Kalakshar US

Niche music gadget manufacturer Artiphon is back with a new instrument called the Chorda. This unique bit of gear is a combo meal of sorts, bundling together the form factor of the Instrument 1 with the standalone functionality and looper of the Orba 2. The Chorda builds upon the multi-instrument technology of the Instrument 1, with access to a diverse array of instruments, from guitar to drums and piano.

However, the Instrument 1 was tied to a phone or tablet, whereas the Chorda is fully standalone, making it an attractive entry in the burgeoning field of DAWless recording gadgets. There are “hundreds” of built-in sounds and corresponding control methods that actually resemble playing the analog version of the instrument. The device plays via micro-gestures that incorporate an array of control parameters. There are 12 pads that each respond to control methods like tapping, tilting, strumming, vibrato and more, via capacitive sensing technology and Midi Polyphonic Expression (MPE).

There’s also a new bridge section that allows non-musicians to automatically play chords, thus letting folks play along with their favorite songs. This bridge integrates with the built-in arpeggiator for changing the tempo and the key. The integrated looper lets you layer tracks as you see fit. Though there’s not much by way of sound design on the device itself, you can access an affiliated app to access the inner workings of the sound engine.

As for connectivity, the Chorda can control any MIDI-based software and hardware instruments via USB-C or Bluetooth. The device also automatically integrates with most DAWs, including GarageBand, Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools, Cubase and FL Studio. It also supports any standard MIDI and MPE-compatible mobile app or hardware. The battery life isn’t winning any awards, however, at four hours of use per charge. 

The Artiphon Chorda is available for preorder via Kickstarter and is available in three colors: black, white and blue. The early bird pricing is locked in at around $200, but as the tiers sell out, the cost goes up. The instruments ship in November.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/artiphons-chorda-band-in-a-box-allows-you-to-produce-beats-just-about-anywhere-173851795.html?src=rss 

Corsair is hoping to stand out in the enthusiast keyboard space by buying one of its more recognizable brands. The company is acquiring Drop (formerly Massdrop), best known for its customizable mechanical keyboards and key switches. The move will let Corsair “significantly grow” Drop’s community-centric keyboard line while creating new products for its in-house brands, including Elgato.

Drop will stay a separate brand inside of Corsair, and it will handle all existing purchases and support. Corsair isn’t revealing the financial terms of the deal. In a message to users, Drop’s CEO stressed that his firm would still collaborate with “community favorites,” but would have a much better time of serving customers outside the US.

The strategy isn’t surprising. Gamers and other hobbyists have increasingly delved into custom keyboards with personalized key caps, lighting and switches. You can get a unique keyboard that matches the look of your computer setup while delivering the typing feel you prefer. The Drop purchase gives Corsair a quick way to expand its presence in that market, sparing it the trouble of building up its own resources — or facing Drop as a competitor.

There’s fierce rivalry in the category. In addition to Drop, established companies like Keychron, KBDFans and Mode have customizable options. That’s not including stock keyboards that offer similar functionality, just without the flexibility. Corsair isn’t certain to dominate, but this may help it thrive in a field where tech heavyweights like ASUS and NZXT are increasingly involved.

This could also help Corsair bring personalization to segments where it’s still rare. Game streamers and other creators thrive on elaborate setups, but their broadcasting equipment (such as control decks and microphones) rarely offer much in the way of customization. While it’s not clear just what Elgato will release, it could claim an edge over challengers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/corsair-expands-its-mechanical-keyboards-by-acquiring-drop-160524368.html?src=rss 

One of the last traces of the early Xbox era is going away. Microsoft has revealed it’s replacing Xbox Live Gold with a Game Pass Core tier on September 14th. The $60 per year (or $10 per month) subscription is necessary to play many (but not all) online multiplayer games on consoles, as before, but it also represents a shift in how the company doles out bonus games.

The company is sunsetting Games with Gold, which offered a steady flow of titles for Live subscribers. Instead, you’ll get a base collection of more than 25 games with new entries two to three times per year. Most of them are first-party games like Doom Eternal, Forza Horizon 4 and Halo 5, although you will find the occasional third-party project like Among Us and Human Fall Flat.

If you’re already an Xbox Live Gold member, you’ll automatically switch to Game Pass Core when it’s available. Games with Gold ends on September 1st. However, you’ll still have access to any Xbox One games you claimed if you’re either a Core or Ultimate member. Redeemed Xbox 360 games are yours to keep even if your subscription lapses.

Microsoft has signalled its intent to change Live Gold for a while. It stopped offering year-long subscriptions in 2020, and ditched Xbox 360 games in 2022. The company planned to raise Gold prices in 2021 before quickly reversing the decision.

The change might be disappointing if you liked Games with Gold’s more frequent catalog expansions. While you do get some hits, it’s a not-so-subtle way to steer you toward an Ultimate subscription with a much larger selection (including some day-one titles), cloud gaming and an EA Play membership. In that sense, PlayStation Plus Essential (which still offers bonus games every month) may be more appealing if you’re open to Sony hardware.

With that said, Sony pulled the PlayStation Plus Collection this spring. Unless you got the selections through other promos, you’ll have to pay to revisit some of the PS4 era’s best games. Microsoft isn’t strictly mimicking Sony’s strategy (it’s mainly a bid to showcase first-party releases), but this is a rough equivalent if you’re just looking for an instant library.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-game-pass-core-replaces-live-gold-on-september-14th-143904124.html?src=rss 

Facebook is revamping its in-app video hub to give its content an Instagram-style makeover. The changes will bring Reels’ editing tools to all Facebook videos, as well as a new “Explore” section to highlight trending clips and other recommendations.

It also comes with a new name. The tab previously known as “Facebook Watch” will now simply be called “Video.” The section, which will host short-form clips like Reels as well as live video and longer form content, will continue to live at the top of the Facebook app.

The new branding comes as Facebook’s video strategy has changed dramatically since the “Watch” section debuted in 2017. At the time, the company was heavily pushing TV shows and other longform content created for Facebook. Now, much of Meta’s video ambitions center around its TikTok competitor, Reels, and other algorithmically-recommended clips. Mark Zuckerberg has been saying for the last year that his goal is to shift Facebook into becoming more of a “discovery engine” that surfaces more content outside of users’ social graphs.

Some of those themes are apparent in Facebook’s new video tab, which has a new “Explore” section similar to the Explore grid on Instagram. There, users will find clusters of trending video and other recommendations grouped by hashtag.

Meta is also taking steps to integrate Reels on Facebook more closely with those Instagram. Facebook has encouraged users to cross-post Reels from Instagram to Facebook for some time. Now, the company is also unifying comments across the two apps so users no longer need to switch to the Instagram app in order to comment on a Reel that originated on Instagram.

The changes are beginning to roll out now to the Facebook app and website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebooks-redesigned-video-tab-emphasizes-reels-and-recommendations-150059104.html?src=rss