The Syntakt has been one of the worst kept secrets in the music world. But it wasn’t until today that the world finally got to see what Elektron’s latest groovebox is capable of. It combines the company’s legendary sequencer with four analog four analog synth tracks and 10 digital tracks. While the Syntakt is focused primarily on percussion, it’s capable of handling bass and melody as well. And, if you’re not happy with the internal synth sounds, you can control external gear by switching any of the 12 tracks to be MIDI. Those MIDI tracks by the way are four-note polyphonic
The Syntakt takes an everything and the kitchen sink approach, and borrows a bit of its sound design workflow from previous Elektron instruments like the Machinedrum and Model:Cycles. It starts by selecting a “machine,” of which there are 37 spread across the three different core types of synthesis. There are 10 digital synths, 15 analog drum, and 12 analog cymbal machines. Each one is designed to do a specific thing, just like on the Cycles, but the level of control offered here is far greater.
Each engine also has a specific set of effects and parameters associated with it. The digital tracks each have a digital overdrive, a digital multimode filter and a digital base width filter, in addition to a pair of LFOs. While the analog tracks each have an analog overdrive, an analog multimode filter and a pair of LFOs. There’s also an FX track where you can automate an analog overdrive, an analog multimode filter, as well as digital reverb and delay.
In addition to controlling external gear with the Syntakt’s MIDI channels, you can also feed external audio through its master effects, allowing you to treat it as both a master sequencer and a mixer — it can be the brains of an entire performance setup.
The entire thing lives inside the same chassis Elektron uses for its Digitakt and Digitone instruments, which means it’s small and portable(ish), but also quite rugged. It weighs just 3.6lbs, but is housed in steel casing.
Of course, all that power and roadworthiness doesn’t come cheap. The Syntakt is available now in limited quantities from Elektron and to preorder from select retailers for $999.
That tiny webcam on your laptop has probably gotten more use in the last few years than it ever has before. Even if you’re back to taking some of your meetings in the office, chances are that back-to-back Zoom calls are now a permanent part of your pro…
The 2021 MacBook Pros were some of the best laptops we came across last year, but as to be expected, they come with high price tags. Right now, you can pick up the 14-inch MacBook Pro for $250 cheaper than usual at Amazon. The price has already been discounted by $50, but an addition $200 automatically applied coupon brings the machine down to a record low of $1,749.
This particular model comes with Apple’s M1 Pro chip, which features an 8‑core CPU and 14‑core GPU, plus 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The performance gains provided by specs like this was one reason why both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros earned a score of 92 from us when we reviewed them last year. Not only will they be able to handle anything you throw at them, but they also have the stamina to last most of the day. We clocked a 12.5-hour battery life for the 14-inch model in our testing and a 16.5-hour battery life on the 16-inch laptop.
While the MacBook Pro looks fairly similar to previous models, Apple fixed a few long-standing issues — namely, the lack of ports. The new machines have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI connector, a headphone jack, an SD card slot and a MagSafe power port. You’re also getting a 1080p FaceTime webcam and a Liquid Retina XDR display with a 3,024 x 1,964 resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. The biggest downsides to the MacBook Pro are its non-upgradeable memory and storage, plus its high price tag. This discount addresses one of those issues, and overall, it’s a solid laptop that will be best for power users.
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You might not be thrilled with in-game advertising, but you might soon see more of it. Insidersources (sub. required) claim Microsoft is developing a program to help marketers place ads in free-to-play Xbox games. Companies could buy from an ad inventory to secure space on virtual billboards. It’s not clear if this would extend to character skins or video rolls, but Microsoft is apparently crafting a “private marketplace” to limit ads to brands that won’t disrupt gameplay.
Microsoft is reportedly still pinpointing ad technology firms that would build the catalog and cooperate on placement. The debut might not take long, though, as the program could launch by the third quarter (that is, summer).
The company declined to confirm or deny the plans. In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson said Microsoft was constantly striving to “improve the experience” for developers and players but didn’t have “anything further to share.”
The program could rankle gamers worried about ads for real-world products finding their way into fictional universes. However, the focus on free-to-play titles might prove crucial. This could help developers make money from free games without leaning too heavily on paid content like skins and season passes. That, in turn, might persuade creators to make Xbox-centric games rather than building for the PlayStation or Switch.
A number of gadgets remain on sale as we head into the holiday weekend. Apple’s latest AirPods remain $30 off and down to $150, and you can pick up the AirPods Pro for $175. Certain colors of the Apple Watch Series 7 are on sale for as low as $313, plus you can save on a bunch of Surface devices in Microsoft’s spring sale. Finally, Amazon has discounted its regular Kindle to $55 while also slashes prices of its Fire tablets. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
AirPods (3rd gen)
Billy Steele/Engadget
Apple’s newest earbuds are close to their record-low price right now. You can grab the third-gen AirPods for $150, or $30 off their normal rate. We gave them a score of 88 for their improved design, much better audio quality and longer battery life.
Apple’s AirPods Pro are back on sale for $175, which is 30 percent off their normal price. We gave them a score of 87 for their improved fit, good audio quality and solid ANC.
Both Amazon and Walmart have the entry-level iPad for $309 right now, or $20 off its normal price. We gave the slab a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life and Center Stage-capable front cameras.
Many color options of the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $330, or $70 off their normal price. The green model is even cheaper, coming in at $313. We gave the wearable a score of 90 for its bigger screen, faster charging and handy watchOS 8 features.
You can pick up the Mac Mini M1 desktop for $570, which is an all-time-low price, thanks to a $99 coupon that’s automatically applied at checkout. It runs on an eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s a good option if you want a relatively new desktop that won’t take up too much space on your desk.
