The count down to NAMM 2018 has been an anticipated event, tidbits from Korg and Arturia in the run up acted as appetisers for the main event. For synth lovers it has been, well, underwhelming once finally underway. Bar those reveals in the lead up, there hasn't really been much to get excited about.
In step Playtime Engineering with their BlipBlox unit:
Put simply, this is your child's first synth. Despite the child-like TARDIS-esque trappings of the machine, it comes with MIDI input, audio out, unique oscillator modulation schemes and LED lights that sync to the music.
From the video above, it appears to fire off some pre-canned sequences that adapt to the inputs of the niblet (or bit niblet) that is using it. The MIDI aspect could provide advanced fun further down the line as play evolves into creativity. Imagine hooking up a Keystep to start creating bespoke sequences, or hooking up to a bunch of other synths to foster a parent/child jam session.
While my dude likes getting to grips with my various Volca machines, the BlipBlox looks far more suited to his free and crazy approach to button manipulation.
It's being pitched as retailing for $159, which isn't the world's most bank breaking amount for a synth. The Korg Volca series comes in for around the same amount and this big rugged box will be far more resistant to the hand mashing of an enthusiastic child than Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operator series.
With not too much to talk about in the realm of synths, I'm going to be casting my eye over a new breed of audio mixers that have been cropping up recently. Outside of this, make sure you check in on @playitforward. He is Steemit's actual physical presence at NAMM 2018, casting a broader eye over the goods than my laser focus on new synths.
