NAMM 16 – mixed news
In WMD’s big collective booth a lot of manufacturers were displaying a massive amount of gear so you had to look closely to get all news. Here is a mixed overwiev of things we discovered.
Soulsby Synths presented the Oscitron, a voltage controllable Eurorack version of their 8-Bit synthesizer Atmegatron. It features more wavetables, allows for recording your own wavetables and it has 128 samples resolution instead of 32. Price will be 299€ and release is in April ’16.
Synthrotek’s new MIDI/CV interface offers something unique: it can be used in opposite direction, too so you can use it as a Clock-to-MIDI/USB interface. Imagine synchronizing your DAW to your modular’s clock – exactly this is possible! Cost is $199 and it seems to be available now
An expander will add arpeggiator functionality to the MIDI/CV interface for $150.
The Expressor module is a dual foot controller with a twist: each of the two channels having a pedal-controlled VCA allows for direct volume control by foot. Adjustments to the CV characteristic can be made as well.
Pittsburgh Modular have a new line of rather heavy yet really beautiful wooden flightcase enclosures and two modules from the new Lifeforms line:
The sv-1 is a new synth voice, bigger and more flexible than the Synthblock modules from the past. $699.
The kb-1 will be really interesting for users who like to have a touch plate keyboard but dislike the size and/or price of the existing ones. This one will cost $499, it is pressure sensitive, has an arpeggiator, one octave, four adjustable preset plates and two manual trigger generator plates.
No picture of Harvestman here but we were told his killer über-sequencer Stilton Hammer II will be available late February.