"I always lusted after a Technos Acxel from 1984, but they didn't really exist. There were only about 4 ever made and those barely made it into public view. But there were pictures of them, and I had my imagination.
So, 30 years later, I made it myself, and then I made it better.
Every partial, hand-drawn.
Modeled after the Technos Acxel — a Quebec-built additive synthesizer from 1986-1992, with somewhere between 30 and 40 units ever made. Two engine slots share one wave bank, one Grapher, and one mod bus: Slot A is the Acxel's additive and sinusoidal resynthesis engine, Slot B is a wavetable machine, and you can run either or both at once.
AXCEL plugin GUI
- Acxel-accurate additive engine: up to 32 partials per voice, each independently addressable on the Grapher for amplitude, phase, and detune
"The bassline from @nineinchnails The Becoming has always haunted me. Originally done on a borrowed 'OberMoog' prototype [matrix note: see prior posts here], the original synth underwent massive engineering changes, management, and versioning until it finally became the OB-Mx, which was a "better" synth, but didn't quite sound the same. I know this, because I owned an OB-Mx.
Anyways, our Ober-Moog VST gets pretty close, and goes beyond. Plus, it's got 500+ presets, an EZ button for randomization, and Hand Of God for impossible automated modulation. Available now at store.denversynth.com
How close does this get?
I guess only TR can say for sure.
The synth that wasn't.
A 1:1 recreation of the Oberheim OB-Mx panel, voiced as the ‘Ober-Moog’ — the pre-production prototype Trent Reznor borrowed from Richard Bugg and used for the bassline of Nine Inch Nails’ The Becoming. Never officially released, barely documented, and rebuilt here from every source that exists, contested claims included.
- Full OB-Mx architecture: dual VCO per voice, MM-VCF and SEM-VCF in series or parallel, four-stage envelopes with free-run and repeat
- Voiced specifically as the Ober-Moog prototype, not a stock OB-Mx — the one unit with its own name, its own history, and no official spec sheet
- Unison/spread/detune matching the OB-Mx's card-based voice architecture, mono or up to full polyphony
- Modulation matrix covering breath, pressure, velocity, note number, wheel, and pedal across twelve assignable destinations
- Built from every documented source on the instrument, with the honest gaps left as gaps rather than guessed at
EZ button gets you into a usable patch in seconds; the panel underneath goes as deep as the original hardware did
A faithful emulation of a machine older than your dad's synth collection.
Four oscillators, a full patch bay, and a state-variable filter with an INPUT DRIVE stage that distorts inside its own resonant loop — the original's signature scream, modeled all the way down to the resonance itself breaking up under drive. Duophonic voice architecture, a MODULATOR that goes OFF → AM → RING, a sample & hold SAMPLER clocked off OSC 1, and enough patch points to make questionable routing decisions like it's still the Nixon administration. Patch it by hand for hours, or hit EZ to find something you wouldn't have thought of in a million years.
- Four oscillators — OSC 1 steps through triangle/saw/square/pulse/sine across HI/LO range, OSC 2–4 morph continuously via COLOR — feeding a duophonic voice architecture (KB1/KB2)
"The hardware R2R Ladder Eurorack module is now available as a free virtual module, marking the first release in VAEMI’s expanding software line.
Istanbul, Türkiye – September 2026 – Istanbul-based electronic musical instrument manufacturer VAEMI – Volt Age Electronic Musical Instruments has released its first plug-in and first software product: R2R Ladder for VCV Rack.
The new virtual module is a software adaptation of VAEMI’s physical R2R Ladder Eurorack module, preserving the original hardware’s bidirectional architecture and core musical concept. The plug-in is available free of charge through the official VCV Library.
Inspired by the fundamental architecture of an R-2R digital-to-analog converter, R2R Ladder uses eight weighted connections representing eight binary bits. Together, these provide 256 possible binary combinations, opening up a wide range of applications for audio, CV, gates, modulation and waveform processing.
