Sample Boy: Donner - Beijing Modular 26

video upload by sonicstate

This is the first post to feature Sample Boy.

"Logan from Donner gave us a look at *Sample Boy*, an in-development handheld sample workstation. He described it as a brand-new prototype, with the hardware close to completion while the software was still being developed.

Sample Boy has a 2.8-inch colour IPS LCD, four clickable colour-coded encoders, six touch points, 16 backlit buttons, a jog wheel, crossfader, D-pads and function keys. It includes a built-in speaker and microphone, MIDI, sync in and out, USB for charging, data transfer and USB audio in/out, plus a microSD card slot.

The current specification supports up to 32 voices, with a seven-track sequencer. Sampling runs at 48kHz/24-bit, with 480 seconds available in stereo and double that in mono. Sources include the microphone, USB audio and master sampling. Input effects include filter, EQ, compressor and distortion, and processing is recorded into the audio file. After recording, start and end points can be set, quick slicing can chop material automatically, and slices can be adjusted, zoomed and saved.

Availability is aimed for next year, with a detailed release date still to be confirmed."

Essential B1: Donner Music - Beijing Modular 26

video upload by sonicstate

"Logan from Donner Music showed us the Essential B1 firmware update for the 303-style synth voice and sequencer. He explained that the update is scheduled for release on October 28 and includes pattern randomisation, expanded song mode memory, onboard sync settings, minor improvements and bug fixes.

The randomisation page is accessible with play and record. It lets pitch, rests, gate length, accents, switches and slides be edited independently. Pitch randomisation includes scale and key selection, with options including chromatic, modes, whole tone, pentatonic, melodic minor, harmonic minor and phrygian dominant. Rests, slides and accents can use selected steps and probability values, while gate length also has minimum and maximum settings.

Song mode now offers seven banks, expanding memory up to 112 slots. Patterns have a 16-step maximum, but they can be chained, transposed in semitones in real time, and assigned different lengths. MIDI input, MIDI output, clock source, division and sync polarity are now selectable directly on the unit. The B1 also includes delay, saturation and sawtooth operation."

TRON: Legacy – End Titles | Synth Cover

video upload by Marcus Padrini

"Meu desprentesioso cover de “End Titles”, da trilha de TRON: Legacy, composta pelo Daft Punk. Sequenciei a performance no MPC Keys 61 e gravei tudo ao vivo , contando principalmente com o Donner B1 como synth principal.

O Donner B1 traz os sons inspirados na TB-303, já tem overdrive e delay embutidos, o que facilita chegar numa sonoridade mais próxima do synth da trilha. A Roland TR-6S faz a bateria, com compressor e um filtro low pass para a parte final; o Air JURA no MPC e o EMW VPoly 6X ficaram responsáveis pelos pads e o Behringer Solina, por strings. O lead fica com o Moog Sub 37, com sub oscilador na parte final."

"My casual cover of 'End Titles' from the *TRON: Legacy* soundtrack, composed by Daft Punk. I sequenced the performance on the MPC Keys 61 and recorded everything live, relying primarily on the Donner B1 as the main synth.

The Donner B1 delivers TB-303-inspired sounds and features built-in overdrive and delay, making it easier to achieve a tone close to the original soundtrack synth. The Roland TR-6S handles the drums, using a compressor and a low-pass filter for the final section; the Air JURA (on the MPC) and the EMW VPoly 6X cover the pads, while the Behringer Solina handles the strings. The lead part is played by the Moog Sub 37, incorporating a sub-oscillator during the finale."

Donner B1 | ACID & Trance V1 - new Patterns soundbank

video upload by NatLife Sounds

"Buy Patterns: https://natlifesounds.com/product/don...

Buy Donner B1:

Let's welcome to the first 3rd party Donner Essential B1 library - ACID & Trance V1 patterns.

With these new patterns, your Donner B1 will sound completely new. In the video demonstration, I showed how beautifully it can be combined with guitar pedals, preamps, and other effects to achieve the most pleasing sound. And of course, as usual, in my acid libraries I focused on Acid and Trance.

The soundbank contains 32 Donner B1 Patterns.

Each pattern was created from scratch and carefully crafted to perfection.

Installation instruction is included."

Synth post-rock and ambient | Three songs with delay and reverb

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: / jayhosking
Three different songs focusing on the inspiration of delay and reverb.

MAS Distribution sent over the GFI Solis Ventus, a delay and reverb pedal, for me to try for free. Take that for what you will.

I've already used the Solis Ventus in other video here, so there was no particular need to create a video focused on it. However, I usually explore new gear by just placing it on the table and seeing what comes out. I thought maybe nothing would come of it, or maybe I'd make a single song. In the end, I kept writing more and more with it, all in different styles and genres. The reverbs in the Solis Ventus are fine, but there's some real weirdness and magic in the delays, and they kept delighting and surprising me. In the end, I decided to share three songs with you from these explorations, although there's some more on my Patreon.

