The following is in via Sean Graves, who had the following to say:
"The piece, 'The 'Easel' Spirit in 3U: Rebuilding a Buchla Soul in Eurorack,' documents my five-year journey to replicate the specific workflow and 'soul' of the Buchla Music Easel using a curated Eurorack system."
"This post explores the creative power of 5-step sequencing (the 'migrating downbeat'), the 'origami' of wavefolding via the Verbos Complex Oscillator, and the organic harmonic dampening of vactrol-based Low Pass Gates. It’s a technical yet accessible look at why the West Coast workflow remains the 'holy grail' for performance - based synthesis."
The full write-up follows, with a demonstration of the system in the video above.
The “Easel” Spirit in 3U: Rebuilding a Buchla Soul in Eurorack
The Buchla Music Easel is legendary. It isn’t just a synthesizer. It’s a self-contained performance ecosystem. For many of us, the “Easel” workflow is the holy grail of synthesis. However, instead of chasing original hardware, I’ve spent the past five years rebuilding its specific soul within the Eurorack format. Because everyone deserves a hobby, right?
The Chef vs. The Sculptor Most East Coast synthesizers work like a sculptor. You start with a massive block of harmonic noise (Sawtooth or Square waves) and carve it away with a filter. The Buchla workflow is different. It’s like being a chef in your own Hell’s Kitchen. You start with basic, “bland” ingredients (sine waves) and spice them up with Frequency Modulation (FM), Amplitude Modulation (AM), your choice, and then fold until the sound sizzles.
My current rig recreates this spirit by focusing on three pillars: Uncertainty, Complex Oscillation, and the iconic Sequential Voltage Source.
Part One: The Modulators (The Brain) In a true Easel style setup, the Tokyo Tape Music Center 5-Step Sequencer acts as the brain. While most modern sequencers favor 4-8-16-32 steps, the 5-step limitation is actually a creative superpower.
The above is a playlist of performances for the event. You can find the full list below. You can use the player controls to skip around.
"13-16/11/2025
Gearing Space in 798 Art District, Beijing, China
Modular synthesizer live performance
Photographer: 包子
Camera operator: Tabriss, 千两道化,翰海, 孙太阳, Moy
Recording/Mastering: Ocicat
Video edit: @tamiX-tamiX
1st video features TONYLIGHT with the following:
'I’ve used a lot of synths over the years but this one is something different… it’s a strange instrument. It’s small, much smaller than it appears in photos: it is part synth, part drum machine, part multi-track sequencer. I’m still figuring it all out but initial impressions are that it’s very unpredictable and slightly unstable… but in a good way.'"
1. TONYLIGHT - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
2. Tatsuya Takahashi & Layne - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
3. Solar Bird - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
4. Ninando - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
5. Masayoshi Sakaguchi - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
6. HATAKEN - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
7. Linear Straight / Radical G - - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
8. Nagelluck - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
9. espinoza - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
10. Crystal Dolls aka Manuel - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
11. bunyi - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
12. お化け学 obakegaku & ÉON - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
13. Toyota Vangelis - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
14. Thomas Fang - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
15. Tangie - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
16. Randombrothers - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
17. Paul Tas - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
18. Melting - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
19. Alpha Decay - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
20. Ninando - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
21. Oykni - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
22. Making Sound Machines - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
23. Eric Schlappi - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
24. Ëgg - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
25. [Trailer] Modular Commune Festival Beijing 25
26. 隽皓 (CS_Star) - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
27. 泻火 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
28. 昌平电 X 研究所 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
29. 刘博雍 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
30. Gia Wang - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
31. Jarrod Radnich - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
32. Huzz - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
33. Eddie Chen - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
34. Seven 九 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
35. MCV - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
36. Nian YongXin - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
37. 王凯文 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
38. 88pluto and Jah Young - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
39. Ayshém 艾闪 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
40. Black Potion - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
41. acid.T - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
42. GUOFEI aka OSCPLLEX - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
43. daftcat & 于舒洋 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
44. Erdna - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
45. Juju - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
46. Loop Fighter - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
47. 阿拉坦怪怪 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
48. 周揚 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
49. Li Yanzeng 李言增 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
50. 呆呆鸟 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
51. Noby_Owl 鸮鸣 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
52. 肖雄文、张子博、凌诚、刘子汶 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
53. Alan Ip - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
54. GXM - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
55. thruoutin - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
56. WEN LIANG 文亮 & Clouded5000郭大为 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
57. GUAN - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
58. Vehement - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
59. Immortal Manifestation 遊仙 - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
60. J Stone - Modular Commune Festival Beijing 2025 (Vol.22)
"@plantssystem-ufo
A three-dimensional acoustic specimen frozen in the freezing air.
This work combines the layered sequences of the Prophet-5 and Poly-Sequencer with the chaotic textures of the Duos. These were mastered using the legendary 3D sound processor, Roland RSS (Roland Sound Space).
A three-dimensional sound image unfolds to the left and right, and front and back.
