Showing posts sorted by date for query Floyd Steinberg. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Floyd Steinberg. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Thursday, April 02, 2026
EWI beginners tutorial with the Greaten AP500 Pro (Part 1)
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"You're considering an EWI, for example the Greaten AP500 pro (https://www.greaten-music.com/)? This series of tutorial videos explains what an EWI is and how to get started.
00:00 whom is this series for?
01:00 what is an EWI?
01:48 why should I play an EWI (if I already play saxophone / flute / clarinet)?
03:02 charging the battery and getting started
03:36 finding your way around: EWI parts and keys explained
05:08 switching on
05:25 holding the EWI correctly
05:52 hand and finger positions explained
06:29 play a note and try different playing techniques
07:23 play an octave!
07:52 a helpful manual: looking up the fingering tables
08:06 play a childrens' song: All My Little Ducklings
08:42 play a childrens' song: Mary Had A Little Lamb
09:05 don't rush it and don't waste your strength
09:27 conclusion
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: EVI, Greaten, MATRIXSYNTH Members
LABELS/MORE: EVI, Greaten, MATRIXSYNTH Members
Sunday, March 22, 2026
MicroDexed has evolved! It's very effective. #groovebox
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"'Navipanel V3 for MicroDexed' (or MicroDexed Desktop - https://www.musikandmore.net/shop/ ) adds a nice user interface and many connections to the open source synth. Here's an overview.
00:00 demo
00:11 hi, what's this?
02:23 building it
07:44 hardware overview
08:52 software overview
09:30 synth modules: Dexed
14:12 Electric Piano
17:09 Microsynth
19:05 Braids
20:58 Granular Synth
25:35 Multisampler
27:19 Drum Sampler
27:47 Noise Maker
29:18 Sequencers
33:00 Conclusion
34:07 Help!
Links
New Firmware (works on existing devices as well) https://codeberg.org/positionhigh/Mic...
MicroDexed V3 - https://www.musikandmore.net/shop/
That electronic parts identifier: https://arnowelzel.de/en/m-tester
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, microdexed, Navipanel
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, microdexed, Navipanel
Sunday, March 15, 2026
FM isn't hard on the M0SS 416 synthesizer
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"Creator Andrew March sent me a prototype of his new M0SS 416 FM synthesizer, which is a DX7 in a guitar pedal (in simple words). See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Table of contents:
00:00 demo
00:41 hello, what's this?
01:09 hardware overview
02:23 some patch demos
04:27 typing in a Brian Eno patch from Keyboards Magazine 1987-02
06:09 creating my own patch: bell + sweep pad
11:36 the sweep pad
14:50 demo (with ZOOM MS70CDR)
16:30 conclusion, some thoughts
17:40 do the YouTube thing!
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, MOSS
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, MOSS
Sunday, March 08, 2026
Playing Vangelis on Zynthian "Vangelis"
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"It's not recommended to install Zynthians https://zynthian.org upcoming OS update 'Vangelis' yet, but I did it anyway to play 'Chariots Of Fire' from memory. Table of contents:
00:00 intro
00:56 what is this?
01:18 that saw wave pluck
03:39 strings / pad
06:24 snare drum
08:52 piano (bass)
10:59 CS80 brass
13:12 recording the main motif in real time
14:13 playing a 'performance' using the pattern screen
16:26 some thoughts
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Zynthian
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Zynthian
Saturday, March 07, 2026
Dug up the EX5 again (only music, no talking)
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"Playing my Yamaha EX5 like it's 2016 again or something, haha!"
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
Sunday, March 01, 2026
Every command on PicoTracker/LPGT explained with examples
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"If you're trying to understand what all those commands on Picotracker do, this is the video for you. Table of contents:
00:00 introduction: what are commands?
