For a limited time, you can grab Native Instruments Kontakt 7 for half the regular price! A huge selection of libraries for the flagship sample player is also on sale. Other awesome software deals are coming from IK Multimedia, Universal Audio, and Baby Audio this week.

50% off Native Instruments Kontakt 7

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 is without a doubt one of the most powerful sample-based software instruments on the market today. The sample player not only comes loaded with more than 900 high-quality factory sounds. It also gives you access to a huge selection of add-on libraries from renowned developers. Anyone who’s serious about producing music needs NI Kontakt 7 – so grab it for half the price while this offer lasts!

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 is on sale at Thomann* until March 5 for just $134 – that’s 50% off* the regular price! And if you own an older version of Kontakt, the upgrade to version 7 is also on sale!

Native Instruments Kontakt 7

Available for $134 at

Native Instruments Kontakt 7 Upgrade Kontakt 1-6

Available for $44 at

• More from Native Instruments

Huge Discounts on Kontakt Libraries

Now that you’ve got Kontakt, how about some nice libraries to go along with it? Plugin Boutique is currently offering huge discounts on sampled instruments from many renowned developers including Native Instruments, Big Fish Audio, Cinesamples, Vir2, AVA Music Group, and more. Save up to 92% on these high-quality Kontakt libraries! But hurry up, some of these deals expire today!

• Up to 86% off* Native Instruments virtual instruments (until March 3)
• Up to 50% off* Cinesamples sample libraries (until February 20)
• 91% off* Rigid Audio Everything Bundle (until February 29)
• Up to 28% off* Vir2 instruments (until February 21)
• Up to 25% off* Big Fish Audio libraries (until February 21)
• 25% off* Soundiron Granada 49 (until February 25)
• Up to 62% off AVA Music Group Kontakt instruments (until February 20)
• Up to 90% off* the Karanyi Sounds Kontakt Collection Bundle (until February 29)
• 50% off* Audiority Octamorph FE (until February 29)
• Up to 90% off* Muze (until February 29)
• Up to 92% off Strix Instruments (until February 29)

60% off IK Multimedia Amplitube Collections

What Kontakt is to sample libraries, IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 is to guitar amp and effect simulations! For a limited time, you can stock up on AmpliTube Collections for less than half the regular price. Choose from officially licensed manufacturer collections from Orange, MESA/Boogie, or Fender, or get the authentic sounds of your favorite artists with the AmpliTube signature collections from Slash, Brian May, Joe Satriani, and many more. The collections run in all versions of AmpliTube 5, including the free AmpliTube 5 CS.

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Collections are 60% off* at Thomann until February 29. Check out the full list here!

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Slash

Available for $40 at

• More from IK Multimedia

50% off Universal Audio UAD Bundles

The Universal Audio UAD Native Bundles are the perfect gateway to the world of UAD plugins. Originally exclusive to UA’s DSP hardware such as the Apollo series audio interfaces, these high-quality plugins now run natively on Mac and Windows computers. The UAD Essentials Edition gets you 11 essential plugins, including the LA-2A Leveler Collection, Pulteq EQ Collection, and Oxide Tape Recorder. The PolyMAX synth is also included. Or step it up a notch with the UAD Signature Edition, which includes no less than 44 Universal Audio plugins for an amazing price.

The Universal Audio UAD Essentials Edition Native and Signature Edition Native are both 50% off* at Thomann until February 29.

Universal Audio UAD Essentials Edition Native

Available for $146 at

• More from Universal Audio

40% off Baby Audio Atoms

The brand-new Baby Audio Atoms is still available for the low introductory price! This unique software synth uses a physical model of a mass/spring interaction network to create a huge spectrum of extraordinary sounds. Sounds complicated? Thanks to Atoms’ simple user interface with just six parameters, you’ll be designing unique sounds in no time. If you like to venture off the beaten path when it comes to sound design, don’t miss this fabulous new synth.

Baby Audio Atoms is on sale at Thomann until March 31 for $53 – 40% off* the regular price!

