Best of Buchla & Friends 2025: Synth Journal
Buchla & Friends is the place to be for synth fans around NAMM time. In this week’s edition of Synth Journal, we check out some of the new gear announced at this year’s event.
Only in its second year, the Buchla-organized event in downtown Los Angeles is already often referred to as “Synth NAMM”, especially as many smaller synth manufacturers and modular developers have left NAMM in recent years. With Superbooth 25 still a few months away, Buchla & Friends is the perfect opportunity for manufacturers and synth fans to gather in L.A. at NAMM time without actually being at NAMM. This year’s edition drew over 70 exhibitors from all over the world – an amazing turnout for an event that only started last year.
While I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to attend Buchla & Friends myself this year, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to cover some of the fantastic modules and synths announced at the show. We’ve already published separate articles for the Genki Instruments Katla and Black Corporation Expander MK2. Here are some more highlights from Buchla & Friends 2025.
Best of Buchla & Friends
UDO Audio RBN-1-C: Ribbon Controller for Eurorack
In an unexpected move, UDO Audio unveiled their first Eurorack module at Buchla & Friends. RBN-1-C is the perfect companion to the RBN-1 ribbon controller announced at Superbooth last year. RBN-1 is a standalone version of the awesome ribbon controller from the Super Gemini synth that can be used with any expression pedal input. And with the new RBN-1-C module, you can now use it to control your Eurorack system, as well.
In addition to ribbon behavior controls (Hold, Absolute/Relative, Scale), RBN-1-C has dual CV/gate outputs for two-touch control. They’ve even added a live looper with a trigger input, so you can record and loop ribbon movements and trigger them using any signal from your Eurorack. Pretty sweet!
According to UDO Audio, the RBN-1-C module will be available soon. The RBN-1 ribbon controller is already available for pre-order from the company’s website for $265.
New 1U Modules from Eowave
French manufacturer Eowave introduced their new 1U series at Buchla & Friends. More options for filling that 1U row of your Intellijel or similar case are always great, and it looks like these six new modules from Eowave perform just the kind of useful functions the format is perfect for.
Eowave OSCY is an analog oscillator with separate outputs for sawtooth and square, adjustable (but not externally modulateable) pulse width, and two inputs for V/Oct and pitch modulation.
SIFTER is an analog filter module with separate highpass and lowpass outputs, resonance, and cutoff modulation.
Eowave’s new 1U series also includes not one, but two VCAs. LEVERS is a dual VCA that offers just what you’d expect: two identical circuits, each with an input, an output, a CV input, and a level control. As the 1U sibling of the GERMANIA module in 3U format, GERMANIAC combines a Germanium transistor-based VCA and a CV-controllable Warmth circuit.
Moving on, Eowave MIXY is a no-nonsense 4-channel mixer with four inputs and a single output. And lastly, BYE BYE is a stereo output module that gives your Eurorack signals a proper send-off via independently controllable line and headphone outputs.
It looks like Eowave’s 1U series is off to a great start! According to the manufacturer, they should begin to ship in about a month or so. The prices are TBA.
Studio Electronics CODE Luxe Polyphonic Analog Synth
The new CODE Luxe by Studio Electronics was without a doubt one of the most exciting – and expensive – non-modular synths at Buchla & Friends this year. Building on the already very powerful CODE 8 designed in collaboration with Nova Musik, this new version adds a “Luxe” section on the right with a wavefolder and a programmable and modulateable feedback circuit. This should drastically expand the sonic capabilities of the synth, which was already very versatile to begin with. The CODE Luxe also features an updated aluminum design.
Studio Electronics has yet to reveal the full details, but we assume that the rest of the synth is similar to the previous version. One of the standout features of the Studio Electronics CODE are the three expansion slots for filter boards. In addition to the hard-wired SEM filter and a Minimoog filter pre-installed in slot 1, you can add additional circuits inspired by the TB-303, ARP 2600, and/or Yamaha CS80. CODE is an 8-voice, 8x multitimbral synth that allows for very flexible combinations of voices in polyphonic, monophonic, split, layer, and unison configurations.
As of now, it is not known when the Studio Electronics CODE Luxe will become available. According to an Instagram post by the manufacturer, the price will be “between 95 and 99 hundred”, so it’s probably best to start saving now!
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