00:00 - Post-rock with synths instead of guitar
03:52 - Pure ambient with Pluto
06:17 - Rock starting with L1

Ultimately, what I hope comes through is that effects aren't something simply to colour or smooth over a sound; effects can be the very thing that inspires the songwriting process. That's what happened in all of these instances, and more.

Gear used:
Arturia Astrolab 37 (keys)
GFI Solis Ventus (delay and reverb)
Squier Bass VI (bass-guitar hybrid)
Line 6 Pod Express Bass (for bass amp sim)
Moog Subsequent 37 (mono synth melody)
Novation AFX Station (mono synth lead)
Modern Sounds Pluto (mini euro synth sandbox)
Donner L1 (mono synth random arp)
Godin Session Custom '59 (guitar)
Strymon Iridium (for guitar amp sim)
Union Tone & Transistor Lab (compressor for guitar)
Electro-Voice RE-20 (vocal mic)
Probably more I'm forgetting

Multi-tracked, mixed in the box (except the Pluto song, which was live to stereo out, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master).

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

YMO「中国女」を3万円台の「Donner L1」で弾いてみた

video upload by Ichinoryu Uehara

Sequential Prophet-5 & Donner L1

Donner Essential L1 - sounds, sequences & sketches

video upload by The Synth King

"Hi,
I had the pleasure to test the Donner Essential L1, a very powerful monophonic analog synthesizer quite similar to the Roland SH-101. I made some sounds, sequences and synth sketches. I used Valhalla Massive as delay and reverb. Enjoy the music !
Bernd"

00:00 Synth King Trailer
00:15 sound 1
01:45 sound 2
02:56 sequence 1 (arp)
04:17 sequence 2
05:05 sequence 3
09:37 sound 3
10:45 sequence 4
12:27 sketch 1
13:47 sketch 2

Donner Essential D1 Performance Beat Machine

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

You can find demos in previous posts here.

CLICK FOR MORE »

DONNER ESSENTIAL L1 + KB-32M - No talking demo ‪@Donnermusic_Official‬

video upload by ADL-MusicLab

"Hi everyone,

I’m beyond excited to introduce you my "No talking demo" of the Donner Essential L1 — a fully analog, monophonic subtractive synthesizer inspired by the legendary Roland SH-101.

In this video, you’ll hear the raw sound of the instrument with no voiceover and no unnecessary processing — just pure analog tones, basslines, sequences, leads and textures created directly from the synth.

The Donner Essential L1 features:

CLICK FOR MORE »

This switch UNLOCKS your Donner MEDO

video upload by Floyd Steinberg

"I don't know why this is not the factory default, really. #donner #medo #donnermedo #midicontroller #synth #groovebox Music demo begins at 05:58

Maks' MIDI forwarder: https://maks.github.io/webmidirouter/

HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"

Kraftwerk - The Man Machine | Donner L1 #donner

video upload by MunomaMusic

Donner L1 // Four evocative patches [no talking, audio only]

video upload by Dexba

The Roland SH-101, here reimagined by Donner in the L1, didn't offer most of the amenities we are accustomed to today, but I wanted to try to come up with four patches that could show some other sides of the instrument, closer to my likings. I hope you will find them of some inspiration 🧡"

0:00 Sync Birds
1:25 Broken Tape
2:53 Gluey Piano
4:11 Kick & Snare

Tiny Sequencers Compared -MicroDexed, Picotracker, Woovebox, RK-008, MEDO, Elecrow MINI PC & more

video upload by Floyd Steinberg

"In this video, I compare 6 compact hardware sequencers and a Raspberry Pi 5-based Mini DAW by Elecrow https://www.elecrow.com/small-mini-pc... . Whether you're into grooveboxes, trackers, or portable MIDI tools, this roundup covers everything from connectivity to workflow.

🔍 What’s inside:
Track counts & sequencer types
MIDI options: TRS, DIN, USB
Battery-powered gear
Workflow & usability
Raspberry Pi 5 Mini DAW with OLED screen & PCIe SSD support

🕒 Timestamps
00:00 this looks nice :-)
00:10 the idea
00:33 overview
01:05 the Monkey
05:07 the Tracker
08:21 the wannabe PC
10:47 the mini groovebox
14:16 the underrated
17:57 the rectangle
21:14 the serious one
24:29 grouping these by category: which ones have batteries, which ones have TRS MIDI, ...
25:15 subscribe kkthxbye

🔗 Gear featured in this video:
RasPi Mini PC DAW: https://www.elecrow.com/small-mini-pc...
MicroDexed: https://codeberg.org/positionhigh/Mic...
Woovebox: https://www.woovebox.com/ Monkey: https://wavyindustries.com/monkey/
Picotracker: https://xiphonics.com/
MEDO https://www.donnermusic.com/products/...
RK-008: https://www.retrokits.com/rk008/
Geonkick https://geonkick.org/
Surge XT https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/
ZynAddSubFX https://github.com/zynaddsubfx/zynadd...
TAL Noisemak3r https://github.com/Nexbit/tal-noisemaker

HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"

Donner L1 vs SH-101: How close can we make it?? Sound design and comparison

video upload by MR TUNA Music

"In this video, we are putting the new Donner L1 analog synthesizer head-to-head with the original legendary Roland SH-101 to see just how close we can get! From pulsewaves to bass patches, we’ll break down the oscillators, filters, envelopes, and modulation to find out whether the Donner L1 can really capture that classic SH-101 sound. (spoiler: it can)

🔊 Expect A/B sound demos, patch design walkthroughs, and my honest thoughts on where the L1 nails it— and where the SH-101 still reigns supreme.

✨ If you’re curious about:

-Donner L1 sound demo
-Roland SH-101 comparison
-Analog synth sound design
-Best affordable SH-101 alternative

…this video is for you!"

Donner L1 Essential Demo with intellijel Sealegs (no talking): Patches for Ambient, IDM and Techno

video upload by Limbic Bits

0:00 90s IDM Lead
0:55 BoC Bass
1:15 Acidtrance 1
2:39 Electronica Lead
4:01 Indietronica Bass
4:50 Mental Atmosphere Lead
5:39 Rumble Techno Kick
6:48 Stored Images Bass
7:42 Electro Lead
8:51 80s Arp Bass
9:32 Glide Ambient Sequence
10:52 Pulsar
12:26 Zombie Land
12:45 Arp Patterns
14:07 Kicked Pitch Bass
14:50 Electro Bass
15:13 S&H Lead

Bad Gear - Too Expensive to feel SO CHEAP

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. The analog tones of Roland’s SH-101 have been a staple in electronic music production since the 80s.

However, those who didn’t buy the dip in the 90s will have to make do with oversized fridge magnets, Uli’s homage to plastic, blasphemous plugins or - in this case - Donner’s brand-new L1 which has no reason to be that expensive while feeling so cheap.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:48 Overview Donner L1
01:29 Oscillator Section
01:59 Filter Section
02:14 Envelopes, Drone, Gate
02:44 LFO, Analog FM
02:59 Sequencer
03:20 Menus, Screen
03:35 Digital Bleed from the Screen
03:56 The Detachable Keyboard and its Limitations
04:07 Connectivity (or lack thereof)
04:17 Midi, Arpeggiator
04:42 What else? (Many weird Flaws,...)
05:12 H*te Screen
05:40 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:26 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:31 Finale ( Techno - All Sounds including Drums )
08:00 Verdict"

Everybody needs a 101... and Donner's L1 is a decent, affordable version

video upload by MusicRadar Tech

Sound demos start at 17:55.

"With its deceptively versatile sound engine, easy-to-use sequencer and tactile, slider-based instrument, the SH-101 might be the ultimate first synth – other than the fact that original units sell for hundreds of £/$ on the second hand market. Thankfully, we're now spoiled for choice when it comes to budget 101-alikes. The latest to hit the market is Donner's Essential L1 – an 101 clone with an optional detachable keyboard. So how does it measure up?"

ACHI - You (Live Session)

video upload by ACHI

"Stream 'You': https://tr.ee/oQlmc57BAs

Live performance of the track 'You', available on ACHI latest EP 'Be There'

℗© 2025 Be Your Own Studio Label"


video upload by ACHI

Donner Essential L1 Synthesizer Review

video upload by Molten Music Technology

"The Essential L1 is Donner's take on the classic Roland SH-101. They've folded in a few extras and smartened up the interface but how well does do the whole synthesizing thing? Let's have a look."

Index:
Intro - 0:00
Overview - 15:15
Waveforms - 17:54
Filter - 22:26
Envelopes - 28:06
Modulator - LFO - 35:36
LFO Audio Rate Modulation - 36:34
Sequencer - 39:26
ARP - 43:28
External Input - 48:05
Conclusions - 53:41

Will These Eurorack Filters Destroy the Classic 303 Sound?

video upload by Metamyther

"In this video, we run a 303 through an array of Eurorack filters to explore the raw, gritty textures perfect for industrial techno and experimental electronic music. Watch as the iconic acid bassline is transformed by an array of filters, from resonant low-pass sweeps to aggressive distortion and modulation to warbly choruses. Whether you're a Eurorack enthusiast, hardware synth lover, or acid techno producer looking to push your sound design further, this deep dive showcases the power of combining classic gear with modern modular flexibility. Ideal for fans of dark grooves and hands-on sonic manipulation."

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - Raw 303 Reference Sound
01:28 - Mosaic 1U Filter
02:28 - Ikarie
05:05 - Viol Ruina
09:12 - Lacrima Versio
13:11 - Fala Versio
17:13 - Vult Freak