"The JvR Spin F1 Formant Dual is a high-performance Digital Signal Processing (DSP) multi-effects unit designed for the DIY Elektor Formant Synthesizer system. Powered by an ATmega328P microcontroller (standalone DIP-28 package) and a Spin Semiconductor FV-1 DSP chip, this module architecture bridges old-school analog synthesis with modern digital studio effects.
00:00 Intro 01:13 Control Layout 02:54 Analog Fuzz (Distortion) Controls 06:23 Shift Parameters 06:43 Shift Parameters: Detune, Melt FM & Glide 09:48 Shift Parameters: Delay Section 13:31 Shift Parameters: LFO Shape, Tempo Sync & Sustain 15:26 Assigning Modulation: LFOs 16:18 Assigning Modulation: Global vs Local Depth 18:15 Assigning Modulation: Envelopes 20:43 Arpeggiator 20:55 Arpeggiator: Modes 21:13 Arpeggiator: Latch & Half-Latch 22:27 Arpeggiator: Subdivisions 23:25 Randomizer 24:42 Sequencer 25:13 Sequencer: Parameter Lock 26:30 Sequencer: Randomizing with Pressure 27:52 Voice Modes: 3 Voice Polyphony (4 Oscillators per Voice)
"Your ears lust for the sacred and the profane; Asura, our first standalone synthesizer, satisfies the desire for both.
In Indian and other Asian mythologies, Asuras are depicted as celestial beings of immense power; sometimes benevolent, sometimes evil, and in opposition to the Gods.
Our synth distills these values into its sonic soma. It models itself after no known synth, and does not wish to. With a six-voice polyphonic wavetable architecture, an inbuilt delay and a signature Animal Factory analog fuzz circuit, it creates soundscapes that range from ethereal lushness to visceral devastation.
How serious is it? With a multitouch pressure sensitive keyboard, bidirectional USB MIDI, compact form factor, web editor and a comprehensive modulation matrix, this might just replace your current polysynth.
E-MU Ultra Proteus is one of the most unique digital rack modules of the 90s, and Morphing Worlds was created to bring out exactly what makes it special: Z-Plane filter movement, evolving pads, drones, textures, sweeps and expressive digital sound design.
This video demos Morphing Worlds, a 128-preset soundset for E-MU Ultra Proteus, built for musicians, producers and hardware synth users who want more than static preset sounds.
The Ultra Proteus is known for its PCM-based engine, its internal waveform ROM and its powerful Z-Plane filter architecture. This soundset focuses on that character, with presets designed to move, morph and respond through Modulation Wheel and Aftertouch.
conduit.dsp - Robin Control Lite - Randomized Sampler Audio Plugin Prototype Features
video upload by conduit dsp
via the maker:
"I made a free VST3/AU plugin called Robin Control Lite. It's a simple monophonic round robin style-sampler that features controlled randomization for all parameters. It's a simple concept, but I created it primarily to facilitate the sample randomization for sound design projects.
Dead Simple UX/UI: Every MIDI key triggers the current sample pool at its natural pitch, with controls designed for quick, intuitive adjustments.
True Monophonic Round Robin Playback: Samples cycle intelligently in series or random order so no two hits ever sound identical — essential for natural-sounding SFX and percussion
"Interactive phase distortion, the Casio VZ engine rebuilt and then extended — two modules per line, one bending or ring-modulating the other, with AM and through-zero FM added.
Interactive phase distortion — iPD — is the technique behind Casio’s VZ-series synthesizers of the late 1980s. Rather than mixing raw oscillator waveforms, it pairs two sound-generating modules into a line and lets one shape the other: bending its phase, or multiplying into it as a ring modulator. The character sits between subtractive and FM — glassy, bell-like, vocal or metallic, and equally capable of plain tones when the interaction stays subtle.
Classic reproduces the original four-line, eight-module architecture with eight iPD waveforms and eight-stage envelopes. Extended adds two more lines, twelve modules, a sixteen-waveform bank, and two interactions the hardware never had: amplitude modulation and through-zero FM. The two are switchable from the header at any time.
