Canadian Musician - November/December 2017 | Page 64

HOT GEAR Roland D-05 Linear Synthesizer Roland has introduced the D-05 linear synthesizer, a compact reproduction of the company’s D-50 linear synthesizer from the late 1980s. The D-05 is the first synthesizer with Roland’s Digital Circuit Behavior (DCB) technology. Paired with the exact PCM attack and loop samples that were vital to the D-50 sound, the D-05 recreates each tonal nuance in detail. The user interface is authentic as well, with the familiar D-50 panel layout and many direct-access controls. It also has the D-50 joystick, which allows users to smoothly morph between different mixes of upper and lower tones in real time. The D-05 also includes modern enhancements not avail- able with the original D-50. The 64-step polyphonic sequencer is ideal for performance and music creation and offers the abil- ity to sequence shuffle and gate timing along with tempo and patch changes. There’s also a built-in arpeggiator for adding movement to the D-05’s LA Synthesis sounds. For more information, contact Roland Canada: 604-270-6626, www.roland.ca. Keith McMillen BopPad Electronic Drum Pad Controller Keith McMillen Instruments has released the BopPad smart sensor electronic drum pad controller. The BopPad is a USB-powered expressive electronic pad controller for drummers, percussionists, and producers. It features accurate hit detection via velocity, continuous radius, and pressure sensitivity with a fast playing surface and a low latency of under three milliseconds. Its advanced architecture allows it to “see” each gesture, hit, or tap to respond to the nu- ances of any percussive performance, measuring strike velocity from soft hand drumming actions to hard-hitting percussion. At its core is a tuned elastomer surface covering a 10-in. circle of Keith McMillen Instruments’ Smart Fabric Sensor technology. Independently programmable Quadrants – which are highlighted by clearly visible guide lines on the production version – output MIDI notes, velocity, pitch bend, pressure, and location control changes. Creatively, this serves to provide performers with a traditional feel and adds a dimension of expressivity, enabled further by BopPad Editor. For more information, contact Keith McMillen Instruments: 877-812-0408, [email protected], www.keithmcmillen.com. Dean Markley SR2000 Bass Strings Dean Markley has released the SR2000 bass strings, designed to offer the ideal mix of mass and tension to create a big, meaty bass tone. With the exception of strings smaller than .050, Dean Markley SR2000 bass strings are made with compound wind- ing in smaller incremental sizes of premium-quality wire. The winding directions are reversed between layers to cross-hatch the covers, making the string smoother. The manufacturer uses smaller incremental wire for the wraps for more layers and more mass. Dean Markley uses three covers at thicker gauges like .095 and four covers at .120. The core wire dictates the playability of the string. The way a string is wound will dictate how long it lasts and how it sustains. Featuring new artwork on environmentally-friendly pack- aging, SR2000 bass strings come in light, medium light, me- dium custom, or medium gauges for four-string, five-string, or six-string bass, and in medium custom for seven-string basses. For more information, contact Yorkville Sound: 905-837- 8777, FAX [phone], [email protected], www.yorkville.com. 64 • C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N