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.
I take a look back over 2025 to select my synth-related highlights of the year!
It's been 50 years since the inception of Fairlight, the company that brought us the first-ever commercial digital sampler, the Fairlight CMI. We take a look at how it started.
It's only been out for 3 weeks, and the Waldorf Protein, their new tabletop wavetable synth, gets new features in a fresh update!
You chance to win a Maple Vanguard Snare drum in our latest Xmas raffle!
Free Creative Chords for Massive X, freebies for Mercury-8 and more in this week's Sounds and Presets!
This ingenious and extremely pretty synth concept from Argentina, Nopia, has resurfaced in its finished form and is now in extensive testing ahead of a launch sometime soon!
Arturia's flagship software synth gets yet another major update. Can Pigments 7 deliver noteworthy improvements?
A look at some of the more expressive synths of the last 40 years that I have owned and used.
Amazing synth deals just in time for Christmas, here are some that may have you needing a bigger stocking at the end of your bed!
Celebrate your Absynth 6 purchase by adding a ton of brilliant presets to it for just €9.99! Plus we have free patches for Arturia Analog Lab V!
This week's Synth Journal takes a look at some very cool, interesting projects, including the MÕNAI from VOID9 and the latest Bob Moog Foundation raffle!
It's onwards and upwards with the Supercritical Redshift 6 as it receives 4 new FX engines and a new VCF engine called Mirror Twins!
Cherry Audio's Mercury-8 launched last week to great acclaim, and now Synthwave veteran and legend, Michael Oakley, has created The Grid, a superb bank for it!
The 1010music bento beta firmware update is now a full release and adds more than just the Fireball synth engine!
Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care! This week we've got Yamaha & ROLI teaming up with the Airwave, plus other digital wavey things for your synths!
After Mercury-4 and Mercury-6, Cherry Audio finish the year with their most requested instrument ever, the Mercury-8, a Jupiter-8 with bells on!
Arturia complete the AstroLab lineup with the AstroLab 37, a small, portable version of the groundbreaking keyboard that only compromises in a single area. Size.
This week, Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Discover allows you to explore composing for an orchestra for free!
Welcome to the Pleasuredome was the audacious debut album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. But what was used to make this epic slice of 80s pop?
Software versions of hardware synths are commonplace these days, but it is rare to see it happen in reverse. Check out the two Cherry Audio synths that have been reverted back to hardware!
If you've just bought the brand new Osmose 61 by Expressive E, you may well want to invest in their Lounge Lizard Expressive Suite!
Millenium's MPS-350 kit delivers a comprehensive setup for minimal outlay, just in time for Christmas!
We've got some delights for you this week for FM synths, both new and old, plus a big pack for the wavestate and more!
Nearly a decade after its original release, it has spawned numerous versions and clones. Now the original gets a well-deserved refresh with the KeyStep Mk.2.