1010music Bento groovebox

General

It's kind of funny how our little world evolves. In earlier times, new technology emerged, like all the synths and drum computers of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Then software grabbed a good chunk of that market. And now we increasingly see today's computer capabilities being packaged in a portable format. Sometimes this happens with an app for your phone, and in the case of the 1010music Bento, it happens in a compact device that is just as portable, but still just a bit more convenient than a phone app. An actual dial between your thumb and finger is a bit nicer than an animation of a dial under your fingertip, isn't it? So Bento has eight such encoders.

Features of the 1010music Bento

This is a groovebox, based on sampling. Specifically, it involves multi-sampling, (drum) loops, granular synthesis and slicing, giving you ample editing options. You get this spread over eight tracks for your own music. There's a sequencer in there, there are effects present, there are modulation options, and thanks to a 7-inch graphic touch-display, you have a very decent overview of what you're doing. You could think of the Bento as a very small computer, focused on making music, which was also touched upon in the first paragraph. The packaging is different; portable, with a battery. Mobile manufacturing is all the rage, and will continue to increasingly define market developments in the near future.

Further opportunities

Fully in line with the current zeitgeist, the Bento has USB-C, twice even (host and device). Furthermore, you get 16 pads, which allow you to input your tracks MPC-style. There is a slot for microSD cards, so you can store your work in an orderly fashion. All in all, a very comprehensive device for mobile producers who dabble in the groovebox world. It's a bit of an investment, but bear in mind that this is basically a fairly complete computer with monitor in terms of features, so it's not that bad!