In Memoriam of Kevin Kelley of The Audio Playground

Amy Kelly, wife of Kevin Kelley, wrote in to let me know of her husband Kevin Kelley's passing in 2024. You might remember Kevin Kelley mentioned directly in numerous posts here on MATRIXSYNTH going all the way back to 2007. Kevin ran the Audio Playground aka keyboardmuseum.org which was created back in 2000. (Note keyboardmuseum.org is no longer active, the link takes you to posts referencing the site).

The Audio Playground was a synth museum in Winter Park, Florida. One of the great things I loved about the site was that Kevin hosted samples of the synths featured, including virtual sound sheets, so you could get an idea of what they sounded like. Back then that was actually quite rare.

Kevin was also an owner of the uber rare Technos Acxel synthesizer. You can see it pictured below as well as in previous posts featuring Kevin.

Included below are some pics of Kevin with his daughters and his cats sent in by his wife Amy.


"He was a wonderful and brilliant man as well as a great dad and husband. His three daughters and I miss him tremendously." - Amy

Amy still has his Technos Acxel and is working on bringing it back to life. I've sent her a few leads, but if anyone out there can help with the following, please feel free to reach out (matrixsynth@gmail.com).

"The system successfully powers on and initializes the Grapher console, but it is currently hanging at the initial splash screen ('Forget Technology, think music'). I suspect the data sectors on the original 3.5" boot floppy have degraded over time. I am looking to write a fresh sector-by-sector image to a healthy 720KB DD disk to isolate the issue.

My hope is that someone out there might have a raw disk image (.img or .hfe format) compatible with this era of the hardware."

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New Enclosures for MidiVolts Desktop and Poly Sequencer!

video upload by Space Brain Circuits

"MidiVolts Desktop:
https://spacebraincircuits.com/pages/...

Poly Sequencer:
https://spacebraincircuits.com/pages/...

Upgraded Sheet Metal Enclosures:
https://spacebraincircuits.com/produc..."

The Hope - Circuit3 & Vince Clarke [excerpt] from Metanoia: Music From Therapy

video upload by Circuit 3

"Circuit3 announces Metanoia: Music From Therapy, an instrumental album of analogue synthesis, personal reckoning, and a collaboration with Vince Clarke that reshaped the project.

The album closes with ‘The Hope’, the collaboration with Vince Clarke. Across 11 minutes, it builds a melodic drone landscape that holds both hopelessness and hope at the same time. The piece suggests that neither feeling disappears; they sit beside each other, always present, always waiting to be recognised.

Limited CD / LP editions released August 14 2026 through circuit3.bandcamp.com
Unlimited digital edition released August 14 2026 through mortalitytables.bandcamp.com

Not available on streaming services

Circuit3, the retro-futurist project of Dublin-based Peter Fitzpatrick, steps away from his melodic synthpop background on Metanoia. The album moves into spacious, quietly expressive instrumentals. The sound is minimal and tactile, shaped by the classic late‑70s and early‑80s electronic vocabulary without being locked inside it."

FL Studio 26 and the NEW FLkey - The perfect match!

video upload by Novation

"Find out more about our latest FLkey here - https://novationmusic.com/flkey?utm_s...

With the recent release of FL Studio 2026, we decided to check out the latest updates and see how they integrate with our new FLkey.

In this video, Vini walks you through some of FL Studio 2026's new features, explaining how FLkey can help your workflow, especially when using these new Image Line software updates, and why the new FLkey is the perfect match for FL Studio."

Chapters:
0:00 - FL Studio 26 is here!
0:56 - A quick look at the Gopher assistant
2:03 - Playing layered FPC pads in Drum Pad Mode
4:43 - FLkey controlling Transmitter with Plugin Encoder Mode
7:18 - Luxeverb's Feedforward pitch mode
9:41 - Exploring the new, redesigned Flex plugin
12:04 - Creating an FLkey Custom Mode to navigate Flex
15:50 - FLkey bundled with FL Studio Producer Edition

🎹 Suggested videos to watch next:



Playlist:

1. The New FLkey is here: the go-to controller for FL Studio
2. How sequencer mode on the new FLkey works
3. Jay Cactus: How to Make a Drill Beat with FLkey and FL Studio

A simple but fun and inspiring patch July 23 2026

video upload by John L Rice

"A simple but fun and inspiring patch July 23 2026

Vermona meloDICER, Happy Nerding HM VCO, Bubblesound 141, 2hp Verb"

A Quantizer packed with Creativity!! // Ziggurat from Acid Rain Technology

video upload by DivKid

"Here's an absolutely MEGA guide to creative and musical uses of quantizers in Eurorack which is our demo of Ziggurat from Acid Rain Technology. Ziggurat is packed full of smart and easy to use features across its 4 channels of quantizing, some features I've not seen on anything else before (hats off to Acid Rain!) but there's lots of patches widely applicable to any quantizer options you may have. I also hope to instill the message that quantizers are super fun even when you have already quantized sources."

via Acid Rain Technology

A melodic playground for your eurorack system

Ziggurat is a 4 channel quantizer designed to turn any combination of control voltage and gate signals into inspiring and unexpected melodies. Ziggurat provides a fresh way to explore harmonic relationships - wandering through different combinations of note masks, input signals, ranges and offsets until the music catches your ear - at which point all settings on the module can be easily saved for later reference

Synthesizers.com Introduces Q210 Complex Noise

video uploads by synthesizersdotcom

Update: videos just released and added above. Note the playlist is in the order released by Synthesizers.com.

