If you only get a glance at the A-01 you’ll immediately see similarities between it and the excellent Roland Boutique line of synthesizers. It’s designed to be at home controlling software over MIDI, MIDI over Bluetooth, and CV/Gate for analog or modular synthesizers.
While it’s compatible with the K-25m mini-keyboard (yes, the one you’ve seen with the Roland Boutique series) it goes a step further than being a portable controller. The A-01 features what Roland calls, “a pocket synthesizer with an 8-bit CPU sound engine “developed by the engineer responsible for Roland classics including the JX-3P.” So there we have it. The A-01 is even more part of the Boutique family than you might have first realised.
Main Features
- Ultra-compact controller and sound generator
- Highly portable for mobile music making
- High-quality construction with metal front panel
- Dual assignable ribbon controls for pitch bend, modulation, sound preview, CC, and more
- MIDI over Bluetooth®
- CV/GATE outputs for legacy analog/modular synthesizers
- Battery-operated (4 x AA) or USB bus-powered
- 192x40 graphic LCD screen
- Built-in 0.5 W mini-speaker for real-time sounds
- Compatible with optional Roland K-25m mini-keyboard
- Bundled package with K-25m keyboard dock (A-01K) is also available
Being battery powered and equipped with a built-in speaker should make this a favourite with ultra-mobile musicians. And the 192x40 LCD screen provides essential info including the shape of the waveform this mini treat of a synth/controller is generating.
We don't yet know how much A-01 is expected to retail for, or when it will be available, but you'll be sure to find out more details from retailer websites.
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