The MONK Project Hardware Sequencer - Updates - GearExpo UK 2026

video upload by sonicstate

"Great to catch up with Nick Monk who was showing the Monk Project again after its success at the London Synth & Pedal Expo.What sets this sequencer apart is its combination of 16 customizable channels and a unique theory engine. While it features traditional step sequencing it also incorporates a wide range of generative models using its music theory engine to ensure musical coherence. This allows you to control melody outputs, toggle randomness, or block non-conforming notes.

The sequencer includes a phraser using Markov chains for recording and manipulating musical phrases and a new feature Nick calls HI (Human Intelligence). HI enables the machine to learn and create statistical tables based on your playing style. Nick elaborated that these features are on top of its basic step-sequencing capability.

Aimed for niche and professional composers, prospective uses span from simple MIDI creations to algorithmic music generation. The sequencer is aimed for production with pre-orders starting after summer, requiring a minimum of 20 orders to initiate a prototype run. CV and gate connectivity is also planned and in the works."

https://themonkproject.com

NOISFERATU - Generative texture synthesizer

video upload by scaepe

via scaepe

"NOISFERATU is a compact handheld generative texture synthesizer. 45 algorithms across 5 banks produce crackling textures, noisy scapes, evolving drones, harmonic blips and digital chaos. Shaped but never fully controlled by four knobs.

They generate endlessly evolving textures, tones and rhythmic patterns. Designed to surprise, resist repetition and never quite settle. Dial in a crackling drone, a stuttering melody, or pure digital chaos.

The front and back panel can be flipped.

It uses and abuses creative approaches like generative wavetables, BitBend address manipulation, probability gates, bitwise logic operations and wild combinations of these.

Powered via USB-C.

Firmware and schematics are released open source."

The most powerful performance MUTE modules for Eurorack: NO BPM Mute Performer Demo

video upload by mylarmelodies

"The great NO BPM hired me to make a demo to explain their Mute Performer system - Mute Performer is arguably the most feature-complete muting system in Eurorack, as it can mute AND mix triggers, audio (clicklessly) and CV, and it can send MIDI to mute external devices too. And you can have up to 72 channels, and you can CLOCK the mutes, so they happen on the beat (or at the start of bars...). And it has scenes, so you can prepare and recall mute groups. And it has several ways of muting and cueing mutes. It's quite a thing."

CHAPTERS:
00:00 What it is and can do
02:21 Clocked Mutes!
03:10 Cueing Mutes
05:00 Mixing Signals
07:10 Mute Scenes
10:13 Solo Mutes

The Mute Performer takes the humble mute function into new and exciting territory.

8 channels of Mutes can be cued, locked, inverted, switched, mixed, stereo-paired, expanded, and arranged into scenes. Scenes can be saved, loaded, banked, clocked, triggered and modulated.

The Mute Performer also supports MIDI, which can be transmitted using a provided 5-pin MIDI Type A to 3.5mm cable.

This allows you to connect external MIDI devices to the Mute Performer, enabling performative control of mutes both inside and out your case.

The Mute Performer alone has 8 channels, but can be expanded up to 72 channels with the Mute Expanders.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Meet Acid Drip - A DIY Bassline Synth & Drum Machine

video upload by Marcus Dunn

"Check out the GitHub Repo if you are interested in building your own

GitHub - https://github.com/lonesoulsurfer/Aci...

Instructables - Coming soon!"

Note: Acid Drip is based on the BadAss basS Synth and DrumKid featured further below.

"An RP2040-based acid bassline synthesizer and drum machine built on the Mozzi audio library. Two instruments in one device, a 16-step acid sequencer and a 16-pattern drum groove box running simultaneously on dual cores with a 320×240 ILI9341 TFT display and 16 Cherry MX pads.

NOTE: the images of the synth are V1. V2 is what I hve provided in this repo and looks a littke different (extra pot for mix added)"


Open Source Credits: Acid Drip is based on the BadAss basS Synth and DrumKid:

Acid synthesis engine adapted from Badass Bass from 10 years ago:


BadAss basS Synth video upload by Tschibo00

"this is the demo of my DIY Arduino-based synth with built-in sequencer. Code+schematics can be found on https://github.com/Tschibo00/BadAssba..."