Noise and melodies that would normally be heard right next to your ears are 'frozen' in a specific space, creating the illusion that they are floating."
Marvelling over the synths out there that have fancy sequencer functions to keep sequences evolving and spontaneous (probability, punch-in effects etc) got me thinking. What about the beautifully simple, primitive synths, particularly the older models, that don't have those functions? You can be so creative on them, and people are forgetting how to be. So here are 5 (of MANY - and please do share any others in the comments that you've discovered and love to use) things you can do to keep your sequences sounding characterful and stay interesting. Yes, on any synth.
The final jam is cut abruptly short. If you feel short changed, join my Patreon 👉👉👉 / hazelmills where I will post the full jam (and you'll find many other goodies, like behind the scenes vlogs, breakdowns, exclusive tracks and more).
0:00 Intro
0:18 Reframe time
1:19 S&H filter
1:57 Ride the value
2:53 Key tracking
3:48 Breathe
5:05 Jam snippet"
"Kicking off the year with a surge of musical motivation:
Akai MPC One: Running my own custom samples.
Micromonsta 2: ‘Response Pad’ sequenced on MIDI channel 2, combined with a pitched-up pad played in real-time on MIDI channel 1.
Behringer Edge: Crafting that deep, textured Choir-Bass sound.
Eventide Space: Providing the haunting reverb FX that ties the whole atmosphere together.
Hope you like it!
"Thats it I guess. One jam per day per January for 6 years. Hope you enjoyed this round because I'm already looking forward to the next sprint.
Also I have a soft spot for this kind of dnb, and the #UBXaMini through the #nts-1 phaser reminds me of creme brulee or Cadburys Crunchy bars. Yummy in a guilty way."
Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
These appear to be the first demos of the Ekdahl Quad Massager to be featured on the site. The first video is from 15 years ago.
Playlist:
1. Ekdahl Quadmassager in 4 input "mix" mode - Drew Daniel
The Ekdahl Quadmassager is a quadrophonic panner and so much more. This video is very STEREO, but should be in Quad, but, well, that's not very practical, is it?, so please go do a show in quad or see one...in the meantime visit us at the webpage in the video, or come see us at the True Vine Record Shop in Hampden in beautiful Baltimore, the City that Reads. The Quadmassager was designed and built by Karl Ekdahl of KNAS and a little bit by M.C. Schmidt of Matmos.
2. Knas Ekdahl Quad Massager As a CV mixer - Shirato_Noise
The output of the unpredictable blend of the four Fourses signals modulates the Denum.
"The Yamaha FX-1 Vintage Organ Synthesizer is a classic dual 61-key organ with a third mini-keyboard for added versatility. It features semi-weighted keys and a hybrid analog/digital design with automated sliders, making it a distinctive choice for musicians looking for a full pedal organ synth. With input & multiple outputs and a display screen, this Yamaha rare full size organ from Japan offers a wide range of creative possibilities for electronic music production. The sleek design and iconic brand reputation make it a must-have for collectors, organists and FM synthesizer enthusiasts."
"The Sequential Pro 8 is a very rare synth that was released in 1984. It essentially is a Sequential Split 8 that was manufactured in Japan for overseas markets. It has a great classic Sequential tone and kept was the "classic" Sequential look in design compared to the Split 8's more modern look. Quite a rare and awesome synth! As you might expect, it has that unmistakable Sequential sound.. amazing pads, basses, leads, efx and more. Oh.. the strings are outstanding too!
This synth is in great condition and has been checked by our technicians to ensure full functionality."
"The Ensoniq SQ-80 is an eight-voice, polyphonic, poly-timbral synthesizer, capable of playing eight different sounds at once, with dynamic stereo panning for each voice. Other luxuries include a total of 75 waveforms, a 61-note keyboard with velocity & aftertouch, and a floppy disk drive for storing patches and sequences. By combining all of this in a single integrated unit. the Enqoniq SQ-8O makes the perfect nerve center for any studio rig. This unit comes fully tested and serviced. Enclosure is in excellent condition for an instrument of this age, price reflects quality. Power cord included."
"Today a hypnotic jam with the Korg Minilogue XD and the Hologram Microcosm. So fascinating what kind of soundscape the Microcosm produces. Should use it more often. Thinking about integrating it into my modular system."
Inspired by Timeless Techniques
'Air' draws its inspiration from Brian Eno's Music for Airports and the concept of overlapping tape loops. This Ableton Max for Live plugin translates these ideas into a modern generative sequencer, enabling you to explore infinite musical possibilities without repetitive programming.
Effortless Note Generation
Forget the constraints of the piano roll. 'Air' generates notes autonomously, creating endless variations of melodies, rhythms, and harmonies. Your music becomes a living, breathing entity that evolves over time, making each moment unique.
Perfect for Experimental and Ambient Music
Whether you're crafting immersive ambient soundscapes, exploring experimental electronica, or composing intricate minimal music, "Air" provides the tools to elevate your creativity. Its generative approach ensures that no two performances are ever the same, offering a fresh perspective with every playback.
