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Welcome to synth city
Grenoble-based audio company Arturia has won devoted fans and multiple awards for its software emulations of pop music’s most famous keyboards and synthesizers. Thanks to its excellent team of audio engineers, anyone who makes music with a computer can explore more than 30 of these retro sound worlds, from the lush textures of the Yamaha CS-80 (think sword hunter either chariots of fire) to the throaty, pulsating sound of the Minimoog (used by Gary Numan, Kraftwerk and many others). Arturia’s is a search for sonic authenticity; in fact, his reconstruction of the Moog Modular synthesizer (used on Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”) was done in collaboration with synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog himself.
The resulting accumulation of in-house knowledge and experience has lately been channeled into the manufacture of physical keyboards, and the magnificent PolyBrute 12, released on Arturia’s 25th birthday, is the latest and most advanced: all the character of an analog synthesizer with precision digital. control or, more excitingly, instinct-driven performance (you know, using your hands!). Anyone who imagines synthesizers as cold, unfeeling beasts will be amazed; Unusually, it has polyphonic aftertouch, meaning you can change the timbre of each note, individually, by pressing that specific key. It also has a “FullTouch” mode where even lightly touching the keys (not even pressing them) can generate sounds and effects.
This extraordinary sensitivity, combined with the PolyBrute 12’s other controllers (including a sliding strip above the keyboard and a wooden “Morphée” pad to its left that you can touch, stroke and press), makes it an artist’s dream unit. , although, speaking as an experienced classical piano keyboardist, it requires some adjustment in technique. But that relearning process is fun, creating sounds is absorbing, and soon you find yourself closing your eyes and switching to the soundtrack of an imaginary movie playing in your head, featuring (naturally) Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and a bunch of replicants. renegades.
small print
My experience with 3D printers hasn’t always been pleasant: laborious setups, clogged nozzles, and erratic bed adhesion have, in the past, led me to swear unspeakably. The Creality K1C, however, didn’t cause me any distress; a few security screws to remove, a couple of parts to attach, a quick calibration process and you’re done. The Creality Print software is a bit complicated, but the results were exceptional; It can work with a variety of filaments, including carbon fiber, and the fact that no errors occurred in the five prints I tested struck me as distinctly unusual. The fact that it’s enclosed in a case means quieter operation, and my test unit, which for some baffling reason was branded as FC Bayern Munich, also looked fantastic.
Top box
OLED pen displays are starting to surpass their LCD predecessors, bringing with them greater color accuracy and contrast ratios, which are, after all, what artists want. This 13.3-inch display (effectively an extra display for your computer or mobile phone, connected via USB-C) is incredibly thin and light: 4mm at its thinnest point and a hefty 400g+ . It performs like a heavyweight, thanks to a vivid matte screen (that never gets hot) and Wacom’s famous Pro Pen 3, which is included in the package. No special glove is needed and the screen distinguishes between a pencil stroke, a deliberate movement of a finger and a hand drawing at rest. Wacom’s Cintiq range may be its flagship, but Movink is forging its own exciting path.
copy that
Working with images, videos, or audio can require moving huge files between computers, and if that moment happens while you’re in the creative zone, the lazy progress bar can be infuriating. Wireless transfers are lethargic, USB sticks bend under pressure, and the cloud can be hampered by slow uploads. These Kingston mini SSDs are small (twice the size of a USB stick, but still eminently pocketable), spacious (from 500GB to 4TB, take your pick) and super fast – in my own tests, files were copied to approximately 1 GB per second. You’ll need to carry a USB-C cable while you’re on the go (unlike a USB stick, it doesn’t have a USB connector), but that’s a minor inconvenience for a vastly improved workflow.
your chance
Fans of Leica’s compact camera line have been waiting more than five years for a sequel to the D-Lux 7, and here it is, with a Summilux zoom lens (24-75mm focal range equivalent), a 4/3-inch sensor, 17 effective megapixels and emphasis on simplicity. It combines a classic film camera design with a nod to modern use (for example, it can easily be switched to Instagram-friendly aspect ratios) and its portraits have that slightly 3D “Leica look”. Weighing less than 400g, it is easy to carry and a pleasure to use; perfect for anyone (like me) who enjoys detaching themselves, even briefly, from their domineering smartphone. Beginners will appreciate the hour of in-store training offered with the unit.