Musikmesse, held in Frankfurt, Germany, is the European equivalent of the NAMM industry show, and an opportunity for me to lust a foamy froth over new music equipment innovations from across an ocean. Now TabMuse’s budget doesn’t yet allow for a quick jaunt over the sea to attend in person, but I’ve been paying attention […]
The littleBits Synth Kit is Perfect for Teaching Analog Synthesis
February 28, 2014 by
littleBits, a company formed by 21st Century Renaissance woman Ayah Bdeir, has garnered a reputation in the maker community for its unique modular electronic circuits that snap together using magnets. Recently, littleBits teamed up with Korg to release the Synth Kit, a collection of “bits” used to construct a miniature modular analog synthesizer. I picked […]
Review: The Korg Monotribe — an Analog Beat Box in a Compact Size
February 20, 2014 by
I picked up a Korg Monotribe around the holidays. Its cheap price made for a perfect gift card purchase. The Monotribe is an easy-to-use beatbox that is part of Korg’s recent analog renaissance, including everything from the Monotron series to the upcoming rebirth of the ARP Odyssey. Korg deserves praise for bringing analog to the […]
Korg to Release New Version of the ARP Odyssey
February 18, 2014 by
A news item released by Korg yesterday probably shocked many vintage analog synth fans. The Japanese company announced they were releasing a new version of the legendary ARP Odyssey synthesizer from the early 1970s. I wonder if Korg waited for Roland to reveal their new AIRA line before dropping this bombshell. The new Odyssey is […]
Roland introduces AIRA Product Line — Finally
February 14, 2014 by
One of the biggest buzzes to NOT come out of the recent NAMM show, Roland’s new AIRA line of instruments starred in a collection of interest-generating videos and press releases released during NAMM. Many, including myself, were hoping they’d follow Korg’s retro lead and release true analog versions of the TB-303, TR-808, and TR-909. Well, […]
The Korg Monotron Delay and its iOS Clone — Monotone Delay
February 7, 2014 by
About two years ago, Korg released a family of handheld, battery-powered analog synthesizers — the Monotron series. I recently picked up the Monotron Delay and found it to be an absolute blast. A great, albeit a bit noisy, sound which is powerful enough to stand out in a thick mix and also scare my cats. […]
I Dream of Wires: Hardcore Edition Review
February 5, 2014 by
Serving as both a history of the electronic synthesizer and a look at today’s robust modular synth cottage industry, I Dream of Wires: the Hardcore Edition is a must view for any fan of electronic music and analog synthesis. After spending an afternoon watching the entire four-hour movie, I was inspired to check out prices […]
Welcome to TabMuse
January 31, 2014 by
We had hoped to publish TabMuse by the end of year, but over Thanksgiving weekend I sat down and watched the excellent synth documentary, I Dream of Wires. This was the four-hour hardcore edition and after seeing the history of the synthesizer (most of which I already knew) combined with a current view of the […]
