Yamaha introduced the PSR-E373 and PSR-EW310 , the latest additions to Yamaha’s PSR models of the portable home keyboards.
At this time when most of us crave the next-gen digital synths and latest analogue reboots, but, the truth is that there is still a big market demand out there for portable home keyboard, and Yamaha is still more than happy to cater to the demand. Which brings us to the new PSR-E373 and PSR-EW310, which promise to raise the bar in portable keyboard technology and performance.
The PSR-E373 has 61 keys, while the PSR-EW310 comes with 76 keys. Both come with touch-sensitive keyboards and a new LSI tone generator, which should make them play and sound better than the predecessors. The LSI engine, meanwhile, provides 622 instrument voices. Players can also stack two voices using the Dual Voice feature, while the Super Articulation Lite Voices feature means that you can replicate the playing techniques used for specific instruments.
Players can also select DSP effects and there are the obligatory Smart Chord features that enable you to play complex chords with just a single finger. USB to HOST audio and MIDI connectivity gives players the ability to expand the creative and educational capabilities of their instrument by interfacing with apps on an iOS device or computer.
The Yamaha PSR-E373 and Yamaha PSR-EW310 are expected to be available in October 2020.
Arturia announced the MicroFreak in January 2019. This past January it added a noise oscillator, plus chord and scale modes for simplified playing.
Now, Arturia has taken another intriguing turn with the launch of a new Vocoder Edition. Arturia releases the MicroFreak Vocoder Edition.
The MicroFreak Vocoder Edition features 14 digital oscillator modes, analogue filters and modulation/randomization options aplenty, with the new 16-band vocoder mode promising to transform your voice; in the Freakiest way possible. The vocoder engine offers three waveforms – sawtooth, pulse width and noise. And the Timbre and Shape knobs that adjust the response of the 16 frequency bands. The 16 presets, meanwhile, take you beyond standard robot voices – expect ‘android translations’, harmonies and formant sequences as well.
In addition, you can also twist other sounds with the vocoder – just hook up a synth or anything else and off you go. The headphone port on the Vocoder Edition has a TRRS connector, so you can plug-in in a suitable smartphone in-line mic with TRRS connector and enjoy the vocoding functionality for yourself. The control panel has been given a makeover, and the centre strip now has a Swan graphic. This model comes in a white finish.
The Arturia MicroFreak Vocoder Edition will be available for a limited time.
The Korg KROME EX CU is a special-edition synth workstation.
Over the years, Korg likes to release limited editions of some of its most popular synths with eye-catching paint jobs. The portable synth workstation, Krome EX, is now available in a brand new shiny copper finish.
The special edition only available on the 61-key version of the KROME EX, the synth features remains the same.
