Though it may create retro sounds, Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 Synth has that “Apple White” look that’s perfect for modern times. It’s not in production yet, but the feature list makes this pocket synth seem like a blast. It’s a perfectly functional controller and sampler when hooked up to software like Ableton Live or Reason, but it can kick out the jams on its own as a stand-alone device with a built-in speaker. The OP-1 includes eight synth models, eight samplers, a microphone, an arpeggiator and an FM radio; imagine creating grooves on the fly with whatever’s coming over the airwaves, combined with old-school drones and mic’ed in samples. I’d be in heaven, if only I knew how much this thing will cost and if it will ever, in fact, become a commercial product. There will be a beta test, but with only 100 sign-ups available, that ship probably sailed a long time ago. [Teenage Engineering via Engadget]
Music’s marriage to the modern computer has opened the doors of creativity to a new world of musicians. The ability to create, record and edit sound once carried a heavy cost– and can now be done for a few hundred bucks on your home PC or Mac. But what is missing in this digital revolution? Touch. Music is best created in a tactile environment, one that is lost the world of a mouse and a keyboard.
In recent years, manual control surfaces have helped manage this problem, but none as creatively as this concept by industrial designer Mike Neumann. The Poly.Touch Tangible Synthesizer Concept is a music synth engine with a revolutionary control surface that uses physical objects to create/control sound. The formation and position of each block on the control surface shapes the sound like the knobs and faders of a classic synth controller. Drop a few blocks on the surface, arrange and tweak them, you’ve created a new sound for your digital music environment. While the Poly.Touch is still only a design concept, we’d love to get our hands on a working prototype…
Got to love the detail on this collection of felt synths from Austrailian artist Pul(sew)idth. Korgs, Rolands and even the MiniMoog are duplicated with impressive accuracy, considering the plush trinkets measure just 3.5 inches long. Six of them are selling for $65 each on Pul(sew)idth’s Etsy store, but the artist seems willing to aoccomodate special requests, including keyboards, guitars, pedals and amps (keytars, anyone?). There’s a Flickr page with some more examples if you need inspiration. I’m a big fan of the tiny felt Arp, myself. [Etsy via BB Gadgets]
If blips and bleeps, buzzes and hums are words in your native language, you might be a bit excited about this news from the people at Mark of the Unicorn. MOTU has developed a software system called Volta that allows electronic musicians to control their hardware synthesizers from their Macs. For the layman, what Volta offers is a software system that generates an electrical signal that can control paramaters on an array of analog synth consoles. Still confused? Volta allows a musician to control their sonic palette from the screen on their Mac– instead of having to walk around their studio tweaking knobs, connecting cables and adjusting sliders. Musicians, head over to CreateDigitalMusic for more. Non-musicians– feel free to drool over that techy goodness in the image above… [creatdigitalmusic]
Editor’s Note– I once built a talkbox out of old PVC, clear plastic tubing, a pair of Dell PC speakers and gobs of silver duct tape. I connected it to an Alesis Ion analog-modeling synth– and good times were had. A bit more involved that this hack, but fun nonetheless. DS owners, try this!! -mike payne-
Ever wanted to be like Roger Troutman, Chromeo, Dr. Dre and others? If you said yes, but don’t have the scratch for a real talkbox, now is your chance. You may be familiar with the Korg DS10 for the Nintendo DS. Well an enterprising fellow from Japan named Jetdaisuke has modded his DS to work like the classic talkbox. Jetdaisuke simply taped a straw to the speaker on his DX, then modulated the output sound by moving his mouse around the straw. This is styled after the real, analog-style talkbox we’re talking here– not that annoying Autotune trash that T-Pain, Kanye and others use. Enjoy the vid! [via dvice]
Upon seeing this image, super-producers like Timbaland, Dre, and Kanye and bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are collectively soiling their pants. While this machine may not mean a whole lot to you now, you’ll be hearing its output in albums to come. The Studio Electronics Orion Galaxy Omega 8 is an 8-voice polyphonic synthesizer providing a new style of synth sounds for today’s electronic-minded musicians. The Orion will produce verything from buzzy leads to swelling arpeggios to the atmospheric effects that lace the lush instrumentation created by the names above. Why’d we share it with you? First, beyond its music synthesis power, the Orion is utterly beautiful. Any hobbyist (or pro) musicians here on GearCrave will certainly want to take note… (no pun intended)
In a past life, your GearCrave editor spent quite a bit of time with synthesizers, signal processors, sequencers and microphones. Let me tell you, seeing this Korg DS-10 for the Nintendo DS brought waves of analog nostalgia my way. The Korg DS-10 Synthesizer is a software synth and sequencer designed for the Nintendo DS, allowing its users to create lush electronic music compositions with nothing more than two screens and a stylus. The DS-10 clones the electronic glory of the classic 1978 Korg MS-20 analog synthesizer, with its voltage controlled oscillators, patch cables and sharp resonating filters. Turn this baby on, you’ll be giving Kraftwerk a run for their money in no time… [via AcquireMag]
No, you’re not looking at a first generation iPod flipped upside-down, you’re looking at the ultimate in DJ expression tools, the Korg Kaossilator. The Kaossilator is a “dynamic phrase synthesizer”, which is music geek for “really awesome music thing”. You control an array of sounds, beats and musical phrases with the touch of a finger. You don’t need piano lessons to use this baby– just slide and tap your finger around the touchpad for a brilliant aural response. You can tap out the synth tones from classic dance and hip hop tracks, or even invent your own. Musician or not, this thing will quickly become your new hobby.
