Why Amy Lee STILL Doesn't Have A Nose and a Closer Look at the New KORG MPS-10 Drum Pads
Sinusoidal Weekly Highlights
Welcome to Sinusoidal Music’s weekly newsletter. Here we shall present you with the latest insights into the music business, production tips for musicians, the hottest new releases, and everything in between!
Music Buzz > What are the paparazzi after?
Evanescence release Fallen TikTok filter as part of 20th anniversary celebrations
To celebrate the release of their new Fallen (20th Anniversary Edition), Evanescence have unveiled an official filter on TikTok so you can look like the absolutely iconic Amy Lee album cover.
Taking to the app to share her own updated version of the artwork, the vocalist jokes: “20 years baby! And I STILL don’t have a nose! Let’s see you try” while posing and recreating her look from back in the day.
The filter arrives along with the album itself, of course, which features remastered audio along with B-sides, unreleased demos, live recordings and a slight amendment to the original cover too.
In an accompanying foreword with the physical edition, Amy writes that:
“20 years later, this album has never meant more. Fallen has been the soundtrack to first loves, epic heartbreak, self-realisation, wedding days, last goodbyes, friendships, and countless other moments in so many lives… not to mention my own. I am forever humbled and grateful to be a part of it.”
“It also hits me what we’ve been doing with our band ever since then,” she says. “And how it’s not all about just the people that were there in that moment making the album. Credit is due to the band now and all the work and love we’ve put into Fallen all these years onstage. We’ve kept it going all these years: playing shows around the world, making new music, living it with our fans. I know when somebody comes to our show that only knows Bring Me To Life, they’re walking away with a new impression that’s a lot more than what they thought. And that drives them to our music, old and new.”
Sinusoidal Spotlight > Our pick of the latest indie releases
“Fool” by Robert Vendetta
Robert Vendetta, an avid musician passionate about Mexico, embraces a diverse range of musical influences shaping his unique style, which he dubs Retropop or “modern old.” He shines on stage as a producer, songwriter, and artist, making it his second (and sometimes first) home. Vendetta, who has performed for the Norwegian royal family, draws inspiration from musical icons such as James Brown, Elvis, and Dee Snider. With radio plays on four continents, TV appearances in Norway and Mexico, and a rising fanbase, Robert Vendetta cherishes his loyal fans and strives to maintain a strong connection with them.
Robert Vendetta returns with the soul-stirring and melancholic track “Fool.” This song unfolds as a slow and emotional journey, meticulously crafted to evoke deep sentiments. The slow emergence of retro sounds, coupled with keys, drums, and the emotive clarity of Robert’s vocals, creates a beautifully soothing atmosphere.
Musician’s Toolkit > Secret production tips for pros
KORG MPS-10: Taking the fight to the SPD-SX
KORG enters the world of drum/percussion pads with the MPS-10. Can it compete with already established units?
The world of multi-pad drum and percussion units has been dominated for many years by Roland. Alesis also have skin in the game. Until now, KORG’s efforts in the world of stick-playable electronic drums have been more esoteric with things like the WaveDrum. So it is interesting to see them enter this market with the MPS-10. These types of units have a multitude of uses. Drummers can attach this to their acoustic kits for some variety. Percussionists can do much the same. Many people use these as MIDI trigger inputs and others simply as a standalone drum/percussion pad.
The Hardware
As its name suggests, the MPS-10 has ten velocity-sensitive pads. Six are of the square variety and occupy the main playing area. There are four smaller pads across the top edge that KORG call CC Pads allowing, they say, control over other parameters such as filter cutoff. This allows the user to manipulate sounds without dropping their sticks. The front and centre of the MPS-10 is the user interface. As soon as I saw this I had nightmarish visions of over-enthusiastic drummers smacking that centre console and causing some irreparable damage mid-gig. It does seem odd to have these controls surrounded by pads.
The rear of the MPS-10 sports a range of I/O options that includes stereo audio out, headphones, a pair of sub-outs, Line and Mic in for sampling, two dual-zone trigger inputs, a pair of footswitch sockets and one for an expression pedal. There is a solitary 5-pin MIDI Out port, a USB to-host port and a USB socket for a USB drive containing your own samples.
Under The KORG MPS-10 Hood
The MPS-10 comes with a pretty impressive set of specifications. 3,000 samples, 2,358 instruments and 200 kits, 100 of which are for user kits, can be spread across 48 notes of polyphony. There are 77 different effects to choose from, which can be assigned across 1 master reverb, 1 filter, 1 main effect and 2 inserts per kit. Users can sample into the MPS-10 directly. They can also import from a USB drive or from a computer over USB. There is 32GB of internal memory to store all of this.
Users can import WAV and AIFF file formats at either 44.1 or 48kHz, 16-bit with a maximum length of 60 minutes.
The MPS-10 features a 4-track looper which has its own effects section, track sync and an export function for individual tracks. Other useful features include a set list function so that players can arrange kits in order. Smooth Sound Transition (SST) allows patches to ring out when swapping to a new kit.
Playlist of the week > Sinusoidal’s assortment of trending playlists for every mood
Night Patrol // Hip Hop Vibes
Night Patrol is a carefully curated list of songs for the midnight madness akin to urban individualism. Take a trip with Hip/Hop vibes and experience the best of underground indie rap. This array of verses is one that should not be missed!