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

The official intro video:

A more portable version of the intuitive and versatile synth is coming.

UDO Audio has taken the wraps off the Super 6 desktop, a new compact and keyboard-free version of its acclaimed keyboard synth.

Given that this is billed as a “no-compromise” take on the Super 6, we believe that the functionality is very much similar, so you can expect a 12-voice polyphonic, binaural analogue-hybrid engine with FPGA digital oscillators and voltage-controlled analogue technology.

You can also expect filter and amplifier sections, LFOs, envelopes and a modulation matrix, along with an arpeggiator and step sequencer and dual stereo 24-bit effects (delay and chorus).

The Super 6 desktop has an interesting ‘wedge’ design – almost like a compact keyboard synth, but with knobs and buttons where the keyboard bit would be. Whether there’s any practical benefit to having this two-tier design remains to be seen, but it gives the instrument something of an ‘‘80s home computer’ look.

Here’s what they say about it:

“Our brand new, compact and no-compromise take on the Super 6 — offering the irresistible combination of a powerful and accessible musical instrument with flexible and immediate control, gorgeous analog sound and unrivalled build quality. All in a desirable portable format designed to open the Super 6 to a new audience.”

We are expecting more information on the Super-6 Desktop soon via the UDO website.

Erica Synths has unveiled yet another promising-looking percussion synth, Perkons. Perkons – named after an ancient Baltic god of thunder – is a four voice drum machine combining digital sound generation with analogue filters and effects.

Erica Synths Perkons percussion synth promises to “strike your ears like the skies breaking apart”

The four-voice beatmaker combines the best of digital and analogue.

Each of the instrument’s four voices features a digital oscillator switchable between three modes and shaped by a pair of parameter controls. Sounds then pass through an analogue filter, switchable between low-, high- and band-pass modes, and equipped with a drive control for added heft.

In addition, Perkons features an analogue bucket brigade delay and optical compressor. There’s also a global LFO with morphable waveshapes, which can be routed to any of the voices’ eight sound-shaping parameters.

The sequencer is where Perkons looks especially interesting – there are four tracks for independently programming each voice, each equipped with probability, multipliers and dividers, ratchets and play direction controls. Shuffle and last step parameters look set to add further rhythmic variety.

Around the back Perkons has individual outputs, trigger inputs, and send and return ports for each voice. There are also MIDI in and out ports, plus an additional global send and return. As with the LXR-02, the instrument also features a SD card port used to store and share up-to 64 kits and patterns.

Perkons HD-01 is due to arrive before the end of 2021, priced at €1650/$1999 excluding tax.

Erica Synths are in Booth W325.

Moog Music  announced Moog Sound Studio: Mother-32 & DFAM and Subharmonicon, an all-in-one Euro system that is designed to make its family of 60HP semi-modular analog synthesizers more accessible and approachable than ever.

Moog new Sound Studio is a monster semi-modular synth playground.

The newest Moog Sound Studio package includes the full lineup of Moog’s Mother ecosystem instruments:

• Mother-32 is a versatile performance and production synthesizer with a step sequencer and 64 slots of sequence memory. Its classic Moog voice delivers “raw analog sound, deep Moog bass, and soaring synth leads.”
• DFAM is designed to offer an inspiring approach to drum synthesis and rhythmic pattern creation with rich analog rhythms and percussive patterns.
• Subharmonicon offers a unique combination of six-tone subharmonic chord shapes and polyrhythmic sequences.

Both of the previous (and still available) Sound Studios contain the DFAM percussion synth, but force you to choose between the Mother-32 and the Subharmonicon.

By bringing them all together, Moog is taking away that difficult decision, and offering users even more patch design potential. As well as the synths, the new bundle contains a custom dust cover, dedicated audio mixer and power distribution hub, the rack kit, audio cables, patch cables, cable organizer, synth exploration card game, creative learning tools, artwork, and more.

Find out more on the Moog website. The new Moog Sound Studio bundle costs $1,999