Arturia’s best soft synth is now half price at Plugin Boutique – but this deal’s not around for longPlugin Boutique is running a huge winter sale until March, with a large number of Arturia products on offer.
Its Analog Lab Pro and its new Pigments 6 plugins currently have 50 per cent off each with savings of nearly £95 – the latter of which recently scored a shining 8/10 review by MusicTech. These deals run until 11 March only.

READ MORE: One of the Bay Area’s top ambient producers has created a sample library for Soundbox – and it’s totally free

Pigments 6 is an all-in-one software synth, offering six synthesis engines, a colour-coded interface, drag-and-drop modulation, premium effects, and advanced sequencing. Its six forms of synthesis are: Modal, Granular, Wavetable, Sample, Harmonic, and Virtual Analogue, alongside the Utility engine. Pigments also hosts 1600 presets, expandable with the sound store.
Analog Lab Pro, on the other hand, lets you access the “most iconic synth and keyboard sounds of all time”, fresh from the Arturia award-winning V Collection. It boasts a large selection of both vintage and modern presets, and is “geared up to inspire, not confuse”, with super simple controls. Its library has 2000 presets and patches for varying musical styles curated by renowned sound designers. Both Pigments 6 and Analog Lab Pro are now just £94.96 each via Plugin Boutique’s sale.
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Other plugins with 50 per cent off are virtual instruments MiniFreak V and the KORG MS-20 V, ideal for those “in search of the meaner side of analogue”, with abrasive and punchy tones. You can also save on Arturia’s Fragments software effect, its Tape J-37 emulation of the Studer J-37, or its ARP 2600 V, plus more.
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In more Arturia news, the brand gave its DrumBrute Impact analogue drum machine a new, retro-inspired makeover earlier this month. First launched in 2016, the DrumBrute was designed to “deliver raw, unapologetic drum sequences for producers and performers alike”. Now, the limited edition DrumBrute Impact 1984 sees the same 10-voice machine reimagined with an off-white finish.
To find out more or shop now, head over to Plugin Boutique.
The post Arturia’s best soft synth is now half price at Plugin Boutique – but this deal’s not around for long appeared first on MusicTech.

Franc Moody: “We don’t wait hours for the perfect take; we catch a vibe and move on”Performing at Glastonbury is a career highlight for any artist, whether it’s headlining the Pyramid stage or holding it down with an ambient set at Strummerville. But for Franc Moody, their 2023 appearance at Glastonbury didn’t go exactly as planned.
While Elton John was making history over at the Pyramid, Ned Franc and Jon Moody were playing on the Silver Hayes stage, having an epiphany about the direction of their project.

READ MORE: Emma-Jean Thackray: “Moog synths are so recognisable in a track but you can make them do anything, it’s an amazing paradox”

