Arturia Unleash MicroFreak Vocoder Edition

Both these new analog synthesizers take the groundbreaking UNO Synth monophonic synth and expand it in nearly every section: more oscillators, more filters, more sequencer memory, more effects, more presets, more connections and more programmability. UNO Synth Pro puts this amazing new sound engine in a rugged metal chassis with a 37-key synth-action Fatar keybed, while UNO Synth Pro Desktop provides a more portable form factor to travel anywhere.
The UNO Synth Pro's unique dual-filter, 3-oscillator paraphonic design lets it create nearly any synth sound imaginable, and with 256 presets, a new 64-step sequencer and expanded CV/Gate and audio connections, users will quickly find it's the ideal creation station for any outboard rig.
Huge, real analog sound
Three analog oscillators offer continuously variable waveshape, including pulse-width modulation. Oscillators can be hard-synced for more harmonically-complex tones, and oscillator FM (frequency modulation) lets users shape everything from bell-like sounds to screaming industrial tones. UNO Synth Pro even includes ring modulation for wobbly, sci-fi sound, and a white noise generator for a wide range of percussive sounds and epic rises.
Dual-filter design with 24 available modes
In addition to the original UNO Synth's 2-pole OTA multimode filter, UNO Synth Pro adds a new SSI 2/4-pole LP filter with self-oscillation. The dual filters can be used in series or parallel, with invertible phase, for a total of 24 possible filter modes. This unique design offers nearly limitless tonal possibilities, from recreating classic vintage sounds or forging completely new, experimental sounds.

Massive sonic flexibility
UNO Synth Pro offers two full ADSR envelopes, one dedicated to the filter and the other to amplitude, with both available as sources to modulate everything from oscillator pitch and waveshape to LFO speed or even other envelope stages. Two LFOs (low-frequency oscillators) can create classic synth vibrato, wah and tremolo as well as do more complex modulations including audio range FM.
A 16-slot modulation matrix makes routing all these a breeze. Users can quickly and easily design even the most sophisticated modulation scheme, with both internal and external sources, including MIDI controllers.
Deep onboard effects
UNO Synth Pro offers four effect blocks: an analog overdrive circuit from the original UNO Synth, plus three new, custom-designed digital effects: modulation, delay and reverb. External signals can also be routed through these effects, with pre-effects filtering for added flexibility.
Improved playability
UNO Synth Pro offers a premium 37-key synth action keybed made in Italy by Fatar, while UNO Synth Pro Desktop provides an enhanced version of the original's long-lasting capacitance-sensing keys along with pitch and mod strips for enhanced expression. Both units add firm-touch rubber pads for the control sections, plus LED-backlit indicators and an LED display for key information, making it easier than ever to use live on stage or in deep programming sessions in the studio.
Powerful presets, sequencer and arpeggiator
UNO Synth Pro offers 256 user-editable presets, each capturing the full state of the sound engine from oscillators to effects. An onboard 64-step sequencer offers both step and real-time recording, with automation of over 80 parameters, letting users create incredibly intricate and evolving soundscapes, and even write CV and gate automation.
And a 10-mode arpeggiator makes it easy to create intricate patterns and runs, while a new "chord mode" takes advantage of UNO Synth Pro's paraphonic design, opening the door to triads and chord work.
Advanced connectivity
UNO Synth Pro offers two noiseless, balanced stereo outputs as well as headphone out, for superior audio quality in any situation. USB and 5-pin DIN MIDI In and Out make it easy to integrate with other synths, Mac/PC and mobile devices, and its assignable CV/Gate connections lets UNO Synth Pro interact effortlessly with a Eurorack or other modular system.

And now, an audio input allows access to the filter and FX section for external signals, in addition to the original pass-through for daisy-chaining multiple units together without using a mixer.
Options, pricing and availability
UNO Synth Pro and UNO Synth Pro Desktop will be arriving in Q1 2021 and are currently available for pre-order from the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide for $/€649.99* and $/€399.99 respectively.
*All pricing excluding taxes
For more information about UNO Synth Pro or to see it in action, please visit: www.unosynthpro.com

