After putting Arturia’s Analog Factory Experience through one of our longest product tests to date, we have concluded that there is a lot to love about their economical hardware/software virtual analog solution. Although it is rare to put the words economical and quality in the same sentence these days, Arturia’s Analog Factory Experience can easily be described as such, and at a retail price of $349 this could be one of the biggest bargains currently on the market.

Using hardware controllers with software instruments is often a disappointing experience. The immediacy of hands-on control is disrupted by the mental gymnastics required to remember which controls are linked to which parameters. The solution offered by various recent products is to present a unified hardware and software interface, with the physical controls laid out in the same positions as their software counterparts. Thus Novation’s Automap 2.0, NI’s Kore, and now Arturia’s Analog Factory Experience, constrain and organise controls within an on-screen layout that is mirrored in the accompanying hardware.

With the Analog Factory Experience, Arturia have taken their Analog Factory plug-in and built a keyboard that replicates the on-screen controls almost exactly, providing the clearest possible integration between the physical and virtual worlds. Does the scheme work? And does it leave the keyboard suitable for other applications?

Eight synths combine to make up the sound bank available in the Analog Player, all taken from Arturia’s V Collection. These are: ARP 2600, Jupiter-8, Moog Modular and Mini, Prophet-V and -VS and the CS-80. The way the plug-in GUI is organised enables you to choose sounds by instrument, type or a combination of both, so if you know you want a Minimoog bass or a Jupiter-8 lead, you can select accordingly.

Each sound can then be tweaked using the interface below or via the new controller which features exactly the same control options. As far as sound-shaping is concerned, this is the area which programmers with ‘fully-featured’ soft synths will find most restricting, as you’re limited to cutoff and resonance control, chorus and delay amounts and envelope control via attack, decay, sustain and release knobs.

Developing the Taurus 3 has been a labor of love for all of us at the factory” said Moog Music President, Mike Adams.  “We started with an in-depth analysis of the original Taurus I sound and circuitry, and then added modern amenities like MIDI and USB.  We didn’t stop until we had created a work of art. The response from the music community throughout the project has been incredible.

Featuring a 100% analogue signal path that’s based entirely on the Taurus I’s synth circuits, the Taurus III boasts a pair of VCOs, a VCF and a VCA. There’s also one ASD VCA envelope, one AD VCF envelope and an LFO, plus an arpeggiator that can be synced to MIDI clock or tap tempo. Control comes via 13 velocity-sensitive bass pedals, a volume footwheel controller and a programmable footwheel controller. There are also nine footswitches for selecting banks and presets, transpose, glide on/off, decay on/off, and octave up/down.

Synthesizer Sound Engine

• 100% Analog Audio signal path based entirely on the highly acclaimed Taurus I synthesizer circuits
• 2 x VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators) with sawtooth waveform outputs
• 1 x VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) with 24dB/Octave Lowpass Filter with the classic Moog Ladder Filter topology. 20Hz-20KHz Frequency Response
• 1 x VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier)

Synthesizer Modifiers

• 2 x ASD (Attack-Sustain-Decay) Envelope Generators with adjustable Attack, Sustain and Decay Parameters; one each for VCF and VCA contours
• 1 x LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) with Triangle, Square, Sawtooth, and Ramp waveforms with adjustable amounts to the VCOs and VCF. The LFO is syncable to MIDI Clock or Tap Tempo
• 1 x Arpeggiator with Latch Mode for generating recurring musical patterns from Bass Pedal Input. The Arpeggiator is syncable to MIDI Clock or Tap Tempo

Dave Smith Instruments launches the Mopho, a compact monophonic analog synthesizer keyboard. It’s voice architecture features two oscillators, two sub-octave generators, selectable 2- or 4-pole low-pass filter, feedback, and a ton of modulation options, including three envelope generators, four LFOs, and a 16 x 4 step sequencer. You can find a full-sized, semi-weighted, 32-note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch and full-sized pitch and modulation wheels.

However, by far its best feature is the expanded front panel. The original Mopho desktop module used multi-function knobs, whereas nearly every function gets its own dedicated knob or switch on the keyboard version. This subtle change makes all the difference in the world to me, because it means that tweaking a patch will be lightning fast and much more intuitive.