“The show got to a point where it was stagnating. We’d come to the end of a cycle,” says Ned Franc. The duo felt fatigued from playing the same song in the same way. Something had to change — and fast. Franc and Moody sat down, chewed the fat, and mapped out where they were going next.
“We knew we wanted to do something different, and so, by a process of conversing and going through various iterations of what finally became the album, it felt quite apt. Chewing The Fat,” Moody says of their new album title, set for release on 7 March. After those conversations, they decided their new direction would take them even deeper into the synthesizer world.
In their early years, before Franc Moody came together in 2016, the two multi-instrumentalists had started “many, many” bands. Their goal was to capture the sound of the 50s and 60s “Americana swamp pop soul,” as they describe it, but of all the people they worked with throughout that time, they were the only two who were equally committed to their vision.
Image: Press
They opted to go their own way as partners, but their studio couldn’t fit a drum set, so they started working with drum machines and began collecting synths, starting with Moody’s Juno 60. This genesis established the foundation for their electronic-meets-instrumental sound. Heavy on the tech, but fueled by styles with deep, live grooves.
“We spent so long desperately trying to make a record that sounded like it was cut in 1952,” says Jon, “but I bought my first synthesizer, a Juno 60, and that led [us down] a slightly more interesting path.”
“That mix of a kick that’s quantised, or an arp that’s quantised with Jon and my natural feel and phrasing behind it,” Franc adds of their sound.
The metronomic foundation is so essential to their music, that when they’ve tried to bring in their touring drummer Dan Hale to record, his natural feel creates a separate energy from Franc Moody. They know some producers who bring in drummers and then quantise the recordings, but they’d rather build from a less manipulated rhythm section.
“I’m an analogue purist at heart, but [software emulation] is definitely getting better” – Jon Moody
“We layer up natural percussion fills and hi-hats so it doesn’t sound like a techno record. Obviously, it sounds far from it,” Moody says. Then when they record bass, guitar, keys, and other live instruments, that dichotomy creates a level of human error they hear in their original influences.
“We don’t sit there for hours getting the perfect take. We catch a vibe and then move on,” continues Moody. “These rhythm and blues tunes and swamp pop tunes become this subconscious layer. Whatever we do now with different tools, those bits of music that have seeped into your subconscious always find a way out in melody or in the way you arrange a song or the groove. The fundamental songwriting of those references is just so bulletproof.”
With those fundamentals inseparable from Franc Moody, the biggest change on Chewing The Fat came one layer up. They used tech they had never touched before making the album, most of which was in the new London studio they rent from Damon Albarn, the legendary frontman of Blur and Gorillaz.
“It’s insane. [The equipment] is all in weird languages or one-of-one collections of really obscure things,” Moody says of Albarn’s gear arsenal, remarking that when they hit the presets on the machines they would often stumble upon sounds from one of Albarn’s many hits over the last 30 years. “They’re iconic sounds that he’s got in this closet of joy.”
Image: Press
Said closet includes classic analog gear such as the ARP 2600, the Roland SH-101, and the Hohner String Performer. There are also historic organs and keyboards including the Orla Tiffany 4 organ, a Clavinet D6, and a “really early” Hammond C3 organ. The Hammond was key to producing the bass line on Pressure Makes Diamonds.
“It’s got buttons on the side like an accordion to play a bass line,” says Moody. “We realised if you rag it through enough compression it turns into the heaviest bassline.”
Of the synths in different languages, one they knew was the Soviet PIF (which was designed as a children’s toy). Some of the other Russian instruments they can’t name because there is no English on them, but after fiddling with one, they discerned it was a string machine.
“The Russians do amazing string machines. They have amazing high-end and are really good for lead lines,” Moody says.
One of these lead lines takes centre stage on the album’s closing track: The Light You Bring. The buoyant, glittery melody that launches the song comes from the Russian string machine, which took a bit of getting used to.
Image: Press
“It’s so weird. You turn it on, and the tuning goes mental. There’s a sweet spot; you have to quickly record when it’s settled,” Moody says.
“It has a 12-pin power chord. It’s mental,” Franc adds.
“It’s the most beautiful-sounding synth. It’s polyphonic with four oscillators, really warm and rich,” Moody continues.
However, because they couldn’t read the labels, they had to balance their longstanding knowledge of tech with their intuition (a process they liken to their foundational combination of instrumental and synthetic styles).
“You just have to learn it, which is quite cool. This one has a woodwind patch, an organ patch, and a string patch, but they’re all similar. There’s a resonance dial, a cutoff, and a tuner. It’s quite simple. It’s not like looking at the face of an Arturia MatrixBrute when there are three million knobs,” Moody says. But as quickly as they were able to adjust, the language barrier still created a deeper sense of experimentation. “It makes you use your ears. It makes you really tune in.”
For Chewing The Fat, Franc Moody had a second closet of joy to explore: 64Sound in Los Angeles. One of LA’s most classic studios, the website lists not only the clients who have recorded there (St. Vincent, Maroon 5, Vampire Weekend) but also guest producers and engineers including Danger Mouse, John Congleton, and Rob Schnapf.

