Native Instruments' Kontrol S series MIDI keyboards are a favorite among producers and musicians for their solid build and tight integration with the company's instruments like Kontakt and Massive X.
What exactly constitutes “high-end” when it comes to a Polaroid camera? At least for the modern incarnation of the company, there really hasn’t been such a thing until now. That’s not terribly shocking since, for much of its existence, Polaroid has been associated with instant gratification and point-and-shoot simplicity. Of course, in the digital age, waiting 10 to 15 minutes for a Polaroid to develop can seem like an eternity.
I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what would be the next vintage synth to get the Arturia emulation treatment.
I wrote my first synth review for Engadget in 2019. At the time I thought it might be a one off. Maybe it would afford me the opportunity to play with some fun gear now and then, but “Engadget synth beat reporter” was not something in the cards long term.
Standalone sequencers are something of a luxury in the modern music-making landscape. These days, even the cheapest synths and samplers have at least rudimentary sequencing capabilities. And while many MIDI controllers have on-board sequencers, they’re usually meant to back up live performance rather than replace it.
A lot of Roland's recent instruments, that aren't just rehashes of classic gear, take an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach.
IK Multimedia has been in the guitar rig emulation game for a long time. It released the first version of AmpliTube way back in 2002. And while the company has branched out quite a bit since then into synths, microphones and studio monitors, it hasn't given up on the world of guitar just yet.
I almost never leave the house without some device dedicated to exercising the creative part of my brain. Sometimes this is as simple as a camera or a field recorder. Other times I bring my Teenage Engineering PO-33 with me. It’s not that my phone and a few apps couldn’t accomplish the same thing. It’s just less satisfying.
These days it’s not necessary to go to a giant studio with overpriced, pro-grade gear to record a Grammy-winning record. You can do it right from the comfort of your own bedroom in fact, using tools priced for even the most casual of hobbyists. It's not news that the tools of creation or the avenues for distributing art are accessible to more people than ever. But the cultural institutions that have dominated popular music for so long can no longer ignore the bedroom producer or budding Soundcloud star.