Main Entry: purple [pur-puhl]
Part of Speech: noun, adjective
Definition: blue and red colors mixed together
Synonyms: amaranthine, amethyst, blue-violet, bluish red, color, heliotrope, lavender, lilac, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, periwinkle, perse, plum, pomegranate, reddish blue, violaceous, violet, wineSamsung Galaxy S3 in Purple (Sprint)
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Korg's love of the mini-analog synth clearly remains strong as it's added three more new ones to the fold -- the Volca Beat, Volca Bass and Volca Keys (the clue to what they do is in the names). While some firms take a pro product and work down, making cheaper versions, Korg seems to take a different approach. It did the stripping-back thing when it launched its popular Monotron synth. Since then, it's incrementally developed it back up into a whole category of its own, the latest iteration of which we apparently see before us here. The trio of mini-synths clearly take inspiration from the Monotribe groovebox that came before them, but are a step up in terms of design. Brushed metal finishes give them a vintage, almost Stylophone feel. The Volca Bass, in particular, looks almost too much like the legendary Roland TB-303 to be coincidence, and if we didn't know better, we'd say the color scheme of the Beat echoes the TR-808. As we happened to be in Frankfurt, we couldn't resist getting out hands on them, or as you'll see past the break, at least trying to. Korg Volca series eyes-on
We really wanted to give you a proper demo of the Volca series, but Korg apparently had other ideas. Only one of each device was on display, each firmly (and understandably) fixed down to the display unit. We did manage to elbow our way through the ever present crowd and sneak in a listen though. Fear not, as Korg has provided a juicy demo video of its own, that should satisfy your urge to hear what they sound like. We did, however, get the chance to have a quick play with them and get a feel for the hardware.
First things first, these are unmistakably Korg. The look, the feel, the very idea, is almost becoming a signature of the brand. A good balance between retro authenticity, paired with modern needs (affordable, analog sound, portability) undoubtedly makes them a tempting prospect to a wide range of musicians. So it comes as no surprise that Korg might keep reinventing them. Sound-wise, it's more of the same. And again, that's no bad thing. All three devices perform their respective parts well, with that familiar crunchy, lo-fi, yet complex analog-based sound. This time, there's full MIDI support across the board, with each unit sporting a 5-pin port right up top. This said, they truly work on their own, too, with each one housing an inbuilt loop sequencer for phrase-based performance, and can be sync'd to one another. As before with the Mono-series, you can run them on batteries and there's a loud speaker to annoy impress your friends with. Volca Keys has three oscillators and 27 (albeit small) keys to thumb at. Volca Bass also has a three oscillator configuration, and takes some inspiration from Korg's Electribe range in the form of its step-sequencer. As for Volca Beat? That has a PCM engine for punchy clap and snare sounds, and a choice of parameters to allow a catalog of different drum sounds to be generated. Frankly, we were sold on them the moment we laid eyes on them, but don't take our word for it, head south for the evidence. Back already? Then the answer to your next question is June, and $149 each.
What do Magpies and DJs have in common? Well, if Pioneer's latest special edition hardware is anything to go by, it's a love of shiny things. Announced this week, the limited-run of it's flagship CDJ2000nexus, DJM-900nexus and RMX-1000 remix station DJ gear is all about the looks. We managed to get there the minute the show floor opened, and found the lustrous kit getting the final spit and polish before the eager hoards could get their curious hands on it. As anyone who has used Pioneer DJ kit will know, the build quality is generally high, and this is still the case here. The metallic finish really makes them something to look at, and we can see this being the set-up of choice for those who like to show off a little. With that in mind, you might be thinking what we were: what about fingerprints? Well, having got there first, meant that they had yet to endure the proper real-world challenge, but we were kind enough to apply a few firm presses to the gear in the name of science. The result? Well, let's just say that you might want to keep a lint-free cloth close to hand. But then if you're the kind to lay down the suggested $8,499 for the whole set, we imagine you might have thought that far ahead already. Check the gallery below to see the whole set, up close and personal.Pioneer Pioneer Platinum Edition CDJ-2000nexus, mixer and remixer eyes-on
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Billy Steele contributed to this report.
A couple of months back, Moog announced its limited edition 24-karat gold clad Minimoog Voyager to celebrate the 10th anniversary of said analog synth. But here at NAMM 2013, the outfit is showing of the latest bit of unannounced handiwork from its in-house machine shop. Feast your eyes on the Aluminum Voyager: a one-of-a-kind unit that is housed in the rugged silver material and features all blue panel lighting to complete the look -- right down to the rivets. We also took a bit of time to lay our peepers on that golden model, too. Our snaps don't really do it justice, but the combination of the shiny finish with translucent control knobs and accents of Japanese Awabi pearl make for one of the most dapper instruments we've seen. But don't take our word for it, dive in to the gallery below to take a closer look at the pair. Moog Aluminum Voyager and 10th Anniversary Minimoog Voyager eyes-on
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Look closely at the image above. See that clear portion depicting a food fight? That's coming through the right lens of dedicated eyewear made specifically for Samsung's 55-inch OLED Multi-View HDTV. The sleek, silver-trimmed 1080p set, recently unveiled at CES 2013, utilizes a quad-core processor and 240Hz refresh rate to send specific "firing patterns" to a user's eyewear that's then filtered out by swapping the input control (A /B) located above the left ear. The actual 3D effect varies from an artificial seeming emphasis on layers of depth, to the more traditional, and quite impressive, "in your face" immersive experience. Multiple input configurations are also possible, allowing users in the same room to watch either two separate 3D images, one 3D plus two 2D images or four 2D images simultaneously. So, basically, you can keep playing your PS3 while a loved one watches Homeland.
The 55-inch set also comes equipped with an inbuilt webcam that's tucked just behind the top front panel and supports Samsung's Smart Hub. Pricing hasn't been made known at this time, but you should see the Multi-View set hit retail sometime mid-July 2013.
Samsung 55-inch OLED 3D HDTV eyes-on
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Thought the holidays were over? So did we. Imagine our surprise, then, when we returned to the office to find one last, special package lying in wait: Mad Catz Street Fighter x Sanrio Arcade Fightstick Pro. As ridiculous explosions of cute go, this one takes the sugoku kawaii cake -- even the box is a Hello Kitty collector's wet dream. Obvious overall otaku appeal aside, Xbox 360 gamers interested in the Fightstick Pro will find an eight button "authentic Japanese-style Sanwa Denshi" layout, switches for button lock / unlock and three joystick configuration settings (d-pad, left or right analog stick), turbo functionality, as well as a headphone jack upfront and a storage compartment housing the 13-foot long USB cable around back. Really though, no amount of English words will do this kitsch item justice. So check out the gallery below for a photo tour of this adorable collision of anime worlds.
Street Fighter x Sanrio Fightstick for Xbox 360 eyes-on
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