Here's what I dug at NAMM. It's all stuff that's definitely worth checking out. Promise.
M-Audio Venom
Okay, maybe I'm a teeny bit biased because I programmed a fuckton of the presets that ship with this synth, but in all honesty, it's one of the most unique digital synths I've seen in a long time. The fact that the waveforms are actually sampled from classic analog gear (as opposed to being generated via modeling) gives the Venom a more aggressive, slightly quirky vibe - and quirky aggression is something that I'm a little too into or so I've been told.
Throw in an audio interface, MIDI interface, and a street price of about $500 and you have the makings of a synth that's going to be in a lot of rigs.
Korg Kronos
Once upon a time, Korg made a synth that really DID do it all, called the OASYS. Unfortunately, the OASYS cost around $10000. (Yeah, ten GRAND), so it was strictly a luxury item for actual rockstars.
Six years later, they refined the OASYS immeasurably and brought the price into the range of mere mortals. Kronos is very good stuff - and Jack Hotop's always astonishing, frankly gorgeous demos really drove the point home to NAMMites.
Shameless plug: Kronos also features several of the synths from their Legacy collection and a damn powerful FM synth called MOD-7. I did a bunch of patches for both and Korg has confirmed that these sounds will be included with Kronos when it ships.
Psyched about that.
http://www.korg.com/kronos
Psyched about that.
http://www.korg.com/kronos
Dave Smith Instruments Tempest
Dave Smith and Roger Linn make a drum machine with both samples and real analog synthesis.
Do I really have to go on?!?
http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/news/tempest.php
Video demo here: http://player.vimeo.com/video/18862098 (Added 01.18.11 1:50pm)
http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/news/tempest.php
Video demo here: http://player.vimeo.com/video/18862098 (Added 01.18.11 1:50pm)
Fairlight CMI iPad App
As a kid, I always wanted a Fairlight CMI, but I just didn't have $25k lying around for some reason.
Fast forward thirty years. The processing power of the iPhone eclipses that of the original Fairlight Series IIx. Soooo.... Now that Fairlight is back in business, they've decided to re-release the Fairlight Series IIx as apps for both the iPhone ($5.00) and iPad ($50.00) - iPad vid here.
I wet myself.
Reactable iPad App
Fast forward four years. Now that Apple makes a pocket-sized platform that does the trick, there's an app for that.
Lots of puddles in Hall E.
Other random moments of excitement...
I've been slavishly devoted to iZotope's Ozone, Alloy and Trash plugs since each arrived. I'm guessing the same will happen with Nectar.
The fact that Korg's Legacy MS20 controller is compatible with the iMS20 means I am robo-excited that I've got one collecting dust in my garage - for now. Here's the YouTube vid to prove it.
Back to that remix...
Suggesting you start a blog was a good thing. See if Mi . . . . I mean Elle Effeaux would like to join in. She's been looking for a new "home" since her stint at Keyboard ended.
ReplyDelete