Baby Audio Atoms

Available for $53 at

• More from Baby Audio

The post Software Deals: Big Discounts on NI Kontakt 7, IK Multimedia, UAD & more! appeared first on gearnews.com.

We look into the creative process of world-renowned and critically acclaimed drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer Phil Collins.

After developing a reputation as a session drummer and a key member of the English progressive rock band, Genesis, Phil Collins began his career as a solo artist.

The Phil Collins Sound

He may have been unaware, but looking back, the timing of this foray was ideal. The period in the late 1970s and early 1980s was completely revolutionary for the recording industry, with so many new creative musical tools introduced onto the market.

Another interesting aspect of Phil Collins’ approach to music production is that he never intended to write hits initially. Rather than fame or commercial success, he simply saw his solo project as an artistic outlet that offered him the freedom of expression he wanted.

Roland CompuRhythm CR-78

Introduced by Roland in 1978, the CompuRhythm CR-78 was the first-ever microprocessor-controlled drum machine. Although limited, it has the ability to select and vary 34 different rhythm patterns.

With its intuitive interface, the CR-78 became an absolutely integral part of Phil’s songwriting process. He would start by selecting the rhythm part with the right “atmosphere” as he put it, and setting the tempo to match the feel he had in mind.

With the tape machine running, the CR-78 was always positioned just next to Phil’s drum kit. This way, he could play drums and sing over the unrelenting loops created by the CR-78, building ideas and arrangement concepts as he went.

If you’re looking for the classic CompuRhythm sound with all its familiar drum patterns, the Cherry Audio CR-78 plug-in provides an easy way to recreate it in your DAW.

• The History Of Roland

Cherry Audio CR-78 Drum Machine Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 49.00 € at

Sequential Circuits Prophet-5

When Phil went solo in the late 1970s, there wasn’t a massive range of polyphonic synths available like we have today. That being said, many of us would likely still prefer a Prophet-5 over many modern options.

The illustrious Prophet 5 was still quite new on the market when Phil began work on his debut album. With its simple controls and 5-voice architecture, you can generate anything from innocuous to outrageous sounds.

The beauty of the Prophet is that it’s easy to program, and like the Oberheim OB-8 he also acquired later, it always managed to sound interesting, whether it was placed in the background or the foreground of the mix.

You can hear the famous Prophet-5 chord sequence in the intro of In The Air Tonight, where it becomes the foundation of the song, along with the CR-78. The Sequential Prophet-5 is still in production as a reissue that can mimic the original’s various revisions.

• The History Of Sequential

Sequential Prophet 5

Customer rating:

(14)

Available for 3,799.00 € at

Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus

The VP-330 Vocoder Plus is another exciting instrument used by Phil Collins on his debut solo recordings, notably on In The Air Tonight. This sought-after instrument combines a paraphonic 10-band vocoder and a string synthesizer.

With the VP-330, you don’t actually have access to control each individual band. However, the presets sound great, and when combined with the BBD Ensemble effect, you can produce a hauntingly beautiful sound.

The fact that the VP-330 is relatively easy to use would have suited Phil nicely when putting together his first record, Face Value. His improvisational song and lyric writing style relies on spontaneity, so highly technical interfaces can sometimes hinder this.

As a modern alternative, the Behringer VC340 gives you the same authentic sound with an almost identical interface. Its limitation could well be a catalyst for creativity when making any style of music.

• More about Behringer clones

Behringer Vocoder VC340

Customer rating:

(106)

Available for 498.00 € at

SSL Listen Mic Compressor

Like most of the creatively groundbreaking aspects of the early Phil Collins records, the ideas came together while simply “messing around”. Similarly, the famous Phil Collins gated drum sound has an origin story that is also unintentional.

In 1979, engineer Hugh Padgham was working on a Phil Collins drum session for Peter Gabriel’s third solo album at Townhouse Studio in London. By accident, the talkback mic was left active while Phil was playing, resulting in a thunderous effect.

