Moog showed their new Taurus 3 bass pedal at Musikmesse. The original Taurus has been called "the fattest synth ever", and the new version has both the original fatness and some new cool features.

The Taurus 3 has 100% analog audio signal path, and you could really feel that analog "oomph" when they demonstrated it. Especially cool was the new Arpeggiator function, which lets you arpeggiate with your feet! And who among us hasn't dreamt of that?

I really liked the modulation wheels, with their rugged rubber surface. Really easy to use with your feet.

Moog gave us a demo of the Taurus 3, its just too bad that the mighty bass frequencys didn't really get stuck on the film. You had to be there to feel it...

Check out the Moog Taurus 3 specs

Performance Interface

• 13-note velocity sensitive bass pedals
• 1 Volume Footwheel Controller
• 1 Programmable Footwheel Controller
• 9 Footswitches for selecting Bank and Presets, Transpose, Glide On/Off, Decay On/Off, and Octave Up/Down

Synthesizer Sound Engine

• 100% Analog Audio signal path based entirely on the highly acclaimed Taurus I synthesizer circuits
• 2 x VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators) with sawtooth waveform outputs
• 1 x VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) with 24dB/Octave Lowpass Filter with the classic Moog Ladder Filter topology. 20Hz-20KHz Frequency Response
• 1 x VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier)

Synthesizer Modifiers

• 2 x ASD (Attack-Sustain-Decay) Envelope Generators with adjustable Attack, Sustain and Decay Parameters; one each for VCF and VCA contours
• 1 x LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) with Triangle, Square, Sawtooth, and Ramp waveforms with adjustable amounts to the VCOs and VCF. The LFO is syncable to MIDI Clock or Tap Tempo
• 1 x Arpeggiator with Latch Mode for generating recurring musical patterns from Bass Pedal Input. The Arpeggiator is syncable to MIDI Clock or Tap Tempo

Programming Interface

• 52 Presets total in non-volatile memory consisting of one bank of 4 factory presets, and 12 banks of 4 user-programmable presets
• Preset selection can be performed with the Value knob, or the combination of Bank footswitch, Bass Pedal, and Preset footswitch
• Factory Presets include the classic Taurus, Bass, and Tuba presets, plus the new “Taurus III” preset
• Two selectable levels of LED illuminated switches access the classic Taurus parameters or the Taurus 3 LFO and Arpeggiator parameters for editing with the Control Footwheel or the Value Knob
• 15-segment LED bargraph displays the value of the currently selected parameter

Classic Taurus Parameters in the OSCILLATOR section

• B.FREQ: Oscillator B Frequency coarse offset to Oscillator A
• BEAT: Oscillator B Frequency fine offset to Oscillator A
• GLIDE: Glide Rate
• OCTAVE: Low, Medium or High
• MIX: sets the loudness ratio between Oscillators A and B
• ATTACK: sets the Rise time for the VCA Envelope Generator when a note is played
• SUSTAIN: sets the maximum level for the VCA Envelope Generator when a note is held
• DECAY: sets the fall time for the VCA Envelope Generator when a note is released

Classic Taurus Parameters in the FILTER section

• CUTOFF: sets the lowpass filter cutoff frequency
• RESONANCE: sets the amount of signal fed from the output to the input of the lowpass filter. Can be set for filter self-oscillation
• ATTACK: sets the Rise time for the VCF Envelope Generator when a note is played
• DECAY: sets the fall time for the VCF Envelope Generator when a note is released
• AMOUNT: sets how much the VCF cutoff frequency is modified by the VCF Envelope Generator signal

Taurus 3 Parameters in the LFO Section

• SQUARE: “Radio button” type switch selects the LFO square waveform
• TRIANGLE: “Radio button” type switch selects the LFO triangle waveform
• RAMP: “Radio button” type switch selects the LFO ramp waveform
• SAW: “Radio button” type switch selects the LFO sawtooth waveform
• RATE: sets the LFO Rate
• LFO FILTER AMOUNT: sets the amount the LFO modulates the filter cutoff frequency
• LFO PITCH AMOUNT: sets the amount the LFO modulates the VCOs’ frequencies
• LFO SYNC: On/Off switch enables starting the LFO waveform cycle with each note played on the Bass Pedals
• Taurus 3 Parameters in the ARPEGGIATOR Section
• PATTERN: sets the pattern of the arpeggiator
• ORDER: sets the order that the pattern of the arpeggiator is output
• OCTAVE: sets the number of octaves for the arpeggiator pattern
• ON/OFF: turns the arpeggiator on or off
• LATCH: turns the arpeggiator latch function on or off
• VALUE knob is used for selecting presets or editing parameters
• PRESET switch toggles between the current stored preset and its edited form
• MASTER switch selects a menu of Advanced Preset functions, Global settings, and System Utilities
• CURSOR switch navigates the screen of the LCD User Interface
• STORE switch initiates the storing of presets
• Field-upgradeable firmware using MIDI SysEx

