Waldorf Announce New Pocket Sized Synth, Rocket

While the world has been patiently awaiting the Pulse 2 from Waldorf, apparently they've been working on a cool little surprise called the Rocket.  The Rocket is a USB powered 8 oscillator synth (used polyphonically or monophonically) with an analog filter.  I'm guessing the oscillators are digital due to the wording of the press release, but Waldorf is known to have some of the best sounding digital gear, so this should sound pretty fantastic-- and it does, judging by this short YouTube clip.  The price is about 205 euro, so this could land in the US for hopefully $300 (I'm guessing, between exchange rates and VAT), making it a great competitor in the market.  I'm still a bit vague on some of the details-- they use the word "envelopes" but the layout doesn't make it clear if that means one for VCA and VCF specifically, but hopefully that's the case.  Either way, I'm stoked to hear more about this, and you can grab one in March.

 

Check out more pictures and a full press release below.

The new Korg MS-20 Mini is supposedly better than the original

While it may be hard to believe, the new Korg MS-20 Mini is supposedly better than the original, according to Create Digital Music.

To quote the article:
"But I think there are two questions that get resounding answers in the MS-20 mini.
One is, did Korg manage to pull off a reissue that sounds like the original – or is even slightly better? Yes.
And does this 1978 design still hold up in 2013? Absolutely."

I won't steal the thunder of the entire story (linked below) but Peter Kirn seems to be pretty smitten with it.  I think this will help Korg tremendously with preorders-- some have been on the fence about build quality, sound, and the size, but CDM seems to indicate these are non-issues-- the build quality is fine, the sound is great, and the size is what you'd want for a monosynth.

Personally,  It's been on my wishlist, but I think I'll commit to preorder soon.

To read CDM's full article, click here.  There's a wealth of new information here, some great pictures of the packaging, and way more opinions on other elements of the new MS-20 Mini.

Arturia Minibrute Tips and Tricks [Video]

Here's a 12 minute video on some of the subtleties of the Arturia Minibrute, in addition to some tricks and tips on programming it.  Really nice video-- haven't watched the full thing yet, but important if you're looking to get the most out of your Minibrute.  User flux302 points out how using the mixer at 50 percent delivers less gritty sounds, increasing the tonal range of the Minibrute.  Cool!

Watch the full retro Korg line together in one track via Newueel

Found this video via Matrixsynth, and it just charmed the hell outta me.  While we wait for the Korg MS-20 Mini, looking back on the full line of the Korg MS gear is a treat (not counting the recent MS-2000).  Here user Newueel shows off his skills and programming in an impressive collection of Korg gear.

Vermona PERfourMER MKII Review

Vermona is an interesting company, having been around since the 80s but certainly not as well known as some of the other names in the synth world (or at least, here in the US).  Interestingly, though, they have a full line synths and effect modules, and I happen to have a review unit of their biggest synth, the PERfourMER MKII, the quad analog synthesizer.  The reviews of the newer version seem to be scarcer on the net, so it's very exciting to be able to talk about this interesting piece of gear.  At $1,850, this synth is no lightweight, and screams "professional" and "boutique" at the same time.  Can a heavyweight synth from a lesser known company really make a splash in the synth market?  Read on to find out.

New free remix EP from Electronic Rumors

Electronic Rumors has put out an awesome free EP featuring some awesome artists like Queen of Hearts, She's the Queen, Ronika, and Kid Kasio.  The release marks the one year anniversary of Electronic Rumors Volume 1, a fantastic compilation in its own.  The remix EP features some of those artists from the compilation.  Every remix is a full on electronic jam, so check it out!

Also check out the Electronic Rumors website!

Full press release:

This 13th February marks the one year anniversary of the release of electronic rumors Volume 1. The compilation, spawned from a blog, that spawned a record label.
Released in association with Ninthwave Records, ER Vol. 1, collected 15 of the best ElectroPop, Nu-Disco and Dreamwave artists around onto one big CD and digital release.
To mark Volume 1's birthday, we're giving away a free EP. Four artists who appeared on ER Vol. 1, reMixing four other tracks from the album. All exclusive and specially recorded for this EP, and our gift to everyone who has supported us, and the artists we've worked with in the last twelve months.

More information about 'electronic rumors Volume 1', a 15 track compilation of some of the best Electro, electroPop, Nu-Disco, Dreamwave and Indie-Electro around, can be found here:
electronicrumors.com/er001er001cd-various-artists-electronic-rumors-volume-1/
The album is out now on CD and digital download.

KORG MS-2O External Signal Proscessor DEMO(daft punk derezzed )

The wait for the MS-20 Mini to come out seems like forever from now, but in the mean time, perhaps watching videos of the original MS-20 will help get you excited.  Here, the output of the iMS-20 app creates a control voltage and gate on the hardware MS-20.