FM-1 Features: ● Built-in speaker: No external speakers needed, turn on and play instantly, your stage anytime, anywhere. ● Built-in arpeggio: Rich rhythmic layers, giving you endless possibilities for musical performance. ● Built-in sequencer: Supports saving 16 preset sequences. ● Built-in 6-band integrated effects chain. ● Built-in rechargeable lithium battery with power indicator: Ready to use anytime, anywhere – on the street, in a cafe, or in your bedroom. ● Built-in 145-parameter FM tone editing system: Supports importing original DX7 SysEx tone files, and batch loading of single tones and entire tone sets. ● Built-in sound source: This device features a built-in sound source (FM synthesizer engine) that emulates the classic Yamaha DX-7 FM synthesizer, fully replicating 6 operators and 32 algorithms. ● BT audio function: Wirelessly stream backing tracks from your mobile phone to the FM-1 for improvisation using the built-in speakers or headphones. ● 27-key silicone keyboard, covering two octaves, offering a supple touch and rapid rebound for a comfortable playing experience. ● 1.54-inch color display screen, providing real-time display of tone, parameters, and spectrum information. ● Backlit silicone buttons for silent operation and sensitive feedback. ● 7 sets of 360-degree rotary encoders for precise and intuitive control. ● 12 function keys for one-touch access to core functions. ● OCT± octave/transposition switch, covering the full range even on narrow keys. ● 3.5mm headphone jack with automatic speaker mute when headphones are plugged in, ensuring undisturbed creative work and immersive monitoring of every detail of the tone. ● 3.5mm MIDI input jack for supporting external MIDI device control. ● USB-C interface: USB Audio + USB MIDI composite device, automatically recognized upon connection to a computer.
user video:
M‑VAVE FM‑1 Review & Sound Demo – Fun Pocket FM Synth
"How does this under‑$70 FM synthesizer perform? Check out this video for a full feature walkthrough, sound demos, and my honest thoughts.
I first spotted the M‑VAVE FM‑1 at this year's Guangzhou Musical Instrument Fair, and picked one up shortly after for about 300 RMB (around $60). The packaging is minimal, the unit itself is compact (16×9 cm), yet it packs everything you'd need. Connectivity is surprisingly generous, with both wired and wireless MIDI and audio support – really well‑equipped for its size.
Inside, you get a 6‑operator FM engine, essentially a recreation of a classic 1980s Japanese synth. It comes with 128 preset sounds, plus an effects chain, a 16‑step sequencer, an arpeggiator, and deeper editing tools. Pair it with an external MIDI keyboard and the playability expands even further.
Are there minor software quirks? Sure. But at this price, they're hardly worth mentioning. Compared to other portable sound gadgets in its class, the FM‑1 is just plain fun. And for the money, the build quality and feature set far exceeded my expectations."
"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 MPC One G2 and MPC Key 37 G2 introduce a new generation of standalone MPCs built around the same core idea: faster workflows and bigger creative potential. Both devices are powered by MPC3 and a new G2 eight-core processor, delivering significantly increased performance for larger sessions, faster load times, expanded track counts, and deeper plugin usage.
For beatmakers and producers who want the classic MPC feel in a compact desktop unit, MPC One G2 delivers next generation standalone power, MPC3’s modern track and arrangement tools, and USB-C hybrid connectivity—making it the most capable and future proof entry point into the MPC standalone ecosystem. https://inmusic.to/2p87e2nv
For producers and players who write on keys but want the speed and focus of an MPC workflow, MPC Key 37 G2 delivers next-generation standalone power, MPC3’s modern track and arrangement tools, and one-cable USB-C studio connectivity in a compact production keyboard that eliminates the laptop dependency. https://inmusic.to/yckvp6ef
Together, they represent two approaches to the same creative system. Whether you start on pads or keys both deliver a complete, modern MPC experience built to create, arrange, and finish music in one place, with the flexibility to plug into your studio setup when needed."