“We found [this studio] years ago and it looked like we wanted our music to sound,” Moody says. As much as they loved the look, they also loved the hundreds of instruments, microphones, synths, and other gear the studio made available to them. Their favourite piece was the coveted Yamaha CS-60 analogue synth, which was a core piece of the single, Driving On The Wrong Side Of The Road.
“We went into those [sessions] being like ‘Let’s turn everything on and fuck about with it’,” Moody continues.
Unfortunately, as much as they revelled in playing around with uber-rare vintage synths to make Chewing The Fat, as they prepare for their upcoming tour, there is no way they can bring the Yamaha CS-60, the Hammond C3, or that obscure Russian string machine with them on flight after flight.
Instead, they’re now in “intensive” live rehearsals with a completely different live setup. They’ve changed the size of the band from six members to four, and they are also, much to their dismay, trading out analogue gear for digital hardware and software.
Moody swapped his beloved Juno 60 with a new Juno X and, while he has a deep love for analogue, he appreciates the 60 and 106 emulations within the X. Plus, the MIDI capabilities of the X will allow him to sample some of those relic synths to play during the show (“I’ll be sampling the synths and playing them straight there. I don’t even have to get another keyboard, which is fantastic.”)
“The Russians do amazing string machines. They got amazing high-end” – Jon Moody
“I’m an analogue purist at heart. I’m happiest when I’m sat on my C3 Hammond with the 147 and playing my Clavinet D6. But you just can’t fly it everywhere,” Moody says. “But [emulation] is getting better, and as long as I’ve got enough analogue juice on stage somewhere — I tour my SH-101, which is just amazingly horrible in analogue, in a good way. Filthy. [And the] Arp 2600; There’s enough analogue grit going on amongst the emulation stuff.”
Relying more on digital gear for the live show channels the same spirit of experimentation as diving into their various analogue treasure troves when they were making the album. Their intention was to take Franc Moody in a new direction, and now that they have done that to satisfying results, they have a template of where to go for the next few albums.
“This thing that we’ve stumbled on has loads of room to explore in itself. This first record being done this way is really exciting, but it’s got way more legs in it,” says Franc.
Change is rarely easy and it’s often intimidating. But, for Franc Moody, forcing themselves to evaluate their music and how they create it opened up myriad opportunities. Now, with new gear, new outlooks and a keen eye on the influences that shape them, they’re ready to wow crowds at any stage they play on. And, if they need to, they know how to evolve themselves again — it just takes some chewing of the fat.
Read more interviews with music producers, beatmakers and DJs.
The post Franc Moody: “We don’t wait hours for the perfect take; we catch a vibe and move on” appeared first on MusicTech.

Audiomodern releases Spectra Ambient Electronic Bliss, a FREE instrument for Soundbox
Developer Audiomodern has released Spectra Ambient Electronic Bliss, a free instrument for Soundbox. Audiomodern released the Soundbox platform toward the end of 2024, along with a few interesting libraries/instruments. Here’s a brief recap: Soundbox is a fully customizable MPE sampler available in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and Standalone formats. At the time of writing, Soundbox [...]
View post: Audiomodern releases Spectra Ambient Electronic Bliss, a FREE instrument for Soundbox

“I swear we’re working on it… Innovation is ongoing”: SoundCloud responds to criticisms of “destroying” transients in song uploadsSoundCloud has issued a statement after German producer Nasko publicly criticised the music streaming platform for its audio quality and file compression, causing an outcry from other artists and producers — including those subscribed to SoundCloud Pro.
Nasko urged fans and producers to “stop uploading 48khz WAV” and other high-resolution files to SoundCloud, due to it “destroying [his] transients,” he said in an X post.
“I am so done with this platform!!! ”, he wrote, with a side-by-side comparison of his music’s waveform from four sources: the original 16-bit WAV export, a SoundCloud download, a YouTube 1080p download, and a YouTube 144p download. Nasko’s comparison intends to draw attention to ‘smeared’ transients in the SoundCloud playback version of the track.

