The touchscreen on any iOS mobile device opens up a world of possibilities for controlling synths or other music apps. We previously covered Aftertouch, an app that takes advantage of 3D Touch on newer iPhones for additional control options. This time out, we train our eye on GridInstrument, which eschews the traditional piano-style keyboard in […]
More Holdout iPad Music Apps now support iOS 11 – Synth News Digest 11
November 7, 2017 by
Many musicians using iPads and iPhones continue to forego updating to iOS 11 because its 64-bit requirement makes older 32-bit apps incompatible once installed. I’m one of these holdouts. As more developers update their projects to support iOS 11, however, the reasons for staying on version 10 decline. Only speaking for my favorite apps, but […]
A Love Letter to the Alternate Mode trapKAT
October 23, 2017 by
Sometime in the early 90s, I tried out an electric drum kit at a Columbus music store. I forget what brand it was – probably an early Roland model. I was surprised at the feel. While not as sensitive or dynamic as a real kit – I owned a Pearl 5-piece at the time – […]
The Schmidt Eightvoice Analog Synthesizer crushes all – Synth News Digest 8
September 28, 2017 by
When the German manufacturer, Schmidt, recently announced their Eightvoice analog polyphonic synthesizer, the hearts of many synthheads began to flutter. Arguably the most robust synth in the industry – short of a fully-appointed modular – the Eightvoice features an architectural design with nary a compromise. Custom built in production runs of 25 each, the Schmidt […]
Moog’s Subsequent 37 refines the Original Sub 37 Design – Synth News 7
September 15, 2017 by
Moog recently announced another upgrade to its already venerable Sub 37 synthesizer. We previously covered the Subsequent 37 CV, and now the Subsequent 37 (with no “CV”) has hit the market. I actually missed the CV tag the last time around. Sorry, it’s now fixed! By the way, I still think Sub 37 CV – […]
Goose EQ comes to iOS – Synth News Digest 6
September 7, 2017 by
After using both BeatMaker 3 and Modstep for building tracks to improvise or compose over, I’m really getting into AU plugins on iOS. Since most of my recording work is on the desktop, obviously I gravitate towards the relative ease of loading a plugin instead of passing audio and MIDI through a “third-wheel” iOS app. […]
Roland reveals the TR-08 and a Boutique SH-101 – Synth News Digest 5
August 11, 2017 by
808 Day (August 8) brought an appropriate bit of synth news from Roland: the announcement of the TR-08, a Boutique version of their venerable TR-808 drum machine. The company also revealed a Boutique model version of the SH-101 synthesizer, known as the SH-01A. This new synth ups the ante compared to the original with 4-voice […]
War of the Minimoog Clones – Synth News Digest 4
June 30, 2017 by
Roland’s announcement of their SE-02 analog synthesizer caused a buzz throughout the music tech industry. Developed in partnership with the respected synth house, Studio Electronics, the SE-02 is the first release of the Roland Boutique Designer Series, expected to be a more upscale line compared to the original Boutique Series, home to miniaturized, virtual analog […]
Review: Go Semi-Modular with the Make Noise 0-Coast
June 23, 2017 by
Ever since watching the synth documentary, I Dream of Wires, analog synthesizers or even a Eurorack system were going to be part of my studio setup. Virtual analog synths from Korg and Waldorf still make their presence known on our recordings, but there’s no denying the superior tactile interface of a synth like the Moog […]
Say Goodbye to Rebirth – Synth News Digest 3
June 16, 2017 by
Recently, the sad news hit the synth community – Propellerheads’ venerable virtual beatbox studio, Rebirth was being removed from the iTunes App Store. At first, many synthheads figured the issue was due to the 64-bit requirement in the upcoming iOS 11. I noticed that Rebirth just updated at the end of February, so there had […]