Drum engine ported from DrumKid by Matt Bradshaw:


Drumkid Review & Demo // Lo-fi Drum Machine video upload by Saturday Music Machines from 2023

"Drumkid is a lo-fi aleatoric (an element of chance) drum machine with MIDI. It generates rhythms using random numbers. It’s designed to be used for both live performance and recording, with controls that allow organic transitions between rhythms and fills."

CLICK FOR MORE »

OAK Sampler - New Ensoniq ASR-10 Inspired Sampler Workstation Keyboard Synthesizer In the Works

video upload by oak sampler

Meet the upcoming "OAK-S37 Sampling Workstation" keyboard synthesizer.

Playlist with additional details:

1. OAK Sampler Sound Playback and Effects Test

I absolutely love the ASR-10. I’m building a new hardware workstation inspired by the ASR-10 that runs the original OS , effects etc and replicates the HW in a modern form. There will be some updates on the project. This is the boot and general test. Potato speaker recording. #asr10 #90ssampling

2. OAK Sampler (ASR-10 in Hardware) Sequencing & Sample Editing

I love the ASR-10. I’m building a new hardware sampler inspired by the ASR-10. It can run the original Ensoniq ASR-10 OS and effects algorithms. This video shows sequencing and sample editing on the OAK Sampler.

3. OAK Sampler (ASR-10 in Hardware) vs ASR-10 Sound Comparison

This video compares the OAK-S37 and an the ASR-10 using the same sequence, individual samples, filters, envelopes, and effects.

I recreated “93 ’til Infinity” as a test project using identical files across both systems.

I intend to do a limited first run eventually (no dates yet).

Credits
TRACKLIB Sample Breakdown Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity
Heather - Billy Cobham - Sampled From Vinyl
The Jam - Graham Central Station - Sampled From Vinyl

4. OAK Sampler (ASR-10 in Hardware) Loading Original Ensoniq Sample CDs

In this video I load projects from the original ASR-10 Ensoniq Sample CD. It shows proper playback of the complex arrangements, accurate instruments and effects on the OAK. Totally 90’s.

Credits:
Studio Essentials Vol. 1 CDR-3 Ensoniq Corp

5. OAK Sampler (ASR-10 in Hardware) vs ASR-10 Effects

In this video it’s shows an comparison of the OAK-S and ASR-10 internal effects.

The second half demonstrates live effects monitoring. One of my favorite ASR-10 features was using it as a real-time effects processor, and I wanted that preserved in the OAK-S. It uses effects from the Ensoniq CDR-3 CD banks

Credits:
Effects from Studio Essentials Vol. 1 (CDR-3) Ensoniq Corp.

You can find additional details and an FAQ at www.oaksampler.com

TRX-12 IS HERE! 🔊 Tracker DAW with Synths, MIDI Import & Song Mode!

video upload by Electronisounds Audio

"Grab TRACKER TRX-12 here: https://www.electronisounds.com/trx-1...

I built the TRACKER that I've always wanted to use: TRX-12 💙

A fast, hands-on, tracker-style desktop DAW for Windows & macOS — loaded with 4,000+ original samples, three custom synth engines, 450+ Presets, 850+ MIDI files and a creative Step-FX workflow you won't find anywhere else! 😁🙏👊

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whatever kind of music you are making - KEEP IT UP, Friends!
Don't stop making *YOUR MUSIC*!! ---
▼CONNECT with me / SUPPORT creativity and good content▼
WEBSTORE ► https://www.electronisounds.com/
PATREON ► https://www.patreon.com/DeanDaughters"

"TRX-12 isn't just another sample player on a grid.

It's built around ideas you won't find in other trackers:

31 creative Step-FX commands — stack up to four per step for chords, strums, ratchets, probability, evolving pitch, glides, reverses, random slices and more. This is the secret weapon.

Polyphonic chords on a single track — real chords, right on the grid.

Multiple drum sounds on ONE track — sequence a whole kit on a single lane with no sample choking.