Some People pointed out that YOUTUBE decouples Audio from Video so Resolution doesn't impact audio quality.
Here's a comparison between the same Video at AAC 320kbps and AAC 96kbps (lowest quality).
Soundcloud has a serious codec issue. https://t.co/tbgfHLXfB0 pic.twitter.com/T0g69XlPVA
— Nasko (@Naskomusic) February 17, 2025

“Soundcloud audio is cooked, ESPECIALLY for EDM”, continues Nasko. “Transients are integral to this genre and the regular SoundCloud audio has some really bad issues with messing them up.” The track in question is Virtual Riot & Modestep (ft. Frank Zummo) – This Could Be Us (Nasko Remix). You can hear his highlighted moment at 1:42.

The issue, according to Nasko and other users on X, lies in the AAC audio codec SoundCloud uses to process and play tracks hosted on the platform.
“SoundCloud seems to be using a REALLY bad version of a codec called AAC, which absolutely ruins audio quality for free listeners and artists that use SoundCloud Pro,” says Nasko. According to other users and commenters, SoundCloud uses the FFmpeg AAC encoder, which the developer says is known to be “problematic”. This allegedly impacts the quality of audio uploaded to SoundCloud.
“Obviously you should be using Opus if you want high quality audio”, says FFmpeg — a sentiment that Nasko and other users have shared online.

Big companies use our (known problematic) AAC encoder yet none are willing to sponsor improvements https://t.co/NEX3vL7bnL
— FFmpeg (@FFmpeg) February 18, 2025

SoundCloud responded directly to Nasko’s X post, writing: “Shoutout to our community for keeping us on our toes! We use different transcoding setups depending on what you upload. They’re for sure not perfectly dialed in. But we’re always working on it, testing out new encoders and settings based on your feedback. Right now, we don’t support lossless-to-lossless, so yeah, some info gets lost along the way. But we hear you, and I swear we’re working on it. Stay tuned—more updates are coming.”
In a statement to MusicTech, SoundCloud added: “At SoundCloud, we’re always evolving to deliver the best experience for our community of creators and listeners. Innovation is ongoing, and we remain committed to iterating based on feedback, new advancements, and our passion for great sound.”
MusicTech also reached out to Nasko for further comment. The producer said: “What I’d like to add to the whole situation is that the sort of ‘outcry’ we managed to generate isn’t necessarily to stomp SoundCloud for its bad audio quality — it’s quite the opposite! Soundcloud is still relevant for a lot of the electronic scene and as a primarily audio-based platform, we care about the impression it has on regular listeners and fans of the music posted on it. For Soundcloud to continue to be a place for the EDM scene, it needs to at least get the basics right. There are great free audio codecs (like OPUS) that they can look at implementing, but it’s important that they do this right, showing us that they care.”
“They tried this in the past and failed, apparently due to using an older OPUS codec at way lower quality than what they should have used,” Nasko continues. “Now, they have a plethora of people who want better audio quality, which would be a perfect opportunity to do things right this time around. I hope they introduce beta testing for important changes to the platform, like the audio codec they are hopefully working to fix.”
SoundCloud is yet to publicly provide a roadmap of next steps on this issue, but you can keep an eye on its newsroom and on MusicTech for updates.
Read more music technology news. 
The post “I swear we’re working on it… Innovation is ongoing”: SoundCloud responds to criticisms of “destroying” transients in song uploads appeared first on MusicTech.

SEC has closed its investigation into Gemini, says WinklevossGemini co-founder and president Cameron Winklevoss said the decision marks another milestone to end the war on crypto.

