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Review: Hollie Cook's new Happy Hour album has been previewed with lead single 'Full Moon Baby' which came with a great new video hot with her backing band, General Roots. It is a lush and soulful roots sound that is indicative of the wider albums sound overall. It is lyrically inspired by new life, the moon, friends who have recently had babies and lots of love and hope. As such it has a tender feel, with airy and uplifting vocals that warm you right to your core. This album reasserts Hollie as a queen of modern day lovers rock with her lushly harmonic sound.

Review: Dylan Brady and Laura Les are 100 Gecs and 10000 is their much anticipated second album. It comes four years after their 2019 breakout debut includes previously released tunes 'mememe' which is a colourful mix of ska-inflected verses, thrash guitars and wonky synths and 'Doritos & Fritos', a more 90s styled alt rock anthem unlike anything else the band has done. A world tour is to follow the release of this album and is the natural next step for this artfully unhinged and impossible-to-predict collective who make some of the most outsider pop sounds around right now.

Review: Freddie Cruger was once best known as 3 Foot People but since 2007 he has done great work as Red Astaire. He is a deep digging DJ with a penuche for neo soul, downtempo, hip hop and soul drenched late night beats that ooze lush vibes. His Nuggets For The Needy series is always a treasure trove of such sounds and the third volume is one of the best yet across two slabs of vital wax. The 12 red hot cuts are influenced by classic reggae, hip hop, R&B, downtempo and dub with standouts like the out of print 'Ghetto Hell' and an unheard version of his classic 'Follow Me.'

Review: Since impressing with their 2016 debut At Sacred Walls, Szun Waves - a trio comprising acclaimed electronic experimentalist Luke Abbot, drummer/percussionist Laurence Pike and saxophone player Jack Wylie - has operated at the intersection of ambient and jazz, delivering periodic sets that combine spiritual sounds and atmospheric solos with waves of electronic textures. It's an alluring, otherworldly sound all told, and one that's at the heart of their latest album, Earth Patterns. Musically, the album - which features additional production from, amongst other people, Abbot's old pal James Holden - is blissed out and otherworldly, combining sonic motifs more often associated with Alice Coltrane (hypnotic and Eastern-influenced), Sun Ra (interplanetary improvisations), Tangerine Dream (epic synth-scapes) and abstract electronica (inspired, densely detailed sound design). It all adds up to an astonishingly good album.

Notes: The IK Multimedia UNO Synth PRO X, celebrated for its outstanding sound design capabilities and intuitive interface, is fast becoming a fixture in the collections of discerning musicians and producers. To address the necessity of preserving this innovative instrument, Decksaver have crafted the Decksaver cover for the IK Multimedia device, designed to offer comprehensive protection. Made from premium-grade polycarbonate, following Decksaver's exclusive formula, this cover is specifically engineered to protect against dust, spills, and unforeseen impacts.

Custom-fit for the PRO X, this Decksaver cover snugly envelops the synthesizer, ensuring all knobs, buttons, and inputs are thoroughly protected without obstructing cable connections. The design prioritises usability, facilitating quick and simple application or removal of the cover, a crucial consideration for dynamic musicians and producers. Whether en route to a live performance, situated in a studio, or kept at home, this cover acts as a solid safeguard, preserving the delicate components of your UNO Synth PRO X from the trials of daily use.

Choosing this Decksaver cover for your UNO Synth PRO X is more than a mere practical decision; it signifies a commitment to keeping your instrument in pristine condition. It is an essential asset for anyone intent on protecting their UNO Synth PRO X, ensuring it stays ready and responsive for every creative pursuit.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.195 kg
Length: 33.8 cm
Width: 15.1 cm
Height: 2.9 cm

Fits

UNO Synth Pro X
Uno Synth Pro Desktop

Material: Smoked clear polycarbonate.

WARNING: When your Decksaver cover is in place, please ensure that your equipment is kept away from direct and high heat sources, such as radiators, fires and sunlight.

Notes: Keyboard version of Pittsburgh's superb Taiga synth, combining Moog-style East Coast elements with Buchla-inspired West Coast synthesis. Premium 37-key model with velocity, aftertouch and 24 HP expansion bay.

Supplier's Notes:
Modern Analogue Keyboard with Expansion Bay

Taiga Keyboard is an evolution of the award-winning Taiga synthesizer. Taiga gave users a boundary-smashing suite of unique modern Pittsburgh Modular analogue synthesizer innovations. Now in Taiga Keyboard, that same powerful suite of tools acts as a foundation in this expressive keyboard instrument.