As the talkback circuit in the SSL 4000 B console couldn’t be patched into the recording path, Padgham promptly rewired it, allowing his mistake with the Listen Mic Compressor to be used creatively.

What we hear on the subsequent Phil Collins drum recordings is a more evolved version of this, with the addition of the recording console’s noise gate implemented.

• More about Analogue Consoles

SSL LMC+ Download

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 135.00 € at

AMS RMX16

The AMS RMX16 is a legendary digital reverb introduced in the early 1980s that Phil Collins was an early adopter of. It offered a selection of great-sounding reverbs and ambiences, with the now legendary non-linear algorithm that worked well on drums.

Once again, the interface is certainly Phil Collins friendly, offering easy operation and the ability to save your own presets. This allows the RMX16 to be used creatively rather than clinically, which suited Phil’s songwriting process.

At the time, there simply weren’t microprocessor-controlled reverb units like the RMX16 around that gave you both precision and flexibility. So it’s no surprise that it’s still a sought-after reverb in both plug-in and hardware format today.

In recent years, AMS Neve has created a 500-series reissue of the RMX16 with a similar interface and the same reverb algorithms, a great addition to any studio setup.

• More about 1980s Reverb

AMS RMX16

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 1,369.00 € at

Which of your favourite artists would you like to see in our Sound-alike series? Please let us know in the comments below!

More about Phil Collins:

• Official Artist Page
• More Sound-alikes

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post I Can Feel It: How To Sound Like Phil Collins appeared first on gearnews.com.

Keytars come in for some serious stick so how about a shift in the paradigm and have a synth you can strum instead? I mean, it worked for the Omnichord!

Keytars for the Win!

Everybody loves to hate keytars. Being a teen in the 80s means that I love them. I could finally strut my stuff on stage like the guitarists and get all the girls. Obviously, that NEVER happened. Ah well, maybe Elyra from BLL Instruments will change all that?

Elyra from BLL Instruments – What Is It?

At first glance, Elyra looks like a plank of wood with a large white plate glued on the top. However, look more closely and you can start to see there’s more to it than that. The body of the instrument is indeed a lovely piece of wood. Into this is carved all the recesses needed to accommodate the technology.

The playing surface comprises two strumming areas, a fretboard that contains the “strings” and a chord area. Beneath (or above?) these areas are the controls for the Elyra which includes an OLED screen. The buttons are “soft” buttons, i.e. their function is defined by what’s on screen.

To play the Elyra, you can sling it over your shoulder to strum like a proper guitarist, or you can lay it down on a flat surface and use it more like the aforementioned Omnichord. I am certain comparisons will be made between the two.

The Elyra Synth Engine

Things continue to get more interesting with the synthesis engine. Made by Kodamo, the team behind the brilliant EssenceFM and the very cool MASK1, it is a virtual analog affair with some FM thrown in for good measure. With 16 voices of polyphony, shared by all tracks, it is also 16 part multitimbral. The Elyra comes loaded with 256 factory presets and 1024 user presets.

There are 15 oscillator waveforms to choose from as well as the FM capability. Separate pitch and amplitude envelopes are joined by a 2-pole -12dB/Oct low pass and a 4-pole -24dB/Oct high pass filter. A pair of LFOs give you plenty of modulation options. There’s also a healthy complement of digital FX.

The onboard sequencer allows you to construct patterns of 256 steps. Each ‘project’ can contain 128 patterns. The SD card has the capacity for 999 projects. Power comes via a 5V USB port.

More Information

Despite the obvious Omnichord comparisons, Elyra has a much more capable and distinctive synth engine. It can also be played in several different ways. Will become a new way for keyboard players to traverse the stage? Who knows, we might see more guitarists delving into synthesis!

Elyra from BLL Instruments is available now via their website for $1,099 USD or €1,199 EUR.

• BLL Instruments Website
• More from BLL Instruments

The post Elyra from BLL Instruments – A Synth You Can Shred On! appeared first on gearnews.com.

Softube Model 82 is a groovy attempt to recapture those SH-101 club sounds of 1990s techno and it’s a lot of fun. Now only €19 with our exclusive code.

