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A year on from the release of Earth Piano, Roland is launching Earth Electric Piano, a software instrument that the company says brings “every electric piano you’ve ever loved together at last”, placing an extensive library of “meticulously crafted” tones and customization options beneath an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.

Earth Electric Piano combines multi-sampling with Roland’s proprietary modelling techniques to deliver recreations of “the full spectrum of classic electric piano sounds” from musical history, from trusty Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds to the Hohner Clavinet and Yamaha CP series.

Also onboard is a Vintage Digital category that features synth-based piano tones from instruments like the Roland RD-1000 and JD-800, along with “classic FM voices” like the Yamaha DX7. Sonic characteristics such as electronic hum and hiss and mechanical key and damper noises can be introduced for added realism and authenticity.

Once chosen, tones can be shaped via two modelled preamps and 12 cabinets, given movement with six types of tremolo, and processed with a comprehensive arsenal of effects.

Roland has gone all in on the effects section for Earth Electric Piano: you’ve got multiple flavours of chorus, flanger, phaser, wah, filter and delay, along with a rotary speaker emulator, a dedicated compressor panel equipped with LA-2A and 1176 emulations, and a versatile reverb section that features the Venue convolution reverb from Earth Piano. Rounding things off are a three-band EQ and filter.

Earth Electric Piano is currently available for $49.00, an 80% discount on the MSRP of $249.99. The plugin is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats, and can be hosted within Roland’s Galaxias instrument, which allows you to split and layer its sounds with other Roland Cloud instruments.

Find out more on Roland website.

In the latest Sonic State Sonic Lab, Matt Hodson takes a look at the new Erica Synths HexDrums.

The HexDrums has 10 sound sources, mostly based on the Hexinverter Mutant series of percussion modules: two kick drums for different (or combined) flavors – the BD9 and Bass drum, an optimized Mutant Machine, Snare drum, Clap, Rimshot and HiHats.

To complete the setup, Erica Synths Cymbals have been added, featuring 10 sets of crash and ride cymbal samples.

All drums have individual outputs and in the master section, they are panned in the stereo field before being sent into the Compressor and Master Drive, derived from the Mutant Glue.

“It is a really good quality, simple but powerful and versatile drum machine,” concludes Hodson.

View the video and share your thoughts on the Hexdrums in the comments!

The Erica Synths HexDrums is available to pre-order, priced at € 1200.00, with shipping planned to start at the end of November, 2025.

Neumann has introduced VIS (Virtual Immersive Studio), a spatial audio positioning controller application designed for Apple Vision Pro.

VIS lets you intuitively control Logic Pro in a three-dimensional augmented reality environment. Instead of relying on abstract 2D interfaces, you can now see, touch, and move sound sources in three-dimensional space. Audio objects appear as visual elements in augmented reality, allowing you to position them naturally with hand gestures.

“VIS is not just an app — it’s a new way of thinking about sound,” says Neumann CEO Yasmine Riechers. “It brings immersive audio to life, making it tangible and intuitive.

VIS connects directly to Logic Pro on Mac, appearing as a device within the application. Once paired, users can view Logic Pro on a virtual screen inside Apple Vision Pro, resize it, and place it anywhere in their environment. Thanks to Apple Vision Pro’s low-latency pass-through technology, users can interact with their physical equipment while immersed in a virtual mixing space.

VIS supports both loudspeaker and headphone monitoring. For mobile or headphone-based workflows, it includes RIME, Neumann’s proprietary plug-in for spatial audio playback up to 7.1.4. RIME leverages Apple Vision Pro’s advanced head tracking to deliver an exceptionally realistic monitoring experience, making immersive production possible in any setting — from professional studios to remote locations.

“With VIS, we wanted to make immersive audio mixing feel as natural as playing an instrument,” says Jorma Marquardt, Product Manager at Neumann. “By combining spatial computing with intuitive gesture control, we’re giving creators a tool that turns technical workflows into expressive, creative experiences. It’s not just about mixing sound — it’s about shaping it in space.

Features:

• 3D visual interface for spatial mixing on Apple Vision Pro
• Gesture-based positioning of sound sources
• Full integration with Logic Pro on Mac
• Visual overview of all audio objects
• 3 degrees of freedom head tracking
• Support for loudspeaker and headphone monitoring via RIME

System Requirements: Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26 or newer, Mac with macOS 26 or newer, Logic Pro 11.2 or newer, Devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Neumann VIS is available now as a free download.