NAMM 2015: Tom Oberheim Two Voice Pro First Look

Published on Jan 21, 2015 sonicstate

"A reissue of Toms favourite the two voice!"

NAMM 2015: Make Noise First Look

Published on Jan 21, 2015 Nick Sonic

"NAMM 2015: Make Noise First Look Tony Rolando gives us a look at 3 new modules from Make Noise"

New modules include the FxdF Filter, RxMx 6 channel macro low pass gate, and Soundhack Telharmonic three voice additive synth module.

NAMM 2015: Roland JDXi First Look

Published on Jan 21, 2015 Nick Sonic

NAMM 2015: Roland JDXi First Look Roland\'s new \"Synth Crossover\"

New Roland JD-XA Mega Synth Spotted at NAMM

Published on Jan 21, 2015 Nick Sonic

"NAMM 2015: Roland\'s New JD-XA - Big Daddy Of JD-Xi Now this looks interesting too"

New Akai Pro Timbre Wolf Poly Analog Synth & Tom Cat Drum Machine

via MusicRadar

"The Timbre Wolf looks particularly bold: a 4-voice polyphonic synth that's set to retail for £300. It can be used as four monosynths, in 4-voice unison mode or as a 4-voice polysynth. Each voice has its own 32-step sequencer, and there's a full-size 25-note keyboard.

Tom Cat, meanwhile, offers kick, snare, hi-hat and clap sounds and chromatically-tunable disco toms. You can adjust the tuning, amplitude envelope and volume of each voice independently.

There are also six pads and a 32-step sequencer, along with swing, pattern select and tempo controls. It's said that you can 'dirty up' your beats using the 'Maul' circuitry. Tom Cat will sell for £150."

ARP ODYSSEY by Korg – The Classic Analog Synthesizer Returns Intro Video and Website

Uploaded on Jan 21, 2015

"The ARP ODYSSEY - one of the most unique and coveted analog synthesizers ever created. More than 40 years have passed since the original turned the synth world on its ear. Now in 2015, this powerful and flexible duophonic synth has been reborn.

Korg, Inc., in partnership with the founders of ARP, have worked to painstakingly capture every nuance and esthetic of the original. Like the MS-20 Mini before it, this is the true-analog recreation of a legend -from Korg – a music company steeped in over 50 years of synth history."

The new ARPSynth website is live with a cool history section.

Pics of the Black & Gold and the cool case they come with:

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KORG Officially Introduces the New ARP ODYSSEY and New KRONOS - Details and Live Video From NAMM

Scheduled for Jan 21, 2015 Korg

And the details are in. You'll find the list of full Odyssey specs further below. I wanted to lump the Kronos and Odyssey together with Korg's live video announcement feed from NAMM, as that is how they are/were released to the world. It's interesting that the press release for the Odyssey does not mention or include pics of the white and black & gold Odysseys. You can see pics of them side by side at NAMM here, and the black and gold prototype was pictured here. New pics will follow when they go live.  Until then, enjoy the show! Update: new front view of Odyssey and two new Kronos pics added below.  That's it for the initial press pics.  You can see the white and black & gold Odysseys on stage.

"ARP ODYSSEY; Forty Years Later, A Complete Revival

Long stopped, the wheels of history have again begun to move

Anaheim, CA– January 21, 2015- - In conjunction with Arp Instruments Inc., Korg Inc. has revived the legendary analog synthesizer, the ARP ODYSSEY. Originally produced in 1972, the ODYSSEY quickly garnered a faithful following among musicians. Well respected for its high value, ease to play and portability, the ARP ODYSSEY had undergone several improvements during its history and continued to be a long-seller until manufacturing stopped in 1981 due to economic hardships and the digital surge. Loved by a wide range of musicians as a historical classic, its sound can be heard on numerous classic songs.

Now in 2015, Korg has brought back the ARP ODYSSEY for today while preserving the basic design of the original. The new ODYSSEY has a compact body, highly operable sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard that's easy to play. In addition, a DRIVE switch (new function) is provided and connectors include MIDI and headphone output as well as Patch cables.

