News

Arturia first presented the KeyStep back in January at the NAMM show. Now that the Musikmesse in Frankfurt has come around, we thought it was the ideal time to take another look at this versatile MIDI keyboard. For starters, the term MIDI keyboard doesn't really do the KeyStep justice. In fact, the KeyStep is a MIDI keyboard, controller and sequencer in a compact housing that will fit into most rucksacks or laptop bags.

Rane has just released the two-channel MP2014 rotary mixer, a trimmed-down version of their previous model, the four-channel MP2015 which was presented at the NAMM show in January. Nothing has been changed under the bonnet - you still get an awesome combination of digital and analogue in a stunning package.

The third time's the charm: after theGP-300BK and GP-500BP, which are earlier members of Casio's Celviano Hybrid Grand Piano series, they've now announced the GP-400BK. This gorgeous digital piano effortlessly combines the advantages of digital and acoustic pianos, as well as offering realistic grand piano sounds and great keyboard quality.

Accessories by Konig & Meyer are hugely popular and loved because of their practical, stylish and rock-solid designs. Konig & Meyer traditionally present a large number of new products at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt and this year is no exception. We've previously mentioned the new iPad holders and now we've got information about a wide variety of different products from piano benches to pencil holders!

Housemates and neighbours will love the new drum pedals by Roland. Thanks to an innovative new design, they are now quieter than ever. The KT-9 Kick Trigger and the FD-9 Hi-Hat Control pedals are compact too.

Zoom surprised both friend and foe with their H1 Handy mobile recorder series, which was very well-received by the general public. Now, Zoom has introduced two audio interfaces, the U-44 and the U-24, two recorders that fit in the palm of your hand! We're talking ultra compact. That doesn't mean their performance is small, however. Quite the contrary is true, in fact!

Showtec has just announced the addition of three remarkable LED spots to their Events line. Their EventLITE series is now a wireless party light effect richer, namely the EventLITE 7/4 , which features 7 4-watt RGBW-LEDs that bathe objects or walls in multi-coloured light via DMX or WiFi. At the same time, they've added two smaller units to their Eventspot series, the Eventspot 60 Q 7 in silver and black. These are battery-powered 7-in-1 LED spots. What makes these spots so remarkable is that besides the usual RGBs, White, UV and Amber, you can also create amazing combinations with the colour Lime!

dB Technologies have brought along their brand new VIO Line Array series to Musikmesse 2016 (or more accurately to Prolight+Sound). With the combination of freshly designed cabinets, top-quality components, the latest amplification technology and DSP functionality, dB's VIO series is perfect for those looking for a reliable, professional line array system.

Yamaha has released some exciting news! They're adding two new models to their Arius series—both will be available in a variety of colours, and both feature exquisite grand piano sampling!

Guitar effects giant BOSS is also at the Messe, with plenty of new products. Creative musicians will love the RC-202 Loop Station and the VE-8 Acoustic Singer. The WAZA line has been expanded with the Steve Vai Legacy Tone Capsule for the WAZA AMP head, as well as the TU-3W WAZA CRAFT tuner. And BOSS has more tuner news, as they presented three more tuners: the TU-3S, TU-01 and TU-30!