the original - Monotron, the Korg Monotron Delay features a Space Delay that can produce intensity, analog-like echo effect. This analogue effect adds a whole range of classic analogue delays, to bring out vintage synth vibe, or add crazy dub-style effects. The delay even recreates the pitch effects of changing delay time whilst in operation.

Rather than being limited to just one LFO shape, as on the original, the Monotron Delay now has a LFO that is switchable between a triangle and square wave shape. Sharing the speed and intensity LFO controls of its older brother, using these in conjunction with the delay now opens up a world of tonal possibilities. And, the ribbon is now switchable to a ‘ wide’ four-octave mode, for extreme pitch sweeps and dives.  The Monotron Delay is equipped with a speaker, a ribbon keyboard, five knobs, and a single switch for performance.

Additionally, the reversed white keys and body adornments glows under black light illumination, making the portable keyboard ideal for delivering a striking visual impact on stage - the possibilities are virtually endless.

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Korg continues to expand its analog synthesizer empire in bite-sized chunks, with the introduction of two new analog synthesizers. The Korg Monotron Duo, and the Korg Monotron Delay Analogue Ribbon Synthesizers are new additions to the Monotron series. For those who are not familiar with Korg Monotron, it is a pocket sized, analog synthesiser, which featured the same filter circuit as Korg’s legendary MS20 and MS10 synthesizers. As a result, this palm-sized marvel sounded incredible. Thick, warm tone, with ferocious filters and an LFO meant that tones from speaker wrecking bass to squealing, otherworldly sci-fi effects could be created with ease. Now, we are excited about the new siblings: Korg Monotron Duo, and the Korg Monotron Delay.

Designed in a new blue casing, it is, as its name suggests however, twice the synth of the original in certain ways. The Monotron Duo now has two independently tunable oscillators! Unison tuning can be used to create thick pads and bass sounds, or to create fifths, octaves or other intervals for solos or other sounds and effects. To add further to the creative scope, the Korg Monotron Duo features an X-MOD control, using the circuit from Korg’s classic Mono/Poly Synth. This allows FM style modulations to be added to synth tones, creating anything from a slight ‘wobble’ to a harsh metallic edge.

The ribbon controller keyboard now also features the scale modes of the Korg Kaossilator. This enables it to be configured to play a chromatic scale - as a piano keyboard, or major or minor scales with ease, and make it easier to play in key with whatever you are recording or performing by sliding your finger around on the keyboard.

The Korg Monotron Duo is powered by two AAA alkaline batteries. The compact Monotron Duo can be held in one hand, and the ease of use invites hours of enjoyment and musical exploration.

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The Hammond electric organ was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934. It was originally intended and indeed used in churches as an alternative for the costlier wind-driven pipe organs. Though there have been numerous emulations throughout the 20^th and indeed in the 21st century some respectable soft-synth versions of the B-3 organ but nothing compares to playing an original Hammond instrument.

The new Hammond SK1 Combo Organ is a truly portable instrument weighing merely 15.4 lbs. As for emulating the original B-3, Hammond fans would love these two iconic features; the nine mechanical pitch drawbars, an iconic feature of the original Hammond organ that essentially served as a built-in mixer by allowing you to control the levels of various frequency waveforms, is a key feature as well as the built-in digital Leslie feature, which emulates the Doppler Effect of a true Leslie speaker remarkably well. This Doppler Effect from the Leslie speaker was a key part of the personality of the original Hammond and the emulation on the new SK1 is superb. A notable feature missing are bass pedals but remember because this is a digital emulation you can split the keyboard and actually play the lower register.

The Hammond SK1 offers feature-rich add-ons with a host of additional voices, like Acoustic and Electric Pianos, Clav, Vintage Combo Organs, Vintage String Synthesizer, Accordions, Pipe Organ, and many others which enables your Hammond to do more than just emulate. Hammond organ sounds to include emulations such as Vox, Continental and various Farfisa models. The range of onboard effects, including adjustable vibrato/chorus, reverb and overdrive are all wonderful benefits of the digital platform. The full MIDI and USB capabilities also bring the SK1 firmly into the 21st Century. The USB is great as you can save your own customised patches direct to flash or hard drive aside from connecting to your DAW.

