Keyboards

For the synth afictionado, the ARP Odyssey is up there with the Minimoog in terms of its power and sonic quality. Gordon Reid explains why he loves his Ody...

GeneralMusic are perhaps best known for their home keyboards, but this powerful new high-end instrument is aimed more at the synthesizer workstation market, though is still includes keyboard auto-accompaniment features. Are the company mapping out a brave new world? Simon Trask explores the SK76.

Not over-endowed with intelligence the chunky DSS1 had just 256k of memory. Paul Nagle speaks up in defence of a dinosaur.

In the mid-'80s, Korg released their first sampling Grand, the SG1, a digital stage piano that doubled as a MIDI master controller keyboard. 10 years on, they've revisited the concept with the heavyweight SGproX. Paul Farrer considers whether a decade has made all the difference...

Enu have conjured up a combination of sampler and sample playback unit which makes the capabilities of their E4X sampler available at a significantly less-than-E4X price. Simon Trask looks for the sleight of hand...

If you need an easy-to-use controller keyboard Roland's latest mid-ranger master could be the one for you. Nicholas Rowland takes a spin down the A33.

In 1995, Oberheim released the OB3, a little-known drawbar organ module, subsequently eclipsed by Hammond and Roland's advanced electronic tonewheel organ emulations. Now Oberheim have teamed up with Italian organ specialists Viscount to produce the enhanced OB3-2. Nick Magnus squares the difference.

Clavia's little red devil bought its Swedish creators a fair measure of fame and fortune on its release almost two years ago. But times have changed, and the Nord 2 now has many more competitors in the virtual analogue stakes. Paul Nagle leads from the front.

Korg's mission to bring musicians the benefits of physical modelling synthesis at an affordable price continues; you can now have a polyphonic, multitimbral Prophecy for well under twice the price of the original. The synth is called the Z1, and Gordon Reid is the man with the exclusive technical preview...

For anyone who has a PC soundcard but no easy way to enter musical notes, this add-on keyboard bundle could be just the answer, explains Martin Walker.

At £899, the AN1X is one of the most affordable physical modelling synths on the market — and it's no less than 10-note polyphonic, with a host of features designed to bring out the control freak in you . Martin Russ follows up on our exclusive preview with this in-depth studio test.

Generalmusic's 'Realpiano' technology aims to bring the nuances and subtleties of the acoustic piano sound to players who also want the convenience of an electronic instrument. Paul Ward tickles the ivories to see if the Pro2 comes up smiling...

Just a few months ago you couldn't buy a new additive synth; now you can pick from no less than three, and although they're from the same family, there are enough differences to make the choice less than straightforward Derek Johnson adds it all up.

Roalnd's D50 became the sound of the late '80s. Does it still have a place in the late '90s? Paul Ward takes a trip around LA...

Much hard graft has been put in by electronic instrument manufacturers over the years in an attempt to transfuse the essence of the tonewheel organ into a MIDI-compatible keyboard. Nick Magnus dissects Roland's latest virtual modelling approach, and pronounces the operation a complete success.

With S+S instruments giving way to the new wave of physical modelling synths, does Alesis' new 'QS-in-a-box' still have what it takes to turn heads? Paul White tunes in, turns on and finds out...

Offering classic Hammond sounds in a rackmount format, the XM1 module, together with the optional XMc1 drawbar controller, seems the ideal space-saving solution for those unwilling to rely on sample CDs for their organ sounds. Hammond XB2 owner Nick Magnus considers the pros and cons of a transplant.

Gordon Reid checks out the street cred of Korg's latest synth and is surprised by what he finds.

This year's Frankfurt MusiKmesse was virtually stuffed with digital synths in analogue clothing. Martin Russ takes an exclusive first look at Yamaha's eagerly awaited entry in the 'analogue for the '90s' stakes, the AN1X.

When Roland announce a new synth, endowed with a new breed of synthesis, it's time to sit up and take notice. The 'Analogue Modelling' JP8000 appears to offer the power and flexibility of digital control applied to analogue-type sounds. Can it be too good to be true? Paul Ward tries to stop tweaking long enough to tell us.

Though Korg have been making some inroads lately, notably with the Prophecy, Roland is still the name to drop in dance circles, so the announcement of a new, analogue-style Roland megasynth stirs the blood like little else.