MIDI Implementation

• Presets selectable by MIDI Program Change messages
• Taurus Sound engine can be played by MIDI Note messages
• Preset parameters controllable by MIDI Control Change (CC) messages
• Bass pedals transmit MIDI Note On/Note Off messages with user selectable velocity resolution
• Volume Footwheel transmits MIDI CC 7 (Volume) data
• Control Footwheel transmits MIDI CC corresponding to selected parameter
• Presets and Global Settings can be sent or received through MIDI SysEx

I/O panel

• HI-Z Output: ¼” output jack outputs the Taurus audio signal from the classic higher impedance Taurus output stage. For use with Bass Amplifier instrument inputs
• LO-Z Output: ¼” output jack outputs the Taurus audio signal from a low impedance output stage. For use with line-level inputs
• PITCH CV Input: ¼” TRS jack accepts expression pedal (such as Moog EP-2) or 0V to +5V Control Voltage inputs for modifying the VCOs’ frequencies
• FILTER CV Input: ¼” TRS jack accepts expression pedal (such as Moog EP-2) or 0V to +5V Control Voltage inputs for modifying the VCF cutoff frequency
• VOLUME CV Input: ¼” TRS jack accepts expression pedal (such as Moog EP-2) or 0V to +5V Control Voltage inputs for modifying the VCA gain
• GATE Input: ¼” input jack accepts +5V gate signal for triggering the Taurus EGs
• MIDI In: standard DIN MIDI input connector
• MIDI Out: standard DIN MIDI output connector
• USB: bi-directional USB MIDI port
• Power Inlet: IEC connector accepts 90-250V AC 50-60 Hz
• Power Switch: turns unit On or Off

Chassis Specifications

• Rugged metal enclosure with steel feet, front panel, structural panels and extruded aluminum back panel
• Weight: 45lbs
• Dimensions: 25" wide X 24" deep X 8 1/2" high

Moog expects to ship the $1,995.00 Taurus 3 by the end of the year.

www.moogmusic.com

Arturia presented their new Origin Keyboard at this years Musikmesse. It's a sturdy looking keyboard, with the Origin synth firmly bolted onto it. It also has a cool ribbon controller, and aftertouch.

The Origin keyboard is shipping now, and can be yours for 2899 euro. And for two months, Arturia drops the price of the Origin desktop from 2490 euro to 1990 euro. So now is the time to buy it!

Arturia gave us a cool demo of the keyboard. We got to listen to a very Jarre-esque tune, very fitting for a french company as Arturia. It was backed by a live drummer, which spiced things up a bit.

Arturia has also released The ONE, a software bundle with 8 of their best virtual products (Analog Factory 2.5, Minimoog V, Moog Modular V, ARP2600V, CS-80V, Prophet V, Jupiter-8V, Brass 2). You can try all 8 with no functional limitations for 15 days, and then decide which ONE you'll keep. Price: 229 Euro.Check out The One from Arturia here

A big thanks to Fabien Brassely and the rest of the Arturia team at Musikmesse for organizing this Origin session for us. Read more about the Origin keyboard and Arturias other products like "The One" at  Arturia.com

Radikal Technologies Accelerator was another synth we looked forward to seeing at the Musikmesse. It was on display next to the Moog booth, and judging from its sound, i guess it could stand up to the Moogs, these masters of analog fatness.

The Accelerator is an 8-voice polyphonic synth, which is expandable with a DSP module that brings you extra voices and 8 part multitimbrality. it has all the goodies that you would expect from this kind of synth, but also one cool feature that makes it stand out.

It is clearly made for live performances, since it offers direct patch selection with dedicated patch selection buttons. But thats not the feature that makes it special - the really unique feature is its built in 3D sensor.

