A couple of really exciting (to me, anyway) items in the synth world this week!
Uno!
Well, IK, really, have announced two new versions of their Uno Synth, called the Uno Synth Pro and the Uno Synth Pro Desktop. I thought the original model was pretty cool, especially for the sub $200 price tag. At the time of it’s introduction, a full digitally controlled, analog synth that was any good cost much more. It was pretty ground-breaking. I’m pretty sure I mentioned it on the site at the time, but I didn’t move that post over when I moved the site back to my own hosting.
Not satisfied to sit on their laurels, IK have done couple of serious upgrades to Uno for the Pro versions — the full pro version features a full-size 37-key Fatar keybed with aftertouch, as well as more of about everything else the little Uno brought to the table. I’ll just drop their promotional videos here for your enjoyment…
Click to see all the videos on YouTube that reference the Uno Synth Pro, sorted with the most recent first. This listing is updated automatically.
Freak!
Not to be outdone, Arturia have released version 3 firmware for their Microfreak. The new version adds three new oscillators, which were developed by Noise Engineering, who are well known for their digital Eurorack synth modules. Freak-in Cool! (see what I did there?)
I’ll be the first to tell you that I was kind of skeptical when I first purchased my MicroFreak. I was having a difficult time deciding between it and the SKULPTsynthesiser from Modal Electronics (and, I’m sure there will still eventually be something from Modal in my creation arsenal at some point). In the end, I was convinced to buy the MicroFreak, and while I haven’t spent anywhere near enough time with it, what time I have spent has been a lot of fun, though I still struggle with the “keyboard.” Fortunately, I bought that Keystep controller (also from Arturia) to use with it.
Getting back to the update, the new firmware adds the three aforementioned new oscillators, Bass, Harm, and SawX, plus adds a new unison mode, more presets, and some enhancements to the way presets work. Of course, there are videos! You can Click to visit the Arturia website to learn more about the latest MicroFreak update.
Click to see all the videos on YouTube that reference the Arturuia MicroFreak, sorted with the most recent first. This listing us updated automatically.
I’ll be talking more about another Arturia product I’ve acquired soon, but waking up to these two announcements this morning really got me jazzed, and just I had to share them right away!
Images and videos used for this article were collected from the manufacturers’ websites.