Developer John Howes let us know that he has released an update to Strokes, a cross-platform (iOS, Mac & Win) software workstation, adding 16 synth engines, derived from the Mutable Instruments Plaits multi-oscillator.
Other updates in Strokes v3.10 include:
Pitch sequencing and quantizers
Fully customisable modulation matrix, any modulation source can connect to any sound parameter
Bit crushing & sample rate reduction added to sampler, as well as start/loop point modulation
Panning & fine tune
About Strokes:
Strokes is an all-in-one, cross-platform workstation for sequencing, sampling and synthesis.
Howes says that “the idea of this device is to encourage free-flow experimentation and exploration of rhythm and modulation.”
The first four sequencer channels can be set according to your wishes, while the other four behave in various ways according to those settings. Each channel can be assigned one of 16 oscillators from Mutable Instruments’ Plaits module. Alternatively, they can each be assigned to samples of your choice with various sound design options.
There are probability options to add semi-random changes to the sequencers, and on-board reverb and delay add effects processing to the sounds being generated. Various modulation options allow these sounds and effects to be changed in subtle or significant ways, always in response to the other rhythmic behavior taking place in the project.
Strokes can run as a VST3 or AU plug-in within all major DAW environments, meaning the MIDI information generated can also be assigned to your own software and hardware instruments. On iOS, Strokes can run as a standalone application or from within a host such as AUM. Strokes is available now, with the following pricing:
iOS – £19.99
Desktop – £35
Cross-platform bundle – £40
Akuto Studio is previewing the Chord Machine, a slick-looking new MIDI controller with a button keyboard that can be played in accordion, piano and Tonnetz configurations.
Is Akuto Studio’s Chord Machine AKT-0.1 an Omnichord for the OP-1 generation?
The AKT-0.1 features 28 round keys, two shift keys and an infinite rotary encoder on one side, and a four-inch capacitive touchscreen on the other. This screen enables you to play up to four effects simultaneously and trigger notes in direct, bimanual and strum modes.
When you are playing, the rotary knob can be used to move through semitones and octaves, and to adjust the pitch of any chord. Because the device can be flipped through 180 degrees it offers ambidextrous usage, which is a nice touch.
Connectivity is via USB-C (there’s no mention of Bluetooth MIDI) and the AKT-0.1 is built from a combination of aluminium and ABS thermoplastic.
The chord button/strumming combination makes us wonder if the AKT-0.1 may have been at least partly inspired by the Omnichord, which itself is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment and is being revived to celebrate manufacturer Suzuki’s 70th anniversary. The styling, meanwhile, calls to mind Teenage Engineering’s ubiquitous OP-1.
A Kickstarter campaign for the AKT-0.1 will kick off on 25 April.
If the Chord Machine looks like a bit of you, you can join the waiting list and qualify for an $80 discount via the Akuto Studio website.
Toontrack’s EZkeys 2 makes it even easier to create piano parts for your songs and could even help you write them
Toontrack has introduced EZkeys 2, a new version of the software that is designed to help you create piano parts for your songs when you can’t or won’t generate them yourself.
This is said to have been rebuilt from the ground up and offers a new, fully resizable and scalable interface. Right out of the gate, you should notice that it sounds better, too, with a new sampled grand piano that was captured using a wide range of mics and ambiences. There’s a new MIDI library as well, which covers multiple playing styles and genres, and a change to the business model means that the core sound library now comes included.
Apparently, EZkeys 2 is also smarter than its predecessor, with a Tap2Find feature enabling you to find grooves based on rhythms and notes that you input. The Bandmate will select chords and grooves based on your own audio or MIDI, and there’s a built-in grid editor with humanization, scale matching, timing features and more.
The Tap2Find and Bandmate features in EZdrummer 3, which was released last year. And, like that software, EZkeys 2 comes with mix-ready presets for use in your projects.
EZkeys 2 will be released in May, but existing EZkeys users can pre-order their upgrade now and save up to $20. If you’re new to the software, you can buy an existing version of EZkeys now for €179 and get the version 2 update when it is released.