Around the engine sit a sixteen-route modulation matrix, a bipolar pitch envelope, patch vibrato and tremolo, an arpeggiator, microtonal tuning with historical temperaments, six performance macros, unison, two LFOs and a randomiser that can roll a whole patch or mutate the one you have. The display is drawn in an OLED style with cyan and amber themes."
"In this VCV Rack tutorial, we take a deep look at Vult Overon, a complete synthesizer voice inspired by the classic Oberheim SEM architecture.
We’ll explore how Overon works, its two oscillators, state-variable filter, envelopes, LFO, VCA, internal modulation and normalled signal paths — and how to break those connections to use Overon in more modular ways.
After the tutorial, I’ll demonstrate a collection of presets and patches I made for Overon. You can download them and use them in your own VCV Rack patches.
"One practical note: listen to this on monitors or proper headphones. Most of what the machine does lives in the low end and in the stereo field, and laptop speakers will simply delete it. Loud is not necessary, full range is."
This one was spotted and sent in via Ivan Trajkovic aka deejayiwan. There are 21 videos in the playlist above. They mainly focus on AE Machine as a whole, but video 7 is focused on Oxide. You'll find the full video descriptions for the first and seventh videos further below. You can find full details on AE Machine at https://www.peamarte.it/ae - Oxide in chapter 52 of the user manual.
In short, AE Machine (estimated release date of October 2) consists of:
"Eleven synthesis voices built from scratch at sample level, five samplers, two free-running pads. A sequencer where a 16 × 16 Markov matrix decides which step may follow which, a note sieve that re-orchestrates the pattern when you transpose it, a chaotic modulation matrix reaching 271 parameters, morphing between any two presets, and a stem recorder that writes twenty-six files in one press. It runs in Max/MSP 9 on macOS and Windows, and playing it requires no paid Max license: an unlicensed copy of Max opens and runs the machine in full.
This is not commercial software in the ordinary sense. It is my working method, the environment I built night after night for my own music, packaged so that you can play it. When you get it, you are getting research: the reading, the listening, the failed versions, the decisions. The manual is a hundred pages and it is already here, whole, free to read. Trust your ears over any paragraph in it."
"6 New GRB Instruments drums for eurorack.
The modular analog drum machine with a classic vibes is almost ready!
There are 11 patterns/jams in this video."
Sound is synthesized by a system of oscillators based on Schmitt triggers, that recreates the classic, complex sound of an analog cymbal. The sound is synthesized by a system of oscillators based on Schmitt triggers, operating at different frequencies. The mixing of these signals creates the rich, chaotic, and metallic spectrum.
You have direct control over the resulting texture. The TUNE knob shifts the overall frequency range of the metallic noise, while DECAY sets the length of the sound's wash and sizzle. The TONE control further shapes the character of the ringing, allowing you to fine-tune the brightness and timbre. This combination of controls lets you sculpt everything from a short, bright metallic click to a long, decaying noise.
For dynamic performance, the module features an ACC input (0V to +5V) to modulate the accent level and is triggered via the standard GATE input (+5V to +12V). The final, complex cymbal sound is available at the OUT jack.
"40 new presets 46 new Samples for the 1010music Nanobox Fireball synthesizer, built on its powerful waveform architecture, deliver rich and evolving sounds.
'40 Space Textures' is tailored for ambient, cinematic, electronic, and experimental music production.
Whether you're sculpting immersive soundscapes or adding subtle movement to your compositions, these sounds bring depth and emotional weight to your work.
includes:
40 Synth Presets files
46 new Samples
synth pads, bass, texture, effects and synths
For quick searching, new Synth Presets are marked with (TX) in front of the name.
Ready to use: All sounds are presented as demo versions (without adding external effects or post-processing to the demo tracks) with 1 Synth Preset, allowing users to evaluate their potential in the Nanobox Fireball effects section.
"My name is Luke Abbott, I’m an electronic music producer and have been releasing music since 2006.
