Tech reviews: New products (September 2023)

BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover

We've written about Spitfire's amazing free offer of the BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover before, but it is worth another plug due to the addition of a concert grand piano as part of the free download. The pack includes 34 instruments, brought to life inside the free, easy-to-use plugin, compatible with any major music creation software – from Garageband to Pro Tools. Discover is designed to make orchestral scoring accessible to music creators of every level – from those just starting out to professional composers. There are upgrades available to Core and Professional, but this free offer will more than suffice for the requirements of most students at GCSE and A Level.

Price: Free

pitfireaudio.com/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover

Sontronics Halo Microphone

Designed by a guitarist for guitarists, the Sontronics Halo dynamic mic has been developed specifically for use on guitar amplifiers. For teachers wanting to record their student guitarist's work, I feel that this beautiful microphone is well worth investing in, ensuring that you capture your student's electric or bass guitar performances with great clarity and precision. With its tight super-cardioid pickup, Halo has excellent side rejection and will capture all the depth, presence and detail of your guitar sound without requiring any EQ or post-processing. Whether you're in the practice room, classroom or main assembly stage, your student's performance will sit perfectly in the mix.

Price: £179

sontronics.com/halo

Dorico 5

Since our last music technology round-up, Steinberg have released the next version of Dorico, the very popular music notation software. This piece of composition and music notation software is compatible with macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. Students can get started for free with Dorico for iPad or Dorico SE for macOS and Windows. If you are a teacher or represent an eligible institution, or if you are a student in full-time education, you can buy Dorico Pro or Dorico Elements at a significant discount on the full retail price. If you want to buy multiple copies to equip your macOS or Windows music classroom or lab, or for several faculty members, even further discounts are available on purchases of five or more copies.

Price: Various, free versions for students

steinberg.net/dorico/education/

Roland FP-E50 Digital Piano

Roland's new FP-E50 brings you a premium digital piano experience and is an excellent addition to the FP range. This fun, portable instrument is filled with Roland's top technologies, providing a complete creative hub for learning, performing, and writing music. The FP-E50 is very similar to Roland's FP-30X but with extras. It builds on that piano's outstanding keyboard action (PHA-4) and sounds, extending them in various ways. It allows you to explore synthesisers, orchestral voices, and more with the advanced ZEN-Core sound engine, backed by interactive accompaniments that put you in control of a full band. Unlike the traditional FP-30X and FP-10, you can connect a mic and sing with vocal effects and real-time harmonies. There are also a host of Bluetooth audio/MIDI support options, onboard recording, computer connectivity, and numerous expansion options on Roland Cloud.

RRP: £864

roland.com/ca/products/fp-e50/