Softube Model 82 deal

Now available for €19 with coupon code PBNL53 at Plugin Boutique.

Softube Model 82

Available for €19 (with coupon code “PBNL53”) at

Model 82

[Originally posted on 8th June 2022] Softube never likes to say what synthesizer it bases its emulations on. But in this case, it’s clearly the Roland SH-101. While the synth was produced in the early 80s, the vibe Softube are going for is set firmly in the club culture of the 1990s and they nailed it.

Both the Model 72 and the Model 84 were brilliant, so I’m expecting great things from this emulation. The idea is to try to capture the feelings as well as the sound of this synth. Softube says something about “Rock & Roll Science” which conjures up images of trashed laboratories and professors snorting coke off each other’s arses. But it could also mean that the designers have gone beyond the attention to detail and inhabit some kind of heart and soul emulation. Or maybe let’s get a grip on ourselves and enjoy it as a mono synth with a couple of waveforms, a cool filter and a useful envelope.

Softube went to a lot of trouble to model the sequencer and arpeggiator in the hope of instilling Model 82 with that elusive inspiration and improvisational quality.

No software emulation would be complete without some extras. The interface has been optimised for a quicker workflow, and velocity and aftertouch have been stuck in. And there’s a new Drive knob for a bit of saturation and some stereo enhancements.

Honestly, it looks and sounds totally brilliant and while it’s been done before I always enjoy Softube’s take on these things. I’m also loving the crappy signs of wear on the GUI.

Modular

The other groovy thing Softube does is pull the synthesizer apart into individual modules that can then run inside Softube Modular. And so you get the VCO, LFO, VCF-VCA, FX and ENV as separate patchable modules.

This is also brilliant.

So, for €79 Softube has nailed the Roland SH-101 in software form with all the right nuance and extras. Great stuff.

• Softube Model 82 webpage.
• More from Softube.
• Available from Plugin Boutique via this affiliate link.

The post Softube Model 82: Classic techno mono synth special deal appeared first on gearnews.com.

u-he is offered a sneak preview of the upcoming Zebralette 3 software synth at NAMM 2024. The new version of Zebralette, a long-standing freeware favorite. Now the public beta testing phase has started – you are allowed to download and test. Exciting!

Zebralette 3 as public beta

[Update 17.02.2024] From now on you can download the announced public beta of Zebralette 3 and test it extensively via the u-he kvr forum post (see here). You can also download user guides and get further information about the new release. If you find any problems and bugs, you should also describe them below the blog post. Sounds great!

u-he Zebralette 3 is almost here!

[Update 17.01.2024] Like the predecessor, Zebralette 3 is an offspring of the more powerful Zebra, so this means that there will eventually also be a Zebra 3. The purpose of Zebralette is to showcase the capabilities of Zebra’s oscillators and MSEG (multi-stage envelope generator).

The free software synth offers one Zebra oscillator and one MSEG, as well as a bunch of modulators and effects from u-he’s bag of tricks. That doesn’t sound like much, but as the oscillator is so powerful, it’s a pretty versatile synth in and of itself. Over the course of ten years, u-he has worked to expand the sonic possibilities even further and improve the consistency between the visual editors.

According to u-he, Zebralette 3 is almost ready to go into public beta testing – possibly even within the next couple of weeks. The developer had hoped to have the beta version ready for NAMM, but there are still a few bugs that need ironing out. As soon as that’s taken care of, you’ll be able to download Zebralette 3 and check out the new version of this popular freeware synth.

So what about Zebra 3? While u-he hasn’t set a release date yet, the progress that they made on Zebralette means that they’re already pretty far along. They’ve also made a lot of progress on Zebra components that aren’t part of Zebralette. We’ll keep you posted!

More information about u-he Zebralette 3

u-he Zebralette 3 should enter public beta testing any time now. The new version of the software synth will still be available for free.

