Katla Field Notes: Lava

video upload by Genki

"Fifteen minutes with Katla, unedited.

Katla Field Notes is a series of long-form improvisations on Katla, a polyphonic synthesizer inspired by its namesake, Iceland's largest subglacial volcano.

Recorded at Kleifarvatn, August 2026. Direct out from Katla into Zoom H6, no processing beyond a touch of limiting."

Katla by Genki Instruments: The Volcanic Synthesizer

video upload by GBR MUSIC

"Join me for a complete tour of the Katla by Genki Instruments featuring not one, not two, but three demo tracks and a brick by brick breakdown of this unique and great sounding synthesizer."

00:00 Intro 00:30 Opening demo 03:00 Overview 04:40 What I love about the Katla 05:43 Layout Overview 06:52 Presets 07:44 Interlude 08:36 Oscillators 09:51 Voice Rotation & Round Robin 13:37 Polyphonic Voice Rotation 14:50 Unisson Modes 16:18 Global Module 18:12 Katla Parameters 27:24 Filter 29:44 Reverb and CMOS distortion 32:30 Enveloppe Generators 35:29 LFOs 37:16 Aftertouch 40:45 MPE Compatibility 42:17 Master Module 42:50 Processing External Audio 44:16 Final Thoughts 46:02 Closing Demo

Katla Field Notes: Islands

video upload by Genki

"Fifteen minutes with Katla, unedited.

Katla Field Notes is a series of long-form improvisations on Katla, a polyphonic synthesizer inspired by its namesake, Iceland's largest subglacial volcano.

Recorded at Kleifarvatn, August 2026. Direct out from Katla into Zoom H6, no processing beyond a touch of limiting.

Katla is made by Genki Instruments in Reykjavík. Second batch of 100 units now available."

Katla Field Notes

video uploads by Genki

"Katla Field Notes is a series of long-form improvisations on Katla, a polyphonic synthesizer inspired by its namesake, Iceland's largest subglacial volcano.

Recorded at Kleifarvatn, August 2026. Direct out from Katla into Zoom H6, no processing beyond a touch of limiting."

Playlist as of this post:
1. Katla Field Notes: Grass Field
2. Katla Field Notes: Scree
3. Katla Field Notes: Horses
4. Katla Field Notes: Kleifarvatn

SOUNDS from... KATLA by Genki Instruments

video upload by Kiss the Needle

"I'm exploring KATLA by GENKI Instruments, creating a dark, suggestive and dystopian soundscape from scratch , shaping, layering and transforming sounds as I go.

Arpeggio created on Arturia Keystep 37 mk2.

No talking, no in-depth review, just sound design and a chance to hear the character of KATLA and where it can take you.

KATLA is an instrument made for exploration, experimentation and unexpected sonic territory, from evolving textures and strange atmospheres to distorted, cinematic soundscapes."

Exploring The Genki Instruments Katla A $6K Volcanic Synth With Venus Theory

video upload by sonicstate

"@VenusTheory is one of the lucky people to have their hands on the @genkiinstruments Genki Instruments Katla, the Icelandic volcanic synthesizer priced around $6,000 (yes you did read that right).

As well as parts hewn out of the Icelandic Katla volcano, hence the name - it has five voices with a paraphonic architecture, individual level, waveform and octave controls for each oscillator.

The resonant filter has low pass and band pass modes, self-oscillation and a wave folder. Modulation has some unusual routings, with a 'volcano' (of course) LFO shape and a Skrida control that randomizes envelopes and levels per note.

As well as user presets it has a system which recalls patches per section, effects include reverb, analog drive and tape-style detuning, and recent firmware adds MPE.

We explore it together - and if you want to get a sense of what it can do - we have a set of Custom Decent Samples from Venus Theory for our own Decent Sampler UI available for YouTube Members and Patreon Supporters

And Venus Theory has his own Tephra instrument available here: https://venustheory.gumroad.com/l/vtt..."