And what does the 3D sensor do? Well, it feels actual movements of the Accelerator and converts it into modulation data, used for controlling parameters like pitch, filter etc. So in practice, you could tweak an arpeggio by shaking the Accelerator. If you're strong enough. I guess hurling a synth into an audience has never been more sonically rewarding than now.

Check out the clip below to hear the effect of the 3D chip.

Website here!

Accelerator features (from pressrelease)

- 3 oscillators with sweepable waveforms,time linearity modulation, phasemodulation, ringmodulation between Oscillator 2+3

- oscillator synchronisation

- 6 envelope generators

- 4 LFOs (3 voice, 1p art LFO)

- noise with noise filter (multimode filter 12 / 24 dB)

- independent amp EG for noise

- 2 multimodefilter per voice - LP, HP, BP and Notch with 12/24 dB per filter switchable

- independent oscillator to filter feeds

- serial and parallel filter configurations

- 8 voices (expandable per DSP upgrade)

- categorized randomize sound function

- monochrome graphic display with RGB backlight

- modulationmatrix

- 2 FX

- arpeggiator

- step sequencer

- split, dual, single and performance mode

- 3D positioning sensor for parameter control

- 61 lightweighted keys with channel aftertouch

- 512 sound memories

- floating point for enhanced dynamic range

- expression pedal input

- footswitch input

- USB (USB MIDI class device)

- two external inputs

- two outputs

- MIDI In, Out, Thru

- headphones output

The Radikal Technologies Accelerator is a cool looking/sounding synth which is being released in June 2010.

It was great to get a look at the Korg Monotron at Musikmesse 2010, even though Korgs booth was in the drums & percussion hall, probably the worst place to have a hangover in the universe.

I was excited about the Monotron even before I went to the show, and when I saw it, I was very impressed. It sounded better than I had thought it would, it seems that the Youtube clips and MP3 demos you can find on the Internet now just don't do it justice. It's not a thing you can use for warm, sensual analog sounds though. This is  one angry, angry little synth.

And the Korg Monotron is SMALL, way smaller than I expected. The dimensions 120 mm (W) x 72 mm (D) x 28 mm (H) and 95 grams weight without batteries, makes this a little companion that can follow you everywhere.

And totally OK build quality, with pretty good knob-feel to it, even though the small ribbon keyboard makes it a bit hard to play (obviously).

But the best thing - the price! Only 70 euros! So, when the Monotron is being released in June, I'm definitely getting one. Considering that you get the MS-10/20 filter from the Legacy Collection, and an Audio In port, it's pretty much a done deal for me.

Since Korg showed it in the drum hall at the Musikmesse, we didn't get any clips where you could hear the Monotron over the thousands of drumsets being abused there, but below is a Youtube clip and two MP3 demos from Korgs website.

SomewhereOverTheVCO.mp3

TweakOut.mp3

Youtube via BorisAlexander2008

Monotron Specifications (from Korg.com)

Audio Path: VCO, VCF, LFO

Knobs: VCO Pitch; LFO Rate; LFO Intensity; VCF Cutoff; VCF Peak

LFO Switch: Assignable to Oscillator Pitch or Filter Cutoff

Controller: Ribbon Controller

Volume: Headphone Volume

Aux Input: 1/8" Stereo Jack

Headphone Output: 1/8" Stereo Jack

Speaker: Miniature internal; Disabled when headphones are in use.

Power Supply: AAA Alkalines (x2)

Dimensions: 120 mm (W) x 72 mm (D) x 28 mm (H) / 4.72" (W) x 2.83" (D) x 1.10" (H)

Weight: 95g / 3.35 oz. (without batteries)

One of the absolute highlights of this Musikmesse was the Rhizome from Feeltune. When we were speaking to different people at the Messe, asking what they were most impressed by, they all pretty much agreed that Rhizome, this stylish groove machine from French company Feeltune was the must-see of the year. And it was stylish alright, black and white, and with all those awesome displays it looked like the kind of gear a Star Wars stormtrooper would prefer.

What's inside?

But it's not all looks, it packs some serious power. The Rhizome is an all-in-one workstation with sampler, sequencer, EQ, mixing desk etc. The big thing about this machine is that you can cram pretty much as many VST plugins into it as you want, since it comes with a hard drive and a Windows XPE operating system. At delivery, the Rhizome contains about 40 plugins (synths, effects, drum machines etc... MiniMonsta was mentioned...).

