Eternal Research Demon Box<\/h2>\n![\"Eternal](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/cbac61d0-dfed-11ef-879f-77474df789ae\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nEternal Research<\/a> launched a successfully funded Kickstarter<\/a> campaign back in September, but this was the first time I was able to see the Demon Box<\/a> in person. Think of it like a supercharged version of the Soma Labs Ether featured in a handful of our gift guides<\/a>. The Demon Box doesn\u2019t make any sound on its own, instead it features three pickups that turn EMFs (electromagnetic fields) into music \u2014 or at least audible noise. Run a cellphone, power drill or a tuning fork across the top and you\u2019ll get unique whines, hisses, clicks and beeps that only that device could produce. But where the Ether is basically just a microphone, the Demon Box is an instrument designed for live interaction and controlling other devices. In addition to outputting audio, it can also convert those electro magnetic fields into CV (control voltage) for controlling eurorack synths or MIDI for triggering a visual synthesizer, or all three simultaneously. There are tons of options out there if you want a buzzy sawtooth bass, but if you want to turn the invisible radiation emitted by a TV remote into a centerpiece of a multimedia performance, this is basically your only option.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\nCircle Guitar<\/h2>\n![\"Circle](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/7ea43a70-dfed-11ef-bf9d-9577c2b95702\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThe Circle Guitar<\/a> is impractical. It costs over $12,000 (insert grimacing emoji). But it\u2019s also just insane fun<\/a>. Instead of playing it with a pick or finger plucking the strings (though, you can do that if you want), the strings are strummed by movable plectrums you mount inside a spinning wheel. There are sixteen slots allowing you to design your own strumming rhythm, and then there are six sliders under the pickups for controlling the volume of each string individually. This allows you to create complex, robotic rhythms like a drum machine, but on your guitar. And, what\u2019s more, you can sync it to a DAW to make sure you\u2019re in lockstep with your backing track, even when it stutters and pauses. It\u2019s a completely unique creation that has already drawn the attention of artists like Ed O\u2019Brien of Radiohead.<\/p>\nAkai + Native Instruments<\/h2>\n<\/div>\nOne of the biggest announcements out of NAMM wasn\u2019t really a new product, but two titans of the industry joining forces. Several of Native Instruments (NI) Play Series synths and genre-specific Expansion Pack sound kits are being ported over to Akai\u2019s new MPC 3.0 platform<\/a>. While the availability of some existing soft synths on some existing hardware might not seem like a big deal at first, it greatly expands the sonic palette of the MPC and gives NI another foothold in the world of standalone music hardware after giving it go on its own with the Machine+<\/a>. The selection of sounds is limited at the moment, with three synths (Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, and Nacht) and just one expansion (Faded Reels) available. But two more synths and four more expansions will be added soon and, if all goes well, I\u2019m sure more will follow.<\/p>\nKorg HandyTraxx Play<\/h2>\n![\"Korg](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/8f9d7940-dfed-11ef-953d-1acf3c821af0\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThe HandyTraxx Play<\/a> is the first and only portable turntable that I know of with built-in effects. It has a DJ filter, a delay and even a simple looper which can, in theory, negate the need for a separate mixer and even a second turntable in some cases. While I can not scratch, I\u2019ve always wanted to learn, and the all-in-one portable nature of the HandyTraxx Play, including a speaker and battery power, is pretty appealing to someone who just wants to dip their toe in and doesn\u2019t want invest a ton of money and space in a separate mixer and dual turntable setup. Plus, Korg designed the Play in conjunction with the late Toshihide Nakama, the founder of Vestax and builder of the original Handy Trax (two words, one x), an icon in the world of portablism.<\/p>\nDonner Essential L1 Synthesizer<\/h2>\n![\"Donner](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/a142af80-dfed-11ef-b7a4-1364c9f40675\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nOver the last few years Chinese music gear maker Donner has started to really expand its offerings, going from mostly digital pianos and some bargain bin guitar pedals, to shockingly decent DSP effects, drum machines and even a pocketable groovebox. The L1 is the latest in its growing line of synths and it has a lot of promise. It\u2019s based in large part on the Roland SH-101<\/a>, an iconic instrument from the \u201880s that found particular favor among artists like Aphex Twin, Orbital, Depeche Mode, KMFDM, and Boards of Canada.<\/p>\nWhat makes the L1 particularly intriguing is that it\u2019s the first entry in the company\u2019s new Snap2Connect (S2C) system. The keyboard attaches to the synth magnetically, allowing you to leave it behind if you want, or use it as a separate MIDI controller with your DAW or another synth. But Donner also says it plans on adding other instruments to the S2C system, so you could buy a module based on, say, a Juno-60 one day and just slap it on to the keyboard you already own.<\/p>\n