Besides Hammond SK1, there are other instruments like Nord C2 and Nord Electro 3 HP. Each of these instruments has their own virtues and depending on your requirements you will without doubt purchase accordingly. What I like to say here about the SK1 is that this is a dedicated combo organ catering specifically for organ players. A highly desirable keyboard instrument - it has the portability, the sound, the playability, looks and the features. These will guarantee its popularity among gigging keyboardists. Additionally, there is also the SK2 for more advanced players, which has an extra layer of 61 notes for double-decker organ ripping.

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As we all know, Korg is a well-respected brand for their ability to create vast libraries of diverse effects and sounds. The updated version, the Korg Pa3X Arranger Workstation gives you the maximum flexibility inside of a single housing, which not too many keyboards make equally good arrangers and workstations but, Korg has succeeded in creating the pinnacle of flexibility. The Korg Pa3X features 61 semi-weighted keys and 76 semi-weighted keys; both with velocity and aftertouch, TFT display, TC Helicon Vocal Effects.

The Real eXperience engine is as powerful as it ever has been. Some of the included sounds are the highly acclaimed SV-1 stage piano, as well as a new stereo grand piano. With 1,100 sounds to choose from, the Korg Pa3X delivers on all accounts. Besides, it is not just about the sound as it would not do you any good without some rock solid effects to back them up, and the Korg Pa3X once again delivers the goods in this area. With more than 140 available effect types to choose from, all accessible from an easy to navigate user interface, you would not have any trouble crafting the exact structure, tempo, and tone of the sound you are imagining. It is much easier than ever to create, record, and perform all of your music, be it in MP3 format or recorded from the keyboard workstation itself. Including an Advanced Vocal Remover, if you are into doing covers that would not be a problem with the Korg Pa3X. Everything can be programmed into the workstation however you want, and if you need push button automation of an entire MP3, that is easy to do without leaving the user interface.

If you are a vocalist , you would like this TC-Helicon Voice Processor for Harmonies. Basically, Korg has included this feature to enable player to fully take advantage of their voice while playing this instrument. Including pitch correction and up to 4 realistic voice channels, you would not be disappointed with the backups this electric piano is able to automatically generate with very little input on your part.

In my opinion, though you may be able to find keyboards that do better in one or the other area for a fraction of the price but, you are going to be hard pressed to find a synth that incorporates more features from both an arranger AND a workstation any better than the Korg Pa3X. Korg is the leader in flexibility and sound quality. Korg have developed the Korg Pa3X Arranger Workstation Keyboard for one and only reason - To give you a Single keyboard for all of your musical needs, both in creation and performance.

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The Nord Electro 3 Hammer Action Portable ( HP in short) possess all the features of it’s predecessor Electro 3 but, is enhances with new Hammer Action Portable keybed, 4 selectable Dynamic Response Curve, a Delay Effect, Long Release mode, String Resonance-control and Extended Control Pedal .

The Nord Electro 3 HP is compatible with the acclaimed Nord Piano and Nord Sample Libraries - including access to Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds and a wide selection of quality sounds from leading sample producers. The new weighted keys Electro 3 HP carries across the tonewheel and transistor modelling of the Nord C1 organ and rotary speaker simulation too. You can select a dynamic curve to suit your playing style and there are four variations, and Nord have developed a new “Long Release” mode that you can select for a smooth legato style. Other effects include a flexible Delay which has a stereo “ping-pong” mode, Tap-Tempo, Rate and Amount. Live locations get ‘upped’ as well in the new model - from 1 to 4 , offering greater degree of of experimentation with regard to sounds and associated settings. Program access too has been improved providing the user with a faster, more efficient ‘button pressing’ sequence and ease of use during a performance.

