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Roland’s new Aira Compact range puts TR drums, 303 basslines and Juno synth sounds in your pocket. “Fun, affordable and easy-to-learn” line-up also includes a vocal processor.

 

Once again Roland’ Aira instrument range is being expanded with the launch of three ‘Compact’ instruments – the T-8 Beat Machine, J-6 Chord Synthesizer and E-4 Voice Tweaker, the company’s rich heritage.

 

Roland Aira products are completely digital. These are “fun, affordable, and easy to learn” boxes that are designed to be used either individually or together, in a similar way to Korg’s Volcas.

 

Again, Roland’s Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology is in play, and each model comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that promises plenty of run time.

 

 

The T-8 Beat Machine is the most straightforward of the three. It is a mini rhythm factory, with six-track drum machine that includes sounds from the TR-808, TR-909 and TR-606. Additionally, there is a bass part based on the TB-303, taking the device tentatively into groovebox territory.

 

Other features include a sequencer – this can run to up to 32 steps – with features such as step loop, pattern shift and probability enabling you to add variation to your grooves. You can tweak your bass sound, and there are reverb/delay send effects.

 

Features:

 

• Portable rhythm and bass machine with genuine Roland sounds
• Six rhythm tracks with sounds from the influential TR-808, TR-909, and TR-606 drum machines
• Bass track with sawtooth/square waveforms and hands-on controls derived from the TB-303 Bass Line
• Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology faithfully recreates the tonality and behavior of vintage Roland instruments
• Classic TR-REC drum sequencer with 64 user patterns and up to 32 steps each
• Advanced rhythm programming with probability, sub step, last step, and velocity
• Real-time recording and powerful performance features like step loop, mute, fill, reload, and pattern shift
• Color and process sounds with delay, reverb, overdrive, and sidechain compression
• Comprehensive connectivity with audio, MIDI, and sync I/O plus AIRA Link
• Class-compliant USB-C audio/MIDI interface—no drivers needed
• Lithium-ion battery with up to 4.5 hours of operation per charge
• Sturdy construction and high-quality rubber pads
• Connect to other AIRA Compacts and standard MIDI devices with optional BOSS TRS MIDI cables

 

Roland T-8 Audio Demos:

 

 

The J-6 Chord Synthesizer is arguably a more curious proposition – it blends a Juno-60 synth engine (presumably the same one as you will find in the new full-size Juno-X) with a chord sequencer. J-6 is a “portable synth toolbox” and is designed to be used by non-players – 100 chord sets are included, with each enabling you to trigger chords and create progressions using the built-in keyboard. You can also dial in variations- example arpeggios and guitar-style playing.

 

In fact, you could just use the J-6 as a synth. The J-6 like the other Aira Compacts has MIDI connectivity and 4.5 hours of wireless operation, though beyond choosing the sound itself. Editing is limited to filter and envelope controls. Again, there are also delay and reverb effects.

 

Features:

 

• Portable song creation machine with professional Roland sound and features
• Create with 100 chord sets spanning classic and contemporary music genres
• Add arpeggios and rhythmic phrases to chords via nine styles with 12 variations in each
• Programmable chord sequencer with 64 user patterns and up to 64 steps in each
• Four-voice JUNO-60 synth engine with authentic sound realized through Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology
• Includes 64 ready-to-play synth presets derived from the original JUNO-60
• Filter and envelope controls for shaping synth sounds in real time
• High-quality delay and reverb effects with customizable settings
• Comprehensive connectivity with audio, MIDI, and sync I/O plus AIRA Link
• Class-compliant USB-C audio/MIDI interface—no drivers needed
• Lithium-ion battery with up to 4.5 hours of operation per charge
• Sturdy construction and high-quality rubber pads
• Connect to other AIRA Compacts and standard MIDI devices with optional BOSS TRS MIDI cables

 

Roland J-6 Synthesizer Audio Demos:

 

 

Lastly, the E-4 Voice Tweaker, a compact vocal effects box that promises everything from standard processors to full-on vocal transformers. There are pitch and formant sliders for instant gender switching and robot voice effects (among other things), and you also get the customary automatic pitching/harmonising and vocoder options.