• Zebralette 3 announcement in the KVR forums
• More from u-he

The post u-he Zebralette 3 Synthesizer – now available as public beta! appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Red Panda Radius is an innovative ring modulator and frequency shifter with pitch tracking and an advanced LFO. Red Panda says that the “eight-quadrant multiplier” algorithm smoothly transitions from ring modulation to frequency shifting. With MIDI implementation and a host of audio mangling options, is this the most advanced Ring Modulator we’ve seen?

Red Panda Radius

Ring modulators eh? You wait for ages and then two show up at once! Just this week, Warm Audio released the Ringer Bringer, their tribute to the very analogue Moog MF-102. Now, Red Panda gives us the Radius, a very different, very high-tech approach to ring modulation and frequency shifting.

Typically, a ring modulator works by multiplying two signals together, creating new frequencies that are the sum and difference of the input frequencies. Typically, one signal is your instrument or audio input and the other is the internal oscillator of the ring modulator.

However, the Radius goes beyond the typical limitations of a conventional ring modulator…

Digital Design

Notably, the Red Panda Radius utilises a digital design architecture, with a 96kHz sampling rate. Going digital undoubtedly opens up many possibilities. You’ll find stereo inputs and outputs for starters, as well as a wealth of sound design possibilities.

For example, you can experiment with pitch tracking and envelope-triggered LFOs. You can even play the carrier oscillator via MIDI! All of this adds up to a pedal that could be a dream for sound designers, guitarists and synthesists alike.

The ability to control parameters via foot pedal, as well as sync and control parameters via MIDI, is very impressive. Sure, analogue snobs may moan but when the sound-sculpting possibilities are as numerous as this, who cares?

Good Value?

The Red Panda Radius hits the streets with an MSRP of $349. Granted, that’s not cheap for an individual effects pedal. However, if you watch and listen to the demo video, it’s obvious that this is far from a conventional pedal. In a world of absurdly priced overdrive and fuzz pedals, it’s refreshing to come across something innovative and fresh.

More information

• Price – $349 MSRP
• More information on Red Panda
• Product Page for Red Panda Radius

The post Red Panda Radius: MIDI Ring Modulator/Frequency Shifter appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Wasp-designer pioneered a hybrid analogue/digital synthesis and perfected it in instruments for EDP, OSC, Novation and more. Come along as we celebrate the genius of Chris Huggett and his many incredible instruments.

British Giants: The History Of Chris Huggett

When you think of great synthesizer engineers, the ones who fronted their own companies often come to mind. Company names like Moog, Oberheim and ARP are synonymous with the men who lead them. Not all engineers are businessmen though. Some work behind the scenes for decades, like Korg’s Fumio Mieda. Others are more like journeymen, going where their creativity takes them. That’s Chris Huggett.

One of England’s most influential music technology engineers, the story of Chris Huggett is one that spans multiple decades, multiple companies and many, many groundbreaking instruments. By all accounts, he preferred to stay in the background, even when ostensibly being part of the leadership of a brand. His output is his legacy – and what a legacy it is.

Let us today celebrate Chris Huggett, the engineer who helped raise England’s standing in the world of synthesizer and electronic musical instrument design.

The History Of Chris Huggett: Electronic Dreams

For some British musicians of a certain age, the Wasp is a very special instrument. The first synthesizer for many, the affordable little plastic beast made electronic music dreams come true for anyone who could afford the £199 price point. With its built-in speaker, touch capacitance keyboard and digital/analogue hybrid synthesis, its influence is still being felt today, with the Volcas, MicroFreak and many more all owing a debt to it.

In the mid-1970s, Chris had been working for Ferrograph, doing maintenance on 3M multitrack tape machines. While on a service call to keyboardist Adrian Wagner’s studio, the two began talking and decided to go into business together. They started Electronic Dream Plant (EDP), with their first product being the Wasp. With dual digital oscillators, a unique analogue filter and bright yellow and black case, the pluckly little monosynth was a hit. This was followed up by other Chris creations, including the Spider digital step sequencer and single-oscillator Gnat.

