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Akuto Studio is previewing the Chord Machine, a slick-looking new MIDI controller with a button keyboard that can be played in accordion, piano and Tonnetz configurations.

Is Akuto Studio’s Chord Machine AKT-0.1 an Omnichord for the OP-1 generation?

The AKT-0.1 features 28 round keys, two shift keys and an infinite rotary encoder on one side, and a four-inch capacitive touchscreen on the other. This screen enables you to play up to four effects simultaneously and trigger notes in direct, bimanual and strum modes.

When you are playing, the rotary knob can be used to move through semitones and octaves, and to adjust the pitch of any chord. Because the device can be flipped through 180 degrees it offers ambidextrous usage, which is a nice touch.

Connectivity is via USB-C (there’s no mention of Bluetooth MIDI) and the AKT-0.1 is built from a combination of aluminium and ABS thermoplastic.

The chord button/strumming combination makes us wonder if the AKT-0.1 may have been at least partly inspired by the Omnichord, which itself is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment and is being revived to celebrate manufacturer Suzuki’s 70th anniversary. The styling, meanwhile, calls to mind Teenage Engineering’s ubiquitous OP-1.

A Kickstarter campaign for the AKT-0.1 will kick off on 25 April.

If the Chord Machine looks like a bit of you, you can join the waiting list and qualify for an $80 discount via the Akuto Studio website.

 

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Toontrack’s EZkeys 2 makes it even easier to create piano parts for your  songs and could even help you write them

Toontrack has introduced EZkeys 2, a new version of the software that is designed to help you create piano parts for your songs when you can’t or won’t generate them yourself.

This is said to have been rebuilt from the ground up and offers a new, fully resizable and scalable interface. Right out of the gate, you should notice that it sounds better, too, with a new sampled grand piano that was captured using a wide range of mics and ambiences. There’s a new MIDI library as well, which covers multiple playing styles and genres, and a change to the business model means that the core sound library now comes included.

Apparently, EZkeys 2 is also smarter than its predecessor, with a Tap2Find feature enabling you to find grooves based on rhythms and notes that you input. The Bandmate will select chords and grooves based on your own audio or MIDI, and there’s a built-in grid editor with humanization, scale matching, timing features and more.

The Tap2Find and Bandmate features in EZdrummer 3, which was released last year. And, like that software, EZkeys 2 comes with mix-ready presets for use in your projects.

EZkeys 2 will be released in May, but existing EZkeys users can pre-order their upgrade now and save up to $20. If you’re new to the software, you can buy an existing version of EZkeys now for €179 and get the version 2 update when it is released.

Find out more on the Toontrack website.

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We will have nightmares about having a 404 day – 24 hours of broken web pages – but for Roland, it is a cause for celebration. On 4 April, the company is taking the opportunity to showcase everything that’s great about its SP-404 sampler, giving you live performances, a new streetwear collection and a free sample pack.

There will be a total of 12 livestreamed 404 performances. J Rocc, Sarah The Illstrumentalist, Acemo, Flofilz, Reo Matsumoto, Lightfoot, Foodman, Mr. Slipz, Phennel Koliander, Valerio Delphi, Mayumikiller and Huey Mnemonic are all broadcasting via their own social media channels – check out the schedule below.

There will also be a live, in-person tribute show for Ras G, the late LA beatmaker which will take place at the Poobah Record Shop in Pasadena, CA between 3 and 7pm local time. It will feature performances from Dibiase, Dakim, The Vivians, Linafornia and AshTreJinkins, and the event will also be streamed live via dublab.

If you want to wear your love of the SP-404 quite literally on your sleeve, you can check out the new Roland Lifestyle Ras G Tribute Streetwear Collection. This will be unveiled during the Poobah Record Shop performance, and includes a t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, hoodie, hat, milk crate and wooden keychain. Prices range from $38-$110.

Proceeds from the sale of the Ras G collection during the event and online will benefit Ras G’s hometown of Leimert Park through music education programs for children in partnership with the Fernando Pullman Community Arts Center. Roland will also be making a $2,500 donation.

Meanwhile, if you want some fresh inspiration for your own 404 projects, you can check out the 404 Day Beat Maker Sample Pack Vol. I. This draws inspiration from SP beatmakers around the world, with the likes of Japan’s Phennel Koliander, Detroit’s Meftah, Australian expat Nonjuror, and Brazil’s Tiago providing a wide variety of lo-fi, hip-hop and deep house sounds. It’s free for all Roland Account holders via the Roland Cloud Manager.

Roland’s celebration package is rounded out by an article examining São Paulo’s early noughties hip-hop and beatmaking scene, and the impact the SP-404 had on it, and two limited-edition shields from V-Moda, the company’s headphone brand.

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