00:35 start with an empty song
01:41 note and command columns on the phrase screen
02:07 how to enter commands
02:22 ARP | arpeggio
02:44 CSH | bitcrush and drive
03:21 DLY | delay
03:49 FCT | filter cutoff frequency
04:24 FLT | cutoff and resonance
04:44 FRS | filter resonance
05:04 GOF | gate off
05:18 GRV | select groove template
05:51 HOP | move to row x in next phrase
06:46 PEP | increase numbers
07:01 RTG & IRT | retriggering notes
08:35 KIL | note off command
08:50 LEG | legato / note slides
09:12 LOF | adjust loop start & range
09:54 MIDI commands:
10:09 MCC | send MIDI CC
10:30 MCH | MIDI chord
11:03 MPC | MIDI program change
11:27 VEL | MIDI velocity
11:41 PAN | stereo panning
11:55 PFT | pitch finetune
12:09 POF | sample play offset
12:50 PSL | pitch slide
13:16 STP | stop table playback
13:39 TBL | select and play table
14:12 TPO | set song tempo
14:32 VOL | set track volume
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, picoTracker
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, picoTracker
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Moving from MPC One to MPC Live 3: the good and the so-so
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"I have some thoughts after upgrading from MPC One to Live 3.
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: Akai, MATRIXSYNTH Members
LABELS/MORE: Akai, MATRIXSYNTH Members
Sunday, February 15, 2026
An eyebrow-raising MIDI controller for $35
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"Mediapipe + OpenCV caused a big stir some 4 years ago, but I never got around trying it myself. Until today, and of course I'm sharing my results with you. This Open Source software can detect gestures, poses and facial expressions and transform them to so called landmarks that can easily be used for all kinds of shenanigans (in this example: controlling your synths).
00:00 introduction: what's this?
00:38 demo 01: playing chords + bass + controlling filters
01:32 hardware needed
02:12 installation
02:56 what are OpenCV and Mediapipe?
03:55 this example explained: reading landmarks, converting to MIDI
06:35 demo 02: controlling an arpeggiator
07:37 demo 03: controlling filter cutoff frequency and pitch bend with my eyebrows
09:21 demo 04: playing pads on Akai MPC Live 3 with backing track
10:10 conclusion / do the YouTube thing!"
Where to get the stuff: [affiliate links]
Mini camera: Amazon DE | Amazon US
RasPi Zero 2: Amazon DE | Amazon US
SD card: Amazon DE | Amazon US
Installation instructions
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
pip install mediapipe opencv-python --break-system-packages
git clone https://github.com/mrfloydst/eyebrowr...
then python3 ./hand.py or python3 ./eyebrow.py
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: Alternate Controllers, DIY, ESI, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Mediapipe, New DIY, News, Raspberry PI
LABELS/MORE: Alternate Controllers, DIY, ESI, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Mediapipe, New DIY, News, Raspberry PI
Sunday, February 08, 2026
Picotracker Advance review: Bigger, better, faster, more! - MIDI and sample sequencer/tracker
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"Picotracker Advance ( https://xiphonics.com/ ) is the readily assembled, much more powerful hardware of last years DIY Picotracker. This is a tracker-style sample and MIDI sequencer that now has audio in and microphone, and now has a sample editor and -slicer. Learn more in this video!
Table of contents:
00:00 demo
00:07 hi, what's this?
00:39 hardware overview
01:35 music trackers: songs, chains, phrases, events, instruments and tables
02:37 use a good SD card!
02:54 screen map and basic navigation
03:15 using the audio in port to capture samples
04:07 adding chains and phrases and instruments and notes
04:44 adding more instruments (on the same phrase)
05:23 new firmware: sample slicing
06:27 more tracks!
06:47 using tables per instrument
08:00 using the mixer
08:27 single cycle waves
09:09 arpeggiators, filter- and pitch slides
09:50 MIDI instruments & chords
10:56 arranging phrases in a chain, using empty phrases
12:06 demo track: some effects created on PT:A (noise riser, stutter,...)
13:49 my thoughts on PT:A
15:33 finished demo track (Picotracker + XSynth)
17:43 do the YouTube thing!