Playlist:
1. Meet the Q210 Complex Noise | Synthesizers.com Newest Module
2. A Quick Overview of the Q210 Complex Noise
3. Using Q210 Complex Noise To Clock Q173 Gate Math
4. Q210 Complex Noise Random Gate Discussion
5. A quick Q210 Complex Noise Patch
6. Another Q210 Complex Noise Patch
7. Changing speed of Random Gates on Q210 Complex Noise
8. CHAOS OUTPUT on the Q210 COMPLEX NOISE

via Synthesizers.com

"This is Synthesizers.com's first new module in two years, and we're excited to share it with you: the Q210 Complex Noise.

The Q210 Complex Noise is noisemaker's playground. Though capable of standard white noise fare, the Q210 can help provide you with decidedly boundary pushing timbres, not usually found in your typical 5U module.

Beyond noise, the Q210 is also comfortable generating random gates, which when routed to VCAS or drum sounds, can help launch your next ambient composition into science fiction territory.

Depending on how you approach the module, the Q210 can be a tame texture ready to mix in with a completed track. However if you push it, the Q210 can become the basis of an entire soundscape, especially when paired with filters, VCAS, and envelopes. Sounds both dramatic and explosive are quite easy to conjure."

Korg USA Mobilizes Workforce for Long Island Cares Volunteer Initiative

Press release follows.

Korg USA Mobilizes Workforce for Long Island Cares Volunteer Initiative Supporting Regional Food Security Efforts

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Korg USA Inc. expanded its ongoing community involvement last week through a dedicated employee volunteer day at Long Island Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank. The initiative directly supports regional efforts to address food insecurity across Long Island by providing critical operational help to the non-profit organization. The collaborative effort highlights Korg USA’s active corporate citizenship and aligns with a shared strategic vision to mobilize localized resources for neighbors facing humanitarian challenges.

The relationship between the two entities is further strengthened by leadership integration, as Korg USA CFO Diana Cecchini serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Long Island Cares. This organizational connection facilitates direct alignment between Korg USA’s corporate community engagement initiatives and the strategic goals of the food bank. By advancing leadership and active collaboration, the volunteer initiative directly supports Long Island Cares in its core mission to improve food security for families, sponsor programs focused on achieving self-sufficiency and educate the public on the root causes and consequences of hunger.

Long Island Cares formally acknowledged the impact of Korg USA’s workforce following the volunteer day, recognizing the musical instrument company’s ongoing dedication to the organization's regional humanitarian goals. In an official social media statement, Long Island Cares noted that the time, enthusiasm, and dedication of the Korg USA team help make their mission possible, expressing gratitude for the continued partnership and its role in making a difference in the lives of local neighbors.

For more information about Korg USA, please visit www.KorgUSA.com
For more information on Long Island Cares, please visit www.licares.org

Top 14 Famous Michael Jackson - synthesizer intros and songs

video upload by jami.m

"Synths used in these videos: Yamaha DX7, Yamaha Montage, Yamaha MODX, Prophet 6, Roland JV-80, Roland Jupiter-X

Daw: Cubase 14 pro

Audio interface: Apollo Twin X

00:00 Wanna Be Startin'
Something
00:16 Thriller
00:38 Beat It
00:56 P.Y.T.
01:14 Human Nature
01:59 Bad
02:56 Billie Jean
03:41 Remember the Time
04:02 Thriller version 2
04:59 Another Part of Me
05:28 Smooth Criminal
05:46 Will You Be There
06:16 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
06:56 Thriller (Zombie dance live loop)"

Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean to Turn You On | Vintage Synth Cover | PPG Wave System & Emulator II

video upload by RetroSound

"Robert Palmer's classic hit "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" recreated using an authentic collection of legendary 1980s electronic instruments.

This cover was produced primarily with the iconic PPG Wave 2.2 and PPG Waveterm A. Most of the synthesizer sounds and samples were created directly on the original PPG Wave System, delivering the unmistakable sound of early wavetable synthesis.

Additional textures and sampled guitar sounds were performed on the legendary E-mu Emulator II, while the rhythm section combines the unmistakable punch of the LinnDrum with the electronic percussion of the Simmons SDS8.

The drum and percussion tracks feature two true vintage classics:

🎹 PPG Wave 2.2
💾 PPG Waveterm A
🎹 E-MU Emulator II
🥁 Simmons SDS8
🥁 LinnDrum

This cover is a tribute to the incredible production and atmosphere of the original recording, combining authentic 1980s synthesizers, sampler technology, and classic drum machines.

The goal of this production was to recreate the authentic sound and atmosphere of the mid-1980s using original hardware instruments."

Website ► https://retrosound72.wixsite.com/home
Merch Shop ► https://retrosound.creator-spring.com/