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1 week ago | 
musictech.com | Adam Crute |John Pickford |Terrence P. O’Brien
You probably know you don’t need high-end gear to make music. But let’s be real — some hardware can light up your creativity in a way software sometimes can’t. It might be a mind-bending synth, a slick new controller or a reimagined classic. And, rest assured, 2025 has already seen a ton of new, exciting products that are sure to get you inspired.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
musictech.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
£362 / $450 / €360, somasynths.com Who doesn’t love a good drone? It’s incredible how much can be contained in the simple ringing-out of a few notes, or even just one. The exact timbre, gentle movement or how much dissonance there is between notes can communicate so much about the emotion, intention and style of a composition. Arguably, the company at the forefront of drone instruments is Soma Laboratory. You may have even spotted the company’s Lyra-8 in an Apple promo video a few years back.
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Jan 5, 2025 | 
wired.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
I’ve been DJing for about seven years, but I would never actually call myself a DJ. The reason is that, saying “DJ” conjures a specific image in people’s minds. They envision someone who plays clubs and weddings, blending and transitioning between songs designed to keep the party moving. I’m not that DJ: I’m a radio DJ. My skills (if you can call them that) are worlds away from what your average party host does.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
technewstube.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
wired.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
Introduced in 2002, the MicroKorg became one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. But a lot has changed since then. In the last 22 years Korg has actually tried to update this early 21st century classic a few times, but they haven’t caught on the way the original did. The oxymoronically named MicroKorg XL, the MicroKorg S (which added speakers and not much else), and the MicroKorg XL+ (just a MicroKorg XL with a facelift) all failed to usurp the OG.
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Dec 2, 2024 | 
wired.jp | Terrence P. O’Brien
ソニーのオリジナルである「MDR-7506」は、有線スタジオヘッドフォンの中でトップレベルと言っても過言ではない。シンプルな黒いイヤーカップに青いステッカーが貼られたデザインのこのヘッドフォンは、比較的ニュートラルな音質をもち、耐久性にも優れ、しかも驚くべき価格の100ドル（日本では19,800円）で手に入る。そのため、世界中のスタジオで数十年にわたり定番として愛用され続けているのは納得できる。わたしも約8年間、同じMDR-7506を愛用してきた。数年前にイヤーパッドを交換した以外は、いまも何の問題もなく動作している。 とはいえMDR-7506は、プレミアムなスタジオモニターではなく、コストパフォーマンスを重視した選択肢である。ほとんどの状況では十分な性能を発揮するが、より高価なモデルにはしばしば劣る。しかし、新たに登場した「MDR-M1」は250ドル（日本未発売。導入予定なし）で、ソニーが高価格帯市場を狙ってつくった製品だ。...
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
wired.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
The world of budget MIDI keyboards is competitive to say the least. There are countless companies cranking out keyboards under $300, ranging in size from 25 keys to 88 keys. There are mini controllers for tossing into a bag. Controllers with tightly integrated software for simplifying sound design. Keyboards with MPC-style drum pads. Honestly, it’s kinda hard to go wrong picking any of them—they’ll all get the job done. Still there are a few, depending on your particular needs, that rise to the top.
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Nov 24, 2024 | 
businessandamerica.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
In addition to crunching your samples into digital oblivion, you can process them with a ton of different effects like reverb, delay, a multi-mode filter, and most importantly, a vinyl simulator for that true 404 flavor. The six sample pads across the front aren’t velocity-sensitive, but they’re large and responsive enough to do some basic finger drumming. Unfortunately, chopping a sample spreads it across the smaller keyboard on the bottom, rather than the larger sample pads.
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Nov 24, 2024 | 
technewstube.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
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Nov 24, 2024 | 
wired.com | Terrence P. O’Brien
It took a long time for Roland to make a serious play in the portable budget synth space that Korg supercharged with its Volca lineup. One thing that had been missing from the Aira Compact series until now, however, was a sampler. Considering Roland is behind the iconic SP-404, it seemed a foregone conclusion that, eventually, the company would build a scaled-down version for its Compact line. The P-6 Creative Sampler is the inevitable marriage of the SP-404 soul and Aira Compact form factor.