Features Designed for Limitless Inspiration
Evolving Sequences: Generate infinitely unique patterns that never repeat.
Customizable Settings: Fine-tune parameters to align with your artistic vision.
Seamless Integration: Designed for Ableton Live users who value creativity and experimentation.
Create Music That Breathes
'Air' is more than a plugin—it's a partner in creation, designed for musicians who embrace unpredictability and seek to push boundaries. Unleash the power of generative composition and let your music take flight."
"This is a video series breaking down the Tip Top Audio Buchla 200 series of modules. Deep dives, information, patch examples."
Playlist:
1. I went all in on Tiptop Buchla. Was it worth it?
This is the first part of a video series on my new Tip Top Audio Buchla 200 series modular system. Here I describe my decision-making process and my initial impressions along with some of the history that makes this system so interesting.
00:00 Why I chose Buchla
03:20 Advantages of the system
05:13 History of the Buchla 200 series
09:56 Some disadvantages
11:38 Why bother using vintage designs?
2. The Magic of Buchla Oscillators: An Exhaustive Deep Dive on the 258t and the 259t
This is part 2 of my video series on the Tiptop Audio Buchla 200 series system. In this video I focus on the 258t Dual Oscillator and the 259t Programmable Complex Waveform Generator.
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Dual oscillator features
02:58 Dual oscillator 2 FM inputs
04:54 Buchla signal types explained
07:02 259 introduction
08:09 Principle oscillator and harmonics section
11:38 Modulation oscillator
14:58 Modulation bus
18:09 ART inputs
19:31 Example patch 1
24:01 Example patch 2
30:37 Outro
3. The Low Pass Gate: The Beating Heart of Buchla Synthesizers
This video is part of a series I'm creating highlighting modules in Tiptop Audio's line of Buchla 200 reissues. Today's episode features the 292t Quad Lopass Gate as well as a discussion of Low Pass Gates in general.
00:00 Introduction
03:09 Tour of Features
04:51 Timbre and Amplitude
07:15 Buchla Bongos
08:38 Vactrols and Pinging
13:40 Filter Deep Dive
17:05 Getting A Steeper Cutoff and Resonance
20:08 Performance Patch Example and Breakdown
"A thorough look into this widely discussed and hyped module.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:29 Amplifier section
05:31 Filter resonance and pinging
07:37 Oscillator section
10:02 X' and Y'
13:44 Sum and difference outputs and frequency shifting
18:36 Time constant knob and magnitude and phase outputs
22:15 Patch example 1 (Four sine waves)
27:05 Patch example 2 (Using multiple outputs at once)
32:06 Patch example 3 (Rhythmic pinging)
35:32 Patch example 4 (Ring modulated drones) and outro"
"I don't think I ever posted this one. Most probably because I hesitated (and then forgot I did the video), far to have the time and most of all the skills that others have online to describe a synth or make a demo.
I found this video made in 2024 on an external hard drive and decided this morning I'd upload it on my channel and make it public. I hope this demonstrates the wealth of features available on this modular synthesizer."
I am excited to present the reincarnation of my Tech & Progressive technical basses for Serum 2. I have completely redesigned this library of my most powerful basses, creating an extremely ultimate collection of absolutely diverse sounds. Furthermore, this release is more than a simple rework. Instead, I created brand-new sounds specifically for the modern energy of Melodic Techno, House, and Progressive Trance. Nevertheless, I preserved the original core from 2015. Consequently, this library provides essential basslines for every electronic music style.
In this collection, you will find:
Powerful Guitar Riff-basses. Punchy House basslines of the new generation. Melodic-techno and robotic textures. Sharp, cutting-edge neurofunk basslines. Trance and robotic energy Basses.
"An EMS VCS3 does a throbbing drone. The Moog Model 10 is sequenced by a synthesizers dotcom q960/q119 with a little help from the Mos-Lab envelope.
The Serge comprised of licensed circuits by Elby Designs, Catgirl Synth, all lovingly paneled and assembled by Rich at Lower West Side Studios of Canada. There is a Buchla clone of a Source of Uncertainty module assembled and paneled by Jason Fry of Free State FX that is randomizing various parts of an M401 Multimode (Arp 1047 clone) also built by LWSS.
From the 401, the audio heads to the Analog Craftsman Gristleizer. The result is a little rhythmic bubbling.
The title is a nod to Tricky’s Pre-millennium Tension album but nevertheless reflective of the current zeitgeist.
El-Ma Ørsted V2 – An Instrument That Makes the Electromagnetic World Audible
VAEMI – Volt Age Electronic Musical Instruments is pleased to announce El-Ma Ørsted V2, the second version of El-Ma Ørsted, its unique instrument that transforms electromagnetic fields into sound.
El-Ma Ørsted takes its name from the physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted, known for his fundamental discoveries in the field of electromagnetism. “El-Ma” is an abbreviation of the term electromagnetic field.
Accessibility note: We have kept the accessibility perspective in mind while designing the UI, and aim to give Shortcircuit XT the same good screen reader support Surge XT has, but have not yet done that. This is one of the things we’ll improve on during the beta phase. Thanks for being patient with us.