Multi-sample playback instrument with built-in trance gate

Round-robin playback — instant realism on drums and one-shots.

Melodies that evolve and mutate — scale-aware "evolve" and probability-based pitch let your sequences grow and change as they play.

Randomize everything — samples, synth sounds, sequences, even slicer slices — endless inspiration on tap.

Resample on the fly — bounce any pattern to a new sample and reload it instantly."

You can find TRACKER TRX-12 here.

Freshwater Announces Modern CPU Card for Fairlight CMI Series I, II & IIx

Press Release follows:

Freshwater announces the new FI50A Card

Freshwater writes a new chapter for the legendary Fairlight CMI

Today Freshwater announces a milestone event with the release of the FI50A card for existing Fairlight CMIs series I, II and IIx. We’ve spent over a year perfecting this project and now offer CMI users a unique opportunity to extend, preserve and enhance these remarkable and era-defining machines.

Installed in an original Fairlight CMI, the FI50A makes the instrument faster, more reliable and more convenient to operate whilst bringing the legendary CMI sound into the 21st century music production environment. We are currently focused on getting these cards into the hands of users and continuing to optimise the enhanced software bundled with them.

What is the FI50A?

The Freshwater FI50A is a complete modern replacement for the original CMI computer section, including CPU, graphics display, memory and library storage. It is compatible with Fairlight CMI Series I, II and IIx systems. The FI50A preserves the character, workflow and hardware experience of the original instrument while dramatically improving speed, reliability, storage and usability. It runs enhanced software derived from the original source code keeping the instrument recognisably and operationally a Fairlight CMI.

The card arrives pre-installed with a fully licensed original CMI sound library and adds practical modern ways to expand it, including enhanced 10-bit sampling, waveform upload over Wi-Fi, SD card and USB memory support. It also adds DisplayPort output, USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi while retaining support for legacy CMI keyboards, CRT/light pen operation, floppy disks, MIDI interfaces and Series I/II channel cards.

Installation is straightforward and fully reversible. Using the supplied user manual and online video guide, the original CPU and peripheral cards can be removed and preserved, the FI50A installed in their place, and the original peripherals reconnected.

For owners familiar with the CMI, the result is not a different instrument, but a transformed one: faster, easier to maintain and ready for contemporary studio use while remaining true to the original machine.

For more information, please follow the link below:

https://www.freshwaterinstruments.au/fi50a

“I once said ‘one day the whole CMI will fit on one chip’. We all had a laugh at that. Fast forward 40 years and that’s the reality. By making this new board compatible with the original CMI channel cards, the bits that make the CMI sound so unique are still there, while the digital part is a zillion times more powerful, smaller, cheaper and reliable.” —Peter Vogel

DS-8 - An 8 Voice Drum Synth For The PS Vita [ Drumstream ]

video upload by Intermynd Instruments

"DS8 Drumstream is a homebrew drum machine and advanced groovebox for the PlayStation Vita, built around fast step sequencing, real-time drum synthesis, automation, and hands-on performance using the Vita’s physical controls.

DS8 turns the Vita into a compact drum instrument with eight drum tracks, up to 64 steps per pattern, real-time drum voice generation, per-step automation, insert/send/master FX, and pattern tools including Euclidean rhythms and random generation. The sound engine is synthesis-based, with no samples or wavetables.

The project is currently in active development and the first public build is available as v0.1 for homebrew-enabled PS Vita consoles as a free download."

You can find it here: https://intermynd-instruments.itch.io/ds-8



Additional details:

"DS8 Drumstream is a drum synthesizer and groovebox for the PlayStation Vita.

It turns the Vita into a compact drum machine for sketching ideas, building grooves, and performing anywhere. The app is built around eight drum tracks, a step sequencer with up to sixty-four steps, and direct control through the Vita’s physical buttons.

All sounds are generated in real time. No samples, no wavetables. Each drum voice can be shaped directly, with controls for tuning, decay, drive, pitch, noise, level, and more.

The sequencer supports mute, solo, per-step automation, pattern length control, step copy and paste, metronome, and pattern generation. Individual steps can have their own parameter changes, allowing for accents, ghost notes, tuned percussion, glitch fills, and evolving rhythms.

