HOT TOPIC – Osmose: Game-changer or eMPEror’s new clothes?
12 Jan 2023 in Synths
The Expressive E Osmose keyboard is creating an industry buzz. In the first of our HOT TOPIC features, we asked our synth experts for their opinions.
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Posts by Robin Vincent
Midweek Modular: Customisable distortions, effects sends and old Moogs
11 Jan 2023 in Synths
This time in Midweek Modular we get to put components into the front of distortion, send signals and pretend we're playing with a Moog modular.
Could AKAI Pro be poised to release the MPC XL?
11 Jan 2023 in Synths
It's the 35th anniversary of the Akai MPC this year, and buried in software scripts appears to be a reference to an unannounced MPC XL.
Koka’s Drone Box No.1: Droning with inanimate objects
08 Jan 2023 in Synths
Take four stepper motors, a box and a bunch of inanimate objects, and you have a Drone Box No.1 machine of textures through electrical impulses.
Midweek Modular: Radioactivity, Particle beams and Overdrive
03 Jan 2023 in Synths
This week we find ourselves mining for isotopes, fiddling with Gaussian distributions and distorting the heck out of things in both mono and stereo.
Best Software Synths of 2022: Classic recreations & Innovative Weirdness!
30 Dec 2022 in Synths
What were the best software synths of 2022? From classic to innovative, here are my picks of the year's best and most interesting soft synths...
The Best Synths of 2022: Big polys, mini polys and more
28 Dec 2022 in Synths
This year's new synthesizers mixed up bold ideas, nuanced pathways, reissues and plenty of vintage vibes. Here are my top 5 synths of 2022.
The Best Eurorack Modules of 2022: Our Top 5 for modular mayhem
26 Dec 2022 in Synths
Despite the year's chip shortages we've seen some interesting and unusual modules this year. Here's my pick of the Best Eurorack Modules of 2022
Melody Oracle: Sequencer, synthesizer, board game and spirit organ
22 Dec 2022 in Synths
Let the spirits guide your sequence with the cosmic Melody Oracle musical pattern divinator. Part board game, part exploratory sonic universe
Midweek Modular: Apollo spaceships, Anti zombie detection and clones
21 Dec 2022 in Synths
This week we get a control panel pulled from a Battlestar Viper, detection of warm bodies and Mutable Instruments modules are getting everywhere.
SERGE Paperface 2.0: 50 year anniversary redesign of a classic
20 Dec 2022 in Synths
A redesigned anniversary edition of the classic Paperface modular series from 1972. The circuits are original, but Serge has added some refinements.
SoundForce SFC-8 Jupiter-8 controller is now ready to ship
20 Dec 2022 in Synths
The SFC-8 MIDI controller for virtual Jupiter-8 plugins is now ready to ship. We also saw the new uDCO oscillator and the S-LD LinnDrum module.
Erica Synths SYNTRX II synthesizer of darkness is now open to preorder
20 Dec 2022 in Synths
Erica Synths unveiled the stunning SYNTRX II exploratory synthesizer at Superbooth along with the LXR drum module. The synth is ready to ship
Vulcan: 8-Voice analogue polysynth for Eurorack
14 Dec 2022 in Synths
Can you squeeze an 8-voice analogue polysynth into a reasonably sized Eurorack module? Hampshire Electronics believes it can; it's called The Vulcan.
Midweek Modular: Triple Steeple, vintage emulators and big fat tubes
14 Dec 2022 in Synths
Shakmat has released the Triple Steeple 3-channel envelope, Sovage has vintage tone to add to your patch & Orpho keeps warm with a vacuum VCO
Pharmasonic Roland System-100 cloned for Eurorack. Buyer beware?
14 Dec 2022 in Synths
Pharmasonic has released single-panel clones of the Roland System-100 Synthesizer 101 and Expander 102. But can you actually buy them?
Synth East: New event in Norwich with gear, performances & Steve Davis
12 Dec 2022 in Synths
Norwich is hosting a new synth and modular festival. It brings together manufacturers, performances and a Steve Davis All-Star Modular Patch-Off.
VENO-ECHO: Flexible and unique stereo delay from Venus Instruments
09 Dec 2022 in Synths
A reworked 2022 VENO-ECHO hones in on versatility and extension modulation possibilities for a playful and powerful stereo delay module.
Is Behringer still on a journey to the Jupiter-8?
09 Dec 2022 in Synths
The Behringer forges appear to be firing up again with some PCB teases that suggest the Jupiter-8 (Bupiter-8?) is perhaps not far off.
Midweek Modular: Mega-Tang, 8 Step and some Buchla inspired computing
07 Dec 2022 in Synths
We've got some West Coast flavour with ALSTADEN and Computsynth400, some superpowered 8 Step and a Quad VCA with stereo mixer pretensions.
Mutable Instruments adds DX7 mode to Plaits and a load more algorithms
07 Dec 2022 in Synths
Émile Gillet drops a huge update onto the Plaits algorithmic oscillator. The 8 new models include a 2-voice, 6-operator DX7 FM engine.
Patchwork and updated Minibay V2 patchbay boxes from DF Audio
Patchbays are usually hidden away in racks, but the Minibay and Patchwork bring them out onto the desktop for more creative possibilities.
Solid Felt: Desktop stereo multimode filter from Herbs & Stones
06 Dec 2022 in Synths
A new addition to the Herbs & Stones family comes in the shape of the Solid Felt stereo multimode analogue filter. Here's what we know.
SERRA: Nano Modules’ ultimate ADSR Envelope
05 Dec 2022 in Synths
Can envelopes be extraordinary or are they just utilities? SERRA offers some interesting possibilities within our old friend the ADSR.