The Mopho Keyboard’s voice architecture features two oscillators, two sub-octave generators, selectable 2- or 4-pole low-pass filter, feedback, and a ton of modulation options, including three envelope generators, four LFOs, and a 16 x 4 step sequencer. It has a full-sized, semi-weighted, 32-note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch and full-sized pitch and modulation wheels. The Poly Chain feature enables expanded polyphony using other DSI synths. For example, combining a Mopho Keyboard with a Tetra results in a very portable five-voice poly synth. Other features include USB and the ability to process external audio through Mopho’s filter and VCA.

The Mopho Keyboard is fully programmable and all the parameters are logically arranged for easy access on the front panel. A free editor is also available for Mac OS and Windows to facilitate programming.

The Mopho Keyboard delivers classic analog sound in a remarkably compact package and—perhaps best of all—it’s affordable!

• Affordable, fully programmable mono synth with a 100% analog signal path.
• Classic, real analog sound—including legendary Curtis analog low-pass filter.
• Full-sized keys with velocity and aftertouch.
• USB connectivity.
• Measures approximately 18.65″ L x 11.1″ W x 3.6″ H (47.4 cm x 28.2 cm x 9.1 cm) and weighs under 10 pounds (~4.5 kg).
• Free editor for Mac OS and Windows.

Eigenlabs have expanded their range of advanced controller instruments with the introduction of the Eigenharp Tau, which compliments the luxury Eigenharp Alpha and the entry level Eigenharp Pico. The new Tau sports 72 of the same super-sensitive keys found on the other models, which can detect movement to within a micron (around the width of a living cell, apparently!), as well as a strip controller, 12 robust rhythm keys and a breath pipe. Its fit and finish resembles the ‘minimalist’ Pico, and has a more square profile than the Alpha. It is available in a choice of either black or silver bodywork.

The functions remain almost as extensive as the Alpha, however, and the Tau can be configured using the same comprehensive software as its bigger brother. This means that the user can sequence, time-stretch, sample, improvise and compose from the same versatile keyboard, and can even choose to learn the Bel Canto musical language for total control over the instrument.

Key Software features

• Instantaneous scale and key switching as you play.
• Over 80 scales in the system.
• Instrument switching and multi-instrument layering.
• Complex live arrangements can be created with the step sequencer.
• Drum loop playback with timestretching in sync with live tempo changes.
• Polyphonic – play chords, multiple notes & many loops all at the same time.
• Tap tempo to sync the Eigenharp’s tempo with other musicians.
• Live recording and loop playback of played phrases.
• Easy to get started on, but will also reward years of practice.
• Mac compatible software.

The iPK25 25-key MIDI keyboard features a built-in dock for the iPhone or iPod Touch. It gives users two octaves of velocity-sensitive, synth-action keys, pitch and modulation wheels, and physical buttons for the most commonly used controls including octave up and down and sound-bank selections. The iPK25 also features a stereo pair of RCA line outputs and a headphone output for connection to recording and sound reinforcement systems. The iPK25 also has a USB/MIDI output for use as a controller for other MIDI software on Mac or PC and MIDI hardware devices.

The idea is to transform the iPhone of iPod touch into a portable music production studio. With a two octave velocity-sensitive synth-action keyboard on the Synthstation 25, and three different three-oscillator synthesizer engines on the Synthstation application, it’s powerful enough for a professional. It also contains plenty of drum patches and an arpeggiator with a heaping helping of preset patterns for creating accompaniment parts. The keyboard itself uses the same basic framework as the company’s MINIAK synthesizer (which I should be seeing in my mailbox shortly), so those of you already familiar will have an even easier time getting used to the Synthstation 25 and Synthstation application’s easily navigated layout.

All of these sounds are contained and controlled mainly through the Synthstation application, which features plenty of easily navigated menus (even though I’m a bigger fan of knobs, this package is far too small to accommodate that), to get to exactly what you need to create the best sounds, quickly. It also features a Kaoss-pad-esque X-Y grid on the main screen which can be set to certain sound parameters for more experimental play and on the fly adjustment of all of the onboard effects and filters.

The Akai Synthstation 25 transforms iPhone and iPod touch into a professional musical instrument. Craft your musical ideas wherever you are.

Features of the Akai Synthstation 25

• 25-key MIDI keyboard controller for iPhone and iPod touch
• Velocity-sensitive, synth-action keys for expressive performance
• Pitch and modulation wheels, octave +/-, and sound-bank buttons
• Stereo RCA line outputs and headphone jack
• USB/MIDI for virtually any MIDI music software or MIDI hardware devices
• Seamlessly compatible with Akai SynthStation Studio app (included)