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Roland updates two of its most popular stage pianos with new sounds.

Roland has announced expanded versions of two of its most popular stage pianos, the RD-2000 and RD-88. The RD-2000 EX and RD-88 EX have been updated with several new piano sounds, including a new concert grand piano and an ‘intimate’ upright.

The RD-2000 is Roland’s top-of-the-line RD stage piano, offering two sound engines that cover a variety of both acoustic and electric piano sounds and an 88-note PHA-50 progressive hammer-action keyboard. The RD-2000 EX boosts the original’s range with two additional pre-installed V-Piano Expansion titles: the German Concert V-Piano Expansion captures the sound of renowned concert-class grand pianos and arrives with 17 preset Tones.

This is joined by a newly-developed Essential Upright V-Piano Expansion, which is said to introduce an “intimate sonic flavour” that recreates the unique character and spatial quality of a premium upright, coming with 14 preset Tones that span pop, rock and more. Both the Essential Upright and German Concert can be customized with Roland’s Piano Designer tools.

Roland RD-88 sits at the more portable and affordable end of the brand’s stage piano line-up. The instrument’s expanded version RD-88 EX boasts the SuperNATURAL Acoustic Piano 3 Expansion, which also adds another premium concert piano to bolster the extensive range of acoustic and electric pianos already onboard, complete with 15 Preset tones that span bright, dynamic sounds and darker atmospheric textures.

The Roland RD-2000 EX and RD-88 EX are priced at $2599.99 and $1299.99 respectively at Amazon.  If you already own a RD-2000 or RD-88, you can upgrade your instruments with the news sounds via Roland Cloud for $199.99 and $99.99.

Find out more on Roland website.

Minimal Audio’s Ripple Phaser ‘more than just another phaser’ promises to inject movement and character into your sound.

Minimal Audio has been steadily expanding its line-up of effects plugins in recent months, releasing both Flex Chorus and Swarm Reverb this year.

Now, the latest addition to Minimal Audio’s stable is Ripple Phaser, a phaser that Minimal describe as a “multi-mode phase manipulator”, making it a sound more like an intergalactic weapon from Star Trek than an effects plugin.

Minimal tells us that Ripple Phaser can be used to introduce “liquid character and animated movement” through the use of seven different modes that cover everything from classic phasing effects to creative filtering and all-pass dispersion.

Ripple’s 24 notch filters can be shaped with frequency and resonance controls, while a comprehensive modulation section enables you to add movement and variety, modulating up to three parameters with its shapeable LFO and controls for randomization and stereo offset.

Ripple Phaser is available now at a discounted price of $29 for macOS and Windows in VST/AU/AAX formats.

Find out more on Minimal Audio website.

WMD let us know that – after seven years – the Geiger Pro Waveshaping Distortion Station is back in production.

Features:

• 256 new wavetables (512 wavetables in total)
• Wavetable Morphing
• 12 bit signal path
• 16 foot switchable and MIDI switchable Presets
• Easy to save and duplicate presets
• Full MIDI control over all parameters
• 2 assignable CV/Expression inputs
• Dry/Wet Mix
• End of chain Low Pass Filter
• Knob and CV soft take up on preset load
• RAND button for a random new immediate setting to aid inspiration

A video demo, via Pedal Partners:

Several editions are available, priced starting at $599.