© Picture: Allgemein (YouTube)
A chord progression is not yet a finished track—and its first sound doesn't have to be its last. TAETRO takes AlphaTheta's Chordcat from a standalone sketchpad to a MIDI hub for samplers and DAWs. Sonicstate shows how much can already be reshaped within the device. Things get exciting where musical decisions are preserved while the timbre changes. However, this transition is not entirely seamless.
© Picture: Allgemein (YouTube)
The free firmware 1.50 update gives Roland’s TR-1000 Rhythm Creator new tools for melodic sequencing, effects processing and audio routing. Keyboard Mode joins Reverse Pan Delay, 50 additional FM instruments and settings that preserve effects across kit changes. Several interface refinements also address everyday operation. The emphasis is on more direct note entry, smoother transitions and better separation of analogue connections from USB recording.
© Picture: Allgemein (YouTube)
Akai MPC Sample puts recording, chopping, pads and fast beatmaking ahead of a full production environment. We examine what its stripped-down workflow gains, where the sequencer and deeper features fall short, and who benefits from this compact MPC.
© Picture: Allgemein (YouTube)
The Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II combines sampling, sequencing and performance in an unusually compact format. How far do 128 MB of memory, Song Mode, resampling, Punch-in FX and variable sample rates go in practice? This feature assesses the current firmware, workflow and key limits—from full songs to deliberately used lo-fi sound.
5. May 2026
© Picture: Allgemein (YouTube)
PlayArp is a new Android app that treats the smartphone not just as a control surface, but as an expressive MIDI performance instrument. Instead of simply triggering patterns, it lets you play them with touch, movement, pressure, XY gestures and real-time modulation. Arpeggiators have been part of electronic music for decades. In their simplest form, they take a few held notes and turn them into repeating patterns. But in the right context, an arpeggiator can become much more than a utility — it can become the rhythmic and melodic engine of a track. That is where PlayArp comes in. The