Synth Deals: Roland S-1, Polyend, Teenage Engineering
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In this week’s edition of Synth Deals: Save on the Roland S-1 AIRA Compact Tweak Synth, Polyend Tracker Mini, and Teenage Engineering PO-12 Rhythm!
Great Synth Deals from Roland, Polyend, and TE
Roland S-1 Tweak Synth: SH-101 in your Pocket
The small but mighty Roland AIRA Compact S-1 Tweak Synth (read our review here) is an SH-101 inspired beast that fits in your pocket! Based on a great-sounding ACB model of the legendary monosynth from the 80s, the S-1 delivers everything from punchy basses to bubbly sequences to screaming leads. Despite the small size, there are ample opportunities for tweaking the oscillator, sub oscillator, envelope, LFO, and of course the classic filter – it’s called “Tweak Synth” for a reason!
But the tiny Roland S-1 can do a lot more than you might think. Unlike the original, it has four voices of polyphony, so it can play chords and even fat unison sounds. The 64-step sequencer offers probability and sub steps and you can use Motion Recording to record parameter changes. The unique D-Motion feature turns the whole synth into a modulation source – just tilt it to change the assigned parameter! And the built-in FX – Juno Chorus, delay, and reverb – are the icing on the cake.
Needless to say, the Roland S-1 makes a perfect companion to the other AIRA Compact synths. But it’s also great by itself!
The Roland AIRA Compact S-1 Tweak Synth is now on sale at Thomann* for $166 / £159 / €185 – 19% off**!
Polyend Tracker Mini: Compact Sampling Groovebox
The Polyend Tracker Mini just received a major firmware update that made this compact sampler and tracker groovebox even better. Four new sound engines and a new drum synth engine take the Tracker Mini to a whole new level. It also now has more tracks, new macros, expanded USB audio (14 stereo tracks!), and loads of workflow improvements. With the 2.0 update, the Tracker Mini is like a Tracker+ that fits in your hand.
Of course, it still offers the unique workflow that makes the Tracker series so special. If you haven’t tried it yet, the newly updated Tracker Mini is a great place to start – it’s just an extremely inspiring way of making beats. Thanks to its portability and the built-in microphone, the Tracker Mini also makes for a great portable sampler that lets you turn anything into music.
At $529 / £509 / €589, the Polyend Tracker Mini is currently 16% off** at Thomann*.
Teenage Engineering PO-12 Rhythm: World’s Smallest Drum Machine?
The Teenage Engineering PO-12 Rhythm is part of the original Pocket Operator series that helped pave the way for the incredible EP-133 K.O. II. This pocket-sized drum machine may “only” have 16 sounds, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a punch! With a combination of synthesized and sampled sounds, a versatile 16-step sequencer with pattern chaining and parameter locks, and 16 punch-in effects, the PO-12 Rhythm is as much fun today as it was when it came out.
Like the rest of the Pocket Operators, the battery-powered PO-12 Rhythm is perfect for jamming on the go. Or sync it to other mini synths and drum machines or even the EP-133 K.O. II to build a complete miniature beatmaking studio.
Pick up the Teenage Engineering PO-12 Rhythm from Thomann* for $88 / £85 / €99.
*This post about synth deals from Roland, Polyend, and Teenage Engineering contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
**Percentage discount will vary based on your territory and conversion rates on the day of purchase. Displayed percentage discounts are used for guidance only.
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2 responses to “Synth Deals: Roland S-1, Polyend, Teenage Engineering”
Tracker Mini now does what the Tracker Plus does, but is quite a bit cheaper. The Drum Synth is very good, and can be sequenced on the tracks 9-16 too, leaving the first 8 free for samples. The drums sounds are configurable and can be sent through the effects separately. Polyend’s Trackers are a bit of a grower, not everyone’s choice, but a pro-sounding, modern take on a late 80s idea, that invented ‘sample per step’ some 37 years ago. It’s not hard to make really thumping stuff with it.
For Polyend;
Few things that might be useful for the trackers;
1. Bar Reset as an FX on all samples and synths. This would play the note, ie 1 pass out of 4, and mute for the next 3 passes. This is used on the Drumlogue and is really good, easy to implement.
2. Preset Selection as an FX per step, for each on-board synth, being able to choose from synth presets you’ve made yourself. Great from swapping from bass to pad for a breakdown on a tune.
3. Render on board Synth/Drum straight to the sampler as an instrument. Render all drum synth sounds to samples 30-42 etc, or the current synth sound to sample 29 at note c. You could then use the Tracker to make sampled drum kits, basses, pads etc.
4. Stab Synth. A new synth engine that uses choir sounds, pianos, strings, orch hits, organs etc, and making them into synthetic stabs that can be played and altered in the tune.
Tracker Mini, very good now, if you like that kind of thing……