Bad Gear - He tried his best to HATE IT

video upload by AudioPilz

[Funny side note: I just saw that episode of Myth Busters with the truck plowing through cars, just yesterday.]

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are a few learnings to be taken from years of ploughing through music production gear like an 80s rock band shopping in a liquor store: don’t believe the hype, everything has been done before and never trust a stylish instrument sold with the promise to give you all you need in a compact form factor without compromising sound quality and usability.

Today we are going to talk about Dirtywave M8. This hardware tracker and mini DAW comes with more red flags than the average dating app experience like a cult-like following, a Game Boy-inspired workflow and believe me - I tried my best to hate it.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - PROTEIN

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Every once in a while we have to remind ourselves why we still prefer the luxury of tangible hardware to the unlimited possibilities of plugins: unique tones, ergonomic control surfaces and - ideally - a timeless piece of music history that effortlessly weathers the decades.

Today, however, we unfortunately need to talk about Protein."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:45 Overview Waldorf Protein
01:28 One Problem becomes obvious immediately
01:50 Synth Architecture, Oscillators
02:28 Noise (Dirt), Filter Section
03:02 FX Section
03:14 The problematic Envelopes
03:46 Mod Matrix, LFOs
04:01 Synth Nerd Tic Tac Toe, Flavour
04:20 What else? (Scales, Chords, Arp, Seq, Multis, Thanks)
05:18 H*te Screen
05:38 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:22 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:27 Finale ( Dub Techno )
07:58 VERDICT

Bad Gear - It's a BEAUTY!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:24 Overview Waldorf Micro Wave XT
00:59 Oscillators
01:56 Wave Envelope, More Wavetable Features
02:35 EVEN more Oscillator Features
03:05 Filter Section
03:41 Envelopes, LFOs
04:00 Mod Matrix
04:13 Menu Deep Dive
04:26 FX Section, Arpeggiator, Multis
04:42 What else? (Polyphony, Presets, Pricing, Thanks)
05:38 H*te Screen
06:03 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:53 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:57 Finale ( Downtempo )
08:27 VERDICT

He's not saying it's UNDERRATED but it's...

video upload by AudioPilz

"Hey everybody! There are - at least - three strong contenders for the title “Worst Synth of all Time”: Akai Timbre Wolf, the obscure Red Sound Darkstar and today’s protagonist, M-Audio VENOM.

We are going to talk about how this 2011 instrument turned out to be one of the most epic failures in music tech history, why it is massively underrated and we will try to dial in sounds that are on par with and sometimes even better than those of synths further up the food chain.

I'm not saying it's UNDERRATED but it's...
MAudio VENOM"

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:33 Overview M-Audio VENOM
02:00 History of the VENOM
02:23 Software Situation
02:43 Is it a Synth???
05:17 Is it a Groovebox???
05:57 Software Problems
06:14 Prices
06:29 Can we make it sound great?
06:50 Jam
07:25 Outro

Bad Gear - Santa Says NO!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools.The best Christmas presents are the ones you buy for yourself - especially when you’re a synth nerd.

Speaking of which, today we are going to talk about Moog Messenger. This 2025 analog mono is a prime candidate for shameless self-gifting: Gucci-like brand identity that reminds you of simpler times, a price tag that hurts just right and features that help you convince yourself that the Moogs you already own are not enough.

But believe me: Santa says NO!!!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:55 Overview Moog Messenger
01:38 Oscillators
02:19 Filter, The new RES BASS Feature
03:02 Modulators
03:19 Lack of FX, Menu-less Menu Diving, UI Pain
03:37 KB, S+H, Sequencer, Arpeggiator
04:13 What else? (Editor, Connectivity, Patches, Pricing)
05:11 H*te Screen
05:32 Jam 1 ( Classic Moog Tones )
06:28 Jam 2 ( Let's add a few FX )
07:25 Finale ( Pseudo Berlin School )
07:56 VERDICT"

Best Music Gear of 2025: Artist + Creator Picks - Perfect Circuit

video upload by Perfect Circuit

"2025 is drawing to a close, so we returned to a time-honored tradition: we asked some of our pals + some of our favorite artists/content creators to tell us about THEIR favorite gear acquisition of the year. We heard about new Make Noise modules, Elektron's fresh takes on sampling, and even about — gasp! — an AUDIO INTERFACE!

