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

 

 

Dreadbox drops Dysphonia, a full synthesizer voice with open architecture, a single-run desktop and Eurorack synth that you can build it yourself and promises to take you to “patching heaven”

 

Available via an early-bird sale, only a single run of kits will be available, so the company encourages you to “buy now or cry later”.

 

The analogue oscillator offers a choice of four waves, and you get three VCAs. There’s an analogue LFO, low-pass and multimode filters and the hybrid echo that you will find on the Erebus synthesizer.

 

All of Dysphonia’s components are included in the box, and it’s said to be an ideal project for inexperienced DIYers.

 

 

Features:

 

• Full Voice Modular Synthesizer with Open Architecture
• Powerful Sound Designing machine
• It can be used as a Desktop or a Eurorack synthesizer
• It comes along with a dedicated USB to Eurorack power converter
• It is consisted of 13 individual sections
• Ideal for inexperienced DIYers
• Analog Oscillator with 4 waves
• 3x Analog VCA
• Passive Signal Multiplier
• CV and Audio 3-to-1 Mixer
• High precision MIDI to CV/ Gate converter
• 1ms/stage Snappy AD Envelope
• Wide range Analog LFO
• 24dB 4-pole Analog Self-Oscillating Low Pass Filter
• 12dB 2-pole Analog Multi mode Filter
• Hybrid Echo (as found on the Erebus synthesizer)
• Sophisticated digital Modulator with 4 different modes:
• LFO – Wide range, 4 waveforms and delay function
• RANDOM – Classic Sample & Hold or Key triggered with lag Filter
• ENVELOPE – Snappy 1ms/stage, Attack – Decay or Attack – Release
• CC – Modulation Wheel, Velocity, Aftertouch, Unipolar or Bipolar

 

Find out more and order your kit on the Dreadbox website.

 

The Dysphonia is available for pre-order for €185 plus VAT (regular price €230).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roland has introduced the JX-08 and JD-08 Sound Module.

 

The Analogue and digital classics from the ‘80s and ‘90s get downsized and upgraded.

 

Roland is exploring both its analogue and digital heritage with its latest pair of Boutique synths – the JX-08 and JD-08 – which emulate the JX-8P and JD-800 respectively.

 

Released in 1985, the JX-8P was one of Roland’s latest ‘80s analogue synths, and was famed for its warm pads, shimmering chorus and bright textures. The JX-08 gives you all of this and more – new effects and a polyphonic sequencer for starters.

 

The new JX-08 other additions include extended polyphony, two-part multitimbrality and dual/split modes. You get 32 presets from the original synth plus 100 new ones that are designed for contemporary styles.

 

Designing your own sounds should be made easier by the inclusion of all the controls from the PG-800 programmer unit, which was released to complement the original JX-8P. You have 256 slots in which to store these.

 

Features:

 

• 32 original presets, plus over 100 new presets
• 17 new effect types including JUNO-106 chorus, LO-FI Comp, and Pitch Shifter
• 64-step, two-part polyphonic sequencer with random pattern generator
• Onboard arpeggiator
• Two-part multitimbral for playing multiple patches with dual and split capabilities
• Expanded polyphony compared to the original hardware
• EXT CLOCK IN to drive the internal sequencer and arpeggiator

 

 

The new JD-08 is based on Roland mighty JD-800, a beast of a digital synth from 1991. As it turns 30, the JD-800 is having a bit of a moment: Roland has already emulated it as a Zen-Core Expansion and plugin this year.

 

The JD-08 is not a 1:1 recreation, but it does take the JD-800’s four-tone structure, 108 waveforms and two-part multieffects and plonk them in a much smaller instrument. You even get a miniature version of the synth’s huge control panel, with plenty of sliders, buttons and knobs for hands-on tweaking.

 

Features:

 

• Four-part tone structure, multi-phase time variant envelopes, and palette sliders
• Includes the original 64 presets plus 21 new presets
• Detailed recreation of the JD-800’s unique two-stage multi-effects section
• Editable distortion, phaser, spectrum, enhancer, delay, chorus, and reverb
• 64-step, two-part polyphonic sequencer with random pattern generator
• Onboard arpeggiator
• Two-part multitimbral with expanded polyphony
• EXT CLOCK IN to drive the internal sequencer and arpeggiator

 

 

Both the Roland JX-08 and JD-08 can serve as USB-C audio/MIDI interfaces, with full-size MIDI ports enabling easy connection to other hardware. There’s also an external clock input. Other enhancements include – expanded polyphony, a two-part polyphonic sequencer and other modern niceties.

 

As with previous Boutiques, these new models can be bus- or battery-powered and have a built-in speaker. They are also compatible with the optional K-25m 25-note keyboard unit.

 

Find out more on the Roland website.

 

 

The Roland JX-08 and JD-08 will be available in the US in January 2022 priced at $400 each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAME Studios is one of the most iconic facilities in music history, having birthed the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

 

New T-RackS processor recreates the classic Muscle Shoals facility for your DAW.

 

Now IK Multimedia says that it’s managed to capture the studios’ “sound and vibe” in a new T-RackS plugin, FAME Studio Reverb.

 

Fame Studio Reverb offers you a total of nine spaces, including two live rooms, five iso booths an EMT plate reverb and FAME’s newly-restored echo chamber. There are Modern and Vintage modes for each, so you have a full suite of reverb effects in a single plugin.

 

In addition, IK has also captured not only the mic placements used by FAME’s engineers, but also where performers were positioned. Select an instrument and the software automatically repositions the mics and source in the room.

 

There are console emulations as well, including the Neve 8232 from Studio A, and the recently renovated and restored SSL 6056 E from Studio B, as used by Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can also choose the original FAME Universal Audio 610 console, which it had hand-built.

 

The room acoustics of each studio were captured using IK Volumetric Response Modelling technique, with a new Spread control enabling you to broaden each room’s response to best fit the sound source.

 

Spaces can be shaped using reverb time, width and frequency controls, microphone controls (left, right, or both) and levelling/monitoring of the mixed signals. Two mono ambience faders, meanwhile, can be mixed into the stereo signal or used on their own.

 

Famous studio Reverbs, T-RackS FAME Studio Reverband T-RackS  Sunset Sound Studio Reverb regular price $150/€150.

 

Find out more on the IK Multimedia Music Products website.