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

Ahead of Superbooth 2023, being held in Berlin May 11-13, Befaco has announced four new products:

The Befaco 7U Case was created, according to the company, to meet their own needs for a “kick ass case”.

Features:

• 7u 104 HP, with the possibility to place 1u row either on top or center.
• Massive power supply: 5A @12v, 2.5A @-12v and 4A @ 5V.
• Six 6,5″ jack connectors (with color coded nuts), two USB A ports (enabled for charging and USB host duties), MIDI IN, OUT and Thru and USB type B for device.
• Internal connectors compatible with your favorite 1u Canadian manufacturer.
• Vesa connector compatible: Step up your studio space!
• Kensington lock.
• Plastic cover included.
• 150W wall-wart adapter included.

The case will be available assembled and as a DIY Kit, priced at €650/€550, tax included. It will be available end of June.

In addition, they plan to release the case power supply, both assembled and as a  DIY kit, in June for €260€/€190.

Their most unusual introduction is Fx Boy, a 12 HP multi FX module with CV controllable EQ and Dry wet. Each FX is built into a Gameboy cart.

Befaco has gathered a group of fellow Eurorack manufacturers to design carts. The module will include 6 carts, from: Feedback modules, Making sound Machines, Tesseract, Touel Skouarn, XOR electronics and Befaco. You can expect old fashioned flangers, aggressive folders, dirty bitcrushers, fuzz galore and trashy distortions.

Fx Boy will be released in summer 2023, both assembled and DIY. Pricing is still to be determined.

Befaco will also be introducing a 1u version of the Molten Motion Meter.

The 1u version will be functioning as the 3u counterpart, but with four channels.

The module will be released at the end of June, assembled and as a semi-soldered kit at an estimated price of €165 /€130 after taxes.

Finally, Befaco is introducing the MIDI Thing 2, a new, “sexier and more powerful” version of their MIDI Thing.

The MIDI Thing 2 is a 12-channel, fully configurable MIDI converter in just 6 HP. If features MIDI DIN, USB host and MIDI device connectivity, and a OLED screen to configure the ports as you like.

The module will feature monophonic and polyphonic modes, with built-in ADSR, LFOs and Oscillators. It will have a configuration Website, as well as a bridge mode for VCV rack.

MIDI Thing 2 will be available during Summer 2023, priced around €300, tax included.

Find out more on the Befaco website.

The latest Sonic State video features a first look at the new UDO Super Gemini synthesizer.

The Super Gemini is a 20-voice polyphonic, bi-timbral analog-hybrid flagship keyboard. UDO says that the keyboard gives you “immediate comprehensive control” over both timbral layers.

Sonic State’s Nick Batt talked to designer George Hearn from UDO Audio, who shared a quick overview of the Super Gemini, along with an improvised sound demo.

The UDO Super Gemini is an instrument that promises high-end build quality, a flexible synth engine, an interface that takes inspiration from the classic Yamaha CS-80, and a wide range of performance capabilities, including hands-on control, polyphonic aftertouch and a ribbon controller.

Synthstrom Audible has announced that – as of June 5th, 2023 – the Deluge firmware will be open source.

The Deluge is a grid-based instrument that’s a portable sequencer, synthesizer and sampler. It features 128 RGB pads, arranged in a 16 x 8 grid; a built-in synthesizer; up to 12 minutes of sample playback from SD card; and sequencing of up to thousands of notes.

What Synthstrom say about their plans to open source the Deluge firmware:

“At Synthstrom, we’re devoted to sustainability and want our Deluge to continue being the centre of our users’ musical excursions for many years to come. Late last year we started retrofitting older Deluge variations with the OLED screen featuring in our new units.

The next step we’re taking has been even longer in development – waiting until we knew we had a community full of talented coders who were as passionate about the Deluge as we are. We know now the time is right – it’s time to take software development into overdrive – we’re going open-source!

What is open-source? Open-source means we’re opening our software code to the community; our users who know how to write code can now develop their own Deluge features, make refinements to the existing code and contribute to a Community version for all users.”

They note that this decision is not because they are working on a new version of the Deluge, they say that “there are currently no plans for that”. The decision was driven more by a desire to focus their energies into ramping up the manufacturing of new OLED Deluges, speeding up the retrofitting and refurbishing off older units, and getting the Deluge into “limited retail”.

Synthstrom will continue to maintain and update the main “Official” repository, including all official Deluge Firmware releases going forward. Alongside there will also be a “Community” repository (for both the OLED & non-OLED versions), forked from the Official repository, as a central place for community code contributions. Forks can be used by Deluge owners, if they like, and new features will be evaluated and may be added to the Official branch.

They note that installing Community or other firmware builds is 100% compatible with your Deluge’s hardware warranty, but they won’t provide support for non-official community builds.

Deluge Firmware will be released under the GPLv3 license. There are no restrictions on personal use and this license allows for code to also be used in commercial projects. However, if even one line of code from this is used in a commercial project, the entire piece of code for that project must also be made open-source under this same license.

The newly open source Deluge Firmware source code will live in GitHub and be available in June 2023. There are also plans for a Patreon to help support ‘Community’ development.

Key dates and details:

• Monday, June 5, 7pm EDT – Codebase made available, documentation released and Patreon launched.
• Wednesday, June 7, 7pm EDT – Open Group video Q&A session with Rohan. Will be recorded and made available on GitHub following.
• Saturday, June 10, 11am, CEST – Open Group Zoom session with Rohan. Will be recorded and made available on the GitHub following.