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

Green Noise has introduced Saucillator, a free app for iOS and Android that lets you create and play your own custom synthesizers and instruments.

What they have to say about it:

“Inspired by the Korg Kaossilator and Moog synthesizers, Saucillator transforms mobile devices into a platform for creating and playing digital synthesizers. Users use the touchscreen to manipulate oscillators and effects, and can also do live-looping and recording. Our goal is to be beginner friendly while at the same time offering all the deep, complex features traditional synth users love.

Users are able to play custom synthesizers using the x-y axes of the touchscreen. The x-axis corresponds to amplitude (volume) and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (pitch). Playback can also be looped, recorded, and EQed using a Parametric EQ.

On top of performing, users are able to create their own custom synthesizers, which consist of a custom timbre and user-defined effects. A variety of timbres are included: Sine, Square, Saw, Pulse, Noise, Theremin, “Singing Saw”, “Electric Eel”, and “Starslide.” These, as well as any user-created synths, can be mixed and matched at different harmonics, amplitudes, and phases to create custom sounds.

Each synth has customizable fx parameters as well, including Envelope (ADSR – attack & release), Vibrato LFO (rate & depth), Tremolo, Delay, Distortion, Parametric EQ, and Note Lag (Portamento).”

You can also export your designs to share with others.

Saucillator is available now, for iOS & Android, as a free download.

At Bistronica 2025, Modor Music introduced the NF-1K, a keyboard version of the NF-1 that offers double the polyphony.

A preview, from Sonic State‘s Bistronica coverage:

“We had a chat with Marcel from Modor who introduced us to the *NF-1K*, an expanded keyboard version of their original NF-1 synthesizer. The NF-1K features an additional voice board, effectively doubling the polyphony and offering two-voice multi-timbrality, allowing you to split the keyboard for layering sounds.

The synthesizer has a 49-key keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch, a large touch strip for pitch bending, and two more touch strips for modulation control.

One design change is the integrated knob for continuous filter mode crossfading, replacing the switch found on the NF-1. Compatibility enables you to transfer and utilize your favourite NF-1 patches on this new model, which also introduces a new headphone output alongside the usual line outputs.”

The Modor NF-1K is expected to sell for approximately €3000. Release date is still to be determined.

 

Kodomo has introduced The MASK1EX, a desktop synthesizer that they say offers “all the incredible sounds of the MASK1 in a small, stylish, lightweight and cost-efficient package.”

The oscillators are based on bitmask synthesis. A sine wave is split into different sections that are repeated, scaled, inverted or silenced, to build a new waveform.

Features:

• The Kodomo MASK1EX comes with 377 preset sounds and 200 user memory slots.
• Each voice offers two bitmask oscillators, two multimode digital filters, four envelopes, a noise source and two LFOs.
• Onboard stereo effects.
• Change articulation between notes depending on how you play.
• Built-in looper makes it ideal for jamming.

Specifications:

Synthesis type      Bitmask, Subtractive

Polyphony             10 voices with optimized allocation

Play modes           Polyphonic, monophonic, slurred, mono portamento on legato, paraphonic,

hybrid poly-mono on legato, slurred paraphonic, mono retrigger, poly retrigger

Multitimbrality    1 part (2 in layered/split mode)

Oscillators           20 digital bitmask oscillators (two per voice) with 8x oversampling,

512 masks each

Noise                    10 generators with programmable sample-and-hold frequency

Filter                   20 (two per voice), 12dB/oct or 24dB/oct, resonant with pitch tracking and

4 modes (low, high, band pass, notch).

Envelopes             4 loopable ADSR per voice (osc1, osc2, noise, filter), 3 delta-decay (osc1

mask, osc2 mask, pitch)

LFO                       2 per part with 7 waveforms and noise, delay, decay and 16 destinations

Arpeggiator         26 patterns with adaptive or fixed chords, latchable, retrig or pitch change

modes. Arp do send note events to MIDI out.

Looper                  Up to 10000 events, unlimited duration, single track. Records notes, pitch

bend, mod wheel, aftertouch and sustain pedal.

Effects                  Two stereo effects in series. First effect: chorus, phaser, distortion,

bitcrusher, tremolo and ring mod (64 types). Second effect: delay, comb filter, reverb, room simulations and distortion (48 types)

Modulations       Velocity (6 destinations), modulation wheel (16 destinations), aftertouch (16

destinations), LFO1 and LFO2 (16 destinations each)

Split                   Configurable split point, balance between voices, transpose, panning and

tuning

Layer                   Configurable balance between voices, transpose, panning and tuning

Misc                     Voice pan spread, polyphonic portamento, keyboard envelope rate scaling

Memory              377 factory presets, internal storage for 200 user voices. EEPROM-based (no

battery required)

Audio outputs    2 balanced 1/4″ TRS jack, pro audio level with +/-12V internal power supply,

1/4″ jack headphones

MIDI                  2 DIN (in, out), class-compliant USB type B, SysEx voice transmit/receive,

CC-mapped voice parameters

Controls               23 buttons, 2 rotary encoders

Display                 4-digit red display

Pedal input           Sustain, 1/4″ TS jack, adaptive polarity

Tuning                 400-470Hz. 6 temperaments including arabic tuning.

Size                        33 x 11 x 3cm

Weight                   458g

Power                     External 12V DC adapter, AC 100-240V in

Panel                      White, gold-plated

The Kodomo MASK1EX is priced at €299 ex.VAT. It’s currently listed as sold out.