-=[THE SYNTH ZONE]=-

Also, I kinda just hate working on a computer, even though you can do just about anything in a DAW.

Digging "Bint"--was this all just on the Volca FM?

That LFO is definitely coming with the Earthbound vibes.

It's like the scene in a JRPG where an NPC reveals themself as the evil villain and then warps the party somewhere, just as they were about to achieve something.

old Korg Electribes are pretty cheap now - the ER-1 is about the same price as a Volca last time I looked.

Are those the little beat boxes?

I once saw a YouTube video of someone doing a really good live techno PA on one of those. Wish I could find it again.

Digging "Bint"--was this all just on the Volca FM?[

yeah just volca overdubbed in audacity

Very nice! I can barely understand FM synthesis, but one can get some pretty wild stuff with it.

I don't think I'll be able to prevent myself from picking up one of these when they come out, this looks incredible for just $99:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhonu-rM0B0

Damn all the new Roland stuff looks lame. When will they stop with the virtual analog stuff?

That little Korg thing sounds pretty great though!

The Juno boutique thing looks good. I managed to get one of the first run in Russia but they’d been sold out in the U.K. for years and were going for a lot more money on eBay.

I honestly do not understand releasing a souped-up digital Jupiter for £2200, though.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000879q

a 60 minute modular-synth mix selected by Steve Davis, former world snooker champion...

(he plays one himself, new lp out shortly as Utopia Strong - https://www.loudersound.com/news/steve-davis-and-kavus-torabi-release-first-new-music-from-utopia-strong )

Wait, what? How did I not know this? That’s amazing.

The Caterina Barbieri album is brilliant btw.

tne caterina has been the stand out track so far. not exactly background listening though (in that i can't concentrate on anything else whilst it's playing)

Talking of modular stuff, I got a clone of Clouds from a DIY builder on eBay and it’s wonderful. I may need a second.

Please enjoy some imaginary action game music I made using Korg Gadget on my Switch:

https://soundcloud.com/found-river/run-jump-dont-die

Pretty cool. Sounds like the theme song to an 80s show about a talking vehicle.

Haha thanks

little ambient thing i did

https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/fluor

Not a synth at all, but these look and sound gorgeous!

https://www.vintagevibe.com/products/vintage-vibe-tine-piano

I definitely want to pick up one of these when they finally come out. Seems like a really flexible piece of gear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHqBt6B234

Totally--that thing looks worth it for the effects alone. And I don't have the first clue about DSP, but it will be cool as heck to download other people's FX and oscillators.

I'm finally diving into the Microfreak tomorrow, and as it happens I have one day to essentially write and finish a track for a compilation. Hopefully it doesn't sound like a microfreak product demo, even if that's what it might be, lol.

Hoping for some of the old 'first time user, don't know what I'm doing' magic.

The Microfreak is the other recent synth that I've been considering - although at £260 it's a lot more than the Korg Nutekt. I was thinking about the Monologue when it first came out, but in the end I didn't buy one because although it could get pretty extreme it wasn't that far out of the usual palette of monosynth sounds. Automatic Gainsay's review of the Microfreak demonstrates that it has a lot more range and also potential for in-depth programming far beyond what the front panel controls suggest.

I'm very hopeful, in many ways it seems like the synth I've always wanted. Will report back (hopefully as a conquering hero).

I got to play with one at Guitar Center today, I really liked the touch 'keyboard.'

Omg I love this synth. I've barely cracked the surface, but it's surprisingly intuitive so far, and I've never had as much fun going through presets. The keyboard & pitch bend ribbon are just delightful.

Also preset #2 is basically a Pulse X bass, what a gift

Well now that I've successfully made a track out of the most immediately appealing & usable patches, I guess I need to learn how to actually program the thing

There were some quirks, like it didn't seem to be getting the bpm from my DAW (for LFOs/arps etc), but that was easily set manually. Also everything online talks about 160 factory patches, but I only had about 120 before it got into the user slots. Not a big deal though.

And I haven't figured out much with the matrix yet (basically a digital version of a patchbay where you can change lfo routing etc). All I know is I got some sick sounds, and the glide and pitch bends are amazing on this (always important).

making some really nice droney ambient with my new ehx cathedral pedal, this thing rules

https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/nnell

Has anyone picked up any of the Behringer remakes of vintage synths? Morality aside, they look quite interesting - analogue sound with contemporary improvements to functionality. What's always put me off has been the lousy build quality of their budget gear but the reviews suggest the new synths are pretty well made.

I want the vocoder.

Yes, that's the one which immediately stood out to me as well.

Meanwhile installed update on my analog4 mk1 last night and it’s a killer upgrade. Still getting my kind blown that you can update synth software and get new features.

The new sequencing functionality is making me reconsider not getting an Analogue RYTM.

Can’t speak on the rytm though I know it’s more limited than on the a4 because the a4 is built for polyphonic sequencing and I think there some limitations w the rytm. I also have a machine drum and love sequencing midi w it like a unique step sequencer. I only wish the a4 didn’t limit tit the 4 tracks. Like if it let you sequence the 4 internal voices and shift selecting tracks or something accessed 4 additional tracks for midi sequencing.

picked up a korg monotron duo for $30 on reverb, holy shit this thing is capable of some interesting sounds

i recorded a piece inspired by eliane radigue's "jetsun mila" with the monotron and the cathedral pedal, i think it turned out pretty good https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/jettison

The new 303 knockoff sounds pretty great!
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2019/11/08/behringer-td-3-an-updated-roland-tb-303-clone/

Behringer Crave is now on pre-orders (was revealed in january, then very little for 10 months). looks like a useful, and cheap, semi-modular.

https://www.behringer.com/Categories/Behringer/Keyboards/Synthesizers-and-Samplers/CRAVE/p/P0DPX

should i buy an MS-20 mini?

yes, they rule.

if you play guitar or bass, the external signal processing is pretty cool in and of itself

Software sound fuckery -
https://cdm.link/2018/02/mammut-free-software-completely-insane-things-sounds/
https://www.notam02.no/web/prosjekter/mammut/?lang=en

Behringer's 'clone all the synths you've ever wanted' project continues:

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behringers-wasp-synth-clone-revealed-and-you-can-pre-order-it-now

I have a Wasp filter in my Eurorack set-up but will probably pick this up as well at some point.

Behringer just announced a polyphonic Model D/Minimoog that looks close to the size of an original.

My main problem with the glut of Behringer stuff is that I don’t have any space left to put it, but this looks very cool.

I’ve ordered a Mutable Instruments Elements in the pre-Black-Friday sales and look forward to making lots of exciting plonking noises.

The behringer poly D is actually paraphonic not polyphonic apparently

a local seller in town had a roland s-10 sampler up for grabs, I couldn't resist! exactly the sort of chunky early sampling I wanted

here's a quick track I made using samples I created with the volca FM:

https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/11-26a

love those sounds

This inspired me to look up the Roland S-10, and then quickly download a 12 bit sampler emulation vst :)