Nord fans would love this new and weighted keyboard with the emphasis on playability and portability. Weighing merely 11 kg with 73-keys Hammer Action Portable keybed, the ultra portable professional Hammer Action keyboard sets it apart from the current competition. The Nord Electro 3 HP is ideal from gigs to stage performances and studio sessions.

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Yamaha’s new Piaggero NP series NP31 Keyboard features 76 full-sized keys with Graded Soft Touch, Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) Stereo Sampling technology, built-in Stereo Speaker System, Max. 32-note Polyphony, Effects; Reverb - 4 types, 10 Preset Voices; electric piano, organ, harpsichord, strings and vibraphone and Preset Piano songs; 10 voice and 10 piano demo - each with dedicated Voice select buttons, battery power or AC adaptor, eco-friendly mode.

The Yamaha Piaggero NP31 is compact, stylish and ultra-portable. Weighing just 12 pounds and operating on just 6 AA batteries, makes it an ideal choice for gigging musicians. The NP31 gives you the look and feel of a qual­ity stage piano with­out the price tag. It has 76 Graded Soft-Touch keys that, although not hav­ing a true piano feel, offers a more real­is­tic feel and tone than many other mod­els in the price range, thanks to Yamaha’s Advanced Wave Memory Stereo Sampling technology. With Yamaha’s Dynamic Voice Allocation, 32-notes is all a pianist needs to play and sustain notes naturally. In addition, with built-in ultra-natural piano voices, the NP31 can be use as a MIDI controller for home studio.

The NP31 has a very tidy pair of six-watt ampli­fiers for the stereo speak­ers means you can plug in your portable instrument or load it with bat­ter­ies and start play­ing straight away. The NP31 is also user-friendly, at the front panel a recessed power but­ton and rotary con­trol for the vol­ume give you a smoother and more del­i­cate touch to how loud you want to play, and dedicated buttons for each voice. Fur­ther­more, Yamaha have included an eco-friendly mode fea­ture that turns the key­board off after 30 min­utes of inac­tiv­ity. This new and robust 76-key digital piano pleases the piano purists - demanding portability, interactive features and superior piano Voice quality, for performing or practicing piano anywhere…

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The mini-keyed Korg microPiano digital piano features 61-key Natural Touch mini keyboard, 61 varied sounds - including 25 Short Phase Sounds; like electric pianos, harpsichords, accordion, celeste, organs, clavs, toy pianos, and many more, Max. 120 notes Polyphony, 40 demo songs, built-in speakers, battery power option. Build on ‘micro’ concept, the mini keyboard is surprisingly playable, and could be use as a serious instrument in the studio and at gigs.

The microPiano with up to 61 onboard sounds - changed by holding the sounds button and pressing any of the keys - the highlights include the piano, electric piano and the piano/string layers. They are great and inspiring to play, with its simple concept and general sound, and can be battery powered too. However, other onboard sounds like pipe organs, toy pianos, a clavinet, celeste, vibes, steel pans and some phases and demo songs are not as useful but, may appeal to the home piano users. The built-in speakers are a little underpowered but opening/shutting the lid enables you some extra options in terms of projecting the sound.

The Korg microPiano really does sound great for what looks like a toy, with some good pianos and electric pianos onboard. Use it on a gig or at a live performance. Perhaps, the Korg microPiano short fall is limited connectivity - no MIDI and no USB port therefore, the instrument is unable to integrate with computers and other studio gear. Weighing merely 11. 46 lbs, the portable keyboard is compact and looks great.. Additionally, the microPIANO is also an ideal choice for a child’s piano practice.

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The Roland JUPITER-80 Synthesizer is akin to a story of two synthesizers. The Jupiter-80 focuses on being a live-performance synthesizer for live playing, and a synthesizer  with an array of sounds. It features 76-note semi-weighted synthesizer keyboard with SuperNATURAL sound engine, Behavior Modeling technology, max. 256-Voices Polyphony, color touchscreen, USB-MIDI/Audio interface, Tone Blender, D Beam controller.