Erik van Vliet och Michael van Der Kuy.
In the late 70’s, the electronic dance music begin to emerge, and the Italian disco synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder was a inspiration for the Italo Disco genre. Synth and disco music was produced by many Italian producers around 1977 and onward.
For a Swedish version of this article, please click here.
Italo Disco and Spacesynth music consists of tracks with simple arrangements, catchy melodies, and a sound generated by analog synthesizers, and drum machines. Italo Disco had its peak around 1985, and was played frequently in Swedish clubs (and, of course, internationally too). Spacesynth, or Space Disco as it is also called, counts as a subgenre of Italo Disco, but unlike Italo Disco, its mainly instrumental music with a futuristic sound. The retro–futuristic cover art is also a very important part of the genre. To this day, Spacesynth still has many fans among dance music veterans and new generations of club goers alike.
Erik Van Vliet, founder and producer of Laserdance.
Founder of Laserdance
In 1969, at the age of twelve, Erik Van Vliet was playing drums and electric bass and was mostly into rock music, but a few years later, he discovered disco and synth-based dance music – music by Moroder and Farina, and a whole new world opened up to him. In 1972, when Erik was 15 years old, he started dj’ing at various clubs in Rotterdam, playing disco music.
– I was also dj’ing in Italy for two summers when I was 18. It was amazing, but soon I had to do military service, normally it is for 18 months, but I signed a contract for four years as a volunteer, because then I would earn three times as much money. I could still work as a dj on the weekends.
– The first dj record shop in Rotterdam, Holland, was named “US Import Records”. I drove around in Milan, Italy in the late 70's to buy the synth-based dance music and early Italo Disco music in a lot of different small underground record stores. I bought all the classics I could find with music by Giorgio Moroder, Mauro Malavasi, Farina and others, partly to play these when I was DJing, but also to sell to the “US Import Records”. These early disco and Italo disco music are still the best, I think. The “Peter Jacques Band”-album "Fire Night Dance" is the best disco album ever made.
Listen to Fire Night Dance on Spotify here.
– After I’ve served in the military, I’d saved so much money that in 1982 I could start my first own record store, "Hotsound Import Records", in Rotterdam. The business grew, and eventually I owned several record stores.
The first Laserdance track
Soon, Erik himself was releasing his own disco synth medleys and mixes, and he had a vision of recording and producing songs also. One song had long fascinated and inspired him, and that was an almost unknown b-side on a vinyl, of a band called "Sponooch" and the song was called “Laserdance” from 1979. Watch the video of Sponooch's "Laserdance" on Youtube here:
Erik did a remake of that song, and made it more suitable for the dance floors. And in 1984 he released his first label called Lazer Dance under the artist name Laserdance.
– I never played the syntheziser. or anything like that, but it's not just about being able to play, but to produce and create the sounds you're looking for. My strength is to produce and create the right marketing. For me, these are two things in one. I don´t want to produce a song if there is not a marketing plan to sell the music.
When it comes to producing music, I have seen so many people over the years that overproduce their music – there are too much instruments and things happening in a song. It is usually better to make it sound simple, because then it is easier for people to listen to it, and above all, they’ll remember it. If you listen to a Laserdance track it is very simple music basically, and its built up the same way as the music from Giorgio Moroder or Arthur Baker (house/tehno producer), to give you an example.
The collaboration with Michiel Van Der Kuy
Erik and the composer and classical pianist Michiel Van Der Kuy met in "The Marathon", a popular Italo Disco club in The Hague, Holland. Michiel loved Eric's Italo Disco music that he promoted at the club, and asked if they should work together. The first step was that Michiel began sending demosongs to Erik.
– Michiel was a classical pianist when we met, and he had not done any Italo- or Spacesynth productions before, so even if he was a great talent, and wrote great music, he didn´t manage to get the right sound. I had to teach him this, and made sure to provide him with a lot of cassettes with early Italo Disco music, to understand the sound.
– We were a great team right from the start. Michiel is mainly the composer of Laserdance, although I have been involved as a composer on some songs, as Michiel is involved in the production, but I'm primarily responsible for the arrangement, production and the mixing. I also do the lyrics and is responsible for the albums titles, the songs titles and the artwork.
The first album
– The first album “Future Generation” was released in 1987. It was magical, everything was just so right with this album. The most successful singles from the album were “Humanoid Invasion” and “Power Run”. It's my voice you hear in those songs. Thesingles, and the album, sold really well.

