Digital music

Roland says that realism is at the very heart of its new Jupiter-80 performance synth. The company claims that the kind of expressive acoustic instrument authenticity delivered by its analog sound modeling technology simply couldn't have been made available before now. Studio and live performers can access a huge bank of preset sounds which are said to go beyond mere sampling of acoustic, electric, orchestral and ethnic instruments, then manipulate those sounds into something vintage, modern or futuristic, or create and store their own layered sonic stacks. Control of the action comes courtesy of a touchscreen display and numerous buttons, knobs and sliders. Read More

I have to admit to feeling a flutter of excitement when Digitech announced its programmable iPad pedalboard. Now it's the turn of vocalists, musicians of all kinds, producers and writers to access the wealth of digital music apps available for the iPad with the release of the iO Dock, from professional audio and studio equipment manufacturer Alesis. Read More

Mobile music-making apps like Amplitube and GarageBand have proven themselves to be popular, powerful and versatile additions to the digital toolbox of both bedroom enthusiast and professional alike. Dedicated computer software is by no means dead in the water yet, though, as evidenced by the new releases from Native Instruments. The computer-based music production and performance specialist has announced new versions of its Guitar Rig amp and effects package and Kontakt sampler, and the multi-product Komplete bundle. Read More

Renowned computer generated music innovator Max Mathews has died at the age of 84. Back in 1957 Mathews wrote the program that enabled an IBM 704 mainframe computer to play a composition lasting 17 seconds – an achievement recognized as one of the first examples of digital synthesis of music on a computer. For the next 54 years Mathews pioneered the field of digital audio research and devoted most of his life to learning how computers could aid musicians in performance. Read More

There was a time when the tempo of a band's performance was left in the capable hands of the drummer. But as pre-programmed, sequenced music started to creep into both studio and live work, the beat-master found himself being shackled by the pace set by the invader's metronome-like click track. Now researchers at Queen Mary, University of London's Centre for Digital Music have developed some clever software that puts the power to control tempo back into the mighty limbs of the band's time-keeper. Read More

When you think of high-end amplifiers, something like the NAD Master Series M2 Direct Digital Amplifier probably springs to mind. While not particularly unattractive, it's clear that function has taken priority over form. Happily, French company Devialet has injected some Parisian style into its slimline D-Premier amplifier, with utterly gorgeous results. It's no slouch in the sound department either, the company claiming that its newly-developed Analogue/Digital Hybrid (ADH) amplification technology is the next best thing to actually being in the studio or concert hall. Read More

High-end music streamer manufacturer Olive describes its latest High Definition music server as an audiophile's dream. The O6HD features Digital Analog Converter (DAC) technology to offer audio enjoyment at over 250 times the resolution of CD. The device is constructed to reduce noise and vibration to an absolute minimum, and even dampens the 2TB hard drive with eight layers of cushioning. Read More

Since we first brought news of the Sonos digital music streaming system, the company has added a number of new devices to the setup, including a standalone ZonePlayer and the CR200 controller. The latest addition to the range is a wireless dock for iPhone and iPod. Read More

For those of us who love vinyl, a portable record player usually comes in a small suitcase-sized box. If you want to take a small step towards modern convenience and digitize your collection, you're looking at investing in some more kit and losing the portability. Crosley Radio has taken the record player out of the box, made it battery operated and thrown in onboard digital conversion capabilities for its Crosley Revolution CR6002. Although the player features a built-in stereo speaker, the company has also included the ability to pair the device with any FM radio. Read More