MPC One G2 vs MPC Key 37 G2 // & OS 3.9’s Wild New Oscillators // MPC G2 Review
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:
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."
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.
The ellitone groov~e console is a new variant of the original groov~e device. The console version includes the same sounds as the original, but features several new additions including built-in stereo speaker system, battery-power, hardwood body/knobs, and individual volume control over each sound layer
The groov~e console is a fun and mysterious interactive drum-machine and polyphonic-synthesizer that automatically generates musical “grooves”. A “groove” consists of 3 individual sound layers: a drum-machine layer, an ambience-sample layer, and a polyphonic-synthesizer sequence layer. Each of these 3 sound layers can be individually tweaked or swapped out to find the right mixture of sounds to make you say “WHOAH, that’s funky!”.
Portable Legendary Analog Synthesizer with 1 VCO, Classic VCF, 1 LFO and 2 Envelopes
D MINI — MINIMOOG LEGEND, POCKET POWER
The MiniMoog is the synth that built modern music — the fattest mono lead sound ever invented. The D MINI captures that DNA in a true portable analog synth you can throw in a backpack and play anywhere. This is the sound of countless hit records, now ready for the bus, the bedroom or the beach.
A single VCO offers five selectable waveforms (saw, triangle, sharktooth, square and pulse), giving you a wider sonic palette than the original.
Two Trautonium inspired floating touch bars allow for continuous volume and pitch control. This expressive interface is paired with a streamlined knob per function synth, so you can start playing right away. Despite the constrained feature set, the sensitive bars allow for weeks, months, and years of rewarding practice.
"Meet MPC Live III Retro, a special-edition colorway inspired by the original MPCs of the late ‘80s.
From sampling and sequencing to arranging full songs, it’s an all-in-one production powerhouse. Create wherever inspiration strikes and stay in the standalone MPC workflow from start to finish.
"DVNA is a compact synthesizer built for creating rich harmonic textures with minimal effort. Play a single key and get a chord, or intervals of your choice across its four oscillators... monophonic input, polyphonic results.
A built-in note quantizer locks your pitch to any of 25 scales, while the tuning modes let you dial in everything from fixed chord voicings to free microtonal tuning. Oscillator mixing and stereo panning are controlled through morphing systems, so a single knob sweep transforms your entire mix at once. The signal then flows through a stereo multi-mode filter, overdrive, and a choice of reverb or delays.
The 12-key capacitive keyboard responds to finger contact area, generating a continuous pressure signal that can be routed throughout the instrument. DVNA also accepts MIDI over TRS, syncs to MIDI clock, and responds to MIDI CC for external control. 128 presets capture all parameters, keeping your favorite patches ready to recall instantly."
Watch your volume levels. See this post for an updated video.
"*WINDANG is a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) based noise synthesizer. A deterministic pseudo-random instrument featuring an LPF, LPG, VCOs, and Glitch Echo; capable of deep sound design and noise sculpting.
//All sounds in this video were generated entirely by WINDANG. No external effects pedals or post-processing were used. Recorded directly through a Behringer mixer into a GoPro Hero10, with all mixer parameters set to center.
Visit my website for more info: https://www.genthalz.com/"
WINDANG Is An LFSR Noise Synthesizer Built Around A Digital Noise Synthesis Technique Known As The Linear Feedback Shift Register.
An LFSR Is A Logic Circuit That Generates Repeating Streams Of Bits Through A Chain Of Flip-Flops And Recursive Feedback, Creating Complex Pseudo-Random Sequences That Drift Between Pattern And Chaos.
A Deterministic Machine Pretending To Be Chaotic.
WINDANG Produces A Wide Range Of Unstable Digital Textures: From Rubbery Pulses And Slushy Modulation To Metallic Chatter, Percussive Glitches, Harsh Static, Broken-Glass Noise, And Abrasive Mirror-Scraping Frequencies.
Designed For Harsh Noise, Experimental Electronics, Industrial Sound, And Exploratory Synthesis.