'Together the engineers at Korg and Arp were able to nail the sound and feel of the original. Under the advisory assistance of David Friend, the co-founder of ARP Instruments, every detail was adjusted to replicate the original unit's distinctive synthesis,' shared James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. 'Every aspect has been carefully considered to stay true to the quality of the original, down to the sophisticated semi-hard case.'

Korg has completely reproduced the original circuitry for artists looking to recreate classic sounds and explore new ones. The ARP ODYSSEY has been downsized to 86% of the original. Carefully selected parts are used in the familiar slider section, providing an operating feel that's even smoother than the original."

"KORG Debuts Most Powerful Synthesizer with the New Kronos

Expanded Piano Engine, Improved Touch Panel Navigation, Improved Set List Mode, Search by Song Title Functionality, Redesigned Exterior

Anaheim, CA– January 22, 2015- - KORG USA debuted the new KRONOS, the most powerful version of its flagship synthesizer to date during Winter NAMM. For the first time enthusiast will be able to hear and see the new Kronos in action with live performances and in depth demonstrations by product experts and engineers.

'The new Kronos features the unrivaled 9-engine structure from previous versions, with numerous improvements to both sound capability and overall functionality. Truly, the most powerful synthesizer on the planet just got more powerful,' said James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products.

'Our SGX piano engine, already revered for its German and Japanese grands, now also includes a 9GB Berlin grand with dedicated una corda (soft pedal) samples, plus sympathetic string resonance that works on all the SGX pianos” he continued. “It’s truly an amazing piano experience. There are new banks of sounds based on famous song titles for our cover players and those looking for ‘that’ sound for their recordings, plus a ‘best of’ bank from KaPro, who has created numerous libraries for the Kronos line.'

Other new features include system-wide Touch/Drag via the Kronos’ huge color TouchView™ screen; allowing the user to edit onscreen parameters faster and more naturally than ever.

An evolved Set List mode provides the capability to resize their custom text per set list entry, and enter text via either an onscreen QWERTY or external USB ASCII keyboard. Entries can also be color-coded for better organization and visibility, and users can even decide how many set list entries appear on the screen at time, allowing for more (and larger) onscreen text to remind you of lyrics, changes, or other notes.

An improved search function helps users to find the perfect sound faster than ever. Other improvements include onscreen metering in Combination and Sequencer modes, along with the ability to edit Programs within a Combination to hear the edits in context with other parts.

The improvements don’t end with the software, either; the new Kronos also boasts a new look, including natural wood side panels, easier-to-read silkscreened text, a sophisticated – and functional – vented back panel, and gold-plated audio I/O jacks."

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ARP Odyssey Specifications

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MOTM Turing Machine (Random Sequencer) + Analog Shift Register modules

Published on Jan 21, 2015 alternatingbitmusic

"A demo of the Random Looping Sequencer and Analog Shift Register modules (built by 'sduck')."

Joystick Cap for Elka Synthex

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Like a little bit of abstract synth art...

Apparently these are somewhat rare.

The seller also has a Synthex listed here, posted earlier.  The cap on that one appears to be narrower but is 10% bigger.

MINT MODE MACHINES MW-01 WASP FILTER SN 002

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Analog filter based on WASP synthesizer
Self oscillation mode
Drive adds gain overdrive to filter
LFO (sine) with depth and rate control
Desk-compact steel case with wooden side plates (Micro Fashion Series)
Input: 1/4" Mono
Output: 1/4" Mono
External 12V DC 100mA power supply (included)
Weight: 4 lbs
The MW-01 Wasp Filter is a distortion filter device. It uses the same VCF model as from the EDP Wasp Synth, but ads tweaks and modifications to really bring out the noise! Built into a robust folded aluminum case with a chunky layout, an intuitive design, and an LED rate indicator, it is an excellent choice for live performance as well as experimentation in the studio.

The MW-01 Wasp Filter is a diverse filter capable of adding grit and punch to drums, ambient sweeps, filter wobble, and plain crazy noise."

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