The main instruments used on “Future Generation” were a Roland Super JX10, Roland Juno-60, MSQ-Roland 100 (sequencer), Linn Drum, and Korg DVP-1 (vocoder) is used extensively.
Listen to "Humanoid Invasion" on Spotify here.
Nine albums
Erik and Michiel did nine Laserdance albums together until 1995, when they went separate ways because Michiel wanted to try his luck on his own, and created the band Rygar. In the year 2000 the last Laserdance album "Strikes Back" was released. Erik made this together with a musician named Julius Wijnmalen. Erik did one more album with him, and the plan was to release a second album in 2002 or 2003, but it never happened.
– “Strikes Back” was Laserdance to the style, but it was not quite the same as when Michiel and I did it. Also after the year 2000 the music industry almost collapsed when people began downloading music.
Back after 21 years
– It is just until recently, when vinyl is selling well again, and we got a pretty good deal with the record label ZYX, both I and Michiel thought it would be fun to make a new Laserdance album. ZYX also had in mind how good the sales had been with our first album.
– With “Force of Order”, we tried to make an even better album than the “Future Generation”, although we knew it would be difficult. “Future Generation” was special. We listened very carefully to it before we worked on “Force of Order”, and it was more or less an order from ZYX to do that.

– “Please, do the new album as similar as possible as the first one ", they said. Both Michiel, I, and ZYX, know that our fans around the world would likely buy the album if it had the original sound from “Future Generation”. In the past we sold about 80 000 albums, and today maybe 1 000 albums, but those are the times now. We are most popular in Mexico and Poland, but it is also where the largest proportion of illegal downloads of our songs are being made.
Same old gear
– Michiel bought exactly the same synths and gear that we used on “Future Generation”. We even rented some gear if we couldn’t find it. We really did everything to get the same sound as on the “Future Generation”. We only used analog hardware synthesizers, no software synthesizers at all, but we recorded and mixed everything in the computer. If we make more Laserdance albums, we will produce it with the same analog equipment.
– It took about six months to complete “Force of Order” - from composing to distribution. Now Michiel had already previously composed a couple of unreleased songs that are on the album. The response of “Force of Order” has been fantastic. Fans really like it, and everyone is happy that me and Michiel are back making music together again.
Listen to “Endless Space” from Force of Order on Spotify here.
Michiel van Der Kuy signing his autograph on the cover of ”Force of Order”.
Possibly more albums to come
Now when Erik and Michiel are back, starting with “Force of Order”, they have already talking about another Laserdance album. Erik has artwork for it, the title of the album, and the titles of the songs.
– We hope to release an album a year, but we have a contract with ZYX and they also have to want us to do it. ZYX of course look to how the sales will go. I will soon have a discussion with them. It is now April, and I need to know in a couple of months if we can plan ahead for a new album.
– For maybe 25 years I have been trying to convince Michiel to set up a Laserdance concert - a tour perhaps? Michiel never been so interested to do that, though, but I think it would be a fun adventure for the both of us. Naturally, it has to be done together with the right people, in the right places and context. Perhaps as an opening act for Kraftwerk?
EARLY SYNTH-BASED DISCO, ITALO DISCO OCH SPACESYNTH
Giorgio Moroder – From here to eternity, 1977 Donna Summer (Giorgio Moroder) – I feel love, 1977 Space – Magic Fly, 1977 Giorgio Moroder – The Chase (from Midnight Express), 1978 Peter Jacques band – Fire night dance (album), Walking on music (hit single), 1979 Sponooch – Laserdance, 1979 Koto – Chinese revenge, 1982 Hipnosis – Pulstar, 1983 Laserdance – Laser Dance, 1984 Laserdance – Humanoid Invasion, 1987

Grabben och jag tänkte börja lira lite tillsammans och jag inser att mitt digitala piano har lite begränsningar vad gäller ljud. Finns det möjlighet att komma åt "syntljud" som jag kan styra med keyboard på digitalpiano?