Asking manufacturers what nobody knows about their synths

video upload by mylarmelodies

"Want some random synth facts? At London Synth & Pedal Expo, I asked Music Thing, Korg, ASM, Arturia, Genki, Elektron, Embodme and ALM Busycircuits - what does nobody know about your machine? 👀"

00:00 - Today's Video
00:13 - Tom Whitwell doesn't know how the slopes work
00:48 - Korg Minilogue's Hidden Arcade Game
01:16 - Leviasynth's Ergonomic Notch
01:46 - Keystep 37's Sneaky LFOs
02:04 - RYK's Hidden Defender Game
03:05 - KATLA's Audio Replacement Trick
04:03 - Elektron's Octatrack Fails
04:49 - Erae Touch's Secret Sequencer
05:22 - ALM's Many Easter Eggs

Genki Instruments Katla #8 (MPE update!) | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"Can a perfect synthesizer be made any better? Well yes, apparently it can :) The amazing people at Genki Instruments just made Katla even more expressive by adding MPE capabilities in a firmware update.

I have to say I always thought MPE was a bit gimmicky. I even had a Roli Seaboard Rise in my studio which I'd never properly used. The new Katla update was the perfect reason to change that. And oh boy have I missing out! I absolutely love being able to slide between notes and add expression with pressure and slides. I thought it'd be too complicated to play, but it actually really isn't.

It seems the team at Genki Instruments have hit a home run again. Without any real setup I got the MPE controller hooked up, and in no time I came up with this patch, which feels so expressive to play! I'm looking forward to exploring more MPE patches on Katla ❤️

A second batch of Katlas is available now at https://genki.is/"

What the Katla Does to a Melodic, Progressive & Electronica Track

video upload by Marcus Schmahl

"Genki Instruments Katla arrived in my studio. Electronic music meets the icelandic synth that came from a volcano. A really amazing synthesizer with a unique sound. I'll show you a little bit of the sound. More soon!"

KATLA Jam 3 - Oxi One + Saga Sequencer | 808 Beats

video upload by verstaerker

"Dive into a live, improvisational jam centered around the Genki Katla – a five-voice, voice-rotating polyphonic synth with organic, evolving textures. Controlled via the Oxi One and sequenced with the new Saga sequencer mode, this session blends minimalistic electro beats with a cutting organic sequence.

🎛️ Setup Breakdown:

Genki Katla (main lead sequence)
Oxi One (sequencing)
Yocto 8080 for 8080 drums
Eventide TimeFactor (Delay)
Eventide ModFactor (Ring Modulation)
PIN Portabella (Extra Sound)"

Katla 2 - organic sequence and chilled electro rhythms

video upload by verstaerker

"my second test of Genki Katla Synth. This time with a plain beat on the Octatrack , wich also sends the simple midi-sequence to the Katla.
‪@genkiinstruments‬ ‪@WeAreElektron‬"

Katla at Superbooth 2026

video upload by Tweeeeeak!

"Listen with good bass headphones... 😁
No talking, just loading and tweaking some patches.

0:00 - Bass/Lead 1 0:51 - Bass/Lead 2 1:21 - Sequence 1 2:27 - Bass/Lead 3 3:08 - Bass/Lead 4 3:53 - Sequence 2 4:39 - Bass/Lead 5 5:39 - Sequence 3 6:02 - Drone 1 7:07 - Drone 2"

Katla 1 - First Soundtest

video upload by verstaerker

"Katla arrived and i'm getting to know him
‪@genkiinstruments‬
playing it with the Oxi One sequencer wich also sends aftertouch to modulate filter and Katla-params"

Genki Instruments Katla #7 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"I'm a huge fan of sawtooth lfos on the filter cutoff. Sometimes for proper rhythmic stuff, sometimes for more freely timed plucks like in this patch.

On Katla it's so easy to add some extra movement to otherwise simply repeating lfo modulation! I turned up the keytracking a bit on the lfos, making each note have their own lfo speed, and I've routed the envelope to the lfo speeds making them go faster as the pad swells in. It's so easy to dial in sounds like this on Katla because every modulation destination has its own bipolar slider, and keytracking has dedicated knobs per parameter you can apply it to. To top the patch off I added a healthy dose of Katla's incredible reverb and added some Katla modulation params."

Genki's CEO On How The €4990 KATLA Synthesizer Was Made

video upload by mylarmelodies

"Here's how KATLA was made - recorded at the Synth & Pedal Expo London (plus sounds at the end!). Katla is a unique synth - inspired by a titanic volcano in Iceland, with a huge gritty vibey sound. It literally has volcano in it(!) And after this interview, I thought about it a lot. Because behind the scenes, I've been working on a product and so much of what Óli said here resonated with my own experiences. I was really struck by how open, candid and frank Óli was, and I think there's huge value in learning from their journey. Hope you find this interesting!