Here’s a transcript of the text elements in the video:
Shortcircuit XT is a free sampler plugin from the Surge Synth Team, with a focus on creative sample manipulation and some standard sampler features, featuring advanced synthesis capabilities to complement the sample playback.
Samples are loaded into zones and played back in round-robin, random or layered modes.
"An analog ambient session designed for focus, calm, and deep mental escape.
In times that feel increasingly loud and demanding, moments of quiet become more than a luxury — they become necessary. This session is an invitation to slow down, step away from constant input, and give your mind space to breathe. No urgency, no distraction, just sound unfolding at its own pace.
'The Day the Horizon Moved – Extended Analog Ambient Escape', a long-form 3–4 hour collection available on Bandcamp.
🎧 Intro weekend price: $15 → $25 after
👉 Get the full extended session on Bandcamp:
Recorded live on analog synthesizers. No rush. No loops. Just slow movement and space.
00:00 - Deckard's Dream
08:21 - Love Thunder
17:57 - Soldiers of Fortune
28:14 - (303) Josephina"
"Ended up being influenced by Trance again with the e7 doing arps. Haven't used the Mega FM for a while but it is great for dark and dubby sounds. Each note is alternately panned left and right which is cool."
00:00 Intro
00:38 Nymira by Terraphones
01:16 Erea 2 by Embodme
02:06 A Wild @BennJordan !
02:17 Flux by Soma Laboratories
03:00 Ruby Moon through Omnisphere Effects
04:33 Demonbox by Eternal Research
05:31 Katla by Genki Instruments
06:36 Buchla Music Easel by Buchla
06:53 Rhodes Piano by Rhodes
07:10 Dvina by Soma Laboratories
07:25 Uranograph by Clank
"A new MCO Firmware v106 is now available! Here we make a few patches to demonstrate the new additions. New features include CV control over user presets, random preset generation, a multimode filter added to the DigiWave voice and selectable functions for the A and B buttons of the AXON-2 expander.
The MCO (mkII) is a highly versatile digital VCO and voice module inspired by 90s/00s digital synths shrunk into just 6HP. It offers a broad collection of unique, high-quality synth voices, each with extensive, customizable parameters.
Download the new firmware here: https://busycircuits.com/alm046
For more information on the update please see our full writeup on the Busy Circuits blog: https://busycircuits.com/blogs/latest/"
FM DRIFT IS A DEEP EXPLORATION OF FM SYNTHESIS INSIDE ABLETON DRIFT, DELIVERING FOUR NEW POWERFUL FM INSTRUMENTS THAT RIVAL — AND SOMETIMES SURPASS — SYNTHS LIKE OPERATOR
FM Drift is a sound pack focused exclusively on FM synthesis within Ableton Drift, and designed to demonstrate that Drift’s FM engine is powerful, flexible, and very expressive.
Fully compatible with Ableton Live and Push.
FM Drift delivers four complete FM instruments, each built on a clear FM architecture and fully controlled via eight carefully designed macros. All the sounds in the pack have been created exclusively using these FM instruments (Ableton Instrument Racks built with Drift).
Drift’s FM capabilities are on par with classic synthesizers like Operator, and even surpass it in certain aspects.
Made using only the PO-33. No DAW, just sampling, chopping and sequencing with this little wonder.
Fun fact: this track (and especially the whole You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby album) was one of my biggest influences and introductions to electronic music, so this banger has a special place in my heart.
#PO33 #dawless #teenageengineering
If you want the full breakdown of how I made it, the complete tutorial is available on Patreon."
"Strings and beats and pads and delay lines with way too much feedback. Sprinkle in some impromptu chords and i guess this is what you get. Now let's set sail to Mordor or whatever. #norns #xkeyair #nts1 #polyendtracker"
"The monophonic Syntakt gets a polyphonic partner. Today more synth pop but in the future I think I will do a techno track with these two. The pulse is capable of a Moog style bass and on the other hand of a variety of pad sounds and leads. Old but gold!"
"LaunchCodes is an all-in-one instrument built for creating explosive hits and basses. You'll be equipped with highly automatable wave and noise generators, a fully re-orderable and customizable effects rack, and two LFOs that can modulate nearly anything—all in the service of the most impactful music-making imaginable.
