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

Roland has unveiled two new models in its KIYOLA line of “artisan” digital pianos, a collaboration with respected Japanese wood furniture manufacturers Karimoku inaugurated in 2015 with the KF-10.

Inspired by “wa”, the Japanese concept of harmony, the KF-20 and KF-25 are sleek and stylish pianos designed with an emphasis on aesthetics. Each Kiyola piano is said to be a one-of-a-kind instrument with unique grain patterns and aging, the Karimoku-crafted cabinets equipped with piano technology lifted from Roland’s high-end GP and LX series instruments.

Both models feature the Piano Reality Modeling engine found in the GP and LX series and offer “warm, uniquely voiced” tones that match the aesthetics of their cabinets. Six tones are accessible directly from the piano with an additional 48 available via Roland’s companion app, which gives players access to Roland’s Piano Designer for fine-tuned sound-shaping. You also get two effects, the Ambience reverb and Brilliance, an EQ that brightens the tone.

Both models feature a stereo two-way sound system with 24W per channel. The KF-20 and KF-25 also benefit from Roland’s PHA-50 keyboard, a premium action designed to recreate the weighted, nuanced response of a real acoustic piano. (In Roland’s product line-up, PHA-50 is second only to the Hybrid Grand keyboard found in the flagship GP-9.)

The KF-20 is an update on the KF-10 designed to showcase a “soft, elegant look with gentle curves”. It’s available in a new, quirky Celadon Green finish, along with three more neutral colours: Walnut, Sheer White and Pure Oak.

The KF-25 has a sharper and more defined look inspired by the style of ‘Japandi’, a fusion of Scandinivian aesthetics and Japanese wabi-sabi. The instrument is available exclusively in a Smoked Oak finish.

Both models come with a piano bench and three-pedal unit with sustain, soft and sostenuto pedals, and each piano features Bluetooth (with Bluetooth MIDI), dual headphone outputs, a USB-C port for MIDI and audio and a USB-A port for additional storage.

Roland KF-20 & KF-25 purchase prices starting at £3,803/€4,490/$5,719.99 and will be available for purchase at select Roland retailers worldwide this month.

Ocean Swift Synthesis has released Spectral Oscillators Toolkit Vol. 3, a collection of 805 looping oscillator-style samples.

The collection includes sample oscillators, tuned tonal beds, drifting textures, and evolving drones, each designed to function as a starting point for additional modulation, layering, and processing. Each file is built to drop directly into samplers, sample-based synth engines, granular tools, and modular systems.

Features:

• 805 oscillator-style samples
• WAV format (16-bit / 44.1kHz)
• Perfectly looping (sampled at C note)
• Long evolving samples
• 17 GB total size

Compatible with a wide variety of hardware synths, Eurorack and modular systems, software synths, DAWs, and audio tools (see product compatibility list for details)

Designed for Granular engines, Sample-based synthesis, Synths with sample oscillators, Ambient and cinematic layering

Spectral Oscillators Toolkit Vol. 3 is available now, with an intro price of €19.99 (normally €45).

Reason Studios, the Stockholm company behind DAW software Reason, has been acquired by Canadian AI specialist LANDR.

They describe it as a “major step toward building the next generation of creator tools”.

According to the press release announcing the move, the acquisition will allow the two brands to, “combine their strengths to accelerate the evolution of Reason, expanding its reach, and deepening its impact across every major DAW environment.”

LANDR states that Reason Studios will continue to operate as its own brand, “maintaining its products, community, and creative DNA.” The announcement does say, however, that the two brands will ‘align teams across two centres of excellence’ in Montreal and Stockholm.

“This isn’t about changing Reason, it’s about giving it room to grow,” says LANDR CEO Pascal Pilon. “We’re preserving each brand’s identity and core market while unlocking new possibilities for creators everywhere.”

Reason was first launched in 2000 by Propellerhead Software, building on the success of the company’s virtual synth studio ReBirth.

Reason quickly gained popularity thanks to its distinctive UI, which emulated the look and workflow of an analogue studio setup, complete with a virtual outboard rack that could house a variety of instruments and effects. That faux-analogue design has been a defining feature of Reason throughout its history.

For much of its history, Reason was also entirely self-contained and had no plugin compatibility. Despite these limitations, Reason has always had a lot of appealing features. The virtual analogue UI remains a fun and intuitive way to work, even in 2025. For our money, Reason has always had one of the strongest catalogues of virtual instruments, including classics like the Thor polysynth and Dr Octo Rex loop player, as well as more recent additions like the physical modelling synth Objekt.

In 2019, Propellerhead Software became Reason Studios. At the same time, the company launched Reason 11, which allowed the Reason Rack to be used as a plugin within other DAWs for the first time.

LANDR launched in 2014, initially as an AI-powered mastering service that used machine learning to automatically apply typical mastering engineer techniques such as EQ and dynamics refinement to tracks uploaded by users.

Over the past decade the company’s offering has expanded to include music distribution, sample and plugin storefronts, collaborative tools and online music making courses.

Reason Studios isn’t LANDR’s first acquisition. The company also owns Synchro Arts, creators of VocAlign and Revoice Pro.

According to its press release, the company will “gradually introduce new value for Reason users through deeper integrations, enhanced collaboration tools, and creator-focused, AI-powered features; all designed to make the creative process more seamless, inspiring, and accessible.”

LANDR has also announced the formation of a new Artist Council that will play a role in shaping the roadmap for future Reason updates. This council will apparently be composed of well-known producers and longtime Reason users, although no names have been revealed as yet.

LANDR VP of Strategy Daniel Rowland says: “Like a lot of producers, Reason was my first experience making music on a computer, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Reason has always been shaped by its community, and this council makes that official, giving power users a direct voice in shaping the tools they rely on, benefitting all of us.”

While it’s difficult to predict exactly what this might mean for the future of Reason, witnessing one of the original music software trailblazers being acquired by a brand with AI at the core of its identity feels like a potentially significant moment for music technology.

The acquisition also sees Reason Studios’ former majority owner Verdane realise its investment in the business.

For more details on Reason, head to the Reason Studios website. Head to the LANDR site for more on the company’s other offerings.