Pattern generation includes Euclidean rhythms, random patterns, alternating steps, every-N triggers, and preset templates.

DS8 Drumstream is currently in active development. This is an early v0.1 release, so bugs, missing features, performance issues, and interface changes should be expected."

CLICK FOR MORE »

DROPKEYS TMP For ASM Diosynth

video upload by TJontheRoad

"Introducing DROPKEYS TMP for the ASM Diosynth. EVI trumpet keyset for trumpet fingerings. DROPKEYS are a drop in replacement key set for the Diosynth. 15 minutes is all you need for a quick simple installation..

Learn more here: https://lyingawakecreations.com/dropkeys"

"Trumpet Fingerings To The Next Level"

Curves & Membranes - Software Bézier Monosynth w. Orbital Modulators & Membrane Filter

video uploads by Unusable Engineering

Note this is the first post to feature Unusable Engineering. You'll find additional plugins by them below.

Playlist:

1. Curves & Membranes - Software Bézier Monosynth w. Orbital Modulators & Membrane Filter - Walk Through
2. Curves & Membranes - Sound Demo and Patch Ideas - No Talking
3. Curves & Membranes | Synthesizer Patch Creation & Sound Design Walkthrough
4. Curves & Membranes v1.1.0 | New Features and Sound Examples
5. Curves & Membranes Filter Walkthrough | Understanding the Membranes
6. Unusable Engineering Jam | Curves & Membranes in a Different Context
7. Unusable Engineering Update | Curves & Membranes Features and Grain Discharge
8. Unusable Engineering Breakfast Jam | Curves & Membranes + Full Bundle

"Curves & Membranes is a focused mono synth built around a shapeable Bézier oscillator, two visual modulation systems, and a membrane-based filter. In this full walkthrough I go through the core ideas behind the instrument, how the oscillator works, how the preset morphing and orbital modulators create movement, and how the membrane filter shapes the sound.

The goal with Curves & Membranes was not to make a do-everything synth, but to build something more specific: a synth where sound, shape, and motion are tightly connected, and where the structure stays easy to understand while still allowing a lot of character and timbral movement.


More info: https://www.unusable.net/"

And a playlist of addtional plug-ins by Unusable Engineering:



Playlist:

1. Synaptic Resonance | Neural Vocoder Walkthrough

Synaptic Resonance is a neural vocoder-style effect where incoming audio, or an optional sidechain, excites a two-dimensional neural simulation. That simulation is then read back somewhere else and used to animate a bank of forty steep resonant band-pass filters.

In this walkthrough I go through the basic idea behind the plugin, show how the Stim Plane and Read Plane shape the behavior, and explain how the neural controls affect the way the model reacts, spreads, remembers, recovers, and settles.

The core idea is fairly simple: the input excites the model, and the output is affected by reading the model. That is what gives the plugin its character. It can behave like a vocoder, a resonant filter instrument, or something more unstable and alive depending on how it is set up.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Prophet 10 and MIDI MORPHEUS - an LFO generator for the Prophet 10

video upload by MIDERA

"When I was playing around with the Roland MKS-80, I kept thinking "My Prophet 10 sounds soooo much like this, do I really need to spend $$$ on getting an MKS?" The things I loved so much about the MKS (and actually the Kawai SX-240 which I sold) related to the LFO. I love a good reverse saw LFO and a random LFO. Notably, these are absent from the Prophet 10.

I started building another device I haven't showcased yet, and I realized I could repurpose that work to make an LFO module, which is what you're seeing here. So what can it do? It currently targets multiple CC destinations with adjustable depth, speed, and waveform shape.

Been having a lot of fun with it so far, creating sounds the Prophet 10 could not do unless I had a Yorick LFE, which is no longer made and was a little too expensive for me to justify purchasing. This is far cheaper (although I don't want to think about how much I've spent in parts/time building this!).

