Workstations

2007 Winter NAMM Show: Yamaha introduced a new portable synthesizer featuring sounds from the popular Motif Series, real-time control, street-smart grooves and computer integration in a portable 61-note keyboard.
The MM6 synthesizer not only features sounds from the Motif, but the quick edit knobs and arpeggios to control them. You can jam over the top [...]

Korg has announced the Pa800, a new Arranger keyboard based on an entirely new engine offering sophisticated sound and effects engines, TC-Helicon based vocal effects, real-time performance features and stereo two-way speaker system in a sleek, professional package.
The Pa800 features 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch plus Korg’s RX (Real eXperience) Technology for a natural [...]

Akai Professional has introduced the latest member its music production center (MPC) family, the MPC500.
Portable and battery-powered, the MPC500’s functionality includes drum programming, sequencing, and sampling capabilities that allow artists the luxury of creating music on the go in a compact, road-worthy chassis. The MPC500 is data compatible with both the MPC1000 and the MPC2500 [...]

NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Alesis introduced a free Version 1.20 firmware upgrade for the company’s Fusion 6HD and 8HD keyboard workstations. With a combination of new sounds, exciting new features, and software that facilitates greater compatibility with commercially available sample data, this new update is a must have for Fusion owners.

The V1.20 upgrade provides a [...]

NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Akai Professional introduced the MPC2500 Music Production Center.
The MPC2500 is the successor to the company’s highly acclaimed MPC2000XL. Featuring an inviting user interface, great-feeling velocity and pressure sensitive pads, twin onboard effects processors with a send for outboard effects, Q-Link controllers, plus 10 outputs and an S/PDIF digital output, the [...]

NAMM Update: Roland introduced a new member of the Roland MC family, the MC-808. The powerstation features eight motorized faders on its surface, a first for a groovebox. With Roland’s most sophisticated processor at its core, the MC-808 shares the same top-of-the-line sampling and sequencing features as its elder sibling, the MC-909.
The MC-808 shares two [...]

NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Korg released OASYS software version 1.10, which includes the first OASYS Expansion Instrument (EXi) update, the STR-1 Plucked String. The powerful STR-1 represents an advancement in physical modeling, building on over a decade of Korg’s research with new innovations exclusive to OASYS. This new OS also adds support for up to [...]

Open Labs, a creator of dedicated digital audio workstations, says that it’s “Time to eBay all your Cr#p!”
At the Winter NAMM Conference in Anaheim, California, the company introduced the Open Labs MiKo, an audio workstation designed for DJs, VJs, music video hobbyists, amateur musicians and podcasters.
The Open Labs MiKo is based on the AMD Athlon [...]

An updated OS, version 1.2, has been released for the Alesis Fusion synthesizer/workstation. The new OS update comes with a combination of new sound data, a number of significant new functions, and additional software that facilitates greater compatibility with commercially available sample data.
“All of us at Alesis are very excited about this new update, as [...]

AES Update: Tascam introduced a new portable recorder aimed at the pro recording market. The TASCAM HD-P2 Portable High-Definition Stereo Audio Recorder records at up to 192kHz/24-bit resolution to Compact Flash media, locked to the built-in SMPTE timecode input. The Broadcast WAVE audio files are instantly available through the built-in high-speed FireWire computer connection.
“The HD-P2 [...]

Korg has expanded its D Series recording products with the compact, affordable D4 Digital Recorder. Designed with an intuitive user interface, the D4 allows musicians to quickly record, mix and edit complete songs from start to finish, as well as easily capture musical ideas on the fly. The D4 features four tracks of high-quality, MPEG-1 [...]

Twenty-five years after the introduction of the first Portastudio, Tascam has introduced the DP-01, shown at right, and DP-01FX, 8-track Digital Portastudios starting at under $400.
The DP-01 and DP-01 FX feature the one-knob-per-function design found on TASCAM cassette Portastudios to get rid of the page-shift-menu interface.
The DP-01 has two mic inputs on 1/4″ TRS jacks [...]

The Roland SP-606 sampling workstation packs a tremendous amount of power into a small package. It’s a full-featured sampling workstation; it is a USB audio/midi interface; and its a capable hardware controller.
It follows in the footsteps of other Roland/Boss samplers, like the SP-505. It boasts excellent sample tools, long sampling times, CompactFlash support, sample-chopping and [...]

At the NAMM Summer Show, Roland announced that it was shipping the SP-606, a sampling workstation that combines sampling, phrase sequencing, audio editing, effects, performance tools, computer connectivity, and soft-synthesis into a user-friendly package.
Pro-quality digital audio can be captured with the SP-606’s 8-voice sampling engine by recording directly from the built-in stereo inputs and digital [...]

Roland has announced that top producers Armand Van Helden and Jermaine Dupri are currently creating and remixing their latest projects with the new Roland MV-8000 Production Studio.
Cranking out epic beats since he was 15, Helden officially broke onto the global music scene in 1996 with a series of remix classics that became danceclub favorites worldwide. [...]