Learn about Kraftwerk’s obscure sampler. Novation launch new synth. Has pop music run out of original ideas?
Crafty work. Did you know that Kraftwerk used a primitive sampler on classic tracks like ‘Radioactivity’ and ‘Trans-Europe Express’? The Vako Orchestron is an optical disc-based keyboard capable of replaying basic choir and string sounds. Check it out in the video above, shared by optigandotcom.
Pop will eat itself. In light of recent lawsuits, additions to song writing credits and changes in the law, the Guardian wonder whether pop music has finally run out of original ideas. Find out here.
Back to black. Arturia are releasing a special limited edition range of their popular sequencers, with KeyStep, BeatStep, and BeatStep Pro all available from $149 upwards. Get more info here.
Synth-tastic. Peak is a brand new desktop polyphonic synth from Novation that has three oscillators for each voice, 17 wavetables and many other features, detailed here. In other Novation news, the company has also announced Circuit Mono Station, a new monosynth with 32 velocity-sensitive pads. Details on that one are here.