Avride’s sidewalk delivery bots land in JapanAvride sidewalk bots will start delivering restaurant orders and groceries in central Tokyo this week through a partnership with e-commerce giant Rakuten, the latest commercial expansion by the Yandex spinout into Northeast Asia. The Austin-based autonomous vehicle startup is one of four projects under Nebius Group, a Netherlands-based company formerly called Yandex NV that sold […]
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Want a Truck with a Short Bed and a Long Camper Shell?Camper shells are a time-honored piece of truck gear, but with modern trucks having increasingly vestigial beds, the length of your overnight abode has increasingly shrunk as well. To combat this problem, [Ed’s Garage] built a camper shell that extends once you’ve arrived at your campsite.
[Ed] wanted to keep things relatively low profile while still tall enough to sit up in for convenience, leading to a small bit of the shell peeking over the truck’s roof. To keep the cold Canadian winter out, attention was paid to proper weather sealing around the sliding portion of the shell so that it stays warm and dry inside.
While this would work on any truck, the mains power plugs in the bed of some modern trucks mean that certain glamping conveniences like a heater and projector can be easily powered while you’re in camp. We get to see the camper shell in action at the end of the video where the pros and cons of having your sleeping space also being your storage while en route become apparent.
If you’re looking for something a little less conventional for your camping experience, how about this solar camper or this retro bike camper?

CAPITOL RECORDS PRESENT GOOD NEIGHBOURS WITH PLAQUE TO COMMEMORATE THE RIAA PLATINUM CERTIFICATION OF THEIR DEBUT SINGLE "HOME"Capitol Records is proud to present rising British duo GOOD NEIGHBOURS (Oli Fox and Scott Verrill) with a platinum plaque to commemorate the RIAA certification of their debut single “Home.” “Home” marks the only Platinum certification for an Alternative debut single released and certified in 2024 and one of two Platinum debuts released and certified in 2024. Additionally, Good Neighbours had the only Platinum Alternative single on RIAA’s Class Of 2024.The single is the second most streamed debut single from a new artist in 2024 with over 500M streams. “Home,” which entered the singles chart in 13 countries including the UK and US, ranks in the top 5 of new Alt/Rock songs released in 2024.2024 was filled with momentous milestones for Good Neighbours.  In the midst of their first US headlining tour, they made their late night television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and went on to release their debut self-titled EP in the fall. Counted amongst the duo's numerous accolades was a nomination for “Best New Artist (Alternative & Rock)” at the 2025 iHeart Radio Music Awards and a Billboard Music Award nomination. Good Neighbours were also named Vevo DSCVR Artists To Watch for 2025. The duo are currently on tour with Foster The People, where they have been debuting new music to enthusiastic audiences across North America.The post CAPITOL RECORDS PRESENT GOOD NEIGHBOURS WITH PLAQUE TO COMMEMORATE THE RIAA PLATINUM CERTIFICATION OF THEIR DEBUT SINGLE "HOME" first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Soundiron Click Click BangClick Click Bang! is a hybrid sound-effect and percussion instrument designed for sound designers, experimental musicians, and music producers. Originating from our M1 Garand Rifle library, it... Read More

Patrick Moxey’s publishing company must cease using ‘Ultra’ name within 6 months as Sony wins trademark battleUnder a court order, Ultra International Music Publishing has 180 days to change its name
Source

Is SMS marketing worth it for musicians, venues on a budget?SMS or text marketing can deliver strong results, particularly with younger audiences and within certain genres. ​But is SMS marketing worth it for musicians, labels and venues of a tight budget?
The post Is SMS marketing worth it for musicians, venues on a budget? appeared first on Hypebot.

Native Instruments’ NKS ecosystem is officially live, offering easy integration with leading controllersThe new Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) ecosystem from Native Instruments is now officially live, allowing producers to use Native Instruments software with a range of controllers made by leading brands.
NKS is essentially a standardised software designed to be compatible across a wide range of instruments and effects offered by a number of significant partners. The launch follows an initial announcement from Native Instruments made during January’s NAMM event.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Komplete 15 is still the essential mega bundle

This new technical standard from the brand means virtual instruments are precisely connected to the controls on your physical hardware, so there’s no need to spend time creating, saving, and loading custom mappings.
NKS integration is now available for leading controllers from Akai Professional, Novation, Nektar, Korg, and M-Audio, providing access to over 2,000 NKS-compatible instruments and effects from more than 250 brands.
As of 26 February, NKS compatibility now extends to the following controllers:

Akai Professional: MPK Mini Series (MPK Mini, MPK Mini Play, MPK Mini Plus)
Novation: Launchkey MK3 & MK4, FLkey, SL MK3
Korg: Keystage MIDI 2.0 controllers
M-Audio: Oxygen Series keyboards

And, in April 2025, it will also be compatible with the Nektar Impact LX MK3. Check out the video below to see how NKS works in action:

As part of the launch, owners of NKS-ready hardware from Novation, Nektar, Korg, and M-Audio will receive Komplete 15 Select ($99 value) for free, offering a multitude of sounds tailored for beats, songwriting, or electronic production. Akai Professional users will receive a tailored Komplete 15 Select with MPK purchases, featuring tools such as Massive X, Battery 4, and iZotope’s Nectar 4 Elements.
“This expansion reinforces our commitment to an open and connected music industry,” comments Simon Cross, Chief Product Officer at Native Instruments. “By integrating NKS across leading hardware brands, we’re ensuring more musicians can access professional tools without workflow limitations.”
Find out more over at Native Instruments.
The post Native Instruments’ NKS ecosystem is officially live, offering easy integration with leading controllers appeared first on MusicTech.

Clio Music Award winners: Pearl Jam, Megan Thee, MoreThe Clio Music Awards winners have been announced for 2025 recognizing creative excellence in music marketing and the use of music in advertising globally.
The post Clio Music Award winners: Pearl Jam, Megan Thee, More appeared first on Hypebot.

Grace Design's upcoming m701 interface Grace Design's new m701 inteface aims to offer a high-quality solution for everything from simple ‘in the box’ systems to large hybrid studio setups. 

Roland AIRA Compact P-6 is a mini sampler perfect for lo-fi beats — but is it too complicated?£190, roland.com
There’s something appealing about carrying a cool-looking hardware instrument in your pocket rather than tapping away at a phone or iPad screen and being able to make music anywhere. The evergreen popularity of Korg’s Volca series, Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operators and Roland’s super-compact AIRA’s clearly attests to this.

READ MORE: “Not an instrument for the impatient and unforgiving”: Soma Laboratory’s Lyra-4 is a feral, affordable, drone monster