Just some fun times talkin' about fun gear :)

Scope it out and read all about the gear in question on our blog, Signal.

Special thanks to all of our pals — links & timestamps below:
0:05 ‪@sarahbellereid‬ & the Make Noise PoliMaths
2:50 ‪@soffter‬ & the BASTL Citadel Wave Bard
5:24 ‪@AudioPilz‬ & the SSL18
7:37 ‪@MidlifeSynthesist‬ & the Akai MPC Live III
10:49 ‪@SONWU‬ & the Ableton Move
13:50 ‪@BennJordan‬ & the SOMA Terra
16:43 ‪@JorbLovesGear‬ & the Michigan Synth Works MSW-810
18:51 ‪@EZBOT_‬ & the Elektron Tonverk


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Perfect Circuit is an independent electronic instrument shop with an online store at https://www.perfectcircuit.com/ and a Burbank, California showroom at 2405 Empire Ave. We're open seven days a week, 12-8 PM, and our entire inventory is available to try out in person. Get your hands on the most excellent analog and digital synthesizers, effect pedals, Eurorack modular synths, drum machines, recording gear, and more!

Learn about electronic music, techniques, and gear on our blog, Signal: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal"

Meet Teenage Engineering's Carlo, Miki, Ivana, Gisela, Olga, Leila, Bogdan, and Hatshepsut

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Bad Gear - TE Choir video upload by AudioPilz

Note this video is from two years ago, but I never managed to feature it or these devices on the site until now as they aren't really synths. These come to you curtesy of a supporting member who has them listed on Reverb here.

"Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:09 Overview Bad Gear - TE Choir
01:28 Presentation of the Dolls (feel free to skip)
02:10 Standalone Mode, Control via Bluetooth Midi / OP-1 Field
02:39 How does it work?
03:19 Start/Stop a Song
03:39 Midi Control, Articulation
04:16 Limitations, Bugs, Issues, Latency
04:49 How it ACTUALLY works in practice
05:01 What else??? (Github, Pricing, Thanks)
05:30 Hate
05:54 Jam 1 (Sleepy Anime Music)
06:45 Jam 2 (Classic Bad Gear Jam)
07:07 Finale (Art House)
07:37 Verdict"

And a short one from HAINBACH:

Teenage Engineering Choir Unboxing And Sound
video upload by HAINBACH



via these listings

Be sure to check out the seller's other listings.

Each singer/member has its own vocal tone and is in very good condition and the electronic modules all work.

Holiday Songs

"Shchedryk" (Carol of the Bells)
"Deck the Halls"
"Sankta Lucia"
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
"O Tannenbaum" (O Christmas Tree)
"Silent Night"
"Prelude" (a short introductory piece)
"Auld Lang Syne" (also available in their downloads)


All preloaded songs - more can be played live with BLE MIDI

silent night – franz xaver gruber, joseph mohr, j f young*
o tannenbaum – trad., ernst anschütz*
o come, all ye faithful – john reading, frederick oakeley*
sankta lucia – trad. via teodoro cottrau, sigrid elmblad*
deck the halls – charles wood, thomas oliphant
shchedryk (carol of the bells) – mykola leontovych
auld lang syne – trad. via robert burns
love me, and the world is mine – ernest ball, dave reed jr.
i never knew – tom pitts, raymond egan, roy marsh
sverige – wilhelm stenhammar
dear old girl – theodore morse, henry buck
gute nacht – robert schumann, friedrich rückert
sweet adeline – harry armstrong, richard gerard husch
warm-up exercise: signore – trad.
in all my dreams, i dream of you – al piantadosi, joe m
den blomstertid nu kommer – trad., israel kolmodin
i've been working on the railroad – trad.
now is the month of maying – thomas morley
gaudeamus igitur – trad.
warm-up exercise: zing-a-mama – trad.
the darktown strutters' ball – shelton brooks
an die freude – ludwig van beethoven
en sommarafton – adolf fredrik lindblad
tourdion – pierre attaingnant, césar geoffray
goodbye my coney island baby – les applegate
o haupt voll blut und wunden – johann sebastian bach

Pictured: Carlo & Miki

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - Snow

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about TI Snow.

It is quite obvious why this menu-heavy, scaled-down and abandonware-reliant 2008 member of the otherwise revered Access Virus range made it onto this show but it also raises an unsettling question: has the market for electronic musical instruments become so irrelevant that this primordial Volca with a Napoleonic Complex is the final word in the history of one of the most successful synth families? Can it be that synths are over?


Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:56 Overview Virus TI Snow
01:42 The Total Integration Concept
02:21 The Problem with the Software and a possible Solution
02:42 Synth Engine (Oscillators)
04:04 Filter Section
04:24 Modulators
04:42 Arpeggiator, FX Section, Vocoder
05:09 Presets (and a very special surprise;), Thanks, Pricing, etc.
05:59 H*te Screen
06:22 Jam 1 ( Preset Techno )
07:10 Jam 2 ( Menu Diving Electro )
08:07 Finale ( Old School Trance )
08:35 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - This Time it's PERSONAL

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There is no shortage of synth manufacturers offering costly top-shelf instruments: PolyBrutes, UDOs, all the old stuff but new and even Roland started channeling their inner Teenage Engineering.

Today, however, we are going to talk about Nord Modular. This range of digital high-end modular synths was introduced in 1998 and not only is there no modern successor in sight, they also made it incredibly hard to use the originals properly. This time it’s personal!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:56 Overview Nord Modular G1
01:12 The Nord Modular Range
01:17 The Concept, UI, Computer Integration
01:43 The Software Editor Situation
02:00 Freeware Editor ( Byte Order )
02:16 The Modules ( Oscillators, Drums, FM )
02:54 Generative Patches vs. Normal Synth Duties
03:04 Filters
03:40 Modulators
04:08 Using it as a Groovebox ( Clock Generator, Sequencers )
04:43 Effects (or lack thereof)
05:09 Features for Keyboardists
05:26 Even more weird Features
05:44 What else??? (Connectivity, Pricing,...)
06:10 H*te Screen
06:35 Jam 1 ( Techno Groovebox Patch )
07:29 Jam 2 ( Many, Many Patches Jam )
08:34 Finale ( 90s Psytrance )
08:46 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - NO ONE understands this! & It's UGLY

video upload by AudioPilz

"Today, however, we are going to talk about K2000. This range of Synth/ROMpler/Sampler hybrids was originally brought to the market in 1991 by Ray Kurzweil, a completely overpowered mega brain who went from being Stevie Wonder ’s custom shop to looking forward to merging with AI by 2045. No one understands this.


Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:04 Overview Kurzweil K-2000
01:19 Different Models, Sampling
01:41 What the Actual...?!? (The Samples)
02:17 Keygroups
02:31 Layers, Algorithms, Synth Architecture
02:59 Sync, FM, Complex Signal Chains
03:13 Filters
03:23 Modulators, FUN, Midi Control
03:48 Problems with the Aging Hardware
03:56 Programs, Presets (No, we're still not finished)
04:31 FX Section
04:48 Patches
05:08 What else? (Outputs, Sequencer, Thanks, Pricing)
05:48 H*te Screen
06:12 Jam 1 ( Techno Preset Surfing )
07:13 Jam 2 ( Tracker Drum'n'Bass )
08:13 Finale ( 90s Adventure Game OST )
08:46 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - It's UGLY!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Akai MPC Live III
00:37 The new fancy Pads
01:17 The Catch, Articulations
01:38 Built-in Mic, Speakers
01:45 Step Sequencer
02:22 Tech Specs
02:34 Arrangement, Clip Matrix
03:01 Ribbon Controller, Q-Link Knobs, Touch Screen
03:37 Instruments (Drums, Keygroups, Plugins,...)
04:11 More DAW-like Stuff, Time Stretch, Mixer
04:43 Pro Pack, Compatibility to other MPCs, Stems
05:07 What else? (Content, Hardware, Pricing, Thanks)
06:12 H*te Screen
06:40 Jam 1 ( EDM )
07:36 Jam 2 (Epic Lo-fi Type Beat )
08:42 Finale ( 90s FPS Style DnB )
09:14 VERDICT

And the Halloween episode:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - BORING!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

Verdict at 08:09.

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Sequential Prophet REV2.