 

You can capture your performances with a 24-second looper, while the Scatter knob enables you to dial in slice effects.

 

Features:

 

• Vocal performance tool with powerful voice transformer effects
• Instantly shape the sound with pitch and formant sliders
• Advanced vocal effects including Auto Pitch, harmony, and vocoder
• Dial up unique rhythmic effects with the Scatter knob
• Process the sound output with high-quality reverb, echo, tempo delay, and chorus effects
• Low-cut filter and noise gate to eliminate unwanted sounds
• 24-second looper with unlimited overdubbing, undo/redo, and automatic BPM detection
• Supports external MIDI control of pitch, harmony, and vocoder functions
• ¼-inch mic input with wide-ranging gain control
• Headphones output with support for an inline mic
• Comprehensive connectivity with audio, MIDI, and sync I/O plus AIRA Link
• Class-compliant USB-C audio/MIDI interface—no drivers needed
• Lithium-ion battery with up to 3.5 hours of operation per charge
• Sturdy construction and robust controls
• Connect to other AIRA Compacts and standard MIDI devices with optional BOSS TRS MIDI cables

The three Roland Aira Compact devices are available now priced at $200 each.

E-4 Voice Tweaker Audio Demos:

 

Find out more on the Roland website.

 

 

 

Korg NTS-2 is a ‘studio Swiss Army Knife’ that ships with a semi-modular synth book

 

Given the numeric nature of its name, a sequel to Korg NTS-1 build-it-yourself synth always felt like it could be on the cards. The NTS-2 isn’t a complete surprise, then, but its design – along with the fact that it ships with a complementary book – does come a little out of leftfield.

 

A pocket-sized oscilloscope, spectrum analyser, waveform generator and tuner

 

This is chiefly because the centrepiece of the hardware is not a synth engine but a 4-channel oscilloscope. This offers dual stereo inputs, which enable you to study, compare and overlap up to four signals at once. There are multiple colour display modes, and an interface that can be navigated with menu buttons and a clickable encoder.

 

In addition, there is FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) mode with a real-time spectrum analyser, along with a dual waveform generator. Each of the two oscillators can create sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, pulse and noise waveforms.

 

Besides being used as audio, these sounds can also be employed as control voltage sources and set to cycle continuously or operate as one-shot impulses, meaning that you can turn them into LFOs, envelopes, triggers, and control voltage generators, making the NTS-2 a potentially useful partner for any patchable synth.

 

The Korg NTS-2 slightly unusual feature set is topped off by a tuner that offers multiple display modes. The end result is what Korg is calling a studio Swiss Army Knife for musicians.

 

 

Shipping with the hardware is Patch & Tweak with Korg, the latest in a series of books from Bjooks. This focuses on semi-modular synthesis, and its tutorials, tips and tricks lean heavily on Korg’s MS-20 Mini, Volca Modular and Arp 2600 M synths, along with the SQ sequencers.

 

 

The book covers everything from synth basics to advanced sound design, and includes more than 25 new exclusive interviews with the likes of Pete Townshend, Jean-Michel Jarre and Richard Devine.

 

You will need to build the NTS-2 yourself, but based on our experience with the NTS-1, this will be quick and easy.

 

 

NTS-2 pricing is still to be announced, and it won’t be available until early summer. Find out more on the Korg website.

 

 

 

Chinese company Donner,  dishes up their first B1 analog synthesizer. The affordable analog bass synthesizer promises 303-style specs and a “beginner-friendly” interface

Already known for its guitar and piano products, budget brand Donner is now getting into the synth market. The new B1 is set to operate at the lower end of both the price and frequency spectrum, being an affordable single-oscillator analogue bass synth in the vein of the Roland TB-303.

The B1 comes with a built-in sequencer, and can also be triggered via MIDI or by using the silicone keyboard. And you can choose between sawtooth and square waveforms, and there’s also a filter with cutoff, resonance and depth controls. Saturation and delay effects are here, too.

The B1 is available now and costs $153.99 – more, it has to be said, than Behringer’s similarly spec-d TD-3. However, Donner says that the B1 benefits from having a “beginner-friendly” interface, with an “optimised sequencer” that’s easy to use.

You can find out more on the Donner website.