Through April 21st, you can save hundreds on Surface devices, Xbox games and more in Microsoft’s spring sale. The Surface Laptop Go is up to $200 off, so you can grab the model with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $700.
Amazon’s regular Kindle is down to $55, which is $35 cheaper than usual. You can also pick up the Kids Edition for $65 instead of the usual $110. While the latest Paperwhites have a lot of bells and whistles, the standard Kindle remains a good option for those on a budget.
A number of Fire tablets are on sale right now, including the Fire HD 8, which is down to $50. The larger Fire HD 10 has also been discounted to $100, which is $50 off its normal rate. These slabs are good options for those that want a basic, lightweight device for travel or doing things like online shopping and checking email from your couch.
iRobot’s Roomba j7+ and s9+ are $200 off at Wellbots right now when you use the code ENGMOM200 at checkout. These are some of the company’s most powerful robo-vacs: the j7+ has a convenient “poop-detection” feature while the s9+ has the strongest suction power of any Roomba. Both also come with clean bases, which allow the robots to automatically empty their bins after each cleaning job.
Amazon’s smart thermostat is back on sale for $48, which is 20 percent off its regular price. The Energy Star-certified device uses Honeywell’s Home Thermostat tech to help you save on energy costs — and, like other Amazon devices, it works with Alexa so you can use voice commands to control the temperature in your home.
Both Google’s standard Nest Thermostat and the more advanced Learning model remain discounted right now. You can pick up the regular version for $119, while the Learning Thermostat is still on sale for $200. They share most of the same features, but you’ll get a slicker design, a higher-res display and the ability to connect with Nest Temperature Sensors with the Learning model.
The latest Chromecast with Google TV is $10 off at Walmart and Best Buy, bringing it down to $40. We gave the compact streaming device a score of 86 for its solid remote control, good Google Assistant integration and support for 4K content with Dolby Vision and Atmos.
You can get a $5 promotional credit when you buy a $50 Apple gift card at Amazon when you use either the code APPLEDEAL or APPLEAPRIL at checkout. The promotional credit can be used on future Amazon purchases, and while it’s not a huge credit, it’s more than what we usually see attached to Apple gift cards.
The Elite 7 Active earbuds are 17 percent off and down to $150 right now. These are some of Jabra’s newest buds and they have a special “ShakeGrip coating” that helps keep the buds in place during sweaty workouts. Plus, the elite 7 Active support adjustable ANC, HearThrough technology and four microphones for better call quality.
Through April 17th, you can get 15 percent off at Satechi when using the code EASTER15, and for orders of $100 or more, they’ll up it to 20 percent with the code EASTER20. Now’s a good time to pick up a new keyboard, mouse, USB-C hub or other accessory while you can get it for less.
NordVPN’s latest deal lets you save 51 percent off the price of a two-year subscription, so you’ll pay only $96 for that time period. After the first two years, the price goes up to $99 per year. NordVPN is one of our favorites thanks to its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
World Quantum Day was apparently yesterday, and Google feted the occasion with the launch of The Qubit Game, as spotted by 9to5Google. Created in partnership with Doublespeak games, it’s a “playful journey to building a quantum computer, one qubit at a time,” Google said. It also hopes the game, and World Quantum Day, will help generate some interest in the field.
The game resolves around Qubits, the basic building block of a quantum computer. It’s pretty straightforward (you won’t need to learn any quantum entanglement math or physics) with the goal of increasing the number of Qubits while keeping them cool. The more Qubits you have, the more difficult it gets. Eventually, you’ll “discover new upgrades, complete big research projects and hopefully become a little more curious about how we’re building quantum computers,” wrote Google Quantum head of education Abe Asfaw.
The goal is to draw attention to quantum computing, because it seems there’s a dearth of people working in the field. To that end, Google is bringing the game to the classroom, hoping to encourage educators to talk about the subject and expand access to quantum computing research.
“We need more students pursuing careers building or using quantum computers, and understanding what it would be like to be a quantum scientist or engineer,” wrote Asfaw. “For me, that’s what World Quantum Day is all about: showing everyone what quantum computing really is and how they can get involved.”
Apple’s best sounding earbuds have been discounted on and off throughout the past few months, and now they’re back down to one of the best prices we’ve seen all year. The AirPods Pro are 30 percent off again at Amazon, bringing them down to $175. That’s just about the lowest price we’ve seen since the holiday shopping season (they were $1 cheaper earlier this month) and it puts the Pros back in line with the rest of Apple’s audio lineup, which has been on sale for the past few days.
If over-ear headphones aren’t your thing, the AirPods Pro are your next best bet if you want an Apple device that has above-average audio quality. Not only do the AirPods Pro sound better than the company’s standard earbuds, but they also have strong ANC that blocks out most surrounding noises. And you still get Transparency mode, while lets you hop in and out of conversations easily, and support for spatial audio. They’re also arguably the best AirPods to get if you care about fit, since you can get a more accurate fit for your ear thanks to their interchangeable tips.
The AirPods Pro also have the H1 chip inside, which enables things like hands-free Siri access and quick pairing and switching between Apple devices. It’s one of the biggest draws of AirPods — if you’re steeped in the Apple ecosystem already, these earbuds will work seamlessly with all of your gadgets. The Pros should last for five hours before they need more juice, and you’ll get 24 hours of total listening time when you employ the power kept in its MagSafe charging case.
With the Pros are back on sale, you’ll find that you can get most Apple headphones and earbuds at a discount right now. The new, third-generation AirPods are down to $150 and the second-generation earbuds are on sale for only $100. Even the AirPods Max are cheaper than usual: at the time of writing this, the space gray, blue and silver models are down to $450 thanks to a sale price and an additional coupon that knocks another $29 off their final price.