What makes the Rhizome stand out is the layout of the knobs, pads, buttons and displays. It seems to give you a great overview when working with it, and all sampling and sequencing can be made in real time. No need to stop any great grooves, as you can see in the demonstration that Nicolas Piau from Feeltune made. He made a track from scratch in a couple of minutes, and really got into it. Great guy by the way!

Nicolas Piau also told us a bit about the Rhizome:

So far, the Rhizome is an almost complete prototype, and its due for release in the third quarter of 2010. Feeltune's website hasn't got that much info yet, but I guess they'll update it. But we compiled the info from their broschure below!

Here at Ihavesynth, we'll keep an eye on this beautiful machine.

Check Feeltune's site here!

Rhizome specifications:

Sequencer:

Unlimited performances - Up to 9999 measures by song - 64 patterns - 64 tracks by pattern - Real time tracks - Drum Step tracks up to 64 steps - Synth step tracks up to 64 steps - Total recall - Non destructive quantize mode - intuituve edition features - Live loop, tweak, groove features - Grid edit, step edit, record edit

Embedded system

250GB HDD - 2GB RAM - Intel core 2 duo 7600 3,06 Ghz

System I/O

Ethernet RJ45 - DVI - 4 USB - 2 PS2 (mouse, alphanum keyboard)

Mixing

64 mixing tracks - 8 buses - EQ, compressor and stereo wide on each track, bus and master - 2 aux - 1 master - up to 3 inserts by mixing track - total recall - full bus routing features

Controls

16 sensitive backlighted pads - 16 backlighted buttons - backlighted transport bar - 32 push rotative encoders - 30 function buttons

Displays etc

3 display areas 24 bits (1440x128 pix, 408x36 mm) - 1 display area 24 bits (1440x250 pix, 408x72 mm)

VST

40 preinstalled effects and synthesizer plugins with custom presets - 4 famous synths - Total recall - Install and use your own plugins - Controls auto assignation - Configure and reuse your VST displayed features - Show VST parameters on connected display screen or another computer in LAN - Microsoft based system for maximum plugin compatibility

AUDIO

6 audio out - 2 audio in - 1 phone out - MIDI via RJ45

A big thank you to Nicolas Piau for a great chat and awesome demo of the Rhizome!

This is a great demo of the JazzMutant Lemur. Our friends at Gearjunkies.com hooked up with JazzMutant during their excellent coverage at Musikmesse. The Lemurs multitouch interface is really nice. I think this product will get a tough competitor in the iPad though...

With the groundbreaking Lemur controller Jazzmutant have revolutionised the way in which performers can now interact with light, video and sound. The Lemur offers an unrivalled package of intuitive features beneath a futuristic multitouch-sensitive surface, and as result has won fans across the globe including the groundbreaking musicians Richie Hawtin, Björk and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The video below is a demonstration of the Lemur together with the new MU software and Ableton Live.Via Gearjunkies.com

Here is a demo of the Eigenharp Pico. The smallest of the three Eigenharps. It's so small you can even make a demo sitting in your airplane seat. In the clip we get a smooth jazz sax improvisation by Gbevin. It seems like a fun toy more than something that turns you into a hot seductive jazz musician...

I recorded this smooth jazz sax song on my train ride to the Frankfurt Musikmesse yesterday. Besides the music, this video also demonstrates the awesome portability of the Pico. You can make music anywhere, just take your laptop out on the train, on the plane, in a restaurant, ... and start playing music with headphones!I found the chords and melodic theme a few days ago but the rest of this recording is pure improvisation. The sax sound comes for the amazing free Silverwood v2 ensemble for Reaktor, I used some tube-warming and saturation through an inline audio unit effect to get that warm and round feel.

Yesterday we told you about the Radical Technoligies Accelerator in this post. Today we got to see it in action. German language but it sort of fits the synthesizer. Don't you agree?

Radikal Technologies

News from Korg

microSTATION

Designed to satisfy the beginning musician or the accomplished keyboardist, the microSTATION offers unprecedented portability, the stunning sound of Korg's EDS-i synth engine, phenomenal effects, plus new and easy-to-use sequencing tools. Audition riffs make finding just the right sound a breeze.

