Here is something special I seemed to have missed from the NAMM 2012 show – the announcement of Access Virus Ti O/S 5 which is going to bring us some great new filters. This Synth just grows and grows and gets better all of the time. Have a look at this:-
Jan
27
Namm 2012 and it is amazing how many small items sound so huge. Korg have a couple of updated items with so much more but they have become very small – The Korg Kaossilator 2 which is a palm-size phrase synthesizer and the Korg Mini Kaoss Pad 2 a great little effects processor. I think this You Tube Clip says it all. Have a blast with these:-
Jan
24
Namm 2012 and Nord has launched the brand new streamlined and portable hammer-action 88-note digital piano – The Nord Piano 2 HA 88. Those great guys at Sound on Sound have recorded some footage with Nord at Namm:-
With extensive additional feature sets that bring the hardware bang up to date with competitive rival plug-ins and a player’s piano feel and new controls making it all the more authentic, it covers all your bases.
Perhaps the most important addition is one of sympathetic strings, or Acoustic Resonance as it’s called here, which replicates the sounds of strings other than the ones you’re playing very gently reverberating in the background – it’s the piano ‘jangle’ that occurs when you hit an acoustic instrument’s keys hard with the sustain on, and its inclusion here can only make for a more authentic playing experience.
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Jan
21
Well I am sure you are no stranger to the Korg SV-1 piano. At Namm 2012 they have presented a limited edition reversing the black and white keys. Don’t forget if you need some extra sounds for your SV-1 at an extreamely reasonable price – just go here:- http://www.tonylongmusic.co.uk/korg-sv1-sound-pack/
Jan
21
Namm 2012 – Day 3. Here is a World first – The very first USB Keytar Controller from Alesis – The Alesis Vortex USB-MIDI Keytar Controller using MIDI and USB and a MIDI assignable accelerometer to bring your performance to new heights of showmanship with a simple tilt of the neck. In addition the Alesis Vortex features 37 velocity keys with aftertouch offering a complete melodic range, but also 7 assignable pads to create your own beats on the fly or trigger sequences and clips. Additional features on the neck include, a finger controlled touchstrip assignable to any MIDI function, a sustain button, a pitch-bend wheel, a thumb-controlled volume slider and octave buttons. Here is a brief clip as to what to expect:-
Jan
20
OK – We are into Day 2 at Winter Namm 2012 and I am now looking at the Waldorf Pulse 2 Analogue Synth. This has been some wait since the original Waldorf Pulse that was with us in 1996. There seems to be a great influx of Analogue Synths at present as people seem obsessed with sounds from the past and what they can do with them 2012-style. They just love the squelchy fat sounds full of knob-twisting ecstacy and filters that change every aspect of basic sound itself. Well I don’t know whether the Waldorf Pulse 2 is as good as this but hopefully in the later part of the year I will be doing a full review on one to find out- so bookmark this Site now.
Jan
19
Namm 2012 and the first Synth from Casio in 20 years - The CASIO XW-P1 to be available in March 2012 and yet another Casio Synth to follow in April the XW-G1.
Jan
19
So much great stuff at this year’s winter Namm. 2012 now brings us an Analog Synth called the MiniBrute from Arturia. This is another little synth to compete with the Roland GAIA and the Novation Ultranova. I need to get my hands on this promising product to see if it can do better than the GAIA and the Ultranova and find out how it compares with say the Access Virus Ti2. Arturia states that it has a pure analog signal path and several innovative features. Have a look at this tasty You Tube clip:-
Jan
12
INTRODUCTION
I have often thought (and often said) that finding the right keyboard for performing ‘Live’ is difficult in as much you have to make some form of compromise between having a very playable instrument and the sounds you need. An option for you could be to choose a very playable piano such as the Casio Privia (that I recently reviewed) and use a sound module with it. The Roland Sonic Cell sound module has been around since 2007 but I have not had the chance to get my hands on one up until now, so I thought I would investigate and see how useful this little unit could be to the ‘Live’ performer in this circumstance.
Dec
23
Hi, I am proud to announce that I have just released a new soundset for the Access Virus – “Creative Distortion”. This is the third soundset for the Access Virus from Tony Long Music. There are 128 Creative Sounds crafted with cunning distortion to assist songwriting creativity.
This aggressive soundpack is essential for all genres – from Rock to Trance and Ambient to Acid. Feed your Access Virus a treat with these infectious patches. Grinding Acid Bass, Amp – Simulated Guitars, screeching leads, Evolving Arps and Pads, Electro-Machine Drums, Dance and Trance Stabs, Tenori-On and sound effects.
There are now 384 sounds available to you in three sets if you are an Access Virus user. I still think the Access virus is one of the best synths in the World – it has such a great design and great support and stands the test of time.
To hear a demo of the sounds, just click the You Tube demo here:-
For further information and download :- http://www.tonylongmusic.co.uk/access-virus-patches/