Joué Play | 4-in-1 Portable Digital Instrument, with Powerful and Easy-to-use Musical App Included - Plug & Play Music

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The Joué's initial selection of modules (minus the Grand Clavier).We'll look at the modules in turn, starting with the smallest and simplest. For testing I used ROLI Equator and FXpansion Cypher2 (which are MPE-capable), both stand-alone and in Bitwig Studio, and I also fired up Cycling '74 Max to inspect MIDI controller messages more closely. The slim keys are joined by pads, faders and knobs, plus touchstrips for pitchbend and modulation and a new OLED display. There’s also a built-in arpeggiator, a Chord mode and custom DAW presets for Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Bitwig Studio and Reason.

The selection of different modules (nine in total at the time of writing) covers a range of MIDI control duties, from keyboards and fretboard to knobs and faders. Where appropriate (keyboards and fretboard) the modules are MPE-capable, and in non-MPE mode they support polyphonic aftertouch, although there's precious little software or hardware out there these days that can make use of it. The factory settings of the modules put them on distinct MIDI channels, while the MIDI controller numbers generally go from 1 upwards, but these settings are all editable. Fretboard: A guitar-style fretboard with nine 'frets' and six 'strings' emulating the standard EADGBE tuning. (There's an option to tune the individual strings to other notes.) It's possible to pitch bend along a string (a gesture referred to as vibrato), but the most extreme pitch bending (which is upwards only) comes from the 'bending' gesture, pushing strings upwards or downwards. Aftertouch (pressure) is also supported. There are two configurable buttons, which I found most useful when programmed as toggles for the vibrato and bending functions. I found the fretboard's pitch modulation harder to control than on the keyboards; there's no MPE glide facility, and you have to tweak the vibrato and bending controls by ear. For more experienced players, there’s the MPE functionality and this is one of the most affordable ways to get into the MPE control world. On another level, it’s also just fun to play instruments in a different way, moving notes and controls to see what happens in a way you wouldn’t do on an 88-key piano, for example. The results are often surprising and useful, and Play is a fun way of helping players of all levels generate new musical ideas. The Joué editor. A Fretboard preset is open for editing, although the device itself is running the chromatic Scaler module.Like most 88-key keyboards, the layout differs a bit from the smaller models, with the mod and pitch wheels on the top panel, and the controls spread out a little bit more. Switch pads on the fly to instantly transform your Joue Play into a guitar, piano, drums or keyboard and explore their assigned sound banks. Enter a creative mode with no barriers thanks to a turnkey app. No need to spend hours on overly complex music software, enjoy the simplified version of essential music creation tools in the Joue Play App. Joue Play's pad overlays take on an aquatic theme with this Water Edition. Versatile, multi-touch control over MIDI allows you to take charge of software including the Joue Play app.

Scaler: A full-width 17-key chromatic keyboard layout oriented towards instruments like harp or vibraphone. A preset scale can be selected (there are 23 to choose from), and vibrato (left-right glide), Y position (slide) and aftertouch are all supported. I was pleasantly surprised to note that MPE glide between keys arrived at the correct pitch regardless of the selected scale. There's also a single bubble, two configurable buttons and a ribbon control. The 25-note keyboard is said to be more playable than before, with improved velocity response. With just two octaves to work with, though, there’s not going to be a great deal of scope for giving two-handed performances. If Joué Play has a downside, it’s the app. While it’s impressive sonically, it feels half-baked, with limited editing features. While functionality is identical, the iPad edition is a slightly better experience just because it’s more conducive to touch. You’ve already in exploratory touch mode using the controller. Suddenly switching to a mouse feels like a betrayal to your hands. The rubber modules include piano keys, scalable keys, drum pads, and a guitar-style fretboard (pictured here). Adam Douglas S o, who should buy the Joué Play?Features inherited from the original Rise include the Touch Fader controls, integrated battery and Bluetooth MIDI support for wireless operation.