At your disposal:
Wave generator—with four basic wave types, push the oscillator to its limits with fully automatable amplitude & pitch envelopes and four pitch parameters. Craft punishing basses, psychedelic patterns, or whimsical keys quickly
Noise generator—low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass modes with adjustable Q and Coarse on the filter envelope give you a wide palette for expressive percussion hits, mysterious sweeps, and screaming noise
Re-orderable effects rack—a delay unit for creative feedback and foreboding echoes, a reverb unit for huge clouds of fallout, a filter unit for sculpted resonances and bass-boosting, and a fully-editable waveshaper function for your own personal brand of distortion
Double LFO unit—for maximum expression, modulate almost any parameter in LaunchCodes with the four basic waveforms, and control the modulation range and direction on each parameter individually
A big red button—a big red button
Built-in presets to get you going right away, and an easy way to save and browse your favorite patches"
"I just built a cool drone in the Grid again, with a ton of pads and a lead sound that randomly plays every now and then. There are also some random FX sounds, plus a little wind and rain machine. I tweaked the resonance on the wind filter a bit too. It kind of sounds like that low hum you hear in Deckard's apartment in Blade Runner. I thought it was pretty nice to add that in. You can download the patch for free, as always, and it's made in Bitwig 6, so you'll need that to use it. Have fun, and don’t forget to give me a like! Download: https://polarity.productions/dispenser/"
CONTENT
00:00 What is Kaoss Pad KPV & sound demos
03:30 Build Quality & I/O
04:30 How to use the Kaoss Pad KPV
09:50 Sampling on the Kaoss Pad KPV
14:00 Minor Issues
15:28 Final thoughts
Demos with the Sequential Fourm & Elektron Digitakt II.
"Today we are FINALLY checking out the Tasty Chips GR-Mega. I've had it for a few months and together with my guest and friend @ShaperSoundChannel we'll tackle the final boss of granular synthesizers! Learn more about it here: https://www.tastychips.nl/category/gr... and a big thank you to Tasty Chips for sending over a review unit.
CONTENT
00:00 Intro
00:49 Sound demo
04:00 What is the GR Mega? & Specifications
07:30 The essence of granular synthesis...
08:23 Overview & Making Sounds
19:35 Binural Sounds w Shaper Sound
27:00 Epic music by Shaper Sound
27:52 Final thoughts, feedback etc..."
Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:24 Overview Waldorf Micro Wave XT
00:59 Oscillators
01:56 Wave Envelope, More Wavetable Features
02:35 EVEN more Oscillator Features
03:05 Filter Section
03:41 Envelopes, LFOs
04:00 Mod Matrix
04:13 Menu Deep Dive
04:26 FX Section, Arpeggiator, Multis
04:42 What else? (Polyphony, Presets, Pricing, Thanks)
05:38 H*te Screen
06:03 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:53 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:57 Finale ( Downtempo )
08:27 VERDICT
"Hey everybody! There are - at least - three strong contenders for the title “Worst Synth of all Time”: Akai Timbre Wolf, the obscure Red Sound Darkstar and today’s protagonist, M-Audio VENOM.
We are going to talk about how this 2011 instrument turned out to be one of the most epic failures in music tech history, why it is massively underrated and we will try to dial in sounds that are on par with and sometimes even better than those of synths further up the food chain.
I'm not saying it's UNDERRATED but it's...
MAudio VENOM"
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:33 Overview M-Audio VENOM
02:00 History of the VENOM
02:23 Software Situation
02:43 Is it a Synth???
05:17 Is it a Groovebox???
05:57 Software Problems
06:14 Prices
06:29 Can we make it sound great?
06:50 Jam
07:25 Outro
You can find pics and additional details on the Line 6 Tonecore DSP Developer Kit in this post from 2013.
"The Line 6 ToneCore series was designed to bring exceptional quality effects, often inspired by rare and highly sought-after units, into a compact and affordable pedal format.
While many of these ideas reached production, some remained experimental.
One such concept was the Frequency Shifter / Barber Pole Phaser.
My fascination with frequency shifting goes back to the pioneering work of Harald Bode, whose designs helped define modular synthesis and introduced effects that remain rare, misunderstood, and uniquely expressive to this day.
In the early 2000s, I proposed combining a true frequency shifter, not a pitch shifter, with barber-pole phasing, which is a variation of frequency shifting, into a single ToneCore module. Angelo Mazzocco, now of Meris, immediately connected with the idea and brought it to life as a working prototype.
This video is a demonstration of that prototype ToneCore module.
Special thanks to Angelo Mazzocco for his enthusiasm and exceptional DSP work, Dale Wagler for the industrial design, and Jeorge Tripps for the visionary product concept that made projects like this possible.
00:00 - Introduction. Frequency Shifter demo.
02:00 - More Frequency Shifter demo
04:11 - Barber Pole Phaser demo
07:31 - Frequency Shifter in Memory Man 1100-TT loop send/return
11:16 - Frequency Shifter in Memory Man 1100-TT loop send/return in stereo configuration"
"Here I'm using DRONES MAX by @homebakeinstruments8214 , easy-to-use and well-thought wavetable synthesizer.
Bugbrands' are mainly playing drums sounds.
A pinch of noisebox with cocoquantus accompanied.
"This piece was created using the @somasynths LYRA-8, @YamahaSynthsOfficial TENORI-ON, and tape loops. Simple phrases repeat over sustained tones, gradually shifting in rhythm and resonance to form a minimalist composition.
On the LYRA-8, sustained tones are generated by turning the HOLD knob. During the performance, the pitch of the four voices on the right side is gradually changed. The output is routed through @HologramElectronics MICROCOSM, where deep reverb is applied.