Medan 1980-talets giganter TR-808 och TR-909 hade ”Rhythm Composer” som titel, kallar sig TR-8 ”Rhythm Performer” och det finns det goda skäl till. I motsats till sina föregångare är TR-08 nämligen inriktad på live-framträdande och realtids-jam. Maskinen kommer bäst till sin rätt när man jobbar aktivt med den, som med en dj-mixer eller Ableton Live med en bra kontrollenhet. Följ stundens ingivelse!
Rolands Aira-produkter kommer bäst till sin rätt om man jobbar aktivt med dem, som live-instrument.
När TB-303 kom 1982 var det ingen som riktigt insåg dess potential, knappt ens Roland själva. Det skulle dröja många år innan någon började göra mer galna baspatterns men snart var hela acid-genren född. Få stilar är så intimt förknippade med en viss apparat. Kultstatusen och begagnatpriset är därefter. Precis som TR-08 är TB-03 mer inriktad på realtids-mekande än förlagan vilket öppnar nya, spännande möjligheter. VT-3 är en vidareutveckling av Boss Voice Transformer (från 1996) och möter behovet av elektroniska röstljud som tilltugg till Aira-anrättningen, men funkar ju utmärkt på egen hand också.
Tipsrunda
Här några blandade tips på hur du får ut mer av de tre första Aira-produkterna.
1. Side-chain
Ett trick man inte bör missa är att koppla VT-3, TB-03 eller vad som helst till TR-08:s externa ljudingång och prova sig fram genom olika ”side-chain”-effekter, där inkommande ljud exempelvis duckar mot pulsen i TR-08, som i en kompressor ungefär, men programmerbart som en del av rytmen (se även tips 8).
2. Audio via usb
Aira-produkterna kan skicka audio via sina usb-anslutningar direkt till en dator, och från TR-08 kommer helt separata kanaler för varje instrument, något som inte gives på hårdvaran. Kom ihåg att installera drivrutin och att ställa in 24 bitar / 96 kilohertz för att det ska funka ihop med ditt inspelningsprogram. Annars blir det kaos.
3. ”Aggregate Device” för multipla ljudkort (Mac)
För att spela in via usb från till exempel TR-08 men samtidigt lyssna via det ordinarie ljudkortet måste man sätta upp en så kallad Aggregate Device. Närmare instruktioner här.
4. Individuell ut-assign
Om man startar TR-08 och samtidigt håller ner Pattern Select kommer man åt fler funktioner. Exempelvis kan ett instrument assignas till någon av A/B-utgångarna genom att man håller ner A- eller B-knappen och väljer till exempel hand clap. Annars går alla instrument ut via master-utgångarna. Spara med start/stop så startar TR-08 om till normalläget.
5. Midi-kanal
I samma startläge som i tips 4 kan man välja midi-mottagningskanal på TR-08, med temporatten. Spara med start/stop.

Bassynten/-sequencern TB-03 är en modern variant av kultförklarade TB-303.
6. Ljusshow
I det speciella startläget kan man också fördröja eller helt stänga av den lilla ljusshow som TR-08 annars roar sig med när det händer för lite. Håll nere Tap och vrid på temporatten. Eller varför inte ändra färgskala på knapparna? Håll Depth och vrid på Scatter. Spara med start/stop. Rosa är sött.
7. Panorering (TR-08)
Instrument kan panoreras i master-utgången genom att i normalläget hålla ner vald instrumentknapp och vrida på temporatten.
8. Åtta av allt
Det finns åtta olika slags reverb, åtta olika delay-typer och åtta side chain-effekter på TR-08. (Ljudex 1-3, se nedan) Dessa väljs under Instrument Select, på samma vis som man väljer olika kicks, snares, toms et cetera. TB-03 har åtta olika typer av scatter.
9. Separera effekterna
Reverb och delay kan ju ges egna rytmiska mönster, men för att inte triggas av alla instrument (på ett visst ställe i ett pattern) utan bara av utvalda: i Kit Select-läge, håll ner reverb- respektive delay-knappen och välj vilka instrument som ska triggas (Ljudex 4).
10. Skruva Scatter och Depth i realtid
Glöm inte att Depth-funktionen (TR-08) i Scatter-mode kan användas i realtid också, precis som själva Scatter-väljaren, dock inte samtidigt. Det skapar väldigt många fler variationsmöjligheter än att bara låta den stå i ett läge.
11. TB-03: transponera i realtid
TB-03 kan läsa midi-notes från en sequencer eller dator och dessa kan enkelt transponeras upp och ner i realtid genom att hålla nere Keyboard-knappen och använda touch-tangenterna. Interna pattern transponeras på samma vis (Ljudex 5).
12. TB-03: Env Mod
Envelope-modulationen har ett slags X/Y-upplägg och det händer mer med två fingrar än med ett. Dra och testa! (Ljudex 6).
13. Midi Control Changes
Såväl TR-08 som TB-03 kan skicka och ta emot midi-control-changes. Därmed går det att lagra rattvridningar i ditt inspelningsprogram för mer komplexa byggen och koppla till andra midi-kontrollenheter, som Ableton Push. Men eftersom MIDI-CC bara har 128 steg kan det bli lite ”hackigare” än från panelen som har mycket högre upplösning.
TR-08 Videomanual
TB-03 Videomanual