Cheers

NI RAUM used for reverb
#nativeinstruments #raum #sequentialprophet10"

introducing splines

video upload by Þ

"A first tour of the new splines eurorack module by thorn.audio out now.
For more information please visit the manual page at:
://thorn.audio/splines"

This one was sent my way via Meska.

"Splines is a visual vector curve generator in Eurorack format, with a wide frequency range and a built in quantizer, cv scope and cv processing capability.

It can be used in ways similar to a wavetable VCO, LFO, step sequencer or envelope generator.

Onboard quantizer scales, backups and firmware updates are managed as you would use an external USB drive.

It’s a small, shallow, multifaceted addition to any setup, and for touring rigs it can fill many roles in exchange for little space and weight.

in depth.
In the technical sense "splines" are most commonly used in 3d modelling, animation and vector graphics. It's essentially just a way of creating a curved path from one point to another.

In this module, you have up to sixteen user configurable points or nodes which function much like a step sequencer, where the X axis represents time and the Y axis represents voltage.

When the phase(time) reaches the X position of a node, the 1v/oct output changes to the Y position value of that node.

Each of the sixteen nodes also has a configurable trigger setting, determining if the gate output goes high when the phase crosses the X position of the node.

The nodes are connected by a spline and the shape of this spline is determined by three parameters; Tension, Continuity and Bias. The spline output gives you a voltage following this curve.

Tension changes how extreme the curve between the nodes is.

Continuity sets the angle of the spline at the node.

CLICK FOR MORE »

16 Music Lab Custom MIDI Interfaces for Yamaha CS Series

via 16 Music Lab:

Hello MatrixSynth readers,

I am Thierry Gerardeaux from 16 Music Lab, and I want to announce that my custom MIDI interfaces for the Yamaha CS series (covering everything from the CS-15 up to the legendary CS-80) are currently available.

To maintain the highest standard of quality and ensure these kits end up in the right hands (rather than with speculators), I operate strictly on a small-batch, built-to-order basis. I limit production to a maximum of 5 units per CS model at any given time. This is true boutique hardware designed for purists and demanding technicians.

The CS-80 Flagship Interface & MIDI OUT Capabilities

While I proudly cater to the entire CS line, I want to specifically highlight the interface designed for the Yamaha CS-80. Given the immense complexity and uncompromising architecture of this legendary synthesizer, retrofitting it requires absolute precision.

Crucially, this specific MIDI kit goes beyond basic connectivity by featuring a comprehensive and highly responsive MIDI OUT. It flawlessly transmits all 8 voices of polyphony, including velocity and the CS-80's signature polyphonic aftertouch, alongside real-time data from the iconic ribbon controller. This allows you to harness the CS-80's legendary expressive keyboard to control your modern DAW or other hardware seamlessly.

How it works:

Technical Validation: Before any transaction, I require a few macro photos of your synthesizer’s internals (connectors, board revisions). I personally evaluate these remotely to guarantee 100% compatibility with your specific machine.

Shipping / DIY Install: If you or your trusted local tech are handling the installation, a dedicated and highly trusted partner of mine takes care of the ultra-secure packing and worldwide shipping.

Custom Installation: For those who want absolute peace of mind, I also offer a complete, personalized installation service myself (for an additional fee).

These kits are built with uncompromising attention to detail to respect the original circuitry of these vintage masterpieces.

If you are looking to bring your Yamaha CS into the modern studio environment with a reliable, high-end MIDI retrofit, please feel free to reach out to me directly at: 16musiclab@gmail.com or visit www.16musiclab.fr

Musically,

Thierry Gerardeaux 16 Music Lab

AMYboard - the $29 DIY modular synth running Python.

video upload by Brian Whitman

via Brian Whitman of AMYboard

"Today, we’re launching a new music hardware platform! Meet the AMYboard, a 10HP modular-sized synthesizer brimming with inputs and outputs for digital and analog audio, MIDI, and two CV channels. The AMYboard firmware runs Micropython, and can be controlled and programmed over the web, where you can share your own creations with others. You can also use AMYboard in Arduino to create music devices of your own design. It’s only US$29.90 - a very inexpensive way to get started making your own modular-capable synths. It can be powered over USB or a 10-pin modular power cable, and comes with a 10HP laser-cut faceplate. You can buy one today!