This modern analog poly was originally released under the DSI moniker in 2017 and it is guaranteed to make your janky home studio seem like a professional working environment - and make it infinitely more boring.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:42 Overview Prophet REV-2
01:22 Interface, Bitimbrality
01:56 Oscillators
02:34 Curtis Filter
03:08 Modulations Matrix
03:23 Envelopes, LFOs
03:37 Clock, Tempo Sync, Arpeggiator, Sequencer
04:21 Unison, Chords, Pan Spread
04:45 FX Section, Outputs
05:02 Polyphony, Expansion Card, Pricing, Thanks
05:26 H*te Screen
05:49 Jam 1 ( Fast Techno )
06:39 Jam 2 ( Epic Synth Music )
07:39 Finale ( Gentrification Dance Music )
08:09 VERDICT"

This Episode DIDN'T AGE SO WELL

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. More or less all synth nerds have their own temporal demarcation line between 'awesome old school Roland' and 'corporate grave robbers squeezing the last penny from iconic IPs'.

For me, this turning point might as well be the release of the 1999 JV-1010. This obvious insult to UI design combined classic ROMpler tones of the 90s with a workflow so abysmal it helped pave the way for the DAW revolution - and things only went downhill from there.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:10 Overview Roland JV1010
01:38 Front Panel Controls
02:19 Roland JV2080 Heritage, Expansions
02:49 General Midi
02:59 Synth Architecture, Filter, XMOD
03:19 Software Editor, Midi Control
03:39 Available Software Options
03:58 Multi FX Unit, Multitimbrality
04:28 Patches
05:05 What else? (Connectivity, Pricing,...)
05:24 H*te Screen
05:51 Jam 1 ( Cheesy Techno )
06:43 Jam 2 ( Cheesy Electro )
07:46 Finale ( Cheesy Synthwave )
08:18 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - JUST SAY NO!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Staying away from Eurorack feels - at least in my case - like trying to stay healthy as a sommelier who likes to go on 72h benders in his spare time.

Today we are going to talk about MiniBrute 2s. This keyboardless successor to the original MiniBrute and hotchpotch of controversially discussed Arturia technology comes with JUST the right amount of non-modular synth facilities to make it interesting to “normal” people while - at the same time - opening the unholy floodgates to Eurorack hell. Just say no!!!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:58 Overview MiniBrute 2 s
01:16 Minibrute 2s vs. MiniBrute 2
01:40 Oscillators
02:32 Filter Section
02:55 Brute Factor
03:09 Is MiniBrute 2s fully analog???
03:17 LFOs, Envelopes
03:35 Sequencer , Aftertouch
04:38 Deep Sequencing Features
05:02 Arpeggiator
05:08 What else ( Form Factor, Connectivity, Pricing, Thanks)
05:54 H*te Screen
06:20 Jam 1 ( Fast Techno )
07:11 Jam 2 ( Crude Synthwave )
08:25 Finale ( Raw Electro )
08:58 VERDICT
10:08 Patreon Shoutout ( Elektron Tonverk )
08:58 Verdict"

Bad Gear - It's RAW!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-h*ted audio tools. THIS - is not the successor to the Octatrack we wanted!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Tonewerk (Rant No. 1)
01:15 End of Rant No. 1 , Engines
01:53 Rant No. 2 , What it can't do...
02:08 Filters, Envelopes, LFOs
02:31 The New FX , Inserts , Sends
03:15 Busses
03:31 Leave a Comment if you can explain Supertracks!!!
03:35 Sequencer , Keyboard , Step Edit Mode , Microtiming
04:29 New Workflow Stuff (Transposition, Transform, Perform)
05:05 Arpeggiator, Chords, Scales
05:24 What else??? (Connectivity, Rant No. 3 , Form Factor, Pricing)
05:48 H*te Screen
06:13 Jam 1 ( Post-Modern Dubstep )
07:16 Jam 2 ( Post-Modern Boom Bap )
08:20 Finale ( Post-Modern Epic Techno )
08:50 Verdict"

The Original Prodigy Keyboard

video upload by AudioPilz

"The Original Prodigy Keyboard

Hey everybody, in this video we are going to talk about the Original The Prodigy Keyboard, the Roland W30. This 1989 sampling workstation was the backbone of Liam Howlett’s setup both live and in the studio and we will take a look at its archaic workflows, the ways it was used by the master himself, we will try to make some music and find out that making beats was not for the faint of heart in the 90s.

00:00 Introduction
00:26 Why did Liam Howlett use the Roland W-30
00:58 What is the Roland W-30
01:54 Floppy Disks , Memory
02:40 The Sampling Workflow
04:17 How it was used in 90s Electronic Music
05:00 WTF? (Limitations, Sequencer )
05:48 Early The Prodigy Setups ( TR-909 , TB-303 ,...)
07:16 No Multitrack
07:56 Recreation of an early The Prodigy Studio Setup
08:41 Live Jam
09:13 Outro
10:06 Wanna use a W-30? Watch these Videos!"