The TENORI-ON repeatedly plays simple tones and phrases, with the rhythmic structure changing over time. The output is sent through @ChaseBlissAudio MOOD MKII, adding reverb and generating micro-loops.
A piano performance is recorded onto a tape loop and played back through the NTS-3 looper and delay."
"As the second synth in the 'Super' series, the Gemini represents a quantum leap in UDO's technology – building on the acclaimed rich sound pioneered by George Hearn and the Super 6. Adopting a true-stereo Binaural signal path with dual FPGAs and twin effects processors, Gemini will take you on an adventure of spectral dynamics, of glittering frequency and shattering subharmonics, of comfort and discord, expectations and surprises."
"Zoey of ALM Busy Circuits gives us a demo of their new Pamela's Disco module at Buchla & Friends 2026. Pamela's Disco connects to a PRO DJ-LINK network and converts the incoming "master tempo" to standard Eurorack clock signals that can be used to synchronize sequencers, LFOs, and modules, including the Pamela's PRO Workout (as shown in this demo). This allows modular systems to be synchronized with DJ decks and follow tempo changes and even scratches and spin ups/downs.
We also get a sneak preview of a few other upcoming modules from ALM Busy Ciruits.
"This is an experiment. It started with the thought: "What if I took just two voices from Hexdrums and feed them as individual outs left and right into the Xenodrive?". That felt a little raw even for me so I then added the Echolocator after the Xeno. After hooking it up I had a joyous 30-minute "jazz odyssey" of which this is the still-very-long-for-pure-drums cutdown version.
All three machines are tweaked as a single control surface and I don't think any machine here is the star. They all do their bit. Since there's no unaffected sound keeping things stable the Xeno work is quite restrained compared with the complete destruction of which it's capable, and likewise the Echolocator stays reasonably tame.
Was there a lesson from all this? Perhaps it's just that trying odd combinations is fun. On a more practical level I can certainly see that various sections could be usefully sampled as loops. To that end I've put together a pack of 16bit 44KHz loops at 110bpm that are on my Patreon page. Many of them can be usefully split left and right for further processing.
As usual there is no DAW processing and the volume has all the ups and downs of the original.
"Tom takes a look at Smear, the debut module from Smoothie Audio. It’s a dual stereo 98-pole allpass filter, and it’s capable of some pretty mind-bending spectral effects.
"We say... It's not often that we come across something genuinely new and innovative in Eurorack these days, but Smear is just that - a pair of stereo 98-pole all-pass filters that open up all sorts of strange sonic territory. Brilliant!
Manufacturer's description Smear is Smoothie Audio’s first Eurorack module - a dual stereo 98-pole allpass filter unlike anything else in your rack.
At its core, Smear takes a deceptively simple concept - the allpass filter, usually buried deep inside reverb algorithms — and refines it into a playable, sculptural processor. A single allpass subtly shifts the phase of incoming audio while passing the entire signal unfiltered. Stack 98 poles in series, and the effect becomes striking: frequencies across the spectrum are delayed by different amounts, creating a rich spectral delay that can smear, morph, and transform sound.
Smear can be become different effects, according to how you set the parameters:
Transient Smearing & Spectral Delay that reshapes transients, can add punch Resonator & Percussion Voice for metallic, physical-modeling tones when pushed into feedback territory Morphing filter & Phasor for animated timbral movement Interface & Controls
The panel is laid out symmetrically, with two identical sections (Left and Right). By default, stereo audio flows left → right → out, but a dedicated Split Mode allows each side to process audio independently.
Each section offers three core parameters — Frequency, Resonance, and Stages — each with dedicated CV inputs. Frequency and Resonance have attenuverters for precise modulation. A global Feedback control (with CV) unlocks resonant, flanger-like, and physical-modeling behaviors.
The Stage sliders reveal Smear’s hidden depth: with LEDs indicating crossfade modes between filter poles, you can dive into complex notch filtering, animated flams, and evolving timbral movement. Modulate them, and the module comes alive with unpredictable, dynamic filtering effects.
Built on the Daisy platform by Electrosmith CV inputs -5V to 5V 48kHZ sampling rate"
In this video, we introduce Manatee, Fred's Lab's 16-voice, 4-part spectral synthesizer, and walk through everything you need to get started.
You will learn what Manatee is, what equipment you need to play it, and how to navigate its interface efficiently.
Covered are the fundamentals of installation, navigation, preset management, and basic editing, including hidden and special pages, multi mode, and how to switch on the MPE support.
Background music: 'Eletrosamba' by Quincas Moreira - YouTube Audio Library"
"Coming in hot after Hieroglyphic's first release 'Plume' here we have OPALINA which is a stereo spectral playground. It's billed as a filter network, with triple band pass resonator modes and an isolator multi mode network. It has multi band outputs for creative modular processing, with the including expander it also has specific (and stereo) low mid and high band inputs. Loads to go at, but distilled down into exploring 3 patches here for our 3 PATCHES series of videos."
*TIMING INDEX // CHAPTERS*
The broader, patch by patch sections are in ALL CAPS and sub sections that might be useful to skip to are all lower case.
