Superbooth 2019 Highlights

There were a raft of new products announced at Superbooth 2019. Here are the ones that caught our eye…and our ear.

U.D.O. Super 6 Poly Synth

U.D.O.’s Super Poly 6 combines FPGA based oscillators and LFOs, with classic analogue VCFs and VCAs, to give the best sounding ‘analogue’ synth we’ve heard since Dave Smith released the Prophet 6. What’s more, it is a true stereo synth…and it’s British. If we had to pick only one thing to take away from Superbooth 19, this would be it!

Korg Nu:Tekt NTS

And if we had to pick two things to take away from Superbooth 19, this would be the second. The first in a forthcoming range of solderless DIY kits from Korg, the Nu:Tekt NTS essentially enables you to build the Dev board for the Korg Prologue into a Monotron style box. Offering one monophonic digital voice and three effects, it doubles as a development tool for the Prologue and Minilogue XD. Although the price hasn’t been finalised, it will be less than a Volca, making it not just extremely powerful, but superb value for money.

Korg Volca Nubass

Korg also announced the Volca Nubass – a vacuum tube synthesizer built around its Nutube tech, that’s designed with acid basslines in mind. #Acieeed

Korg Minilogue XD Module.

Completing Korg’s triode of nu products was a desktop module version of its Minilogue XD.

Novation Summit

Another headline grabber was Novation’s new flagship synth, the Summit, which has two Peaks inside, giving you peak Peak.

Behringer RD-808

Those eagerly awaiting news of the Behringer RD-808 will be pleased to hear that an almost ready to ship version was on demo and sounding great.

Behringer RD-909

Behringer’s RD-909, though still a few months away from shipping, was also on display, and sporting functionality not found on the original.

IK Multimedia UNO Drum Machine

IK Multimedia also showed a drum machine – its brand new UNO, which offers both true analogue and PCM voices, an analogue compressor and overdrive, and performance effects, for just 249 Euros. At that price and sounding as it does, it’s bound to be a hit.

Elektron Digitone Keys FM

Elektron showed a version of its Digitone FM with knobs on…and a keyboard. If you love the Digitone workflow and you love keyboards, you’ll love this.

Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium

Whenever Dave Rossum, the man who designed chips for SSM and co-founded E-MU, brings out a new product, we’re all ears. He had three new products on display, the Linnaeus Thru-Zero State-Variable Filter , Trident Multi-Synchronic Oscillator Ensemble, and our favourite, the Panharmonium Mutating Spectral Resynthesizer. When it comes to Drum ‘n’ Bass, forget about extreme time stretching on an Akai S1100, the Rossum Panharmonium is the new thing.

Future Sound Systems – STUMM & MAKROW

From one electronic music legend to another, Mute Records’ founder, Daniel Miller, was showing two new Eurorack modules that he has brought to fruition in association with Future Sound Systems.

Ableton CV Tools

On a Eurorack tip, Ableton was showing ‘CV Tools’, a set of 10 MAX For Live devices that provide CV, gate, and clock signals to and from Live 10. Currently it’s a public beta and will see its official release with Live 10.1.

RME M-32 Pro

Ableton CV Tools is at its most versatile with an audio interface that has DC coupled convertors, which, by a happy coincidence, RME offers in its new 32 output 192kHz MADI interface.

Befaco VCMC

Alternatively, for those wanting to integrate Eurorack and MIDI gear via hardware, rather than via Ableton Live, Befaco’s VCMC (which we assume stands for Voltage Control MIDI Control, rather than being a misspelled tribute to Vince Clarke & Martin Gore) lets you do exactly that.

Nektar and Presonus Studio One Integration

The other big software/hardware integration announcement came jointly from Nektar and Presonus who revealed deep integration between Presonus’s Studio One DAW and Nektar’s Panorama controller keyboard.

Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth

For a second year running, the most bonkers (in a good way) thing at Superbooth came from Gamechanger Audio. Last year it was their Plasma distortion pedal, this year it was ‘Motor Synth’, an electrical mechanical synth that uses digitally controlled electro motors in place of oscillators.

MFB 8 Voice Poly Synth

MFB surprised everyone with a prototype of its forthcoming analogue poly synth, which features no less than 3 VCOs and 2 filters, along with 3 Envelopes, 2 LFOs, patch storage and FXs.

Moog Matriach

Moog was out in force, showing, amongst other beasts, its new Matriach, the 4 voice paraphonic for people who want more than a Grandmother, but can’t afford a Moog One; and, of course, said Moog One, for people who can afford one.

Polyend Medusa 2.0

Polyend showed version 2.0 of the firmware for Medusa – the hybrid analogue/digital synth groovebox that it designed in collaboration with Dreadbox.

Dreadbox NYX2

Meanwhile, Dreadbox showed a new version of its Nyx desktop synth.