Making software instruments has long been a part of my practice, and now I am gearing up to release some of them.
I set up Flat DSP to give them a home, and the first one out the door is Rune: a Max for Live synth I’ve been working on for the last 18 months.
It's a characterful subtractive synth with a responsive, playful UI that encourages you to develop and explore sounds.
The synth engine is based on wavetables I sampled from hardware gear in my studio. It has a multi-mode filter, loopable envelopes, parameter instability control, an envelope range control and has a built-in reverb effect that can be fed from the filter or the filter delta output.
The gain structure is carefully designed to add character. It has a LoFi mode that introduces digital artefacts and a controllable amount of instability threaded throughout the architecture that introduces variation. It also works with Live’s tuning systems.
All of this is controllable in the UI. Each component is fully interactive and visually conveys what it is doing. It’s designed to be fun and quick to use without having to learn it inside-out, while still offering a deep level control of the synth engine.
Many of the UI objects have a second layer of parameters, and the UI flips to expose direct MIDI mapping within Live.
It is available now, priced at $35 which I hope is accessible enough to a lot of people. I’ve enabled regional purchasing-power pricing as well for places where it is not."
"MemoryTone by XILS-lab unleashes a colossal three-oscillator-per-voice analog architecture—with 16-voice polyphony and up to 18 oscillators in unison—then propels it beyond its 1982 inspiration with expanded modulation, MPE, advanced arpeggiation, integrated effects, and modern sound-design capabilities."
MemoryTone is XILS-lab’s exploration of one of analogue synthesis’s most ambitious instruments — a sixteen-voice polyphonic architecture built around three oscillators per voice and a 24 dB/octave self-oscillating ladder filter.
With eighteen oscillators across sixteen voices, combinable waveforms, oscillator sync, pulse-width control and a deeply interactive signal path, its character begins long before effects enter the picture. Oscillators interact. Levels influence behaviour. Voices move. The filter responds to everything that came before it.
"'Kaleidoscope is a four voice, multitimbral digital synthesizer'. That’s an example of a description that is at once completely technically accurate but ultimately explains so little about an instrument that it is practically useless.
While Kaleidoscope can be used as 4 independent digital voices, those voices live in an environment where the parameters, modulation and sound of one voice can affect each of the others. Systems involving cross modulation and feedback can lead to shifting rhythms, strange interactions and sonic mayhem.
Combining additive, subtractive, FM and physical modelling, it can groove, it can drone, be soft and ambient or angry and aggressive all while inviting you to think about music making in a new way.
Transparency notice:
Vadim kindly sent across the Kaleidoscope for me to make videos about and although I haven't otherwise been paid I do get to keep the instrument.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:04 The interface
00:04:32 Inputs and outputs
00:05:41 No Talking Demo 1
00:06:09 The synth architecture - Additive
00:11:05 No Talking Demo 2
00:12:04 The synth architecture - Subtractive
00:21:10 No Talking Demo 3
00:22:17 The synth architecture - FM and Master
00:28:13 No Talking Demo 4
00:29:54 Modulation
00:34:57 No Talking Demo 5
00:36:10 Making a patch part 1 - a single voice
00:49:22 No Talking Demo 6
00:50:58 Making a patch part 2 - multiple tracks, generative sequences and cross modulation
01:10:31 No talking demo 7
01:11:08 Making a patch part 3 - getting rowdy!
01:20:26 Final thoughts"
The original 1979 hardware synthesizer helped define an entire generation of electronic music. The Martinic Prodigy plugin now brings this iconic sound directly into your DAW. Developed with proprietary Advanced Circuitry Emulation technology, it faithfully recreates every nuance of the original analog circuits.
Alongside the classic sound, exclusive modern features have been added, including a built-in analog sequencer with 8 and 16-step modes, an extended Multidrive circuit, and a mono reverb inspired by the Moog 905.
Using studio monitors or high-quality headphones is recommended to capture the full frequency range."
Demo Track no. 1.
