Roland’s new Aira Compacts put TR drums, 303s and Junos in your pocket

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Roland’s Aira instrument range is being expanded once again with the launch of three ‘Compact’ instruments that draw on the company’s rich heritage: the T-8 Beat Machine; J-6 Chord Synthesiser; and E-4 Voice Tweaker.

It can be difficult to work out what distinguishes an Aira product from a standard Roland one – the Aira microsite features the TR-8S drum machine but not the TR-6S, its slimmed-down cousin – but it’s pretty clear what the Compact range is all about. These are “fun, affordable, and easy to learn” boxes that are designed to be used individually or together, in a similar way to Korg’s Volcas. This being Roland though, everything is completely digital.

Once again, Roland’s Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology is in play, and each model comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that promises plenty of run time.

The T-8 looks like the most straightforward of the three: it’s a six-track drum machine that includes sounds from the TR-808, TR-909 and TR-606. You also get a bass part based on the TB-303, taking the device tentatively into groovebox territory. There’s a sequencer, obviously – this can run to up to 32 steps – with features such as step loop, pattern shift and probability enabling you to add variation to your grooves. You can tweak your bass sound, and there are reverb/delay send effects.

The J-6 Chord Synthesiser is a more curious proposition – it blends a Juno-60 synth engine (presumably the same one as you’ll find in the new full-size Juno-X) with a chord sequencer. It’s designed to be used by non-players; 100 chord sets are included, with each enabling you to trigger chords and create progressions using the built-in keyboard. You can also dial in variations (arpeggios and guitar-style playing, for example). You could just use the J-6 as a synth (like the other Aira Compacts, it has MIDI connectivity) though beyond choosing the sound itself, editing is limited to filter and envelope controls. Again, there are delay and reverb effects.

Finally, the E-4 Voice Tweaker is a compact vocal effects box that promises everything from standard processors to full-on vocal transformers. There are pitch and formant sliders for instant gender switching and robot voice effects (among other things), and you also get the customary automatic pitching/ harmonising and vocoder options. You can capture your performances with a 24-second looper, while the Scatter knob lets you dial in slice effects.

The three Aira Compact devices are available now for $200 each.