Superbooth just finished this year’s round up of new music gear. Here are some of my takeaways from the event.

IK UNO Synth Pro

I was not sold on this device the first time I saw it when it went on sale last year. This iteration however looks to be an improvement. The Synth is modular with tons of inputs/outputs to sync external gear to it. Also the companion app to expand and create patches looks very interesting. Will need to try it out in stores to listen to it myself.

UNO Synth Pro

Price: $349

UNO Synth Pro – Paraphonic Dual Filter Analog Synth (ikmultimedia.com)

OP-1 Field

This was one of the strangest press releases teenage engineering has ever done. It was almost like they wanted people not to see the OP-1 refresh, as none of their large brand ambassadors had the device prior to launch. Having owned and sold the OP-1 I can say the device simply wasn’t for me. My device had constant input lag and made live recording to tape nearly impossible. Not to mention tons of double triggering issues. Would be interested to see if this refresh has a better CPU to combat those issues, but the price tag on this one will keep me away for now.

OP-1 Field

Price: $1999

OP–1 field – teenage engineering

Roland Compact Series

Roland’s new Compart Aria series was a great new addition to the Roland Ecosystem. Aimed at beginners, the collection looks like a great way to get Roland sounds without breaking the bank. The size and portability of these would make a great addition to any synth collection. The Juno-6 sounds incredible. I hope to see more of these types of Boutique synths in the future from Roland.

Aira Compact
Roland Aria Compact

Price: $199

Roland – AIRA Compact

KORG NTS-2

This was my most exciting announcement from SuperBooth. The NTS-1 is an absolute beast of a mini-synth + FX engine and this new device takes the small form factor to the next level. The NTS-2 is an oscilloscope for sound design, and a patch panel for tweaks and patch builds. Every musician should have an oscilloscope handy. Hoping that Korg keeps with these types of devices in the future.

Korg NTS-2

Price: $229

NTS-2 oscilloscope kit + PATCH & TWEAK with KORG – MULTIFUNCTIONAL UTILITY KIT + BOOK BUNDLE | KORG (USA)