Upon its arrival remaining 12 months, Roland’s AIRA Compact vary represented one thing of a big gamble for the corporate. Of the entire reboots, reiterations and revisions to the Roland pantheon of iconic digital tools – a modus operandi that has reputedly sustained the corporate’s product vary over the last few years – by no means earlier than had it tried to squeeze a few of its maximum liked sound signatures into such tiny applications. Make no mistake, even though – those tools sound so much larger than they appear.
3 iterations have been introduced concurrently to kick issues off: the T-8 Beat System takes after the sound of the inimitable TR-808 drum device, with a little bit of the TB-303’s acidic bass thrown in for excellent measure; the J-6 Chord Synth channels the spirit of the Juno-60 and is able to generating lush pads, wealthy chords and dynamic sequences as well; the E-4 Voice Tweaker doesn’t base its identification on any unmarried predecessor, but nonetheless makes its mark with a flexible set of dynamic vocal results.
Now comes the following bankruptcy within the AIRA Compact tale, with a in a similar way pithy identify: the S-1 Tweak Synth, which is in keeping with the vintage SH-101, one in all Roland’s maximum respected fashions and, like many Roland tools, a key participant within the evolution of dance song in opposition to the top of the 20 th century.
Roland has settled on a very pleasant genre with those tools. Every is a distinct color at the decrease chassis and all have an identical higher panels, with two 3.5mm jack sockets for sync and blend in/out, plus a unmarried mini quantity knob. That is along with the rear panel’s MIDI sockets, USB-C port and tool transfer.
The color of selection for the S-1 is a groovy inexperienced, which, as with the opposite AIRA Compact gadgets, may give it a relatively toy-like aesthetic. On the identical time, even though, the AIRAs glance inviting and out there, and on this sense, their pleasant look is well-conceived. Every is mild in weight, properly made, reasonably priced and supremely moveable. They’re additionally backpack-friendly, with lithium-ion batteries chargeable over USB. We’re satisfied to peer Roland hasn’t wasted precious assets through development audio system into the gadgets – one thing that usually provides little price since they nearly at all times sound pathetic.
The S-1 guarantees to be the nearest factor up to now to a ‘right kind’ synthesizer within the AIRA Compact vary, making anticipated use of Roland’s Analog Circuit Habits (ACB) virtual generation to vow original sport of the SH-101’s tone and reaction. Whilst the SH-101 was once a mono synth, the S-1 is a four-voice polyphonic software and takes nearly no bodily design options from the unique. That is first rate; Roland (as with many stalwart builders) can every now and then veer dangerously on the subject of purveying nostalgia in software shape. However the S-1, just like the J-6, opts purely to channel the sonic signature of its predecessor and no longer center of attention on its unfashionable aesthetic.
Whilst the panel turns out to provide a slightly standard set of subtractive synth controls, there’s a complete lot extra to be discovered beneath the hood. At the floor, its oscillator segment gives blendable sq. and noticed waves along an octave selector and noise generator. Subsequent to this can be a clear out segment with easy controls for cutoff, resonance and envelope quantity, comparable to the one ADSR envelope underneath. At the left of the panel is an easy modulation segment with a unmarried, wave-variable LFO, which will also be set to random or to noise shapes, and is routable to both clear out cutoff or oscillator frequency. At the proper are controls for extend and reverb.
A rubberised miniature keyboard occupies the decrease part of the S-1, which is slightly helpful – if no longer specifically playable – however purposes extra usefully as a menu machine, a preset selector or a shipping regulate for its 64-step sequencer. To this point, so excellent. The S-1 does a high-quality task of holding main parameters up-front and simple to get right of entry to, it sounds strangely sensible and likewise gives itself as much as being driven properly – the LFO can greater than hit audio fee and the clear out can in point of fact howl at top resonance settings. There’s a wild aspect to this factor that every now and then rattles its miniature cage.
Underneath the skin, the S-1 will get a lot deeper. For one, it boasts an excellent seven reverb and 4 refrain sorts, which all sound excellent and put the stereo output to excellent use. The S-1 can report parameter adjustments into its sequencer – together with results – endowing sequences with fantastic dynamism atop easy patterns of notes. Some other spectacular side of its playability is its D-Movement accelerometer, à los angeles Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 which permits it to be bodily tipped and became in two dimensions, influencing any two of a number of parameters, from panning to clear out cutoff.
The S-1’s oscillator Draw and Chop purposes in point of fact make the synth stand out. An bold addition through Roland, it divides waveforms into 16 steps to be edited and sculpted intensive by way of the sequencer buttons. This provides harmonic richness and multiplies wave cycles for some advanced sounds that punch effectively above the S-1’s weight. It rewards experimentation, however takes some getting-used-to, since in the end wave modifying is without a doubt perfect executed with an oscilloscope to visualize issues. The S-1 can’t supply this, in fact, with just a easy four-digit, seven-segment show. Barriers of the show can lead to a few confusion, because it has such a lot of abbreviated menu headings and button-based navigation techniques to paintings thru with minimum visible cues, so it’s really helpful to stay the handbook readily available, no less than when first attending to comprehend it.
Whilst the AIRA Compact vary hinted at massive doable from the outset, it’s within the S-1 that this doable is starting to be absolutely realised. The opposite Compact gadgets allude to authentic perspective however be offering what every now and then looks like scaled-down capability. The S-1, on the other hand, feels extra self-sufficient, deeper, grittier and extra robust. It raises the bar for this collection with substantial genre.
Key options
- Worth: £175 (side road value)
- 4-voice analogue-style, virtual synth
- Onboard sequencer and arpeggiator
- Sq. and noticed wave oscillator with wave variable LFO
- D-Movement accelerometer for modulating with bodily motion.
- Oscillator Draw and Chop for advanced waveform modifying
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