Bad Gear - Why did they do this???

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-h*ted audio tools. In a time before Volcas, the Clone Wars and Moog becoming just another specimen in InMusic’s butterfly collection the granddaddy of synth brands brought an instrument to the market that can be considered the blueprint for the music tech landscape to come.

Today we are going to talk about Minitaur. This 2012 analog mono synth and domesticated modern take on the iconic Taurus bass foot pedals of 70s prog rock fame not only comes with the pitch range of a Bob Dylan harmonica solo, it will also keep you glued to your computer screen like their CPU-munching Mariana plugin. Why did they do this?

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:03 Overview Mini Taur
01:40 The Taurus Legacy, Oscillators
02:19 The Dealbreaker, Moog Sirin
02:56 Ladder Filter
03:24 LFO, Envelopes
03:50 Minitaur App / Editor Software
04:10 Preset Management
04:23 What else? (Connectivity, Thanks, Pricing)
04:42 H*te Screen
05:11 Jam 1 ( Electronica )
05:59 Jam 2 ( Chill Electronica )
07:04 Finale ( Techno Electronica )
07:34 Verdict"

Weather is FAR TOO NICE for GEAR

video upload by AudioPilz

"Hey everybody, it is August 2025 and the weather here in Vienna is far too nice for gear. However, you wouldn’t be watching videos of me chilling at the local beer garden so I combined a few electronic musical instruments to three different setups for every budget and took them to some of my favorite places around here where there is no power outlet in sight.

The rules are simple: no iPads, no laptops and - most importantly - the setups need to be operable independent from the power grid. Diesel generators and solar cells aside, there are basically three ways to do that and I dedicated a setup to each of these methods.

00:00 Introduction and Beer Garden
00:22 The Rooftop (Rules)
00:39 Setup 1: The Double A
02:06 The Island
03:01 Setup 2: Planned Obsolescence
03:58 The Forest
04:56 Setup 3: The Power Bank
05:54 The Castle
06:45 Outro and Beer Garden 2
07:06 Patreon Shoutout ( Polyend Synth )
08:40 2004 ( Korg Volca Sample 2 )

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - The One He FORGOT About

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-h*ted audio tools. Depending on whom you ask, we are either living in the golden age of music technology OR a dystopian hellscape in which true creativity is replaced with unabated consumerism. The answer is of course: YES!!!

Today we are going to talk about Synth and it might be a sign of the times that I completely forgot about receiving it as a long term loan from Polyend around 6 months ago.


Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:47 Overview Polyend Synth
01:39 Synth Engines
02:54 Presets
03:07 Filters
03:17 Synth Architectures, LFOs, Envs, Midi, Mod Matrix
03:48 FX Section
03:56 Multitimbrality, Polyphony, CPU Consumption
04:31 Arpeggiator, Sequencer
04:57 What else? (Build Quality, Connectivity, Pricing,...)
05:19 H*te Screen
05:40 Jam 1 ( Epic Techno )
06:29 Jam 2 ( Whateverwave )
07:31 Finale ( Old School Trance )
07:58 Verdict"

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"

Bad Gear - 80s are for NERDS!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. The 80s are oftentimes associated with Hollywood-worthy heroism, impeccable style and epic synth music that aged great - as long as it was played on instruments designed in the 70s.

Today, however, we are going to talk about K4. This digital synth , Kawai’s answer to Roland’s answer to Yamaha’s DX7 and more upscale successor to the K1 demonstrates impressively that the 80s were - first and foremost - VERY, VERY nerdy.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:54 Overview Kawai K4 Synth
01:49 Oscillators, Waves
02:36 Drum Kit
02:47 Synth Architecture, Pitch Envelope, Ring Mod
03:14 Filter Section, Envs, LFOs
03:41 FX Section
03:54 Differences Keyboard vs. Rack Version
04:05 Sound Examples
04:43 Multitimbrality
04:56 Workflow, Pricing, Technical Background
05:25 H*te Screen
05:54 Jam 1 ( Nerd House )
06:47 Jam 2 ( Nerd Elektro )
08:53 Finale ( Nerd Techno )
08:17 Verdict"