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, picoTracker, Xiphonics
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, picoTracker, Xiphonics
Monday, February 02, 2026
Making ANOTHER $75 synth! (MT32-pi)
video upload by Guinan
Follow-up to this post.
"I made ANOTHER Raspberry Pi-based $75* synth to pair with my Circuit Tracks.
(*approx price depending on a whole bunch of local factors...)
The commentary is long and unscripted (full of ums & errs!) so if you want to jump to a particular section the sections are as follows,
00:04 Intro
00:21 MicroDEXED synth
01:00 MT32-pi
01:52 Why emulate the Roland MT-32?
02:55 General MIDI vs. MT-32
04:03 Soundfonts (.SF2)
05:21 MT32-pi bootup
05:55 JV-1010 emulation soundfont demo
08:23 Using the Circuit Tracks Mixer and Effects on the MT32-pi
09:55 Selecting presets from the Tracks
12:00 Conclusions
This time I've used open-source hardware and software designed around the MT32-pi project. See link here,
https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi
There's a very excellent detailed build and demo video from @mr_floydst here, • MT32-Pi DIY synthesizer: bare metal 80s no... [below]
Oddly the hardware worked out cheaper (despite a bigger display) as this is a commoner target build.
This excellent project uses any Pi from the Pi Zero 2W upwards to recreate a multi-timbral emulation of the Roland MT-32 synth and also act as a player for soundfonts in the .SF2 format.
Roland MT-32,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_...
Editing software and library of downloadable soundfonts,
https://www.polyphone.io/en/soundfonts
I used a pre-assembled hardware kit from Ebay with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W (with header). The assmbled complete hardware can also be bought from sites such as Etsy etc."
MT32-Pi DIY synthesizer: bare metal 80s nostalgia
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"This week, let's build and take a look at the #MT32 PI, another "bare metal" synthesizer running on #RaspberryPi. This is an emulator for the late #80s Roland MT-32 sound module, which was used by a lot of games for their sound track. The MT-32 PI can also load soundfonts, so you can use it as a ROMpler in your setup. Table of contents:
00:00 introduction
00:36 hello
01:28 hardware needed
02:34 breadboard explained
03:09 building the UI
03:28 wiring
03:55 LCD setup
04:32 software installation, ROMs and soundfonts
05:04 config file setup
05:31 using the device, soundfont editing
06:31 important considerations
06:48 demo 1 (MT-32 emulation)
08:43 demo 2 (soundfonts)
09:45 bye-bye
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Novation, Raspberry PI, Roland
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Novation, Raspberry PI, Roland
Sunday, February 01, 2026
PGB-1: A powerful Groovebox / MIDI sequencer the size of a credit card by Wee Noisemakers
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"The Wee Noisemakers PGB-1 (https://weenoisemakers.com/pgb-1/) is a credit‑card‑sized groovebox — but as we all know, size doesn’t matter. With 16 tracks, 16 patterns, and a song editor to tie everything together, you can create music not only with the internal synths and samplers but also with external MIDI gear. In this video, I try to give a solid overview of what to expect, though I don’t go into every detail. If you have questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.
For this video, I was provided with a review unit. Other than that, no money was exchanged.
Table of contents
00:00 hi, what is this?
00:50 hardware & architecture overview
02:15 creating a new song
02:32 song, tracks, patterns, and their roles in a song
03:11 bass drum track
03:35 synth parameter setup, using the touch strip and the arrow buttons
04:55 parameter locking: synth parameter control, repeats, and more
05:25 snare and hihat
05:52 bass track
06:22 custom oscillator shapes!
07:26 chords
08:12 sampling (here, using the internal microphone)
09:15 adding a chord progression
10:22 adding more patterns and adding them to your song
11:40 pattern chaining
11:56 live effects: stutters, filters, repetitions...