"Meng Qi's Wing Pinger 2.0 is a handheld update to their beloved stereo resonant filter instrument, this time with a complete overhaul, but still based around a pair of analog filters. These self-oscillating analog filters with cross-feedback are capable of producing plucked tones, chordal motion, unstable rhythms, and full-on chaotic textures all from the same unstable circuit. Now centered around a robust screen, version 2.0 adds a powerful onboard Strudel-inspired scripting system for composing sequences, modulating parameters, and letting blocks influence each other over time. The Wing Pinger 2.0 is a huge change in the interface, enabling diverse and new creative pathways, remaining centered around the essence of this sought-after instrument: a pair of beautifully resonant analog filters.
Wing Pinger 2.0 Features
Handheld stereo resonant filter instrument
Dual analog filters
Screen interface for parameter control
Onboard scripting language for easy programming
Scriptable feedback system
Production model features milled aluminum enclosure"
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Looks like a little handheld radio / walkman with that volume control!
"The Majella Compax is a compact, semi-modular desktop synthesizer incorporating core West Coast synthesis elements, derived from its larger sibling, the Implexus.
Features:
Patchable semi-modular architecture
Complex oscillator with a continuously variable waveform
Wavefolder section provides West Coast-style harmonic shaping
Modulation control includes LFO, dual envelope generators, and a sequencer
The Compax includes an LFO with five waveform options and external clock sync capability.
20 patch points"
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.
"Put on your headphones 🎧. This is a pure, no-talking sound demo of the brand new Modal Electronics ELEMENT ONE synthesizer, an 8-voice virtual analog powerhouse.
I had the incredible honor of participating in the development and sound design of the Element One (created alongside the Hartmann Design team). In this video, I am jamming with the factory presets—which are actually the very patches I designed for this synth! I’m exploring random sounds, tweaking them on the fly to show you the true sonic potential of its 64 oscillators, morphable filters, and stereo FX. Everything is played live using the 37-key aftertouch keyboard and 4-axis joystick."
Modal Element One: a sophisticated synth 'repackaged' in an accessible keyboard – Sound demo
You’re a musician, not a computer programmer. Whether you’re a keyboard player who wants to fire up a searing solo, a guitarist looking for that perfect atmospheric pad, a drummer wanting to trigger massive electronic textures, or a vocalist needing a lush harmonic bed, you shouldn’t have to learn “synth science” just to get a great sound. Meet ELEMENT One—the 8-voice virtual-analog synthesizer designed to feel like an instrument, not a science project.
"The C25 is our new performance synthesizer. Building on the expertise from the C15, it combines outstanding playability, an intuitive user interface and advanced signal processing.
The sound engine responds to every playing nuance with high expressiveness and has access to the huge preset library of the C15.
With the touring musician in mind, the C25 comes in a compact, lightweight and robust housing. Most of the components are manufactured in Europe with a passionate focus on durability and sustainability.
The C25 is designed to serve as a platform for future developments and will also support synthesis or effect engines from third-party developers. Therefore it remains adaptable and up-to-date in the long term.
Features
Expression
The high-quality Fatar TP/8S keybed is combined with continuous sensors developed by Nonlinear Labs. The keys become polyphonic modulation sources, offering control by the vertical position of the key, its velocity or the aftertouch pressure.
Playlist:
1. Bastl Kalimba: An Expressive Instrument for Intuitive Electronic Music Exploration
2. Bastl Kalimba - Demo Overview
3. Bastl Kalimba is such a fever dream - HAINBACH
4. WTF did they make? Bastl Kalimba! - ANDREW HUANG
Press release follows:
Bastl Instruments are very proud to announce the release of their new instrument - Bastl Kalimba, a unique desktop instrument that combines microphones, touch sensors, and an accelerometer, with a user interface inspired by the traditional kalimba and its main interaction element: the tines.
We believe that this combination of features and physical interface leads to intuitive creativity and easy musical expression.
