Deal
The mighty Roland TR-8S is six classic Roland drum machines in one – and then some. Get it now for a low price! Other bargains in this edition of Synth Deals include the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop and a great portable controller from IK Multimedia.
Roland TR-8S: The definitive Roland drum machine
The Roland TR-8S is easily the most powerful drum machine Roland has ever made. To start with, it includes the sounds of the TR-808, TR-909, TR-606, TR-707, TR-727, and CR-78, all of which are fully editable thanks to Roland’s ACB modeling technology. That’s like six classic Roland machines in one! In addition to this, the TR-8S can also play samples (including your own) and even synthesized FM sounds for more sonic variety. Although the tracks are labeled “BD”, “SD” and so on, you can assign any sound to any track, which makes the TR-8S an incredibly versatile machine.
Everything comes together in the TR-style sequencer with up to 128 steps per pattern. With features like motion recording, sub steps, and probability, you’ll never make a boring track again. And it goes without saying that the TR-8S also boasts a full set of effects. While it does have physical individual outputs, you can also send all tracks simultaneously and separately to your DAW over USB, which makes the TR-8S a true workhorse in the studio.
The Roland TR-8S is now on sale at Thomann* for just $579 / £555 / €644.
ASM Hydrasynth Desktop: Digital Wavemorphing Synthesizer
The ASM Hydrasynth Desktop serves up the Hydrasynth’s innovative and powerful wavemorphing architecture in a compact desktop format. With eight voices, three oscillators (two of which are capable of complex wavemorphing modulations), and extensive waveshaping capabilities, the Hydrasynth is a sound designer’s dream. What’s more, it also offers a pair of versatile filters and a massive modulation engine with no less than five envelopes and LFOs each. The Hydrasynth Desktop is also MPE-compatible and understands polyphonic aftertouch, which opens up new expressive possibilities.
All of this is surprisingly easy to manage thanks to an ingenious user interface that follows the bloc diagram of the synth. You can also assign parameters to macros to control them simultaneously. Furthermore, the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop offers CV and clock I/O for connecting your modular. An incredibly powerful digital synth in a compact package!
The ASM Hydrasynth Desktop is on sale at Thomann* for $616 / £599 / €688.
If you like to produce on the go, the IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O 25 should be right up your alley. This compact keyboard controller not only offers 25 velocity-sensitive full-size keys to control your software synths. It’s also got eight multi-color pads for drumming or launching clips and samples, four assignable rotary knobs, and two touch-sensitive strips for modulation. Much more fun than fiddling with the on-screen controls using your mouse or trackpad!
But that’s not all. The iRig Keys I/O 25 is also a fully-featured USB audio interface. In addition to a headphone output and a stereo main output, it offers a mic/line/instrument input on a 1/4”/XLR combo jack with phantom power. The second input is a Hi-Z instrument input. It’s a complete portable studio that connects to your laptop over a single USB cable!
The IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O 25 is on sale at Thomann* for $163 / £156 / €179.
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