Once I’d heard ‘Are Friends’ Electric?” by Tubeway Army, I knew synthesizers would be a huge part of my life. Despite drums becoming my main instrument for many years, I dabbled and lusted after countless pieces of gear and started using computers to help me make my own music with a Commodore 64 and a copy of Electrosound.
Over the years, I eventually progressed to more professional tools and began to truly indulge my love of electronic music making, slowly building a collection of gear that covered most synthesis methods, from sampling to physical modelling and beyond. However, my love of the gear that soundtracked my formative years was strong and I was fortunate enough to be asked to work with the inventor of the Fairlight CMI on their more recent projects. This then led to me restoring Fairlight CMI’s, something I still do to this day.
My home studio is now filled with classic vintage gear of the 80s and 90s, as well as modern classics. In recent years, I have been producing podcasts for Sound On Sound, as well as writing articles for them and I also present a weekly live stream for the Pro Synth Network. I still drum, albeit now on e-Drum kits, which are far easier to move around and a lot quieter when practising! You can often find me delivering seminars & lectures and at various synth shows around the world, talking about and demonstrating iconic synths.
Ripples is a new bank for Pigments from Tom Wolfe, plus sounds for the KORG modwave, Polyend Synth, Omnisphere 3 and even the good old Yamaha SY85!
Cupid & Psyche 85 is a masterpiece of composition, arrangement & production. But what synths did Green, Gamson & Maher use?
The Supercritical Redshift 6 gets a new update to 1.7 with a Math page to deliver new modulation capabilities, along with new presets, improved knob resolution and more!
New sounds for the KORG Z1, plus a tribute to Vladimir Kuzmin and 880, yes 880, free classic presets for Cherry Audio's Ensoniq ESQ-1.
Cherry Audio's latest release, the Ensoniq ESQ-1, has brought back heaps of nostalgia. Soniq Odysseys gives you 100 more presets!
Cherry Audio resurrect a left-field vintage classic with official approval. Can the Ensoniq ESQ-1 deliver the magic of the original hardware?
The Prophet~5 is an instrument that redefined what to expect from a synthesizer, and influenced both artists and synth developers alike. Now it receives its first official software version.
This week, we celebrate the U.K. release of Resynator on Apple TV, plus we look at a drum machine for the PS Vita and a modern twist on the Trautonium.
The Arturia MiniLab 37 expands the affordable line of lightweight controllers, but does it add anything over and above a few more keys?
Minim Strings from Tempest Instruments seeks to address the issue of writing repetitive legato in a simple Kontakt package. We also have a bunch of Tribute banks from Arturia and new sounds for Chromaphone.
UVI Rumble is a brand-new take on bass synthesis, and it might just change the way we all approach the bottom end!
Bohemian Clarinet joins Virharmonic's Bohemian string range, but does it deliver the same level and depth of feeling and expression as its bowed brethren?
Why is Blade Runner so revered and referenced by those both inside and outside electronic music making, and how did the tools he used enable the great man? I have a theory...
This week, Marc Barnes delivers volume 2 of his MPE Expressions for Arturia's Pigments 7, plus we have free sounds for Arturia's SQ-80.
Arturia's Memory V seeks to bring back one of the most loved and legendary polysynths of all time. Can this software recreation do its hardware forebear justice?
The Rhodes Mk.8 in itself was a glorious comeback of one of the all-time classic instruments. Now with MIDI, you may no longer need another keyboard on stage.
SUPERBOOTH
The Bob Moog Foundation have done it again with another brilliant raffle prize. And if you're a Casio FZ-1 owner, Deft Audio show us some very cool hardware upgrades for your machine!
Orchestral Suite 2, a complete orchestra at your fingertips with enough articulations and nuance to have the big boys quaking in their boots. We also have a remarkable new piano library from Wrong Tools!
This week, we've got a brilliant bank of sounds for the Moog One, the proceeds from which will go to The Bob Moog Foundation, plus there are some great sounds for SWAYED, the SY/TG recreation!
SUPERBOOTH
SONICWARE return with a new groovebox concept that is LIVEN adjacent yet utterly its own thing. Welcome to the deconstruct MINIMAL.
SUPERBOOTH
It's just a few days until Superbooth 2026 kicks off in Berlin, so we take a look ahead to speculate what we may or may not see and hear at FEZ!
Everyone should own at least one Moog synth, and right now, there are some great deals on Moog synths to be had, so grab a bargain and treat your ears to the wonderful sound of a Moog!
Boutique synth book publisher BJOOKS has announced their latest publication, Beat Gems, a quality tome that does for drum machines what Synth Gems did for synths!
Available now!
Wolfgang Palm and Cornel Hecht have joined forces to resurrect the last fully analogue PPG synth, the classic PPG 1002 and it looks and sounds incredible!