Behringer WASP Deluxe

Customer rating:

(49)

Available for 155.00 € at

Arturia MicroFreak

Customer rating:

(271)

Available for 327.00 € at

The History Of Chris Huggett: Back To School

Although EDP’s products were by all accounts popular, the intentionally affordable price points meant that there was precious little profit to be made. As the company went under, Chris found a new avenue for his creations, the Oxford Synthesizer Company. Set up with synthesist Paul Wiffen and money borrowed from Chris’ parents, they soon released the OSCar, a similarly groundbreaking instrument, in 1983.

Continuing with ideas that he began with the Wasp, Chris’ monophonic OSCar expanded into some truly unique territory. The two oscillators were again digital, with fixed waveforms, but the sound generation section also includes additive synthesis with 24 harmonics available for adjusting. You could also play the oscillators duophonically. There were two analogue filters which could be combined into lowpass, highpass or bandpass, with their resonance sections unified or tweaked separately. And it had actual keys!

Although popular, with artists like Ultravox and Stevie Wonder using the unusual-looking OSCar on hit songs, distribution trouble spelt the end of the Oxford Synthesizer Company in 1985. Chris didn’t sit still for long though. Having already developed two of the UK’s most unusual – and influential – synthesizers, he would next lend a hand to another revolutionary instrument.

GForce impOSCar2 Download

Customer rating:

(4)

Available for 129.00 € at

The History Of Chris Huggett: S-Express

We tend to think of the Akai line of S-series samplers as Japanese inventions and yet many of them have a very British pedigree with both hardware and software done in England. We’re speaking specifically of the S1000, Akai’s groundbreaking 16-bit sampler that, thanks to the introduction of timestretching with version 2.0 of its operating system, had a massive effect on music worldwide. The designer of that operating system? None other than Chris Huggett.

After the Oxford Synthesizer Company went belly up, Chris found himself working alongside some other UK synth engineer royalty, namely Dave Cockerell and Tim Orr of EMS. Together at Akai, they tasked Chris with coming up with an operating system for their hardware, which he did – and continued to do through successive models.

The History Of Chris Huggett: A Star Is Reborn

While still at Akai, Chris was approached by a new British instrument company looking for his expertise. They were planning to add a synthesizer to their modest lineup, which only included a controller at the time. Known as Novation, that instrument would be 1993’s Bass Station. It would not only mark the company’s rise – as well as herald the beginning of a long partnership with Chris – it would help reignite a love for analogue-style synthesis and real-time controls among musicians.

The Bass Station took a few of its cues from the Wasp, including the filter and VCA. Although working as a consultant at the time, Chris later came to Novation full-time. It was to be a very fruitful working relationship, with Chris contributing to all of the Bass Station iterations, the tabletop Nova and rackmount Supernova, the ReMote line of controllers and the more recent Peak and Summit, which brought his hybrid style of synthesis full circle.

Novation Bass Station II

Customer rating:

(251)

Available for 429.00 € at

Novation Summit

Customer rating:

(33)

Available for 2,099.00 € at

The History Of Chris Huggett: Say a Little Prayer

Although Chris sadly passed away in 2020 after a two-year battle with cancer, he had one more surprise left for the world. This year, UK company PWM debuted Mantis, a duophonic digital/analogue hybrid synth. From the insect-referencing name to the synthesis structure, it has Chris all over it. Indeed, it was the last synthesizer to feature his handy work. Although he didn’t live to see its release, it is a fitting swan song for Chris Huggett. From Wasp to Mantis: 46 years of incredible British synthesizers.

PWM Mantis No customer rating available yet

Available for 1,599.00 € at

More Information

• Novation Music homepage
• PWM homepage
• All about synthesizers
• All about samplers

The post British Giants: The History Of Chris Huggett appeared first on gearnews.com.

Everyone’s favourite indie plugin developer, TAL, launches TAL-Pha which emulates the late 80s Roland classic, the Alpha Juno 2 and its rack-mounted sibling.

