Roman Filippov of Black Corporation, creators of high end analog synths like the Deckard’s Dream, announced today a new venture, Source Of Uncertainty.
The new company specializes in reissues of Buchla 200 series modules from the 1970s. Source of Uncertainty is the official store for Buchla Classic Reissues.
These are full-size reissues of Don Buchla’s original designs. The line lets Buchla 200 owners expand their systems, and already includes enough modules to start a ‘new vintage’ system.
What they say about them:
“BUCHLA CLASSIC REISSUES SIGNIFY A RETURN TO PRODUCTION OF THE ICONIC COMPOSITIONAL AND PERFORMANCE TOOLS, using original parts wherever possible, plus minor adaptations for greater low-noise performance and reliability and component availability.
*Note: Many of these designs are also being released in more affordable versions in the smaller Eurorack format, through a partnership between Tiptop Audio and Buchla. The SOU versions are full-size reissues of the originals.
2024 NAMM Show: Fatar’s Studiologic brand was introduced when the company started creating MIDI keyboards, but in recent years, it’s become just as closely associated with the Numa pianos and stage keyboards. Now they have two new models, Numa Compact SE and Compact X SE – the successors to the Numa Compact 2 – which take four sound engines from the Numa X Piano and put them into more compact and portable form factors.
These 88-note, portable pianos have built-in speakers and four dedicated sound sources, and promise to break new ground in their product category.
The two instruments appear to be rather similar, the main difference being that the Compact X SE has a dedicated set of drawbar controllers but the Compact SE doesn’t. Each has an 88-note semi-weighted keyboard, programmable metal sticks and an OLED display, and is said to have a “contemporary vintage look”. Whether that explains the yellowish tinge to the keys, we’re not sure – it could just be the way they’ve been photographed.
As you would expect, acoustic piano sounds are front and centre; the latest Numa X engine features new samples and offers more control over the strings and duplex resonance. The damper noise is adjustable, as well.
The Electric engine handles electric pianos by combining “a mix of samples and effects to emulate the realism of Numa X Piano physical modelling technology.” And, there are new tine sounds and FM emulations here.
There’s a dedicated organ engine – obviously, the X SE gives you the best level of control over this – which includes new rotary, chorus and vibrato effects. More intriguingly, the new synth engine is powered by virtual oscillators that can generate “any wave”, and can operate in both monophonic and polyphonic modes.
The Numa Compacts have built-in speakers, which could be useful for home use, and can send audio over USB. You can use up to six effects at a time and, in comparison with the Numa Compact 2, you get 60% more polyphony (200 as opposed to 128 notes) and 60 more sounds. In addition, a dedicated software application looks like it’ll enable you to manage these sounds and add more.
Given Fatar/Studiologic’s heritage, we’d expect these new Numas to play very well. And we’re keen to find out how they sound, and to discover if they really do offer “a list of functions never found before in any instrument of [their] category.”
The Compact SE prices at £622 and the Compact X SE prices at £826, with availability coming in the first quarter of this year. Find out more on the Studiologic website.
Zoom’s new Essential Series handheld recorders have 32-bit float for clip-free recordings every time, and are more accessible than ever before ‘You’ll never have to adjust levels’.
2024 NAMM Show: There ain’t no field recorder like a Zoom handheld audio recorder, and the company has now refreshed its Essential Series with three new models: H1, H4 and H6. The handy recorders are designed for musicians, podcasters and other creators.
Starting at the top of the range, the H6 (£342/€391) has dual AD converters and can record up to six tracks. A colour display shows the waveforms for these, and there’s also a built-in mixer. You get four XLR/jack combo inputs, plus an interchangeable XY microphone capsule.
Connect the H6 to your computer via USB-C and it can also be used as an audio interface, while simultaneously being capable of recording to SD card.
The H4 (£226/€260) is the successor to the H4nPro and gives you four tracks to work with. The XY microphones are said to have been improved, and there’s a colour display. Soft touch recording and rotary controls, are designed for quiet operation, and as with the H6, you get those USB-C audio interfacing capabilities.
Lastly, the H1 (£114/€129), which is billed as “the easiest to use recorder in the world”. There’s a built-in stereo microphone, and you can also engage a mono mode. Your waveform is displayed on an OLED screen, and this one can be used as a USB microphone.
All three new models in the Essential Series have 32-bit float recording, so you’ll “never have to adjust levels”. They’re also notable for their accessibility features – menus can be navigated through audio descriptions that are offered in multiple languages. The H6 and H4 are also compatible with the optional BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter, which enables you to sync them via timecode and control them remotely using the companion iOS app.
The three Essential will be shipping in Q2 2024. Find out more about the new Essential Series on the Zoom website.