Note that there was the Hackney half marathon happening in the background with people shouting and whooping constantly throughout the chat - but Izotope RX to the rescue!"

MORE ON KATLA
▶︎ It's since sold out, but there is a waitlist! https://genki.is/katla

VISIT THE LONDON SYNTH & PEDAL EXPO NEXT YEAR?
▶︎ https://synthandpedalexpo.com/london-...

CHAPTERS
0:00 A Volcano In A Synthesizer?
01:03 Depression, Iceland & A Big Idea
02:11 Nobody Knew What They Were Building
04:31 Fake Deadlines & Soccer Moms
06:09 The Godfather Of The Project
08:00 How Do You Sound Like A Volcano?
09:32 Spending Big & Hoping It Works
11:20 Linux, ARM Chips & Why Digital?
12:45 Who Actually Has Final Say?
15:50 4:30am Hack Sessions In Iceland
18:16 Trusting Creatives When Life Hits
21:28 We Were Beginners. We Didn't Know.
23:48 The Secret Ingredient: Grease
26:16 Where Does The Lava Come From?
29:23 Why Does This Cost £5,000?
34:11 Two Years, 100 Units, A Baby
36:50 Mylar Playing Katla Afterwards

Genki Instruments Katla #6 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"With a sound like this, melodies just come pouring out! ❤️ The movement in this patch comes from routing the LFO to the phase distortion, which sounds different than modulating the filter. So many on panel options to create moving and characterful sounds! I named this little piece 'Closing Credits', hope you like it."

Genki Instruments Katla #5 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"Time for a new video on the mighty Genki Instruments Katla lava synthesizer! While last rays of a setting sun were hitting my living room window, I was playing around with Katla's stereo CMOS distortion, and this beautiful gloomy pad emerged. You can drive Katla in no less than four different places. This took a little getting used to for me, but it makes for a super flexible synth engine. I've never heard internal drive sound this good on a synthesizer.

As always, thanks for having me Genki! I'm not getting payed to say nice things about Katla, and I think its beautiful sound speaks for itself:)"

Genki Instruments Katla #4 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

I can't get enough of these kind of gentle key patches on the Katla synthesizer! For this patch I used a similar approach to the previous one, using the self oscillating filter as a sound source. But this time I played with modulating the wave folder, which at times in the piece almost feels like an extra melody coming in. I also once again tuned one of the voices an octave higher than the other ones, for unpredictable octave jumps in the melody, I just love that so much on Katla! For the next patch I'll try a more distorted one, promise."

See the Genki label below for additional posts.

Genki Instruments Katla #3 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"Time to put Katla through the arp test! Feeding Katla some arpeggiated chords, does it sound full enough? Are the envelopes plucky enough? Is it easy to keep interest up while playing with the synth parameters? I'd say absolutely, but you can judge for yourself!

I love the fact that Katla's envelopes can be both super slow as wel as super plucky. And Katla's super lush reverb really steals the show here:)"

Genki Instruments Katla #2 | Winterdagen

video upload by Winterdagen

"Here's another patch on the gorgeous ‪@genkiinstruments‬ Katla synthesizer.

For this keys patch I made use of Katla's voice rotation, with one of 5 voices tuned an octave higher than the rest, resulting in unpredictable pitch jumps in the melody, which I love. I didn't make use of Katla's oscillators for this patch, in stead the sound is coming from the filter with the resonance fully up, which tracks pitch very nicely when tuned with the simple calibration mode of holding down the two filter mode knobs.

I'm a big fan of these singing filter sine waves, which always feel a tiny bit unstable which makes them sound magical. To top it off I'm modulating the panning of the voices, I blended in some of Katla's lovely noise for some warble and I added some of the amazing internal reverb, which reminds me a bit of my Vongon Ultrasheer. I love this sound so much and I've never heard any other synth make it quite like this!

You don't see me playing the keys in the video, but I played this patch for hours, instant inspiration really. This melody is came out of that improvisation.

Thank you for watching!

ps. sine waves generally don't translate all that well on phone/laptop speakers, so speakers/earbuds/headphones advised.

Katla is shipping as of this week, find more info at: https://genki.is/"