In the Days of the Hoover

The original Alpha Junos (there were two) were somewhat of an anomaly when they were released. The synth landscape had become distinctly digital. Yamaha’s DX7 had ushered in the new age three years previously. Everyone and their mother were scrambling to be the latest digital king of the castle.

And yet Roland seemed hell-bent on sticking with analog synthesis, albeit enhanced by digital technology. It wouldn’t be until a year or so after the Alpha Juno 2 that they’d finally dip their toe into the digital waters with the D50. In doing so, they pretty much killed the aforementioned DX7.

Alpha Junos would find a home with the young and creative minds behind the emerging dance music wave of the late 80s and early 90s. No doubt fuelled by their low secondhand prices and their ability to play chords with a single key, Alpha Junos became highly sort after.

TAL-Pha from TAL Software

And now we can relive those days at a fraction of the cost of the original, courtesy of TAL Software. Their new plugin, which has been the subject of some speculation over the last few days, launched today. Using an MKS-50, Roland’s rack version of the Alpha Juno 2, as a model, they have faithfully recreated this modern classic.

As well as adding modern features and functions, it nails the sound of the original. Better still, it can read and convert sysex from the original (Alpha Juno 2 and MKS-50). And if you own an original of either of those units, TAL-Pha can be used as a software controller/editor/librarian!

TAL-Pha gives us everything about the original that made it so popular. DCO’s, and LFO that can operate at a very slow rate, PWM, comprehensive VCF, VCA and those all-important chord memories. On top of that, we get aftertouch, and MPE support, multi-mode arpeggiator, individual tuning for the DCOs (which makes them VCOs!) and support for microtuning.

There’s a comprehensive FX section and a stereo unison mode that can stack up to seven voices. Surprisingly, or maybe not, there is no on-screen recreation of the much-maligned data wheel!

More Information

The plugin is available as in VST, VST3, AU, AAx and CLAP flavours and will work on 64-bit Windows, Linux and Mac systems, including Apple Silicon.

TAL-Pha retails for $80 USD but has an introductory discount of 20% meaning you can pick this up for a mere $64 USD. A demo version is available.

• TAL Software Website
• More from TAL Software

The post TAL-Pha from TAL: Hoover Up Those Classic Analog Tones appeared first on gearnews.com.

Polyend have been making some very cool stuff recently. The Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini are just two great examples. These two portable powerhouses have got you covered for sampling, sequencing, synthesis and effects. And now, for a limited time, they are both available with €100 off over at the Thomann store!

Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini On Offer

The Play+ is a hugely powerful tool that encompasses a sequencer that can drive both its internal sound generation and external gear too. Its large surface is dominated by 8×20 RGB-coloured pads that can be used for sequencing or firing off sounds and loops, Ableton style. There’s a good size screen for ample user feedback and plenty of knobs for deep control.

The Polyend Tracker Mini harks back to early, non-linear sequencing days. I never fully got into trackers as I started out with the more traditional linear ways of making music. But there is a large tracker fanbase out there. Polyend clearly saw a market and leapt right in. Featuring a built-in sampler with its own mic, you can use your sounds as well as those provided to create your music on the go. The integrated battery means you’re not tied to your desk and can make music anywhere.

More Information

Both of these devices are available at Thomann with a healthy €100 discount. But hurry, it’s a limited deal!

The Polyend Play+ is available for €699 EUR, down from €799 EUR

Polyend Play+

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 699.00 € at

The Polyend Tracker Mini is available for €599, down from €699 EUR

Polyend Tracker Mini

Customer rating:

(9)

Available for 599.00 € at

The deal is on until February 29th 2024, whilst stock lasts. Get in quick because these will fly off the shelves.

• Deal at Thomann  (affiliate)
• Polyend website
• More about  Polyend

Note: This article about the Polyend Tracker Mini and Play+ deal contains affiliate links that help us build our site. The purchase price and final price always remain the same! If you purchase something through these built-in advertising links, we will receive a small “donation” and we thank you for your support!

The post Deal: Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini Get €100 Discount! appeared first on gearnews.com.