The year 2016 is almost over and we’ve had a number of exciting and innovative technologies released this year that promise inspiration for the producer, DJ, and electronic musician.
DJ Players and Controllers
Several new DJ controllers and media players were released this year, so I’ve compiled my top three choices that I think are worth a look. The new Pioneer XDJ-1000MK2 is now shipping and boasts many new features borrowed from the flagship CDJ2000NXS MK2, including the same-sized jog wheel and 7" LCD touch screen. The new unit is compatible with high-quality FLAC and ALAC sound formats up to 48 kHz/24-bit and a digital output has been added, as well as a new power supply, which has been designed to completely isolate from the digital circuit to reduce noise. Denon DJ has also introduced an all-in-one DJ control surface/mixer, the MCX8000, which is Serato compatible, but also works with Denon’s Engine DJ software, allowing you to perform without a laptop. Simply plug your USB stick into the controller and you’re ready to rock the house! Last, but certainly not least, Roland delivered the DJ-808, a four-channel Serato controller with an integrated TR-S drum machine with sounds from the TR-606, 707, 808, and 909 drum machines. What’s more, the TR-S sequencer control can sequence the Serato sampler. The built-in VT Voice Transformer allows you control the pitch, formant, ducking, and provides Serato key matching. The stand-alone digital mixer offers connections for external media player and turntables, while two USB host ports are capable of accommodating any of the AIRA or Boutique synthesizers and drum machines.
Portable Instruments and Production Stations
For the producer/DJ on the go, there has been a plethora of battery-powered instruments and production stations. Korg revamped the Electribe Series with a new color scheme, based on the original blue and red models. The Blue is the music production station, while the Red is the sampling production station. The system V2.0 update provides the much-requested pattern chain function, as well as support for original value display. There’s also a ton of new content available for download. Although the Novation Circuit was technically released in 2015, it bears mentioning since the updates have further unlocked some user-requested features, including importing your own samples, sample flip, which lets you create multi-sampler drum lines on each of the Circuit’s drum tracks, sample preview, session color and single session backups, sound management, and several new bug fixes.
Korg also released two new instruments for the Volca Series, the Volca FM and Volca Kick. The FM is a 3-voice digital FM synthesizer that faithfully reproduces the sound engine of a classic FM synthesizer with sharp, metallic sounds, notable electric pianos, and deep, full basses. The Volca Kick is an analog kick generator that features an analog circuit based on the powerful resonant sound of the MS20 filter, and is capable of creating a wide range of kick sounds. The unit is quite capable, generating tones from solid kick drum to crisp kick basses. Roland blew everyone one away with the release of three new instruments from the Boutique line. The TB-03 is a recreation of the original TB-303 that retains the same sound, character, and interface as the original, but with added hands-on controls of parameters including an LED screen, overdrive, delay. The TR-09 is a compact recreation of the original TR-909 and also retains the sound, character, and interface of the original. The unit offers classic step and tap write modes, continuous playback when switching modes, and four separate outputs via USB. The VP-03 is a recreation of the VP-330 Vocoder Plus, which includes a Gooseneck XLR mic, voice step sequencer, and a chord-memory function. All of the new Roland Boutiques are battery powered, include an integrated speaker, and a 24-bit/96 kHz stereo audio interface.
Synthesizers and Drum Machines
2016 has been an exciting year for synthesizers. Korg and Roland have been really raising the bar on low-cost, high-quality instruments that will help any DJ/Producer/Electronic Musician create inspirational and cutting-edge tracks. Korg released the Minilogue, an all-analog polyphonic synthesizer with four-voice architecture and 200 fully editable presets. The synth offers eight voice-allocation modes including polyphonic, duophonic, monophonic, chord, unison, and more. A 16-step sequencer not only records poly notes, but motion sequences of knob movements, as well. Also from Korg, the Arp Odyssey Module, which offers the same wonderful sound as the original, but sans keys and at a lower price. Moog blew everyone’s minds with the re-release of the original Minimoog Model D, arguably the most famous and sought-after synthesizer of all times. The Model D features the exact circuit boards that retain the same component placement and through-hole design of the original. Some new additions have been made, but they don’t affect the sound quality in any way and include an analog LFO and Filter Contour as modulation sources, a Fatar TP-9 keybed with velocity and aftertouch, CV outputs for Pitch, Aftertouch, Velocity, and Gate, an external Modulation CV input, and MIDI In, Out, and Thru. Moog also released its first foray into the Eurorack modular format with the Mother 32, a semi-modular analog synthesizer featuring the classic Moog ladder filter, a 32-step sequencer with 64 preset slots, a 32-point patchbay, and MIDI control.
Speaking of Eurorack modulars, Roland released the all-analog System-500, which is based on the classic System-100m synthesizers. The system consists of five modules, including the 512 Dual VCO, the 521 Dual VCF, the 530 Dual VCA, the 540 Dual Envelope and LFO, and the 572 Phase Shifter, Delay, LFO. The modules are available separately or as a complete system in powered case. Pittsburgh Modular offered its newest creation, the Lifeforms Systems 201, which includes the Lifeforms SV-1 Synthesizer Voice and the KB-1 Touch Keyboard and Sequencer. The SV-1 is a complete semi-modular synthesizer featuring a powerful MIDI-to-CV converter, two independent, full-range oscillators, a dual-chained mixer, a four-stage envelope generator, an analog state-variable filter, an LFO, a VCA, two splitters, and an output section with headphone and main-out connectors. The KB-1 is a multi-function capacitive-touch keyboard with an arpeggiator, step-sequencer, voltage-memory pads and trigger pads. Both modules are available separately or in the System 201 case with built in power. The SV-1 is also available in a Blackbox Desktop format.
The latest Lifeforms module, Percussion Sequencer, is a four-channel programmable drum controller in a Eurorack module with a classic drum-machine-style interface. And last, but certainly not least, Arturia continues to add to its Brute line with the powerful MatrixBrute and the all-analog drum machine, DrumBrute. The MatrixBrute is a 100% analog synthesizer that features an advanced “Matrix” section that serves as the heart of the instrument, allowing for complex modulation routing, step-sequencing, and instant preset recall. The modulation routing allows you to assign any of the 16 modulation sources to any of the 16 modulation destinations. The matrix also functions as a 64-step sequencer with separate step, accent, slide, and modulation steps. The preset mode allows you to recall any of the 256 presets at the touch of a button. The DrumBrute is a fully analog drum machine, featuring 17 pure-analog drum sounds, which build on the history of classic drum machines and offer an expanded feature set including high-performance effects and a modern step sequencer. There are 12 individual outputs available, should you wish to mix or effect the sounds with an outboard mixer or effects.
Mixer
For the electronic musician, mobile studio engineer, or anyone looking for a high-quality, low-cost “Swiss Army Knife,” definitely check out the Keith McMillen K-Mix, a professional-quality 24-bit/96 kHz audio interface, 8 input/10 output digital mixer, and MIDI control surface in the size of your average book. The unit has no moving parts, but instead utilizes a space-age precision opto-tactical control surface. The mixer provides a 3-band EQ and full dynamics on each channel, as well as a dedicated reverb with individual sends, and is four-to-eight channel surround sound capable.
Have you any experience with any of these products? What do you like or dislike about them? Let us know in the Comments section, below.
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