Exploring the larger keyboard format, spreading controls out, and adding larger knobs makes sound sculpting while performing easier than ever. We've also added additional modulation sources, additional controls, a full-size 37 key premium aftertouch-enabled keybed, and a first-of-its-kind, modular expansion bay.

Taiga Keyboard oscillators

Waveforms generated by the three Taiga Keyboard oscillators stretch beyond the basic geometric shapes and sounds associated with analogue synthesis. Taiga Keyboard waveforms pass through up to three proprietary, cascading waveshapers designed to precisely manipulate their symmetry and harmonic content. In addition, each oscillator includes a robust six-stage wave folder to add even more complexity and depth to the diverse sonic palate of Taiga Keyboard. Dedicated coarse and fine controls deliver maximum flexibility & control over the full range of each oscillator.

The "Pittsburgh Filter"

The Pittsburgh filter has defined the sound of Pittsburgh Modular from the moment it was introduced. A signature gummy and relaxed sound with no dead spots that has been tweaked to perfection. It offers a warm, smooth sweep through the full frequency range and a sweet resonance that does not roll off the low end. This generation of the Pittsburgh filter is specifically designed to ensure a remarkable interplay with Taiga Keyboard's oscillators.

Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller

Pittsburgh's new Dynamics technology imparts Taiga Keyboard with a uniquely organic depth and presence. By simultaneously managing both amplitude and harmonic content, the Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller expands beyond the one-dimensional VCA found in other synthesizers. It does this by utilizing new advancements from traditional low pass gates to add additional definition and dimension to the voice of Taiga Keyboard.

When used in low pass gate mode, sounds shed harmonic content and become warmer as they decrease in volume. This mimics how sound waves react to their environment. Because of this connection, the Taiga Keyboard sounds more natural or complex compared to other instruments.

Analogue Echoes

Echos is a beautifully dark analogue delay tuned to enhance the source material by repeating it over and over. Echos utilizes a pair of bucket brigade delay chips to produce a classic voltage-controllable analogue delay effect that helps to place the sounds of Taiga Keyboard in a simulated environment.

Open Architecture

Taiga Keyboard has an internally defined signal path. Patch cables are not necessary to begin exploring. Attach a midi keyboard and plug the output into a speaker or DAW and Taiga Keyboard is ready to go with a robust but familiar workflow. When your ideas grow beyond the pre-defined signal path, a 64 point patch bay opens up a fully modular instrument with access to an even deeper set of features and tools.

Modular Expansion Bay

Staying true to our modular roots, we've added a 24hp powered eurorack Modular Expansion Bay that lets you personalize your Taiga Keyboard to your sound and performance needs. Simply remove the metal plate that covers the bay and add eurorack compatible modules. The modular bay helps you make Taiga Keyboard's sound completely your own.

Complete Set of Modular Tools

Taiga Keyboard includes a host of fully modular, analogue, and digital synthesis tools to support and enhance its core functionality. Analog tools include a flexible dual mixer, a pair of plucky four-stage envelope generators, noise, and sample and hold. Digital tools cover external MIDI, arpeggiator, clock sync'd modulation tools, and a robust collection of random generators. The Taiga Keyboard toolset is deep enough for any type of sonic exploration.

Keybed and additional MIDI control

Taiga Keyboard as its name would suggest, has an integrated 37 key keyboard with aftertouch, as well as pitch bend and modwheel. The keyboard can be used as a separate USB / Din MIDI controller using the Local On/Off modes.


Taiga Keyboard's key range can be easily changed using the dedicated octave up and down buttons that are located adjacent to the pitch bend and modwheel.

Taiga Keyboard features and other info:

Paraphonic synthesizer with unique additive elements
37 note aftertouch equipped keybed with full-sized keys
Fully patchable - use Taiga Keyboard's components as separate modules with external devices or reroute its internal patching.
24hp powered Eurorack Modular Expansion Bay
64 point patch bay for rerouting internal signal flow and integrating external sound and modulation sources
Controllable via MIDI, CV, and integrated pseudo random sequencing mode

Review: The East Coast hip-hop scene has many giants and many seminal albums but Big Noyd's Episodes of a Hustla is one of the lesser known works to check out if you anen't already familiar. It is a gritty and raw portrayal of street life in Queensbridge, New York, released in 1996 and capturing the essence of the East Coast scene with its hard-hitting beats and vivid storytelling. Noyd's distinctive voice and uncompromising lyrics paint a vivid picture of survival and struggle in the urban jungle. With production from hip-hop luminaries like DJ Premier and Havoc, the album delivers a potent blend of boom-bap beats and menacing melodies as well as offering a glimpse into the harsh realities of inner-city life.