2021 has been ‘the year of the keyboard’, says Reverb - particularly the Teenage Engineering OP-1
Online gear marketplace says that searches for keyboards and synths are up 34%
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Mary Spender has finished writing Adele’s new song Easy On Me based on a few piano chords
How close has she got to matching the real thing?
Cableguys NoiseShaper review
- €49
ShaperBox branches out from effects processing with a sample-powered noise generator
Torso Electronics T-1 Algorithmic Sequencer review
- €525
We find out what makes this sturdy piece of hardware Euclidean-ly (is that an acceptable adjective?) tick
Axel Hartmann discusses the “challenging task” of designing the Rhodes MK8 electric piano
“It was one of the first instruments I owned as a young musician,” he says
The Succession theme song composer explains its blend of classical piano chords and hip-hop beats
Nicholas Britell says he wanted to capture the show’s absurdity and gravitas
Cinesamples O: Forbes Pipe Organ review
- $149
Cinesamples’ latest Kontakt instrument captures the majesty of the mighty pipe organ, placing the big O right at your fingertips
UVI Super-7 review
- €79
What happens if you weave a karaoke classic into a programmable sample-based instrument? The results from UVI will be Super!
Avid Sibelius for iPad/iOS review
- $6.99 per month upwards (or free)
The notation workhorse which started as a university project has scaled great heights. Now it’s available on the small screen too…
Does Martinic’s AX73 plugin make Akai’s ‘80s synth the classic that it could have been?
A forgotten keyboard gets a second chance to shine
Spitfire Audio Hammers review
- £249
In a new collaboration between Saw composer Charlie Clouser and Spitfire Audio, percussion has never sounded so brutal
Songwriting basics: how to use chromatic mediants to add flavour to your chord progressions
Discover the secret music theory weapon used by soul/gospel artists and film composers
Korg Collection 3 review
- $399
Korg’s Collection is updated with three classics from three different eras: the 70s, 90s and 2000s
1010 Music Bitbox mk2 review
- £549
Does this updated sampler box of tricks contain any more surprises?
Synchro Arts VocAlign Ultra review
- £85+
Editing and aligning audio can be time-consuming but this newly updated industry-standard could make your life considerably easier
These new Rhodes MK8 electric piano renders look so real we can almost play them
You’d better be a pretty good player if you choose the gold version...
L-Acoustics L-ISA review
- £29/month
This mixing application makes creating immersive soundscapes a doddle
Alesis’s affordable V Series II MIDI keyboards give you synth-style keys and velocity-sensitive pads
Is that enough to make them stand out from the controller crowd, though?
