What’s inside a music tech product is always important. And when its workflow doesn’t take you a frustrating number of hours to operate, it can inspire you in the studio and keep you coming back again and again. Whether it’s a vibrant groovebox with plush pads or a forward-thinking MIDI instrument that pushes the boundaries of musical expression, the look, feel and usability of the product are vital.
ROLI’s Seaboard Rise 2 made waves in the world of MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) this year, with a forward-thinking, refined and sci-fi-like aesthetic. 1010music debuted its Nanobox range with a total of three pocket-sized synths and drum machines that are bold and delightfully intriguing. Finally, the Polyend Play groovebox, which has deservedly been a big talking point for many producers, has a drool-worthy pastel-coloured sequencing and slick performance grid that’s enough to turn anyone’s studio into a visual spectacle.
ROLI Seaboard RISE 2
The return of the Seaboard was a surprise when ROLI announced the RISE 2 earlier this year. And, given the Seaboard line’s long tenure, how would ROLI improve upon it and make it more desirable than ever before? Well, just take a look. The stripped-back, elegant design and ergonomic keybed make the RISE 2 simply a joy to play. Coupled with ROLI’s Equator 2 soft synth, this futuristic MPE instrument is sure to crop up in plenty of studios in the next few years.
In our review, we said: “The Rise 2 is the best iteration of the Seaboard yet: a singular instrument that’s fun to play, looks amazing, and sets the bar for expressive MIDI instruments…It may never be mainstream in the way a keyboard or a guitar is, but this instrument occupies a glorious niche. If you’ve previously been tempted, now is the time to make the leap.”
Read our full review here.
1010music Nanobox
Fireball, Lemondrop and Razzmatazz are bursting with flavour – nope, not the cocktails, but 1010music’s Nanobox range. These three compact instruments boast a nicely-sized touchscreen, two knobs and four buttons to navigate the interface and to MIDI map parameters, and ample connectivity to integrate them into your set-up.
The Lemondrop – which was recently found to be one of Reverb.com’s most sought-after products in 2022 – is a dinky granular synthesizer, while the Fireball takes on wavetable duties and Razzmatazz is on-hand for making juicy drum beats. 1010music’s petite but powerful machines are just waiting to be collected and displayed in your setup.
Polyend Play
We’ve come to expect striking designs from Polyend, given its reputation for the Tracker and Medusa. But its work on the Play is our favourite yet. This groovebox looks bonkers at first and makes you wonder how you’ll ever figure out what all its 128 grid buttons do – and what are these matte black knobs at the top? Fret not. When you get stuck into this sample-based powerhouse, you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away.
In our review, we said: “Polyend’s Play is a fantastically fun groovebox that lets you sequence, shuffle and slice up your sounds. It’s certainly not limited to stage performances – it’s a creative goldmine for building musical ideas and can communicate with up to eight MIDI-equipped external instruments to act as a studio centrepiece…Most striking is the layout of the Play, [which] invites a unique way of navigating your ideas.”
Read our full review here.
The post MusicTech Awards 2022: Design Award appeared first on MusicTech.
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By: MusicTech
Title: MusicTech Awards 2022: Design Award
Sourced From: musictech.com/features/awards/musictech-awards-2022-design-award/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=musictech-awards-2022-design-award
Published Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:00:56 +0000
