Music technology was born out of innovation, and software developers and hardware manufacturers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Some do this by creating products of the sort that we’ve never seen before, while others consider how we work and attempt to make our creative lives easier.
In recognition of those who’ve sought to break new ground this year, we put together a list of what we considered to be the best music tech innovations of 2017 and asked you to vote for the one that you considered to be the most game changing. Click through the gallery to discover your winner.
The MusicRadar Best in music tech awards 2017 are brought to you in association with Softube - Tools for the Audio Professional
nuraphone
They say: "We all hear differently. The nuraphone uses a self-learning engine to automatically tune to your unique hearing bringing your music into stunning focus. Discover the magic of the nuraphone."
Sonicsmith Audio Controlled Oscillator
They say: "The ACO chip can track the fundamental frequency (aka pitch) of an incoming audio signal and play an analogue synth along with the source at extremely high and dynamic rates so latency is imperceptible. In fact, the ACO’s latency cannot be measured in milliseconds. You’ll have to steer off to single-digit microseconds to measure latency from this silicon marvel. This ACO can also harmonise from the input audio on a musical scale. The result? It’s the quickest and smoothest “pitch-tracking and harmonisation” effect you’ve ever heard. Only this is not a sound effect. It’s an actual synth."
Sensel Morph
We said: "Morph is a pressure-sensitive, multitouch input device. Nothing unusual about that, you might think, but the Big Idea here is that the control surface is completely customisable, so you can turn it into anything you like."
Accusonus Regroover Pro
We said: "Regroover may be a little unsure of its own remit, but that just makes it intriguing and open-ended. We can see it evolving into something truly special."
Eventide Fission
We said: "With its innovative Structural Effects splitting algorithm and stunning signal processors, Fission is a brilliant plugin for both corrective and creative manipulation."
Loopmasters Loopcloud
We said: "Sample maven Loopmasters is promising what it describes as an "industry first" with Loopcloud, a new platform for managing your samples, MIDI files and presets."
Polyend Perc Pro
We said: "Perc Pro is straightforward to set up, can handle most ‘human’ drumming tasks, and also delivers a hefty dose of creativity to your music-making life."
Winner: Teenage Engineering PO-32 Tonic
We said: "The PO-32 is a fun and inspiring noise-maker, and the added MicroTonic compatibility broadens its sonic scope considerably."