Steinberg & Mind Music Labs Retrologue

Steinberg showed a hardware version of Retrologue (the retro synth hardware ships with Cubase) as a proof of concept. Not simply a controller, it contains hardware running a very low latency version of the Retrologue VST plug-in. Whether or not it becomes a retail product, however, remains to be seen.

Empress Effects ZOIA

Empress Effects showed its ZOIA, which is everything in a pedal…80 different everythings to be precise, from audio effects to modular synths, to sequencers.

Modal SKULPT & CRAFTsynth 2.0

Modal launched two new synths, which distil functionality from their flagship ‘008’ analogue poly and ‘002’ wavetable hybrid synths, into small desktop units. Skulpt is a 4 voice VA poly synth, whilst Kraft Synth 2.0 is a diminutive mono synth whose size belies its power.

SOMA Pulsar 23

SOMA showed its Pulsar 23, which is a semi modular analogue drum machine that dares to go where no analogue drum machine has gone before. Consequently it is capable of creating everything from conventional pop patterns to out there poly rhythms. Furthermore it is as much a performance instrument as a drum sequencer.

Dubreq Stylophone Gen-R8

Dubreq have been busy reinventing the humble Stylophone as a truly fearsome beast of an analogue synthesizer, which they had on show. Combining an aggressive sound with a touch keyboard it is perhaps best described as a Polivoks in a fist fight with an EDP Wasp.

Analogue Solutions Impulse

Veteran British Eurorack and boutique synth builder, Analogue Solutions, were showing ‘Impulse Command’, their brand new stereo semi modular analogue synth. It features a pure analogue synthesis path built around 2 VCOs, with optional digital effects at the end of that path, plus a sequencer, MIDI and Eurorack integration.

DinSync.org JP-ONE

DinSync.org showed a prototype of its Roland inspired dual VCO analogue synth DIY kit that, in essence, combines the Jupiter 6’s oscillators with the Jupiter 4’s filter, to give what DinSync describe as a monophonic Jupiter. Hence the name JP-One…as opposed to ‘Promars’.

Gotharman’s Musical Instruments Tiny LD

Gotharman showed this cut down version of the Little deFormer 3, which is a 16 part, 8 stereo voice, granular synthesis and sampling workstation powerhouse.

Flame MÄANDER

Flame showed the MÄANDER, a four voice polyphonic desktop Wavetable synth with, unusually, a 12 band filter bank

Sonicware ELZ1

Sonicware demoed the ELZ1, which packs 11 digital synth engines including FM, granular, and 8 bit engines, into a diminutive battery powered unit

Thonk Prok Drums

Thonk showed off the latest updates to their Prok Drums. This range of four DSP based virtual analogue Eurorack drum modules are designed with performance in mind and offer a wide variety of readily morphable sounds.

Pioneer DJ Toraiz Squid Sequencer

Pioneer DJ, under its new production orientated brand, ‘Toraiz’, released a 16 track sequencer, with a raft of functionality that includes 8 voice polyphony per track, scale mode, programmable chord progressions, MIDI, Gate/CV and even Din Sync.

XAOC Devices Sarajewo,

XAOC Devices showed 5 new Eurorack modules – Sarajewo, Jena, Timiszoara, Samara II and Odessa. Of these, the one that really grabbed our attention was Sarajewo, a syncable analogue delay line, with no less than three bucket brigade delay chips. However, it is worth checking out all five modules.

Make Noise Sound Hack Mimeophone

Make Noise was also showing a versatile delay module that lets you ‘colour’ your sound.

Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers Voltage Research Laboratory

Pittsburgh showed its latest invention – a complete Eurorack format analogue modular synthesizer that answers the call of nature, by taking you back to nature.

E-RM Polygogo Stereo Oscillator

E-RM’s intriguing ‘stereo graphic oscillator’ brought ‘polygonal synthesis’ to the party.

Erica Synths Black Double Bass

Erica Synths showed its new Black Double Bass Eurorack module, which sports two sub oscillators and a low pass filter.

MFB 301 Pro Drum Machine

MFB brought its vintage MFB-301 drum machine back to life in the very small form of the MFB-301 Pro.

Specialwaves Mine S

Specialwaves had on display the DNA to let you build your own bespoke MIDI controller?

Soma Laboratories Enner.

And last, but not least, Soma Laboratories were showing something possibly even more bonkers than Plasma Industries Motor. If you’re ever commissioned to do the soundtrack for a sequel to ‘The Forbidden Planet’, you’ll probably want one of these.

© 2019, The Technofile. All rights reserved. Moral Rights Asserted.

Full-Frame Ahead

Sony A7III

Until recently if you wanted a full frame mirrorless camera, there was the Sony A7 series and…well, actually that was about it…unless you had the means to buy a Leica. However, in the past few days it seems there has been something of a revolution.