Enjoy Electronics DeFeel<\/h2>\n![\"DeFeel](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/b42fa800-dfed-11ef-aabb-4d09c9184439\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThe DeFeel is hard to explain. The company calls it a \u201cmodular monotony degenerator,\u201d which is both extremely accurate and extremely unhelpful. Basically, you stick this thing between your sequencer<\/a> and your synthesizer<\/a> and it mangles the incoming CV to generate fills, stutters, and all manner of barely controlled chaos. In short, it takes that rock-solid sequence you\u2019ve programmed and makes it less monotonous. It can resequence your sequence or add modulation. You can draw modulation curves using the 4.3-inch touchscreen, or even turn it into an X\/Y pad for live performance. It\u2019s designed mostly with eurorack synths in mind, but it\u2019s also available as a standalone unit in a classy wooden case.<\/p>\nMelbourne Instruments RotoControl<\/h2>\n![\"Melbourne](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/e83f7210-dfed-11ef-bf7e-04a22e8fed36\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThe RotoControl might not seem like the most exciting device at first. It\u2019s a MIDI controller with eight knobs and keys on the right side, and a handful of other buttons on the left for navigating the device. But what makes it special is that those knobs are motorized \u2014 if you change a parameter in your DAW or softsynth, that is reflected physically on the controller. That might sound a little gimmicky, but it\u2019s actually incredibly useful.<\/p>\n
See, knobs on a controller or synth generally come in two flavors: pots and encoders. A pot, or potentiometer, has a beginning and end. So, if you change a preset or switch instruments, it may no longer reflect the actual setting in question. Encoders have no beginning or end. Since they don\u2019t point to a concrete position in space, there\u2019s no need to worry about a disagreement between knob position and an actual parameter value. But they\u2019re also less than ideal for live performance. Judging how far you need to turn to get that filter sweep just right is difficult, and encoders generally have a less smooth response than a pot. Melbourne solves this by just moving the pots to where they\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n
Roli Piano & Airwave<\/h2>\n![\"Roli](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/7d908b10-dfee-11ef-afdf-d976d17015e5\")
<\/figcaption>Terrence O'Brien for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nI\u2019ve been saying for a few years that I\u2019m going to finally learn how to play piano. But, I\u2019m a busy dad of two, a part-time bartender and a full-time freelancer. I don\u2019t really have the time or disposable income, frankly, to treat myself to piano lessons. And the app-based or video options I\u2019ve tried have been a bit underwhelming. I don\u2019t know that the Roli Piano<\/a> and Airwave<\/a> are for sure more effective than Melodics or Duolingo at teaching how to play, but it seems like there\u2019s more potential there. Where most music education apps are basically glorified versions of Guitar Hero<\/em>, Roli uses the Airwave\u2019s camera to track your whole hand, letting you know if you\u2019re out of position, if your wrists are at the wrong angle or if you\u2019re using the wrong fingers. It\u2019s probably not as good as having a real professional teaching you the ropes, but it\u2019s probably better than a repurposed video game bolted on to some rudimentary music theory lesson.<\/p>\nOh, and once you feel comfortable enough with your playing, the Roli Piano and Airwave combine to create what is probably the most extensive MPE controller on the market.<\/p>\n
Entropy & Sons Recursion Studio<\/h2>\n![\"Entropy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-01\/fb1008f0-dfed-11ef-97f7-4ce064056ecb\")
<\/figcaption>
Eternal Research<\/a> launched a successfully funded Kickstarter<\/a> campaign back in September, but this was the first time I was able to see the Demon Box<\/a> in person. Think of it like a supercharged version of the Soma Labs Ether featured in a handful of our gift guides<\/a>. The Demon Box doesn\u2019t make any sound on its own, instead it features three pickups that turn EMFs (electromagnetic fields) into music \u2014 or at least audible noise. Run a cellphone, power drill or a tuning fork across the top and you\u2019ll get unique whines, hisses, clicks and beeps that only that device could produce. But where the Ether is basically just a microphone, the Demon Box is an instrument designed for live interaction and controlling other devices. In addition to outputting audio, it can also convert those electro magnetic fields into CV (control voltage) for controlling eurorack synths or MIDI for triggering a visual synthesizer, or all three simultaneously. There are tons of options out there if you want a buzzy sawtooth bass, but if you want to turn the invisible radiation emitted by a TV remote into a centerpiece of a multimedia performance, this is basically your only option.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The Circle Guitar<\/a> is impractical. It costs over $12,000 (insert grimacing emoji). But it\u2019s also just insane fun<\/a>. Instead of playing it with a pick or finger plucking the strings (though, you can do that if you want), the strings are strummed by movable plectrums you mount inside a spinning wheel. There are sixteen slots allowing you to design your own strumming rhythm, and then there are six sliders under the pickups for controlling the volume of each string individually. This allows you to create complex, robotic rhythms like a drum machine, but on your guitar. And, what\u2019s more, you can sync it to a DAW to make sure you\u2019re in lockstep with your backing track, even when it stutters and pauses. It\u2019s a completely unique creation that has already drawn the attention of artists like Ed O\u2019Brien of Radiohead.