13:02 conclusion: wow
14:04 demo track: PGB-1 internal synths while sequencing XSynth
16:58 price, where to get it, and some thoughts
17:29 do the YouTube thing
Get the PGB-1 here: https://weenoisemakers.com/pgb-1/
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Wee Noise Makers
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Wee Noise Makers
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Yamaha CBX K1XG: The 90s proto Reface Keyboard
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"The Yamaha CBX-K1XG was released in the mid 90s. It's a battery powered GM/XG Keyboard with 32 voices of polyphony and a lot of functions totally hidden behind SYSEX and NRPN commands.
Table of contents:
00:00 hello, what's this?
00:30 hardware overview
02:14 some sounds: 001 Grand Piano
03:37 005 E-Piano 1
04:24 009 Celesta
04:48 018 Perc. Organ
05:21 021 Reed Organ
05:38 025 Nylon Guitar
05:50 026 Steel Guitar
06:05 034 Finger Bass
06:21 039 Synth Bass
06:48 047 Harp
07:25 049 Strings 1
08:18 055 Syn Voice
08:33 064 Synth Brass 2
08:55 075 Recorder
09:35 082 Saw Lead
10:41 095 Halo Pad
11:09 096 Sweep Pad
12:17 Drum Kits
13:05 Variations / User Interface functions
14:07 063 Synth Brass 1
14:18 Quack Brass
14:37 RezSynBr
15:03 PolyBrass
15:24 SynBrass 3
15:47 JumpBrss
16:17 AnaVelBr
16:46 AnaBrss1
17:20 SynBrass2
17:34 Soft Brs
17:42 SynBras4
17:52 ChorBrss
18:01 VelBras2
18:15 setting up the control wheel
19:09 I made an editor
20:20 unlocking the synth engine with SYSEX and NRPN
20:57 demo track: DAW integration
22:05 conclusion
22:37 do the YouTube thing!
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
Sunday, December 07, 2025
This switch UNLOCKS your Donner MEDO
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"I don't know why this is not the factory default, really. #donner #medo #donnermedo #midicontroller #synth #groovebox Music demo begins at 05:58
Maks' MIDI forwarder: https://maks.github.io/webmidirouter/
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: Donner, MATRIXSYNTH Members
LABELS/MORE: Donner, MATRIXSYNTH Members
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Cosmolab: Rapid audio hardware prototyping #faselunare
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"The #cosmolab by #faselunare ( https://sndmt.link/cosmolab-fs ), based on the #daisyseed #mpu, is a development board for audio projects: synthesizers, effects pedals, sequencers, modular gear, samplers, groove boxes - whatever you can think of. In this video, I walk through the functions and features and create a mod reverb with this board.
Table of contents:
00:00 the problem to the solution
00:37 hi, what is this?
00:58 hardware overview
02:18 how to use: installing the examples
03:21 examples: euklidean drums
03:38 pluck echo
04:40 music box
05:18 physical modeling synth (strings)
05:49 single oscillator poly synth
06:14 the development environment
06:38 or use plugdata
07:23 creating and compiling a mod reverb effect
09:33 sound demo for my mod reverb effect
10:47 conclusion
11:20 liKE ANd sUBscrIBe
Links:
Web page: https://sndmt.link/cosmolab-fs
Plugdata: https://plugdata.org/
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: DIY, Faselunare, MATRIXSYNTH Members, synth humor
LABELS/MORE: DIY, Faselunare, MATRIXSYNTH Members, synth humor
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Montage M8X FM-X walkthrough: Patch from scratch tutorial on Yamaha's latest FM synthesizer
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"FM-X is the FM synthesis engine found in the Yamaha MODX and Montage Series. With 8 operators per voice and 128 voice polyphony, this is a very capable sound generator. In this video, I create a "Piano with pads and sparkles" sound, explaining which options do what in the process. This is not a complete overview, just the process of making one particular patch and explaining every step.
