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

Modal Electronics is back this year at the 2024 NAMM Show, proving that there’s hope for the future of the UK synth maker.

Modal is the company behind high-end keyboards like the Modal 002, Eurorack modules, the budget CRAFTsynth line, the portable SKULPT synthesizer, and the Argon8 and Cobalt8 keyboards. In 2023, the company was in administration for insolvency, according to UK government records.

At NAMM, they are showing their full range of synths and showcasing the Carbon8 8-voice Experimental Digital Synthesizer.

The Carbon8 features over 40 complex digital algorithms and advanced oscillator modifiers to produce contemporary and unusual sounds. On top of that, it offers 34 filter types, shapeable LFO waveforms, a powerful sequencer & arpeggiator section and extensive realtime control.

Features:

• 8-voice digital experimental synth combines advanced digital audio algorithms and hi-res wavetables
• Sophisticated oscillator cross-modulations to enrich or drastically change the harmonic content
• 34 static and morphable filter types including vintage hero emulations, all-time Modal classics and modern filters
• Oscillator freerun and Vintage parameter to introduce organic vintage behaviors
• Shapeable LFO waveforms increase innovative modulation
• Powerful 3-slot effects engine with 26 effects
• Premium 37-note Fatar TP9/S keyboard with aftertouch
• X/Y joystick with 4 assignable axes
• ModalApp compatible

The Carbon8 has a street price of about $1100. Find out more on the Modal Electronics website.

2024 NAMM Show: Suzuki has introduced the Omnichord OM-108, the return of their classic strummable electronic instrument.

Originally introduced in 1981, the Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument with an automatic accompaniment function (auto bass/chord) and equipped with a harp sensor. By pressing a chord button and sliding your finger on the harp sensor (strumplate), an arpeggio corresponding to the chord is heard.

While they were originally designed for novices, Omnichords been used creatively by musicians for decades, and now have a cult status.

Features:

• The sound of the classic OM-84 is reproduced with analog circuits.
• Equipped with both retro and new tones.
• Layer function that creates expression of sound.
• Updated rhythm selection with popular drum beats.
• Adding sus4 and add9 allows OM-108 to play 108 chords
• Sensitive strumplate that fully expresses light touch playing.
• Possible to play a melody using the chord buttons.
• Drum pad on both chord buttons and strumplate.
• Expand sound with MIDI OUT
• Can be switched to OM-84 drum kit.
• Battery-power and built-in speaker make it portable, but you can connect it to an external amplifier or headphones.

Omnichord OM-108 is available now at Amazon site. Find out more on the Suzuki website.

“A truly authentic playing experience” – Casio brings an immersive spatial sound system to its new Celviano digital piano range, and an automatic recorder means you’ll never lose your best performance.

2024 NAMM Show: If you want to buy a digital piano that looks like it belongs as much in your living room as it does your studio, one of Casio’s new Celviano models might well fit the bill. These three ‘furniture pianos’ – the AP-750, AP-550 and AP-S450 – prioritise both style and sound, and come with redesigned speaker systems and a visual information bar that promises to aid your learning.

The sonic highlight here could be the new Hamburg Piano Tone, which Casio has created to “faithfully capture the natural bloom of one of the world’s most coveted and majestic pianos”. This has been matched to the new Celviano speaker system, which is designed to emulate the sound of a grand piano by creating a 3D effect that feels like it’s coming from both above and below the soundboard.

Both the AP-750 and AP-550 have a top lid that can be physically opened in order to project sound forward.

The new Visual Information Bar, can either display a pulsing metronome that will help to keep you in time, or provide feedback on your playing strength and pedal depth, giving teachers additional insight into students’ finger and pedal technique.

The Instant RePlayer feature also sounds handy – use it to return in time to a recent performance or a moment of inspiration that you might otherwise have lost. This might also help you to avoid the stress that comes with pressing the red button and knowing that you’re recording, which can hinder performance.

The AP-750 is the flagship model here, offering a Grandphonic 8 spatial sound system and 39 built-in tones. Nine of these are grand pianos; as well as the Hamburg tone, you also get a Berlin Grand that was developed in collaboration with Bechstein, and the Vienna Grand, another tone that’s based on “one of the world’s finest pianos”.

In the middle of the range, the AP-550 has a 2-channel/4-speaker system and 26 tones, six of which are grand pianos. Here, the Hamburg tone is joined by the New York Grand.

The AP-S450 is similar but more compact, and like the AP-550 is available in black, white and brown colour options. You can have the AP-750 in any colour as long as it’s black.

All three models include the Celviano edition of Casio’s Smart Hybrid Hammer Action Keyboard, a refinement of the action found in the most recent Privia models, and come with the WU-BT10 Bluetooth adapter, which supports wireless MIDI and audio. One of the many apps you can connect to is Casio’s own Music Space; available for iOS and Android, this enables you to adjust the piano’s settings, view and annotate sheet music, engage with interactive game-like lessons, work with audio files and more.

The AP-750, AP-550 and AP-S450 priced at $3,399.99/£1,999, $2,999.99/£1,749 and $1,999.99/£1,549 respectively. Find out more on the Casio website.