Main features

• Lightweight, compact, and equipped with 61 mini-keys, the microSTATION travels easily and fits effortlessly into any home, stage, or studio workspace.
• EDS-i (Enhanced Definition Synthesis-integrated) sound engine delivers high-quality sound in the tradition of KORG's flagship synthesizers.
• Enjoy 480 outstanding, ready-to-use sounds – including keyboard sounds, synth sounds, drums, leads, basses, etc. Tweak, edit, create and save up to 512 sound Programs.
• 256 dynamic Combinations place different sounds on different areas of the keyboard, or layer multiple sounds together for exciting performances – right out of the box!
• Find the right sound fast with eight quickly accessible categories; hundreds of Audition Riffs allow you to preview each sound.
• A full General MIDI level 2 compatible soundset allows commercial and pre-made MIDI files to be played perfectly and instantly.
• Designed for comfort and accuracy, our 61-key Natural Touch Mini Keyboard is highly expressive and supports serious playing.
• Whether performing or composing, the on-board sequencer can be anything from an extra set of hands or a powerful drum machine up to a full-blown MIDI production suite.
• Loop Recording, Grid Sequencing, Dual Arpeggiators, Template songs, and Auto Song Setup features make it easy for anyone to achieve professional results.
• SD/SDHC card slot for convenient storage or your custom sounds and songs.
• USB Type-B connector offers a direct MIDI connection to your computer.

Includes both stand-alone and plug-in microSTATION software for detailed sound editing on your computer; plug-in software is VST, AU, and RTAS compatible. Perform and compose anytime, anywhere At a size and price usually reserved for performance synthesizers, the compact and portable microSTATION none the less features our 61-key Natural Touch mini keyboard, numerous effects, dual arpeggiators, and a 16-track sequencer to transform musical ideas into polished productions – wherever you are! New sequencer features such as Loop Recording and visual Grid Sequencing have been added to benefit the first-time user and to jump-start any type of music production. With so much power, the microSTATION is an ideal first keyboard, plus a welcome addition to any studio or keyboard rig.

Via Korg.com

Please release the Teenage Engineering OP-1 NOW! Check out these new demos from Teenage Engineering for the OP-1. I'm definately going to look these guys up when I go down to Frankfurt.

Tape Demo

OP-1 Multitrack Beat Session

OP-1 Endless Sequencer

OP-1 Rythm and Track Demo

OP-1 Pulse and Sequence School

Via Teenage Engineering

The new Elektron Octatrack sampler and sequencer in action from Musikmesse in Frankfrut.

Elektron give an overview of the new Octatrack advanced sampling sequencer. It's essentially Ableton in a box...but Elektron have made it more amazing than we could possibly imagine.

Via Musicradar

Muso Talk TV has good coverage of the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, in this clip they meet up with Eigenlabs who demos the Eigenharp Alpha. Long intro in german, but the musicians doing the demonstration is speaking english. Awesome piece of gear, I want to try one.

Muso Talk TV

PRESS RELEASE: Powered by two alkaline AAA batteries, the compact monotron can be held in one hand. Although small enough to easily carry with you, the amazing monotron is packed with KORG's legendary analog technology, generating thick and powerful sounds. Concentrating on the most important sound parameters, the controls have been streamlined as much as possible. The panel contains only five knobs and one switch. With this level of simplicity, now anyone can easily enjoy the world of analog synthesizers.

• Full-fledged, true analog synthesizer: VCO, VCF, LFO• Inspiring, easy-to-play ribbon keyboard• Intuitive, fun-to-tweak controls• Features the same classic analog filter found in the legendary Korg MS-10 & MS-20• Filter any external source using the audio input jack• LFO can modulate either pitch of filter cutoff• LFO Rate knob features cool LED visual indicator.• Battery operation and palmtop size equals true portability• Internal speaker/headphone jack lets you enjoy the sound anywhere – alone or with friends!

For more information. Visit Korg

Looking at my calender I realized Musikmesse in Frankfurt is next week. Offcourse Ihavesynth will be there for some live blogging and som german hospitality.There should be some nice new releases coming up and personally I look forward to seeing the Teenage Engineeing OP-1 live.

If you have got some pointers, ideas, information or a scoop about Musikmesse. We are interested. Please send it to us or meet us there.

Bzzzzzzt

Edit:

Oh, our friends at Gearjunkies.com put together a great list of rumours and gossip for the upcoming Musikmesse. Check it out here.