Erica Synths Syntrx II Review and Demo // Not just for Bleeps, Fizzes and Ambient Soundscapes

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Erica Synths Syntrx II is one of the most talked-about synthesizers of recent years — but three years on from its release, is it still worth your money? In this in-depth review and demo, I finally get hands-on with this modern spiritual successor to the legendary EMS VCS3 and EMS Synthi, and I want to bust two big myths: it's NOT as complicated as it looks, and it's NOT just a crazy sci-fi sound effects machine.
🎹 What's covered in this video:

-Syntrx II vs the original EMS VCS3 / EMS Synthi — key similarities and differences
-Syntrx II vs Syntrx I — what changed and why
-The 16x16 digital pin matrix explained simply
-Using the Syntrx II as a standard 3-oscillator monosynth
-The trapezoid (looping) envelope in practice
-All-analog signal path walkthrough
-Onboard 3-channel sequencer, DSP reverb and delay, envelope follower
FM, self-oscillation, noise modulation, and filter techniques
-Sample & hold circuit — how to set it up
-The joystick as an LFO / recording modulation source
-MIDI setup tips (offset fix, CC assignments for X and Y axes)
-Patch saving — what it DOES and DOESN'T save, and why it matters
-Honest pros and cons

🎵 Extended drone demo — 5 minutes of the Syntrx II running a single live patch with the trapezoid looping envelope, FM, noise, filter modulation via joystick, and DSP effects. The full version was over 10 minutes — it really is that good.

💷 Price context: Original EMS Synthis now sell for £24,000+. The Syntrx II comes in under £2,000. If you've ever wanted that Synthi sound without selling a kidney, this might be your answer."