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Hardware

Synths, drum machines, controllers, and studio gear.

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All Hardware articles.

Polyend Tracker hardware tracker and sampler running Community Edition firmware
Hardware

Polyend Tracker Goes Open Source, Gains CHIP and DIRT

Polyend's Tracker, Tracker+ and Tracker Mini go open source with Community Edition 1.0, adding the CHIP and DIRT synths, SD streaming and step recording.

Elena MarshNov 7, 20269 min read
Behringer RD-765 hybrid sampling drum machine, top-front view showing the pad grid and sequencer buttons
Hardware

Behringer RD-765: 176 Drum Sounds and an Onboard Sampler

Behringer's RD-765 is a hybrid drum machine with 176 sounds, onboard sampling, a 64-step sequencer and an analogue filter, listed at $374 at Thomann.

Elena MarshNov 4, 20269 min read
LOVE Synthesizers First Love standalone FM synthesizer with a large touchscreen, pad grid and encoder
Hardware

LOVE Synthesizers First Love: FM Synthesis You Draw

LOVE Synthesizers First Love is a 4-part FM synth you program by drawing on a 7-inch touchscreen. $555 at Thomann, with pads, a looper and built-in speakers.

Marcus FeldNov 4, 20269 min read
Behringer KICK standalone sampler with a 7-inch touchscreen, 16 RGB pads, four knobs, a jog wheel and a touch strip
Hardware

Behringer KICK: A $150 Open-Source Sampler Shaped Like an MPC

Behringer KICK is an MPC-style sampler with a 7-inch touchscreen, 16 RGB pads, 300+ effects and open-source firmware, at a target price of around $150. Specs and rivals.

Marcus FeldOct 30, 202610 min read
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. AMP, a cube-shaped portable amplifier with speaker grille, antenna and orange controls, on a dark background
Hardware

Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. AMP: 35W, Battery, Interface

Teenage Engineering's first amp, the EP-35 K.O. AMP, packs 35W, a mic preamp, a guitar input, a USB audio interface and Bluetooth 5.3 into a battery-powered box.

Elena MarshOct 30, 20269 min read
Roland TR-1000 Rhythm Creator analog drum machine front panel
Hardware

Roland TR-1000 v1.50 Adds Keyboard Mode and Melodic Sequencing

Roland's free TR-1000 v1.50 update adds a Keyboard play mode, NOTE sequencing, 50 FM instruments from the TR-8S, four new effects and uninterrupted kit changes.

Elena MarshOct 29, 20269 min read
Akai MPK Mini Plus II 37-key MIDI keyboard controller with RGB MPC pads and color display on a studio desk between two monitors
Hardware

Akai MPK Mini Plus II: 37 Keys, MPC Pads and CV for $139

Akai MPK Mini Plus II adds a color screen, aftertouch pads, MPC 3 control and generative arp tools to a 37-key controller with CV out. $139 at Thomann. Specs, rivals.

Elena MarshOct 27, 20269 min read
Behringer Polyeight analog polyphonic synthesizer with a blue panel, wooden end cheeks and 49-key keyboard
Hardware

Behringer Polyeight: An 8-Voice Polysix With Poly Aftertouch

Behringer Polyeight is an 8-voice analog synth built on the Korg Polysix: 2044 filters, BBD chorus and ensemble, 49 keys with poly aftertouch. Specs and rivals.

Marcus FeldOct 26, 20269 min read
Arturia MiniFreak 49 with 49 full-size keys and touch matrix shown above the original 37-key MiniFreak
Hardware

Arturia MiniFreak 49: Full-Size Keys, Touch Matrix, $849

Arturia MiniFreak 49 puts the six-voice hybrid synth on 49 semi-weighted keys with an XYZ touch matrix, Filter FM and 256 MB memory. Specs, prices and rivals.

Priya RamanOct 23, 202610 min read
Yamaha CK76 stage keyboard being played, with the CK88, CK76 and CK61 lineup shown
Hardware

Yamaha CK76 Adds a 76-Key Model to the CK Series

Yamaha's CK76 brings a 76-key semi-weighted model to the CK stage keyboard line, with 363 voices, built-in speakers and OS v2.0's Advanced Split Mode.

Elena MarshOct 23, 20268 min read
Roland Boutique JUPITER-08 synthesizer docked in the included K-25m mini keyboard
Hardware

Roland JUPITER-08 vs n/vision: Which $649 Boutique Synth?

Roland's two new Boutique synths cost $649 each with a K-25m keyboard. JUPITER-08 is the 32-voice Jupiter-8 tribute, n/vision a 56-voice wavetable synth. Which to buy.

Theo NakamuraOct 21, 202610 min read
Twisted Electrons FLEXFM groovebox with joystick, LED-ringed knobs, step keys and piezo drum pad
Hardware

Twisted Electrons FLEXFM: 8-Track FM Groovebox for €999

FLEXFM pairs four-operator FM, sampling and an analog filter per voice with a joystick and USB multitrack. Preorder price, specs, Digitone II comparison, FAQ.

Theo NakamuraOct 20, 202611 min read