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

Hammond organs have many qualities, but portability isn’t usually one of them. The new M-solo, though, is cut from different cloth (and significantly less of it, as well) ‘It weighs less than a Fender Strat’.

The M-Solo is said to be in the spirit of the previous Hammond M and L series models, which were themselves designed to draw on the DNA of the classic B-3, C-3 and A-100 organs. The result is “the lightest and most compact true Hammond Organ ever produced”.

Tipping the scales at a mere eight pounds, Hammond says that the M-solo weighs “less than a Fender Strat”, which is certainly not something that could have been said about any of its previous organs. One of the compromises is a smaller, 49-note keyboard, but the MTW II drawbar engine is the same as the one found in the XK-4 organ.

Plenty of other essential Hammond features are here, as well: physical drawbars, vibrato-chorus and touch-response percussion, for example. The multi-touch keybed promises a B-3-style feel, and there are transpose and octave shift controls for when you need to change key or range.

And of course, no Hammond would be complete without a Leslie speaker emulation – in this case a “high definition” digital one.

To give the M-solo a little more flexibility, Hammond has added in three transistor combo organ sounds as well, along with a ‘70s-style string ensemble and even a 2-oscillator analogue style polysynth. Control of these sounds comes via the drawbars.

Hammond is also releasing a soft gig bag for the M-solo; this features double shoulder straps so it can be worn like a backpack.

Offered in Matte black or Matte burgundy, the M-solo is available now priced at $1,295/£1,189. Find out more on the Hammond website.

Akai Pro’s MPC Key 37 is a standalone synth and sampling keyboard that promises to blend portability with power.

Today, AKAI Pro introduced a new MPC for synth players, the MPC Key 37.

The MPC Key 37 packs a lot of power into a compact and – at $899 – relatively affordable instrument. It features 37 full-size synth-action keys, 16 RGB MPC pads, 32GB of internal storage, support for the MPC Stems and more. It’s designed to be a portable and powerful MPC for synthesist, electronic musicians and producers.

The keys support aftertouch, and there are dedicated pitchbend and modulation wheels. Further control comes via the four assignable Q-Link knobs.

This being an MPC, you get a bank of velocity-sensitive pads, as well. These sit alongside a 7-inch touchscreen that enables you to navigate the now well-established MPC standalone workflow, which includes both sampling and sequencing.

MPC Keys 37 contains more than 8GB of sounds and sample content, and new owners also get a voucher for one additional plugin from the available range. This includes classic synth and other keyboard emulations and the Flex Beat plugin, and you can also bolster your content selection via MPC Expansion packs. There’s a direct link to Splice over Wi-Fi, too, and support for the MPC Stems music separation feature is on the way.

Effects are also included, and MPC Key 37 ships with the MPC2 desktop software so that you can continue to work on projects on your computer, adding more tracks and using VST/AU plugins.

In terms of hardware specs, MPC Key 37 offers a quad-core ARM processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage, 16GB of which is available as user storage. There’s audio and MIDI I/O, CV/Gate connectivity and an SD card slot. The MPC Key 37 is available now for $899

Features:

• Standalone MPC
• 37 key synth-action keybed w/ Aftertouch / Pitchbend and Modulation Wheel
• 16 Velocity and pressure-sensitive pads, RGB-backlit
• 8 Banks accessible via 4 Pad Bank buttons
• 4 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link knobs for parameter adjustment
• 1 Data encoder for value adjustment and selection via push buttons
• 38 Dedicated-function buttons
• Full-color LED-backlit display with touch interface
• Processor: Quad-core ARM® processor
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: 32 GB (over 22 GB available for user storage)
• Connections
  • (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS Inputs (1 stereo pair)
  • (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS Outputs (1 stereo pair)
  • 1/4” (3.5 mm) stereo headphone Output
  • 1/4” Sustain Input
  • 1/4” Expression Input
  • 1/4” FS2 Input
  • (1) 5-pin MIDI Input
  • (1) 5-pin MIDI Output
  • (4) 4 TRS CV/Gate Jacks, 8 Outputs Total
  • USB Type-A port
  • USB Type-B port
  • SD Card slot
  • Power Adapter Input

The Dirtywave M8 handheld hardware tracker is getting in shape for summer with a new Model:02 version that offers several physical improvements.

Dirtywave announces M8 Tracker Model:02. This is the successor to the original M8, and promises the ‘same brains with improved physical features’ – an aluminium case, a larger display and improved battery life.

To recap, the original M8  a handheld tracker that was powered by the Teensy microcontroller and took its inspiration from Game Boy tracker Little Sound DJ. It offered eight monophonic tracks/voices, each of which could be used for one of the built-in synthesis engines or to trigger external MIDI hardware.

The Model:02 takes this concept and adds in a new machined aluminium case, a larger 3.5-inch IPS TFT display (up from 2.8-inch) and improved battery life of up to 12 hours. There’s also a built-in mic for onboard sampling and a USB-C connection that can be used in device mode.

If you own the original M8 then there’s no need to panic: your model will continue to be supported with the same features as the 02 in concurrent firmware updates.

The M8 Tracker Model:02 is available for pre-order now priced at £525, with shipping set to begin in May 2024. Find out more on the Dirtywave website.