Aira Compact

The original trio of Aira Compacts (T-8, J-6 and E-4) were released on 10 May 2022. Two additional models, the S-1 and P-6, were released a year later in May 2023 during the Superbooth trade show and on 12 September 2024 respectively. They are all priced at $200. == Design ==

Each model in the Aira Compact series shares a similar design, using sounds recreated from Roland's past synthesisers and drum machines digitally using their Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology. They are all portable and have a built-in lithium-ion battery, similar to the design of Korg's Volca series. and USB-C connectors to interface with other devices. At the top right of each model, there is a volume control. Models T-8 Beat Machine The T-8 is a drum machine loosely based on Roland's TR-808, TR-909, and TR-606. It has six drum sounds available: bass drum, snare drum, clap, tom, open hi-hat and closed hi-hat. Each sound has control over its tuning (with the exception of the hi-hats) and decay envelope. J-6 Chord Synthesizer The J-6 is a synthesiser using sounds based on Roland's Juno 60. The sound engine consists of 64 presets and allows control over the filter cutoff, filter resonance, envelope attack and envelope release. It has oscillator (with square, saw and noise waveforms, in addition to sub oscillators), LFO, filter (which will not self-oscillate) and envelope sections, as well as chorus, delay and reverb effects. As well as the basic waveforms, users can "draw" their own or use the "Osc Chop" function to make more metallic sounds. Unlike the monophonic original, it is four-voice polyphonic. The S-1 has a 64-step sequencer with motion recording and can save up to 64 sequences. == Reception ==

The Aira Compacts were received well by reviewers. Bruce Aisher of MusicRadar gave the series 4.5/5 stars in their review, commenting on the quality of the sound engine present. He noted that the lack of a more detailed display meant that the manual was needed for more complex processes. O'Brien also reviewed the S-1 when it was released. He called it the "most compelling" Aira Compact due to its more expansive feature set, but also found it to be the "most frustrating" due to its complicated layout. Awards The Aira Compact series has received two awards for product design: • iF Product Design Award (2023) • Red Dot Design Award (2023) == References ==