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Novation has announced the launch of a new free virtual instrument for owners of its Launchkey Mk4 MIDI controller.

Developed in collaboration with Swedish software developer Klevgrand, Play features 80 curated presets based on samples from instruments such as the Novation Peak and Bass Station II, Sequential Prophet-6 and Oberheim OB-6, spanning leads, basses, pads and drum kits.

Play is designed to integrate seamlessly with Launchkey. Presets can be selected directly from the hardware, and each preset’s macros are automatically mapped to Launchkey’s eight encoders.

Play’s four Pad FX (Chorus, Cassette, Spinner and Freeze) can be punched in live via dedicated pads on the controller, and these are joined by three global effects, including a “lush, cavernous reverb”, a one-knob compressor and a flexible delay.

Launched in August 2024, the fourth generation of the Launchkey range is made up of six models, from the 25-key Launchkey Mini to the semi-weighted 61-key Launchkey 61. The MK4 series reimagined the look and feel of the controllers while introducing a number of new features.

Novation Play is compatible with macOS and Windows and available both standalone and in AU/AAX/VST/VST3 formats. If you own a Launchkey MK4, head over to your customer portal on Novation website to download the plugin.

Thingstone shared this intro and overview of the Track8, a new 8-track hardware arranger.

The Track8 is designed to let you capture your creative ideas, without the distractions of working with a Digital Audio Workstation on your computer.

Features:

• Full sized Connections:
  • 1/4” Headphone output
  • XLR Mono 60db Preamp Input with +48V Phantom power
  • 1/4” Mono Line Input
  • 1/4” Stereo Line Input
  • Full Size DIN Midi Input / Output
  • 2 x USB-A for Midi and Storage Media
  • Standard USB-C for Power Delivery
• Audio:
  • 8 Audio Tracks
  • Copy, Cut, Paste up to 8 minutes of audio including multiple Tracks
  • Bounce multiple tracks in place
  • 8 minutes of Undo Stack
  • Count In, Punch In
  • Level, Pan & Mute for individual Tracks
  • 120GB of internal Storage
  • Record up to 4h long Projects
  • Each Track is one float 32bit WAV file for easy export
• Audio Edit
  • Volume/Pan Automation
  • Detail editing
  • Nudge Audio
  • Zoom in up to 2048x
• MIDI
  • 8 MIDI Tracks
  • Copy, Cut, Paste Single or multiple Tracks
  • Each Track can be sent to Midi Channels 1-16
  • Mute individual Midi Tracks
• MIDI Edit
  • Automate MIDI CC, Modulation, Pitch Pend
  • Step Record single and Multiple Notes
  • Detailed Editing of individual Notes
  • Velocity and Quantization Adjustments
• Master FX
  • Delay and Reverb Effects
  • Master Compressor/Limiter
  • Detailed Clipping detection
  • Track FX
  • HP, LP, BP, Notch Filter
  • Track Compressor
  • Delay and Reverb Send
• File Browser
  • Load Audi/Midi Files from USB
  • Easy copy and pasting into Tracks
  • Export Clipboard content to USB as Audio or MIDI file
  • Pre-listen Midi Files with Midi Channel selection
• Misc
  • Create Multiple Projects
  • Mixdown Project as a single WAV file to USB
  • Export Project Stems to USB
  • Connect via USB-C to a Computer and access the internal SSD

Details on pricing and availability are to come at Thingstone site.

In the latest episode of Pearl Acoustics’ Great Recordings series, host Harley Lovegrove takes a look at Brian Eno‘s seminal ambient album, Ambient 1: Music For Airports.

Lovegrove is the Founding Director of Pearl Acoustics, and his videos are one of those rare examples of a company creating a video series that strives to do more than promote their products. Each of his Great Recordings videos focuses on an iconic album, ranging from vintage classics like Take Five to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter.

Eno’s Ambient 1-4 are seminal albums that defined the concept of Ambient Music. Eno didn’t ‘invent’ ambient music, but Ambient 1-4  defined the genre, and demonstrated the range of possibilities within the genre.

Lovegrove’s video provides an introduction to Eno and his work, and then digs deeper into Ambient 1 and the album’s individual tracks.

“It’s very calming,” he notes, “just like sitting…..at the beach with the sound of the waves rolling in. You can sit there for hours, without speaking a word, alone or with a group of people.”

Video Summary:

“When the composer and music producer Brian Eno had to suffer intolerable ‘muzak’ in an airport departure lounge, while waiting for his flight home back in the 1970’s, he concluded that there must be something better to fill the void. The result was the creation of a totally new genre of music which he called ‘Ambient’.

Designed to be played in any circumstance and not requiring the intellectual participation of the listener, unless desired, this album ‘Ambient 1 – Music for Airports, was the first LP in the new genre and set a ball rolling that is very much alive, 47 years later.”

Topics Covered:

00:00 – Title sequence

00:26 – Introduction to the topic & context

03:27 – Brian Eno, a brief synopsis

06:58 – Ambient 1 – Music for Airports

13:58 – Track 1 (1/1)

18:03 – Track 2 (2/1

21:19 – Track 3 (1/2)

24:41 – Track 4 (2/2)