Nikon Z7

To be fair, the recently announced Canon EOS R, Nikon Z7 & Z6 weren’t exactly unexpected. Both companies have been making full frame SLRs for years. Indeed Canon, who some inaccurately malign as conservative, were, in fact, first to market with a full frame DSLR, way back in 2002, whilst Nikon finally released their first full-frame DSLR, the excellent D3, in 2007. However, in recent years Sony’s full-frame mirrorless A7 series has presented Canon & Nikon with an increasingly serious challenge, so it was only a matter of time before they took the plunge.

Canon EOS R

Like the Canon EOS R and Nikon Z7 & Z6, the Zeiss’ ZX1 had been rumoured for a while. Whilst its fixed 35mm Zeiss lens was anticipated, other aspects, such as its half Gigabyte of storage, Adobe Lightroom inside, and the ability to upload photos direct to the net, come as a pleasant surprise; and its minimal interface, consisting, as it does, of just shutter speed and ISO dials on the top plate, an aperture ring around the lens and a touch screen at the rear, offers a lesson in ergonomics to all manufacturers except for Leica. Prima facie the ZX1 looks like it could be the perfect reportage camera for real photographers.

What was unexpected was that half-frame heavyweights, Panasonic, would form a strategic partnership with Leica & Sigma and announce that they will be releasing not one, but two full-frame mirrorless cameras in early 2019.

Panasonic S1r

What was even more unexpected was that Sigma would announce that in 2019, they too will release a full-frame mirrorless camera, featuring a Foveon sensor (let that sink in).

What was so unexpected that a render farm of psychics couldn’t have predicted it was that Zenit…yes that Zenit…the one that sold 35mm Russian SLRs to the West for £50 a pop during the ’80s, will release a full-frame mirrorless camera based on the Leica M Type 240 with a Russian made Zenitar 35 mm f/1.0 lens.

Zenit

So have we reached a tipping point? Not quite, but like Theresa May on a cliff edge, we’re teetering on the brink of one. Come 2019 there will be at least 25 full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market from 8 different manufacturers – Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Zeiss, Leica, Sigma…and Zenit.

More full-frame mirrorless cameras in the market place means more competition, which should result in more innovation, and progressively better value for money as wider ownership and greater economies of scale go hand in hand to drive prices down.

It may seem pie in the sky to imagine a future where full-frame mirrorless cameras are the new normal, but cast your minds back to the days of film and you might recall that as recently as the noughties full-frame analogue 35mm cameras were the norm…and could be had for as little as £100 brand new.

So it’s full-frame ahead!

© 2018, The Technofile. All rights reserved. Moral Rights Asserted.

NAB 2010

NAB 2010

A week might be a long time in politics, but 24 hours is even longer in technology, as evidenced by this year’s NAB, which, regardless of the non attendance of some high profile companies, will go down in history as one of the most significant NABs ever. Continue reading “NAB 2010”

© 2010, The Technofile. All rights reserved. Moral Rights Asserted.

Pioneer SVM-1000

Pinoeer SVM-1000 DJ and VJ mixer previewed on The Technofile by MC Rebbe the Rapping Rabbi

Back in 2004, Pioneer released the groundbreaking ‘DVJ-X’, which allowed DJs and VJs to scratch, loop and mash up DVDs in almost exactly the same way they had previously done with CDs, using the company’s ‘CDJ’ decks.

Quickly taking pride of place in clubs the world over and on numerous technical riders, the DVJ-X1 and its younger bro, the ‘DVJ-1000’, have not only found favour with both DJs wanting an easy route into visuals and VJs wanting something a bit more tactile and reactive than a laptop, but have also spawned a whole ‘DVJ’ sub culture. However, lack of an integrated AV mixer has meant that VJs and DVJs have been left to their own devices…literally…having to mix and mash all sorts of video and audio hardware in order to create a variety of novel, Heath Robinson meets Frankenstein’s monster type solutions for mixing video with audio. But now, the answer that everyone has been crying out for is finally at hand, in the shape of Pioneer’s brand new Pioneer SVM-1000. Continue reading “Pioneer SVM-1000”

© 2007 – 2010, The Technofile. All rights reserved. Moral Rights Asserted.

Sony PDW-EX1

Sony XDCAM EX, Sony PDW-EX1 previewed in the Technofile by MC Rebbe the Rapping Rabbi

Yesterday, at a press conference at IBC in Amsterdam, Sony formally announced the specifications and pricing of its new PDW-EX1 camcorder.

First previewed six months ago at NAB in Las Vegas, as the XDCAM EX, it has since become one of the most hotly anticipated and talked about video cameras of all time…and here’s why…in a nutshell, it’s a true HD (1920 x 1080) 3 chip camera, that records native 24p (23.98) direct to memory cards, has a real lens with full manual control and is badged Cine Alta (as used on Sony’s ultra high end digital cinema products), yet it is roughly the size and form factor of a Sony Z1…and is affordable! Continue reading “Sony PDW-EX1”

© 2007 – 2010, The Technofile. All rights reserved. Moral Rights Asserted.