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

New tools, fresh sounds and workflow upgrades to keep your creativity moving.

Steinberg has launched the next generation of Cubase, bringing a new Expressions Maps system, Melodic Pattern Sequencer and set of six extra Modulators to its well-established flagship DAW, along with AI-powered stem separation and a raft of new plugins.

Cubase’s Pattern Editor has been upgraded with a Melodic Pattern Sequencer, joining the beat-focused Pattern Sequencer introduced with Cubase 14. With step input, custom scales, shape generators, randomization, it’s designed for crafting expressive melodies in both polyphonic and monophonic modes.

Also introduced in Cubase 14 were a set of six Modulators that can be used to modulate parameters across instruments, effects and the DAW itself. Cubase 15 brings six more Modulators to the table, spanning randomization, wavefolding, crossfading, sample and hold and more.

Cubase’s revamped Expression Maps are now easier to create, with a streamlined workflow, integration with both the Key and Score Editors, and per-articulation timing offset for improved realism.

Version 15 brings a healthy update to Cubase’s arsenal of instruments and effects, updating the Groove Agent SE drum machine with a new mixer, enhanced effects and a scalable UI and introducing a new Writing Room Synths plugin that features a selection of “production-ready, authentic vintage synths” sampled in “the world’s best songwriting rooms”.

The headline in the plugin department has to be Omnivocal, a versatile vocal synthesis plugin based on Yamaha technology. Currently in beta, Omnivocal offers a variety of different vocal styles with fine-grained control over timbre and expression, and lyric input is easy thanks to integration with Cubase’s Key Editor.

Alongside Omnivocal, Cubase 15 ships with two new effects: UltraShaper, an advanced dynamics processor with transient shaping, clip limiting and EQ built in, and PitchShifter, which does what you’d expect, with the addition of formant preservation and saturation options. All stock effect plugins now also support user interface scaling, which is a welcome update.

Finally, Cubase is playing catch-up with the competition with its new AI-powered stem separation feature, a tool that’s fast becoming a standard requirement for the modern DAW. Capable of splitting stereo mixes into four stems covering vocals, drums, bass and other instruments directly from the Timeline, Cubase’s stem separation will be useful for anyone sampling, remixing or editing mixed tracks.

And, Cubase 15 brings an array of new sounds and content along with a host of workflow upgrades and interface tweaks. Another warmly received addition is support for the DAWproject format, meaning that you’re able to easily transfer projects created in Cubase to PreSonus Studio One and Bitwig Studio, and vice versa.

“We worked closely with our community to refine what matters most, turning valuable feedback into meaningful improvements that make everyday workflows smoother and more intuitive,” says Steinberg’s Senior Marketing Manager Matthias Quellmann. “This release builds naturally on the foundation of the previous version – it feels like the perfect evolution, marking a major leap forward for Cubase.”

Cubase 15 is available in three editions: Pro is priced at £481/€579, Artist is priced at £273/€329 and Elements will set you back £83/€99.99. Crossgrade and upgrade discounts are available for owners of previous versions.

Find out more on Steinberg website.

Antares Audio Technologies, the developer behind AutoTune, has announced the release of a new AI-powered vocal modelling plugin. Equipped with 12 ethically-trained voice models, Metamorph is designed to transform the timbre of vocal recordings in your DAW without relying on cloud-based processing.

Metamorph is a vocal transformation tool that leverages advanced AI-based processing to graft the timbre of another vocalist onto a vocal recording. Why might you want to do this, you ask?

If you’re not a confident singer or a fan of your own voice, voice modelling effectively allows you to sing in the voice of another artist. There’s also potential for creating backing vocals or duets with a contrasting character to your own, or even running non-vocal sources through the plugin, if you want to get a little experimental with it.

Metamorph’s library of 12 voice models covers a range of registers and styles, from soulful female sopranos to classical male baritones, and there are an additional six models on offer from AI voice platform Voice-Swap.

All of the models are ethically trained and based on the voices of real artists that have been compensated for their involvement. You’re not currently able to create your own voice models, something offered by competing plugins such as IK Multimedia ReSing and Dreamtonics’ Vocoflex.

Antares has positioned Metamorph as part of a broader stance on the responsible use of AI in music technology. The company has signed up to an industry-wide agreement on Principles for Music Creation with AI and shared a statement claiming that “the perspectives of music artists, songwriters, and other creators must be respected” as AI-powered tools continue to be developed.

“Metamorph isn’t about replacing the human voice – it’s about expanding what’s possible when human creativity meets responsible AI,” adds AutoTune CEO Jeff Wright. “We’ve built this technology with artists at the center, ensuring every voice model is ethically sourced and every transformation preserves the soul that only human creators can bring to music.”

Just a few weeks ago, Antares launched AutoTune 2026, a major overhaul of its flagship vocal tuning tool with an optimized vocal tuning algorithm and a redesigned interface.

Official Tutorial AI Vocal Transformation with Metamorph:

Metamorph is priced at $200. Antares is celebrating the arrival of the plugin by launching their Black Friday “Early Bird” Sale, offering customers up to 60% off products and subscriptions, including 50% off Metamorph and AutoTune 2026.

Find out more on Antares website.

Experimental synth specialist Soma Laboratory has announced WARP, a new desktop multi-effect unit designed for both studio and stage use.

Soma is describing Warp as an ‘all-in-one creative companion’ that can be used with synths, guitars, vocals or any other acoustic or electronic sound source.

WARP features 15 digital effect types that take in reverbs, granular effects, filters, micro-loopers, modulation effects and more. In typical Soma fashion, many of these effects are capable of doing unusual and creative things that push them beyond typical applications. The spatial effects, for example, are said to have extremely long decay times with feedback that can be pushed into self-oscillation.

Those spatial effects are also capable of creating pitch-shifted, reversed and lo-fi reverbs. According to its creator, these algorithms are capable of “creating endless, rich, lively soundscapes out of almost any sound.”

To help keep control of these extreme sounds, Warp’s generative effects include dedicated modules to control the feedback and sound level, which Soma says maintains “reasonable headroom and tonal aesthetic”.

Similarly, the company boasts of Warp’s ‘top class’ audio chains, 32-bit digital processing and 24-bit/48KHz AD/DA converters, which, according to Soma, “prevents sound deterioration – even while processing a complete mix”.

Further creative tools include a flanger, bit/sample-rate reduction and vintage tape simulation. Every effect type, according to Soma, includes unusual functions giving each a unique flavour.

Although overtly creative effects appear to be Warp’s speciality, Soma states that it is equally capable of more conventional bus and master channel mixing applications, making use of its filters, compressors and distortion functions.

Four knobs on the unit’s interface provide control over the selected effect type, each of which can also be controlled via CV, allowing for Warp to be integrated into a Eurorack or analogue hardware setup.

The unit itself is fully stereo with stereo inputs and outputs, compatible with both balanced and non-balanced connections. There are gain controls for both the inputs and outputs, as well as a mix control for the dry/wet balance.

WARP will be shipping early next year priced at €560. Find out more at the SOMA Laboratory website.