<\/p>\n One of the biggest announcements out of NAMM wasn\u2019t really a new product, but two titans of the industry joining forces. Several of Native Instruments (NI) Play Series synths and genre-specific Expansion Pack sound kits are being ported over to Akai\u2019s new MPC 3.0 platform<\/a>. While the availability of some existing soft synths on some existing hardware might not seem like a big deal at first, it greatly expands the sonic palette of the MPC and gives NI another foothold in the world of standalone music hardware after giving it go on its own with the Machine+<\/a>. The selection of sounds is limited at the moment, with three synths (Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, and Nacht) and just one expansion (Faded Reels) available. But two more synths and four more expansions will be added soon and, if all goes well, I\u2019m sure more will follow.<\/p>\n The HandyTraxx Play<\/a> is the first and only portable turntable that I know of with built-in effects. It has a DJ filter, a delay and even a simple looper which can, in theory, negate the need for a separate mixer and even a second turntable in some cases. While I can not scratch, I\u2019ve always wanted to learn, and the all-in-one portable nature of the HandyTraxx Play, including a speaker and battery power, is pretty appealing to someone who just wants to dip their toe in and doesn\u2019t want invest a ton of money and space in a separate mixer and dual turntable setup. Plus, Korg designed the Play in conjunction with the late Toshihide Nakama, the founder of Vestax and builder of the original Handy Trax (two words, one x), an icon in the world of portablism.<\/p>\n Over the last few years Chinese music gear maker Donner has started to really expand its offerings, going from mostly digital pianos and some bargain bin guitar pedals, to shockingly decent DSP effects, drum machines and even a pocketable groovebox. The L1 is the latest in its growing line of synths and it has a lot of promise. It\u2019s based in large part on the Roland SH-101<\/a>, an iconic instrument from the \u201880s that found particular favor among artists like Aphex Twin, Orbital, Depeche Mode, KMFDM, and Boards of Canada.<\/p>\n What makes the L1 particularly intriguing is that it\u2019s the first entry in the company\u2019s new Snap2Connect (S2C) system. The keyboard attaches to the synth magnetically, allowing you to leave it behind if you want, or use it as a separate MIDI controller with your DAW or another synth. But Donner also says it plans on adding other instruments to the S2C system, so you could buy a module based on, say, a Juno-60 one day and just slap it on to the keyboard you already own.<\/p>\n The DeFeel is hard to explain. The company calls it a \u201cmodular monotony degenerator,\u201d which is both extremely accurate and extremely unhelpful. Basically, you stick this thing between your sequencer<\/a> and your synthesizer<\/a> and it mangles the incoming CV to generate fills, stutters, and all manner of barely controlled chaos. In short, it takes that rock-solid sequence you\u2019ve programmed and makes it less monotonous. It can resequence your sequence or add modulation. You can draw modulation curves using the 4.3-inch touchscreen, or even turn it into an X\/Y pad for live performance. It\u2019s designed mostly with eurorack synths in mind, but it\u2019s also available as a standalone unit in a classy wooden case.<\/p>\n The RotoControl might not seem like the most exciting device at first. It\u2019s a MIDI controller with eight knobs and keys on the right side, and a handful of other buttons on the left for navigating the device. But what makes it special is that those knobs are motorized \u2014 if you change a parameter in your DAW or softsynth, that is reflected physically on the controller. That might sound a little gimmicky, but it\u2019s actually incredibly useful.<\/p>\n See, knobs on a controller or synth generally come in two flavors: pots and encoders. A pot, or potentiometer, has a beginning and end. So, if you change a preset or switch instruments, it may no longer reflect the actual setting in question. Encoders have no beginning or end. Since they don\u2019t point to a concrete position in space, there\u2019s no need to worry about a disagreement between knob position and an actual parameter value. But they\u2019re also less than ideal for live performance. Judging how far you need to turn to get that filter sweep just right is difficult, and encoders generally have a less smooth response than a pot. Melbourne solves this by just moving the pots to where they\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been saying for a few years that I\u2019m going to finally learn how to play piano. But, I\u2019m a busy dad of two, a part-time bartender and a full-time freelancer. I don\u2019t really have the time or disposable income, frankly, to treat myself to piano lessons. And the app-based or video options I\u2019ve tried have been a bit underwhelming. I don\u2019t know that the Roli Piano<\/a> and Airwave<\/a> are for sure more effective than Melodics or Duolingo at teaching how to play, but it seems like there\u2019s more potential there. Where most music education apps are basically glorified versions of Guitar Hero<\/em>, Roli uses the Airwave\u2019s camera to track your whole hand, letting you know if you\u2019re out of position, if your wrists are at the wrong angle or if you\u2019re using the wrong fingers. It\u2019s probably not as good as having a real professional teaching you the ropes, but it\u2019s probably better than a repurposed video game bolted on to some rudimentary music theory lesson.<\/p>\n Oh, and once you feel comfortable enough with your playing, the Roli Piano and Airwave combine to create what is probably the most extensive MPE controller on the market.<\/p>\nCircle Guitar<\/h2>\n
Akai + Native Instruments<\/h2>\n
Korg HandyTraxx Play<\/h2>\n
Donner Essential L1 Synthesizer<\/h2>\n
Enjoy Electronics DeFeel<\/h2>\n
Melbourne Instruments RotoControl<\/h2>\n
Roli Piano & Airwave<\/h2>\n
Entropy & Sons Recursion Studio<\/h2>\n