The AIRA Compact series is the brand’s attempt to distil the best of its hardware range into highly portable, affordable units — in a similar fashion as Korg with its Volcas. There’s definitely a demand for this type of instrument that’s fun yet, at the same time, does ‘proper’ music things, like hooking up to other gear and sounding record-ready.
The new P-6 Creative Sampler is not just a sample playback and sequencing instrument but also a capable sampler in its own right, with a bunch of sampling options that go beyond what you might expect from such a compact unit. And compact it is – it’s not much larger than a big smartphone.
Roland claims it’s ideal for beginners and professionals alike, but can that really be true? With opinions online seemingly differing about the friendliness of its interface, who is this instrument actually for?
Despite its tiny size, the P-6 doesn’t lack important hardware features. It has an internal rechargeable battery that draws power over USB-C, taking a rather lengthy three hours to charge and offering three hours of playback. When connected to your computer it keeps charging and also appears as a two-in, two-out audio interface and is able to sample audio from the USB-C port, for example when a phone or iPad is connected to it. The port also carries USB MIDI.
Image: Press
Elsewhere, the ports keep coming, with sync in and out jacks for connecting other units in the series and playing them together, mix in and out mini jacks (with the Out doubling as a stereo input for a headset mic) and MIDI in/out mini-jack sockets on the rear for connecting external gear. MIDI adapters aren’t supplied but this seems like a feature that only a percentage of buyers of this particular unit would likely use, and the cables are inexpensive add-ons.
Rounding out the live sampling options is a mono microphone embedded in the main panel. With impressive recording quality for its size, it makes the instrument truly portable – combined with the internal battery – meaning you really can use it with literally no extras, even if you’ll get a cleaner take with one of the alternative input methods.
The P-6 is capable of importing samples over USB too, using the P-6 Sampletool app for Mac or PC (though not iOS) with a simple user interface for assigning, editing and downsampling audio files. Accessing the instrument’s memory from a computer involves rebooting it into different modes, which is a minor inconvenience, and ideally could be streamlined in a future update.
Image: Press
And so, into business. Up to 48 samples can be stored internally, with a maximum mono sample time of 5.9 seconds at 44.1 kHz per sample, all the way to 23.7 seconds at a rather gritty 11.025 kHz per sample. These numbers are halved for stereo samples which will appear incredibly limiting for users of software samplers, though not for anyone who grew up with hardware, which is really the vibe that Roland seems to be going for here. Roland’s pricier SP-404MKII can handle much longer times if that’s what you’re after.
You can sample from any of the inputs mentioned and even resample internally for more layers, then build your sequences – 64 steps times 64 patterns with copy, paste and step or live sequencing across the tiny buttons and the larger pads – which incidentally are not velocity sensitive. There are cool tools available here including motion recording, probability, micro-timing and sub steps. Each sample can be edited, with samples sliced and mapped across the pads, or played chromatically in Keyboard mode.
Image: Press
There’s also a Granular engine inside, which is remarkable for such a compact instrument. This allows you to break sounds down into grains, conjure textures and tones from simple samples, and add a sort of second instrument into the mix. Plus, you get multi-effects that can be punched into pads and samples too; 20 in total, with delay and reverb as sends. Particularly fun are the Scatter, Filter and Pitch effects, which you can essentially DJ with, lending this tiny box even more kudos as a live performance instrument.
All this is excellent — but there are caveats. Firstly, the four-character LED screen is too basic and cryptic for the number of things it’s trying to do. Maybe Roland is clinging to the spirit of retro hardware but, while it’s fine for numbers, it struggles with text, making it hard to know what’s going on unless you’re already familiar with the instrument. Even a scrolling display would help, or better still, a small LCD like on instruments such as Teenage Engineering’s PO-33.
This leads us to a second issue; the ambition of the P-6 can’t quite be matched by its size. Many functions require shift button presses, various knob turns and menu dives. It’s difficult to keep track of which part of what you’re editing or working on, and the non-backlit parts of the interface – some of the text and buttons – can be challenging to read in anything other than strong light. The desktop app, which you might expect to relieve some of this, is actually rather. basic and mostly limited to sample transfer.

It’s telling that, of the reviews that have appeared online, the more consumer-oriented reviewers have struggled with its usability and design, while the more music technology-specialised outlets generally haven’t focused on this being an issue. Most gear has a learning curve, but here it is especially steep if you want to go into any depth, and you’ll find yourself referring to the manual a fair amount until your muscle memory for the interface has developed.
To be clear – it’s cool for all but the most technophobic of producers, and even just the curious will be fine eventually. Just be prepared to spend time learning. It’s a very capable instrument that will reward the time you put into learning it and its price and portability are appealing, for sure. Jumping up to something like the SP-404 MKII will give you more capacity and an easier workflow but pushes the cost close to £400. Teenage Engineering’s PO-33 can be had for around £80, which is great value but not as accomplished as the P-6.
Beatmakers with tons of experience in samplers and beatmaking will find its limitations pretty quickly — but bending those limitations can be a fun process, too.
Assuming you do invest that time, you will find the P-6 a remarkable device. Its sampling time is limited and there’s that interface to learn, plus sample management could be slicker. But it has superb in/out options, can operate completely free of extra gear, and incorporates a granular sound engine, mighty multi-effects and powerful sequencing features. It’s affordable too, making it a relatively risk-free purchase for most.
Key features

USB-C power, audio and MIDI
Rechargeable battery
48 samples, with up to 5 minutes of total sampling time (depending on sample rate used)
64 patterns x 64 steps
Onboard granular sound engine
Sampling from multiple inputs including onboard mic
20 multi-effects
Internal resampling
Sample chopping and editing
MIDI in/out mini-jacks
Dynamic sequencing features
Dimensions: 188 mm x 106 mm x 37 mm
Weight: 305g

The post Roland AIRA Compact P-6 is a mini sampler perfect for lo-fi beats — but is it too complicated? appeared first on MusicTech.