I’d always loved music but it was hearing Prince - and more importantly seeing his video for “1999” with the prominent placement of Oberheims - that I fell in love with synthesizers. My first was a Korg Poly-800 and I haven’t looked back since. These days my studio is full of mostly Japanese synths from the 1980s (I live in Japan, after all) but really, I love all kinds. Analog, digital, whatever.
My musical tastes tend towards the electronic. The first record I released was a Chicago acid throwback in 1993. Since then, I’ve done techno, breaks, drum and bass, dubstep and even Krautrock but the genre I keep coming back to is ambient. Leave me alone with a droning synth and I’m endlessly happy.
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Vocoder, filter bank and analogue spectral processor: the Moog Spectravox has it all. And now it can finally be yours.
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The hybrid polyphonic Minilogue XD gets a re-release from Korg, now with combo-organ (and Poly-800!) style inverted keys.
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Korg Berlin is back with its latest electromechanical prototype, Acoustic Synthesis_phase8. “It is not a product just yet, but we are getting close”.
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Four synth engines, drum synthesis, stereo samples, a beefed up sequencer and USB audio get the Polyend Tracker+ right on track.
Take your synthesizer sounds to new heights with the 5 best pedals for synths, including offerings from Behringer, Zoom, Boss and Meris.
Technics collaborates with Automobili Lambhorgini on the SL-1200M7B, a special edition version of their SL-1200MK7.
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EDM and heavy techno fans, take note. The noisetastic Body Synths Metal Fetishist percussion synth makes the DFAM its sub.
Body Synths Metal Fetishist
Love heavy electronic music like EBM? Feel right ...
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Fun, sea-themed graphics highlight Chompi/Chase Bliss collaboration, comes with firmware for routing through external effects.
Six oscillators, 12-voice polyphony, MPE and a 914-style fixed filter bank bolster Synapse Audio The Legend HZ, an upgraded Minimoog emulation.
Four-track cassette workflow with sampling, granular processing, live looping and effects in a device from Torso Electronics? Oh yes please.
Why is lo-fi so imperfectly perfect? Find out how to add a lo-fi sound to your own recordings with our hardware and software picks.
The hybrid DJ blurs the lines between spinning and live performance. These drum machines, effects and controllers can help take your rig to new heights of creativity.
The Roland System 100M remains a high-water mark for both the company and analogue synthesizers in general. And yet its success was far from guaranteed. Read on to find out why.
Thinking about making the switch to knobs or looking to upgrade for better sound? Read on to find out which are the best rotary mixers.
The EX Upgrade now comes pre-loaded in the new flagship Roland FANTOM 6 EX, FANTOM 7 EX and FANTOM 8 EX synthesizers - including the JX-3P ACB Expansion!
This week’s deals on DJ gear at Thomann include great savings on products from Numark, Ecler, Ortofon, Alto and UDG.
New kids on the block Wee Noise Makers want to put their beginner-friendly and hackable PGB-1 groovebox into your hands. The device has 19 sound engines, a sequencer and open-source code, and is crowd-sourcing ...
The Raspberry Pi micro computer is finding its way into more and more synthesizers. Do your synths have a slice of Pi inside? Read on to find out.
Stop just admiring the covers of your record collection and get to listening with these five best USB turntables.
The Korg Poly-800 is about as ‘80s as they come. Here’s how it broke the $1000 price barrier and became a runaway hit.
Suzuki’s new Omnichord OM-108 combines the best of the old models with modern new features. And yes, you can play the Gorillaz on it.
You don’t have to splash out for Eurorack to get some of its benefits. Here are some of the ways that modular has changed traditional synths for the better as well as recommendations for Eurorack ...
Cutting, scratching and soldering: Mixing console experts Audiotonix announce USB-powered educational STEAM two-channel mixer kit.
Two full-range speakers and two subs join the Pioneer DJ XPRS2 series, expanding the AlphaTheta arsenal to six units.