Sound source: A couple of instances of Martinic Prodigy
Effects: Martinic TG100 Reverb & Martinic AXFX
Want to hear more of my sounds for the Martinic AX73 and other synths? Visit https://solidtrax.nl/shop"
The Moog Prodigy's raw, uncompromising sound helped define a generation of electronic music. But getting that authentic analog character into your productions has always meant tracking down rare, aging hardware that's becoming harder to find and harder to maintain.
The Martinic Prodigy finally brings that iconic sound to your DAW. Built with our Advanced Circuitry Emulation technology, it faithfully recreates every sweet spot of the original 1979 analog circuitry, and adds modern features like a built-in analog sequencer with eight- and sixteen-step modes, an extended Multidrive circuit, and a Moog 905 inspired mono reverb. All at a very affordable price.
1. Introducing TRAVELER: A Cinematic Hybrid Synthesizer
2. TRAVELER: The Expressive Cinematic Hybrid Synth | Official Walkthrough
3. TRAVELER Track Walkthrough by Venus Theory
"Meet TRAVELER, the expressive cinematic hybrid synthesizer from KeySolutions Sounds.
Designed to move effortlessly from intimate detail to thunderous motion, TRAVELER combines the gravity and depth of classic hardware instruments with a flexible modern sound engine built for composers, producers, performers, and sound designers.
In this video Mike Martin provides a tour of TRAVELER’s features, sound, and expressive possibilities.
Explore TRAVELER download the free 14-day demo and take advantage of the limited time launch offer:
https://www.keysolutionssounds.com/tr...
Traveler's preset library features sounds from Venus Theory, David Helpling, Scott McAuley, Drew Schlesinger, James Dyson, James Terris, Tom Hammer, Jerry Kovarsky, and Mike Martin."
ENDLESS DESTINATIONS
TRAVELER is an artist-built cinematic hybrid synthesizer with bold dreams and is centered around the one thing that sets us all on our way – Expression. From intimate to thunderous, it Instantly rewards dynamics and carries with it a promise of endless musical journeys.
Crafted with passion for composers, producers, and sound designers, TRAVELER brings together the unmistakable gravity and depth of classic hardware instruments with the flexibility to forge entirely new sonic territory. Its familiar, immediate interface and emotionally rewarding sound engine deliver a unique yet unmistakable character, strong sympathetic harmonics and expansive width and motion, inviting sonic exploration from the very first touch.
"This series' first synthesizer simulation is of a rare Japanese-made bass synthesizer.
This synthesizer possesses features rarely seen in modern synthesizers, such as a unique traveler and simplified oscillator sources.
We has poured its passion for this hard-to-find synthesizer into this simulation software.
Features
・Monophonic synthesizer architecture
・Triangle, Square, Saw, Pulse and Phaser modes
・4’, 8’ and 16’ octave ranges
・Classic Traveler filter
・Twelve factory presets
・Full MIDI CC control
・Separate modern modification section
SynBe is a monophonic bass synthesizer inspired by a 1975 Japanese Synth Bass.
I had wanted one for a long time, but finding one is difficult. Rather than wait for the right unit to appear, I started with what was still available: surviving technical documentation, published circuit information, material from related instruments, and other technical references.
Some sections are well documented. Others are incomplete. Where the original circuit cannot be fully determined, SynBe uses the available evidence, related designs, conventional modelling techniques, and listening tests.
Features
Monophonic synthesizer architecture Triangle, Square, Saw, Pulse and Phaser modes 4’, 8’ and 16’ octave ranges Classic Traveler filter Twelve factory presets Full MIDI CC control Separate modern modification section 2x internal oversampling Versioned DSP kernel Special nice & great graphics by ME! Archaeology
Most of my previous reconstruction projects started with an instrument sitting in front of me.
SynBe did not.
The reconstruction began with surviving technical documentation and circuit information. I also studied material from contemporary and related instruments where the available information was incomplete.
The signal path was reconstructed section by section, from the oscillator and waveform circuitry through the Traveler filter and VCA.