AMYboard is powered by AMY, the synthesis and effects toolkit that DAn Ellis and I have been working on for the past few years. AMY is a beautiful-sounding, efficient re-creation of classic analog synths – like the Juno-6 – and FM synths – like the DX-7. It can also act as a sampler, play WAV files, or let you make your own synthesizer setups in code from bare oscillators, effects, and filters. AMY is open-source and runs on all sorts of hardware. It already powers some neat synths like the Diapasonix, the Spark, and our own Tulip Creative Computer. AMYboard is our “reference hardware” for AMY - running the same ESP32-S3 as Tulip with 8MB of RAM, but with new features including both analog and S/PDIF (digital) audio input and output, enabling live effects, sampling, and filters. We’ve also added an SD card for sample storage, and an I2C host port for connecting your own displays and knobs!"

AMYboard launches with AMYboard online – a web based simulator and control surface for the AMYboard. You can experience AMYboard online before even buying an AMYboard. AMYboard online runs the same core engine as the AMYboard hardware (ported to WebAssembly) so you can set up and interact with the synthesizer over the web. When you’re ready, you plug in your AMYboard, download your patch, or control it in real time over the web, including the capability to edit and store code on your hardware that will boot up the next time you turn it on. AMYboard’s default firmware allows anyone to code their synth creations in MicroPython running on the hardware; the AMY synthesis engine itself runs in bare-metal C, but you can load your own “sketches” onto the board to build complex environments. For example, here’s a generative house track with a Derrick May custom “WOODPIANO” FM patch. Or here’s a TB303 + 808 acid setup. Or add a filter and reverb to a DX7 patch. AMYboard online also comes with AMYboard World, an online community for AMYboard users to share sketches with each other. We’re really excited to see your cool creations, please do share them!

See Brian Whitman's full post on AMYboard for additional details and links.

Vorimo Engineering is just starting out - Superbooth 2026

video upload by True Cuckoo

Superbooth 2026: The BEST Weird Synths & Gear

video upload by Sam Gutman

"This was my first Superbooth and I had a great time! In this video I go through my favorite synthesizers, pedals, and strange noise machines that I got to play."

00:00 Intro
00:30 Terra by SOMA Laboratory
01:51 Handytraxx by Korg
02:25 Spotykach by Synthux Academy
03:45 Ziggy by Buchla
05:42 Janko Keyboard
06:59 Struktophon by Plonk
07:41 Transparentsea by GinTronic
08:37 Atrium by Whimsical Raps
09:58 Relic by Shear Electronics

Some superb Superbooth booths ( 2026 )

video upload by Floyd Steinberg

"Here's my Superbooth 2026 walkthrough."

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

Alan Instruments SpaceDrum

See it in BoBeats SUPERBOOTH favorites at 11:34.

via Alan Instruments

Combining generative beat-making
with real-time audio reactivity,
SpaceDrum is a rhythmic revelation.

It’s an endless idea machine,
an inspiring rhythm instrument,
and the ultimate jam companion.

Built to last a lifetime
in the studio and on stage,
SpaceDrum is handmade
by musicians in Chicago.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Miltone 4EXP | An accurate re-creation of the Oberheim Four Voice! #superbooth

video upload by CatSynth TV

Manfred from Miltone treats us to a demo of the 4EXP, an impressive and meticulous re-creation of the legendary Oberheim Four Voice. Like the original, there are four SEM models, build from discrete components and circuit boards the accurately match the original - they even have potentiometers with ball bearings. It does of course include modern features like MIDI as well.

To find out more, please visit https://miltone.fr/
_________
Please consider supporting this channel to help us bring you more synthesizer tutorials and other content.
Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Four Voices, One Legendary Sound.

GESPRÄCHSKONZERT (Lecture Concert): DSP-Dealer at SUPERBOOTH26

video upload by Superbooth Berlin

"Polygonia (Lindsey Wang) of DSP-Dealer presents DSP-Dealer's new Inspect software with an audio-visual live demonstration."

DSP-Dealer:
https://www.dsp-dealer.com/