What sets Roland Jupiter-80 apart from the synthesizers today? Normally, when a keyboardist is trying to reproduce sounds other than a traditional keyboard instrument on the synthesizer, the typical sound engine inside cannot truly “interpret” an expressive keyboard performance done on keys into an authentic guitar, trumpet, or violin performance. Similarly, in other big computer sample libraries you will find all sorts of tricks for key switching and sample variations and other ways of providing the full range of instrumental articulations on a keyboard. The SuperNATURAL synthesis engine makes those massive sounds more playable, thanks to Roland’s newly developed Behavior Modeling technology. Behavior Modeling takes care of the interpretation by constantly analyzing the keyboardist normal, natural keyboard performance, and instructs the ultra-realistic SuperNATURAL sound engines inside the Jupiter-80 to “play” and constantly “articulate” the reproduced sound just as the “real” performer would based on the keyboardists timing and interval between notes, the strength at which the various keys are struck, or if the keyboardist is pressing a pedal to sustain notes. These actions, among others available to the keyboardist, are translated by the behavior model for the selected sound being reproduced into an authentic plucked or strummed performance in the case of a guitar, aggressive or smooth bowing in the case of a violin, and the sharp or smooth pitch changes created by the valves on a trumpet and the pressure of the trumpet player’s breath. These are some of the articulations with behavior modeling.

Additionally, the Jupiter-80 architecture enables the use of four tones, each with its own effects block, each with independent controls, on each of two layers - upper and lower - plus solo and percussion voices. The upper and lower voices each have reverb - solo and percussion have compressor, EQ, and delay. Touch-button access makes it relatively easy to mix sounds. Start with splits and layers, and you are ready to use the massive sound content to produce big hybrid textures while Tone Blender then enables you to work more with movement. The Roland JUPITER-80 is a dream come true for live-performers and gigging musicians love this powerhouse synthesizer.

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Avid’s M-Audio Venom is a 49-key, 12-voice polyphony, multi-timbral, virtual-analog synthesizer that set a new mark along these lines. The Venom offers a variety of performance controls for real-time tone shaping and can serve as a USB MIDI controller and 24-bit audio interface with microphone, line, and instrument inputs. It can also function as a standalone effects processor. The Venom features free Vyzex editor for Mac and PC, 512 single patches and 256 multi-patch combinations, Two Global Effects; Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Flanger, and Phaser, and 1 insert effect per multitimbral part ( 4 total); Compression, EQ, Distortion, Bit Reduction and Decimation.

The M-Audio Venom uses a newly designed “virtual analog” synth engine intended to offer a unique sonic signature, with the flexibility of digital operation but the warmth and grit of analog-emulation circuitry. M Audio certainly thought hard about how to pack Venom with great-sounding patches. Each one of the 512 single programs has, at its core, at least one sample of a classic synthesizer or drum machine waveform. The architecture of the synth section is three-oscillator, with each able to access any of the 41 waveforms or 53 drum sounds. It is a potent mix and the sounds are wonderful. But, the unique M-Audio Venom twist is that there is a tube saturation stage at the multi-mode filter which can be over-driven. Meaning that as well as being able to offer multiple filter modes; low, high and band, 2 and 4 pole, either 12 or 24dB of roll-off per octave, it is possible to internally distort signals. Additionally, each program can access three LFOs, three AHDSR envelopes and 16 separate modulation routing options, while effects provision comes in the form of two buses effects with Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Flanger and Phaser options.

The three arpeggiation modes are  Standard, Phrase and Drum. To modify the Arpeggiator from the front panel is rather restricted but, you can do more via the Vyzex software. Vyzex software is well designed and opens Venom up to much more sound programming. The immediacy of accessing the sounds and modifying them in real-time is intuitive and impressive. For sound designers, the Vyzex software editor is just for you and M-Audio Venom will exceed your expectations too.  A Phenomenal Synthesizer, indeed!


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