INTRO 00:00 Hello & previews 00:57 What is Opalina & what are we doing? 01:33 Feature run down 04:00 PATCH 1 // RAW SOUNDS & OSCILLATOR SHAPING 04.22 The raw sound of the resonator & isolator modes 05.49 Building a VCO shaping patch 07.24 Patching FX sends from specific frequency bands 08.25 Series channel patching for steeper filter slopes & more resonance 09.41 v/oct tracking
BONUS HYPNOPTIC MULTIBAND FILTER PINGS 11:40 / divkid for the full patch run down
PATCH 2 // SPECTRAL MIXING 12:45 Creative spectral mixing for multiple FX modules 15.15 Creating a multi band spectral mix 16.24 Modulating a spectral mix 17.32 Audio rate modulation 18:51 Spectral drum FX 20:43 Spectral Rings FX 22:51 PATCH 3 // MULTIBAND MODULAR PROCESSING
Stereo state-variable filter networks configurable in two modes. RESONATOR is a triple bandpass alignment, emphasizing resonant peaks and formants. ISOLATOR is a cascaded state-variable topology with variable mid-bandwidth for use as resonant crossover.
· RESONATOR: triple bandpass filters with vc peak span and resonance. 12db/oct filter slopes.
· ISOLATOR: cascaded state-variable filters with vc bandwidth and resonance. 24db/oct filter slopes.
"Triggering the parameter randomizers for an effect and an oscillator, using a modulator.
Later in the video, things gets a bit faster, and different effects are selected :)"
"VOLTAGE IN SHADOW is a collection of 50 combo patches and patterns for a semi-modular system by Make Noise: 0-COAST + 0-CTRL + STREGA. It includes textures, basses, leads, drones, chords, percussion, and FXs. 💎 There is a wide range of timbres inside the pack: soft and bright, musical and experimental, harmonic and FX-like, cyclic and generative, slow and fast, analog- and digital-style, dry and atmospheric, clean and distorted.
🦠 This is one of the most complex works I’ve done. It required a lot of time and effort, but I also received huge pleasure and inspiration while working with such interesting and unique devices. The patches turned out to be very fluid, dynamic, and non-static — largely due to the “alive” and sensitive nature of the synths. However, this also creates some difficulty when recreating the patches from images: even small changes in knob positions can affect the final result.
"What have you done! Wavefolding the dulcet tones of the Nintendo Entertainment system is blasphemy! But it does sound pretty sick, right. Shredded nostalgia injected srtaight into my earholes. As a side note, can somebody explain to me why the NES pulse wave is so recognonizable? it just sounds grittier and angrier than other pulse waves. Am I right? or have i lost it? #NES #midines #rolandP6 #polyendtracker #nts1mk2"
"Learn more about Midicake ARP: https://midicake.com
Here's the Patch Settings (Just the changes from a blank patch
Track 1 - Infinite Melody Velocity Pattern: XXX-X-XX (40) Velocity Pattern Length: 7 Gate: 16 Ticks Octave: 1 Time Factor: 4 Steps: 13 Bounce: LADDER Chop: 1 Chop Pattern: --XX-XXX (19) Chop Pattern Length: 5 Fx Amount: 24% Fx Target: Octave Fx Repeat: 5 Bars Mod A Amount: 7% Mod A Target: Note Offset Mod A Rate: 3 Bars Mod B Amount: 24% Mod B Target: Time Division Mod B Rate: 8 Bars
Track 2 - Simple Bass Velocity Pattern: XX-XX-XX (36) Velocity Pattern Length: 4 Gate: 1/2 Bar Octave: -2 Time Division: 2/1 Time Factor: 4 Steps: 9 Direction: Up Down Up Bounce: PINGPONG MIDI Channel: 2"
"As i'm still working on a big demo for this beast but will still take some time I thought I would share two unusual sequencer patches with the Verbos Multistage 16.
It will also be a good opportunity to talk about the other modules, how I like to patch them, show of a few patches to demonstrate how all this can sound.
"Torso Electronics presents the third live session recorded at our office space in Copenhagen.
In this episode, percussionist and sound artist Lorenzo Colombo presents an electroacoustic concert featuring the T1 and S4 in a hybrid setup combining metal percussion instruments and solenoids.
The performance is driven by the T1, used as both sequencer and live MIDI keyboard. It controls the SOMA Pulsar-23 and a set of dadamachines solenoids. The solenoids hit a set of Kolberg percussion bell plates, which function simultaneously as acoustic instruments and conductive metallic surfaces. Through body-resistance and circuit-bending interactions, these plates influence electrical signals and directly modulate the Pulsar-23 as well as generates MIDI that control the same instrument . All audio is routed into the S4, used as the sole sound-shaping and modulation unit.
About Lorenzo Colombo
Lorenzo Colombo is a Copenhagen-based percussionist, performer, and sound artist dedicated to contemporary and experimental music. He teaches percussion and post-instrumental performance at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he earned his Soloist Diploma in 2023. A recipient of the Léonie Sonning Talent Prize and Musikanmelderringens Kunstnerpriser, Lorenzo was also part of Statens Kunstfond’s Den Unge Kunstneriske Elite program (2023–24)."