Table of contents:
00:00 introduction, overview and terminology
00:55 selecting the FM-X engine and opening the editor
01:24 selecting an algorithm
02:15 quick editor, and explaining the algorithm
02:46 operator envelopes
03:43 velocity sensitivity
04:05 setting up the first modulator: ratio, level, envelope and velocity
05:30 second carrier and modulator: tuning
07:22 building the pad: distorting the waveshape with the spectral option
08:14 skirt value (oscilloscope view)
09:00 tuning/detuning and browsing some more spectral options (including resonance)
10:17 adding another operator and modulator
11:15 putting it all together / fine adjustments
11:37 adding LFOs for pitch and amp modulation
14:03 adding a "sparkle" with modulator 3
16:46 filter type, LFOs and envelopes
18:29 FM color
19:16 effects: insert and global
20:24 physical controls (mod wheel and poly aftertouch)
21:33 the result - a new age pad with some alien weirdness
22:55 conclusion - do the youtube thing! :-)
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, Yamaha
Sunday, November 16, 2025
PopuMusic Party Studio Review — Pros, Cons & Real‑World Performance
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
Follow-up to this post.
"Here's my full review of PopuMusic's Party Studio ( https://www.popumusic.com/pages/party... ) - an innovative MIDI/synthesizer-enabled bluetooth speaker. I've tried to answer all your questions from last sunday and run through all of the functions and features, and point out the good, the patch-worthy and the 'why is this not there'."
Table of contents:
00:00 demo (pure / then mastered in a DAW)
00:46 hello, what's this?
01:07 specs
02:01 overall impression
02:17 internal battery run time
02:30 sound quality (speaker) - LOUD
02:47 user interface overview
03:58 synthesizer overview - tech info
04:43 the GM soundset
05:10 examples and thoughts on the piano sounds
05:41 ... and on the electric pianos
06:00 ... and strings
06:15 ... and guitar sounds
07:07 ... organ sounds
07:25 ... bass sounds
07:53 drums
08:20 GM parameter list (CC for tweaking sounds)
09:10 grand piano after tweaking ;-)
09:25 working on a detuned saw wave
10:17 singalong mode (auto accompaniement)
10:59 visual metronome
11:39 MIDI connectivity (keyboards, DAWs, sequencers...)
12:22 some standard MIDI files played back on the PartyStudio
13:18 bluetooth connectivity: "real music" + internal synth
13:47 the PartyKeys keyboard
14:17 conclusion: The Good
15:20 potential firmware update fixes
17:18 answering a viewer question
17:41 synthesizer users will not like this omission (plus a workaround)
18:51 the wish list
19:18 verdict
20:37 bye
#PopuMusic #PartyStudio #BluetoothSpeaker #MIDIKeyboard #GeneralMIDI #SynthReview #PortableMusic #StreetMusician #MusicTech #GearReview #BatteryPowered #LivePerformance #MusicTeacher #MIDIController #SynthCommunity
#PopuMusic #PartyStudio #BluetoothSpeaker #MIDIKeyboard #GeneralMIDI #SynthReview #PortableMusic #StreetMusician #MusicTech #GearReview #BatteryPowered #LivePerformance #MusicTeacher #MIDIController #SynthCommunity
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, PopuMusic
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, PopuMusic
Sunday, November 09, 2025
Portable Synth + Speaker Combo That Actually Sounds Amazing
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
PopoMusic on Amazon
PopuMusic also brought us the PopuPiano LED Keys.
"This is the Party Studio (and the Party Keys) https://www.popumusic.com/pages/party..., a MIDI synthesizer and Bluetooth speaker in one, and this is a first impressions video!
Table of contents:
00:00 demo 01 – sweep pad + ep
00:20 hello, what's this?
00:54 what's in the box
01:34 technical details: it's a synth! it's a speaker! it's a mixer! it's a power bank! it has MIDI and Bluetooth and USB!
03:11 sound examples: piano
04:16 electric piano
04:56 percussive organ
05:20 string ensemble
05:51 synth strings
06:17 goblins
06:52 soundtrack (you better have a good subwoofer for this!)
