“Deep calm”: Roland Mood Pan is a digital handpan

Sometimes, Roland gives us predictable things. Sometimes, the company decides to digitize the handpan for an electronic hand percussion instrument that can also make gamelan and singing bowl sounds, pretty environmental noises, and function as a Bluetooth speaker.

Bastl Instruments’ budget, handheld boxes are pure magic; new videos

Bastl Instruments’ transformation of the Kastle into the firmware-swappable Kastle 2 line is one of the best things in gear right now. The Wave Bard sample player firmware debuted just before Superbooth, winning over audiences at the packed show with patchable breakbeat mangling charm.

Peter Kirn - May 12, 2025

The yellow plastic case of a Roland P-6 pocket drum machine opened up, revealing the factory PCB board and mods with speaker and amplifier circuit.

Hack a Roland P-6 pocket sampler with its own amp and speaker

It’s a drum machine. It’s a sampler. It’s got a rechargeable battery. It’s got… some space inside the case. So hacker DIYDSP (Noah Vawter) added his own amp and speaker, modding the handheld with the self-contained speaker Roland left out.

Peter Kirn - December 16, 2024

Roland P-6 pocket sampler with FX, granular engine: here’s what to know

Peter Kirn - September 12, 2024

Portable recorder/looper on its side with a rainbow background behind it. White with knobs and wooden buttons, a large speaker grill, and a gooseneck mic protruding perpendicular to the front panel.

Critter and Guitari Kaleidoloop, portable looper, is back with new features

Peter Kirn - March 6, 2024

Yamaha’s SEQTRAK looks like a return to fun mobile music designs

Peter Kirn - January 16, 2024

Teenage Engineering’s EP-133 K.O. II: sampler-sequencer, $299

Peter Kirn - November 22, 2023

Roland’s AIRA Compact: bite-sized versions of TR drum machine, JUNO-60 synth, vocal FX

Peter Kirn - May 10, 2022

Tiny Poly: Roland is making Boutique versions of JD-800, JX-8P

Peter Kirn - November 9, 2021

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