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

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The fourth generation of Novation Launchkey MIDI controller keyboard range launched in 2024, a comprehensive update that completely overhauled the look and feel of the controllers while bringing new features and functionality.

Novation today has completed the MK4 Launchkey range with an 88-key controller, Launchkey 88.

Equipped with a semi-weighted keybed that Novation describes as its “most expressive” to date, Launchkey features 88 full-size piano-style keys, alongside the same additional controls as its smaller siblings: nine faders, eight endless encoders and 16 velocity-sensitive pads with aftertouch, along with a central OLED display.

The largest keyboard controller in the MK4 range, Launchkey 88 tops off an extensive product line-up that now spans a total of 10 controllers covering six different sizes and two colourways, from the $109 Launchkey Mini 25, to the recently-released $329 Launchkey 61 White, to the $449 88-key version released today.

Like the other controllers in the Launchkey range, the MK4 88 features both Scale Mode, which helpfully locks notes into the right key, and a Chord Mode that lets you play chords with a single key. These are joined by a Chord Detection function and an arpeggiator that can be sequenced via its 16 pads. The keyboard can also be split into independent zones to trigger different sounds, and the layer feature can be used to control two instruments using the same keys.

Novation’s Launchkey MK4 range ships with custom-built scripts that give users of Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Reason, Cubase, Bitwig and FL Studio hands-on control over essential DAW functions straight out of the box. The controller also arrives with a software bundle that includes Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, Novation Play and several instruments and effects from Klevgrand, GForce, Native Instruments and more.

Key Features:

• Powerful integration with all major DAWs
• Custom semi-weighted keybed
• Eight endless rotary encoders
• Nine faders and buttons
• 16 velocity-sensitive pads
• Chord and Scale modes
• Pro-grade software bundle

The controller connects to your computer via a single USB-C port, and also offers a sustain pedal jack and a 5-pin DIN MIDI output for integration with external gear and DAWless setups.

Novation Launchkey 88 MK 4 is priced at $449.99

Find out more on Novation website.

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Today, Behringer shared this first look at their AKS Mini synth, a compact analog synth, loosely inspired by the EMS Synthi AKS.

The EMS Synthi AKS is a vintage analog synth, introduced in 1971, that was used iconically on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon.

Behringer says that the AKS MINI, announced in 2022, “distills that legacy into a portable polyphonic analog synthesizer with programmable patches, a 16-step motion sequencer and a faithful reproduction of the original AKS VCO and VCF circuitry from the ’70s.”

Features:

• Portable analog polyphonic and programmable synthesizer
• Pure analog signal path based on authentic VCO, VCF and VCA designs27 touch-sensitive keys for great playability
• 3 separate oscillators with variable saw and square waveforms
• 2-axis joystick serves as intuitive performance controller
• Realistic digital spring reverb for inspiring sound effects
• 16-step motion sequencer with 10 memory slots and recording of knob movements
• Extensive play modes featuring poly and unison
• LFO with 4 waveforms for pitch and filter cutoff modulation
• Envelope generator to modulate VCA and VCF
• USB Type C allows powering via smartphone, power bank or computer
• Sync connector to synchronize with your other synthesizers or drum machines
• Comprehensive MIDI implementation (including NRPN/CC control of all parameters and bulk load/save)

The Behringer AKS Mini Synth is expected to be available within a few months. Official pricing is to be announced.

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Peel Stems 2 is the latest version of Zplane AI-powered real-time stem separation plugin.

Zplane has released Peel Stems 2, an update to its real-time stem separation plugin that promises significant improvements in speed, sound quality and usability over the first version.

Like its predecessor, Peel Stems 2 splits mixed audio into four stems (Drums, Bass, Vocals and Other) directly inside your DAW. Load the plugin on any track and you’re given independent level controls for each stem, letting you mute, isolate or rebalance individual elements of a mix in real time, without waiting for offline processing to complete.

The headline improvement in Peel Stems 2 is speed: powered by the latest version of Zplane’s proprietary separation technology, the plugin’s processing latency has been reduced from 483ms to 245ms at 44.1kHz, a drop of almost 50%. (Intel Macs are still supported, with latency coming in at 385ms.)

Zplane says separation quality and clarity have been improved too, delivering cleaner stems with fewer artifacts, and the isolation slider, which fine-tunes the strength of the separation, now has a broader range and a more noticeable effect on the signal.

And, the interface has been redesigned with new stem colours and clearer visual feedback, and the Focus EQ’s Focus Frame – a spectral tool that isolates specific frequency ranges and stereo information – now displays cutoff frequencies at both ends of the spectrum.

“With Peel Stems 2, we wanted to push real-time stem separation within DAW-native workflows further,” Zplane CTO Tim Flohrer said in a statement. “With significantly reduced latency and improved audio quality, Peel Stems 2 represents a major step forward in stem separation technology.”

Here’s What’s New in Peel Stems 2:

Key Features:

• Real-time Audio Stem Separation: Split mixed audio instantly in your DAW
• Split Mixed Audio into Four Stems: Drums, Bass, Vocals and Other
• Stem Isolation Control: Fine-tune separation precision with the Isolation slider
• Soundfield Display: Visualize the frequency content and stereo placement of each stem
• PEEL Focus EQ: Isolate or extract selected frequency ranges and stereo information
• Dual Output: Route the PEEL Focus EQ to a secondary output in your DAW for further processing*
• VST3, AU and AAX Plugin Formats: Works in all major DAWs
• Windows and macOS: Supports Windows 11, Intel and Silicon Macs

*Supported in Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reason, and Reaper.

Peel Stems 2 is a one-time purchase, with no subscription or login required. Available now for macOS and Windows in VST3/AU/AAX formats, it’s priced at €59 and owners of the first version can upgrade for only €19.

Find out more on Zplane website.

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