"This piece was created using the @teenageengineering EP-133 K.O.II, OP-1 field, and tape loops. Within repeating harmonies, abstract textures emerge as drums and tape loops continuously change through effects.
The EP-133 K.O.II and OP-1 field are synchronized via USB. On the EP-133, a simple drum pattern is played and shaped using Punch-in FX.
The OP-1 field plays the bassline and harmonies, with the sound processed through @ChaseBlissAudio MOOD MKII using delay and reverb.
A piano performance is recorded onto a tape loop and played back. The sound is heavily processed through LOST+FOUND, transforming it into an unrecognizable texture rather than a conventional piano tone.
Additional layers are created using VST instruments within a DAW."
"The Tonverk is not specifically a drum machine though it offers many features that suit a drum machine well. Today we will explore and discuss how good the Tonverk is as a drum machine and a few ideas on how to work with drums from my own perspective. Come on in and join the conversation!"
Sequential FOURM – Complete Synth Collection is a comprehensive and versatile patch bank designed to unlock the full sonic potential of the Sequential FOURM. This soundset includes 75 carefully crafted presets, covering a wide palette of Leads, Basses, Pads, Plucks, Synths and FX, making it perfectly suited for Soul, Funk, Pop, Electronic music and many other modern and classic sch preset is optimized for musicality, expressiveness and instant usability, whether you are producing in the studio or performing live. From warm analog-inspired basses and funky leads to atmospheric pads and futuristic FX, this collection gives you a complete toolkit for professional productions.
The bank can be easily loaded via SysEx editors such as Bome SendSX (Windows) or compatible SysEx software for other platforms.
Preset Breakdown 75 Presets Total 39 Synths, Pads & FX 20 Leads 16 Basses
Synths, Pads & FX Highlights Hard Synth, Simple Pluck, Reso Poly, Cosmic Poly, Vintage Horns, Bright Brass, Big Strings, OB-X Pad, Galaxy Pad, FM Pad, Crystals, Night Sky, Falling Stars, Outer Space, Digital Noise, Rotating Sphere, Repeater and many more.
Lead Highlights Lost In Space, Fusion Lead, Jamiroquai Lead, Express Lead, Electro Lead, Cosmic Lead, Rock Machine, Nasty Lead, Sync Lead and other expressive solo sounds.
Bass Highlights Phat Bass, Funky Bass, Precision Bass, Reso Bass, Deeper Underground, Thriller, Black or White, Prodigy and iconic groove-oriented bass patches.
Every preset is designed to sit well in a mix, respond naturally to playing dynamics and enhance your productions with character and depth."
"In this video, I’m not in the studio — I’m in sunny California, unboxing and playing the Sequential Prophet-10 for the very first time. No setup, no deep dive, no rules… just pure, immediate interaction with one of the most iconic analog polysynths ever made.
This is a genuine first encounter: lifting it out of the box, admiring the wood, powering it on, and letting the instrument speak. You’ll hear spontaneous playing, raw reactions, mistakes, happy accidents, and that unmistakable Prophet sound in its most honest form.
This isn’t a tutorial or a technical walkthrough — it’s about feel, inspiration, and that moment when a synth completely takes over and refuses to let you play anything else.
What you’ll see and hear in this video:
Unboxing the Sequential Prophet-10
First impressions and real reactions
The build, wood, and physical presence of the instrument
Powering it on and diving straight into sound
Pure, improvised playing with no preparation
Classic Prophet tones and unexpected moments
Letting the synth lead the music instead of the other way around
A full deep dive will come later back in the studio — this one is all about instinct, emotion, and the joy of touching a great instrument for the first time."
"In this video, I take you straight into the heart of NAMM 2026 for Day 1 — walking the floor, meeting incredible people, checking out wild instruments, and jumping into completely improvised musical moments. From boutique synth builders to legendary brands, this is a raw, real, behind-the-scenes look at what NAMM actually feels like when you’re inside it.
You’ll see spontaneous jams, unrehearsed performances, gear discoveries, and some genuinely mind-blowing tech — including intelligent music-learning systems that literally watch your hands and teach you in real time. This isn’t a polished showroom tour; it’s the honest, slightly chaotic, very human NAMM experience.
What I cover in this video:
Entering NAMM 2026 and exploring the show floor
Discovering unique and boutique synthesizers
Meeting synth designers, musicians, and creators
Spontaneous conversations and gear reactions
Live improvised music at the Studiologic booth
Hands-on demos with next-gen music education tech
AI-assisted piano learning that tracks fingers and technique
Games, performance tools, and creative experiments
The energy, noise, inspiration, and madness of NAMM
If you love synths, music tech, performance, and the creative side of music-making, this one’s for you.
🔥 Visit my Doctor Mix website for sound packs, courses, merch & more 👉 https://doctormix.com"