14. Kombinera roll/vari
Roll- och Variation-knapparna på TR-08 kan med fördel kombineras på olika sätt för fler rytmiska variationer.
15. Bättre manualer
De manualer som följer med i paketet är lite väl kortfattade. Mer utförliga finns här.
16. Udda pattern-längder
Experimentera med att ställa om patterns (TB-03 och TR-08) till annat än 4/8/16/32 steg och få intressanta, polyrytmiska drivningar gentemot pulsen, om den är jämn alltså. Håll Step Rec och vrid på value-ratten (Ljudex 7). Lyssna på Hardfloors nya skiva ”The Art of Acid” för mer inspiration!
Några tips till Roland
TR-08:s delay-effekter nr 3-7 ska synka till tempot (16-delar, trioler och så vidare beroende på hur Time-ratten står) men gör det inte riktigt, vilket märks tydligast med mycket feedback. Synd. Fixas troligen i framtida uppdatering. Vi hade också önskat att shuffle-värdet visades någonstans, helst i tempofönstret medan man ställer in det.
Usb-midi-kontroll av tonhöjden på VT-3 hade verkligen gjort den produkten till en killer…
Helhetsintryck
Utrymme för småförbättringar finns, men för den som är inne på electronica i allmänhet och acid i synnerhet - men vill undvika mjukvara och slippa lägga helt galna pengar på originalen - är TR-08, TB-03 och VT-3 (och, får vi förmoda, också System-1) en skänk från ovan. De acb-baserade ljuden är troligen de bästa vi hört sedan det begav sig och när man väl insett att detta är instrument som ska spelas, inte bara programmeras, då öppnar sig en värld av möjligheter. Vårt generaltips är därför: kavla upp ärmarna och börja jobba!
Studios ljudexempel (se nedan):
TR-08: Åtta olika slags reverb (mängd, tid och gate justeras manuellt med rattar) TR-08: Åtta olika slags delay (mängd, tid och feedback justeras manuellt med rattar) TR-08: Åtta olika slags side-chain-effekter (ingångsvolym och mängd justeras manuellt med rattar). Röst genom VT-3:s ”Synt”-preset som ljudkälla. Samma rytmprogrammering på alla åtta lägena. TR-08: Reverb endast på handclap, inget annat. Bra att slippa det på på kicken, t ex. TB-03: Transponering av pattern, manuellt i realtid. TB-03: Envelope Modulation, först utan, sedan med ett finger på touch-plattan, till slut med två. TB-03: Först fyra takter normallängd, sedan experiment med olika udda längder av samma pattern. Driver runt gentemot TR-08:s fyrtakt.
 

Linköping, Sweden, September 24th, 2020: Imagine traveling in time to the early '70s, an era where new and experimental sounds were shaping pop music and taking it a step further. Softube’s Model 72 Synthesizer System is your vintage synth time machine. It’s component modeled down to the smallest details from a 1972 hardware unit in pristine condition with all the quirks and non-linearities intact, hence the name Model 72.

The result is incredibly authentic sound, with all the warmth and smoothness heard in countless records. Now imagine this classic has traveled into the future to pick up some contemporary features, like doubling and stereo spread, and evolve into a full system with multiple versions for different applications. Wish you were here? Take the Autobahn.
Use it as an instrument and more
As a full system, Model 72 allows producers to create some very unique sounds on several different platforms. All of these are included in Model 72:
Model 72 Instrument
Use the instrument plug-in on instrument channels to create the original sounds this synth is known for with a connected MIDI controller, the built-in keyboard, or editing notes in your DAW.
Model 72 FX
Using the synth as an effect by running an external sound source to the external audio input is a common use case heard on countless albums from the '70s to today. Add the FX plug-in to your audio or mix track to replicate this external input feature and use the distortions and filter on your sound source.
Modular Ready: 7 modules for Softube Modular
All the Model 72 Instrument sections are available as individual modules for Softube Modular, ready to be added to your Eurorack system. It’s easy to combine single parts of the synthesizer in a modular workflow to build patches and get authentic vintage monophonic sounds.
Amp Room Ready
The Model 72 Amp Room module consists of the fat sounding filter from this legendary synthesizer complete with envelope follower, cutoff, resonance, and drive. Create truly unique sounds for guitar, bass, and keyboards with a vintage vibe with this incredible envelope filter effect.

In short
NEW: Model 72 Synthesizer System An entire system based on a classic analog monophonic synth from the early 1970s with the emphasis on sound quality Era correct: component-modeled to perfection, with all the quirks and non-linearities intact – it sounds and behaves just like its original hardware counterpart Actual use cases and tricks of the hardware correctly replicated in the software Four versions included: Model 72 Instrument, Model 72 FX, Model 72 module for Softube Amp Room, and seven Model 72 modules for Softube Modular Create combinations in Modular never possible before in real life or in the world of software Software-exclusive features added: doubler, stereo spread effect, and expanded controls Read more here