07:42 demo: drum backing tracks
08:10 some observations on the keyboard
08:33 you can use any keyboard with this
08:50 tweaking the sounds (filter sweeps...)
09:33 plugging it into a DAW: multitimbrality & polyphony, and playing back standard MIDI files
10:15 this speaker is loud! (leaving the room to make that point)
12:16 conclusion
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Synths, News, PopuMusic
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Synths, News, PopuMusic
Greaten AP-500 Pro EWI Review: 120 Sounds, Voice Control & USB MIDI Demo! - an overall upgrade
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
Also see: Greaten AP300 pro EWI demo and review
"The Greaten AP-500 Pro Electronic Wind Instrument ( https://greaten-music.myshopify.com/c... ) is the powerful successor to last year's AP-300. In this video, I explore all the new features, enhancements, and sound upgrades that make the AP-500 Pro a serious contender for wind synth enthusiasts.
🎷 What's inside the box?
🎛️ Hardware upgrades: lighter body, better screen, more octave rollers
🎚️ New features: 120 sounds, voice control, Bluetooth audio & MIDI, USB MIDI for VST and hardware synths
🎵 Sound comparisons: Soprano Sax, Clarinet, Trombone, Shakuhachi — old vs new
🎹 Effects: reverb, chorus, filters, layering, patch saving
🎤 Bonus: @XavierRadix demo with Tenor Sax
Whether you're a saxophonist, EWI player, or synth lover, this deep dive shows how the AP-500 Pro pushes expressive control and connectivity to the next level."
📌 Chapters:
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: EVI, Greaten, MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Controllers, News
LABELS/MORE: EVI, Greaten, MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Controllers, News
Sunday, November 02, 2025
LFO, Sequencer, Keyboard, Controller in a very small form factor: "Phantasmal Force"
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"Distropolis Goods ( https://distropolisgoods.com/ ) sent me the Phantasmal Force MIDI controller and the Great Conjunction FM synthesizer/sequencer for review. In this video, I walk through the build process, explore the UI, and demo each mode in detail. Spoiler alert: the PF controller is worth a closer look.
Whether you're into modular MIDI setups, CC sequencing, or FM synthesis with a twist, this hands-on overview covers both devices in depth—without the hype.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro – what's this?
00:19 Unboxing
01:01 Build instructions
05:48 UI overview
07:11 CC momentary mode
08:01 CC toggle mode
08:27 Note mode
09:00 Chord mode
09:44 Play/Stop mode
10:05 Program change ±# mode
10:24 Transpose mode
10:49 Pitch bend mode
11:37 LFO mode
12:12 Arpeggiator mode
13:03 CC sequencer
13:52 Real-world demo: playing chords over three arpeggiators while sweeping filters with CC LFOs
15:42 Phantasmal Force – conclusion
16:00 What is the Great Conjunction FM synth/sequencer?
16:30 The central idea
17:18 Building a sequence from scratch
20:57 Adding external effects and lush pads
22:15 Overall conclusion
22:47 Outro + bonus demo
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Phantasmal Force
LABELS/MORE: DIY, MATRIXSYNTH Members, Phantasmal Force
Sunday, October 26, 2025
PopuPiano’s LED Keys: Smart Learning Meets MIDI Control in a Colorful Portable Keyboard
video upload by Floyd Steinberg
"#popupiano ( https://go.sjv.io/MA7Ld3 or https://www.popumusic.com ) is a battery-powered, multicolored keyboard that teaches piano lessons with an app available for IOS and Android. It's also a MIDI device with detachable left-hand devices, a chord pad and another 2 octave keyboard. Please watch the video before setting the comments section on fire. ;-)
Table of contents:
00:00 hello
00:22 what's this / what's in the box
01:32 hardware features
02:48 the chord pad (plus demo)
03:39 the app - overview and piano sound
04:47 the piano course and color sync
06:21 play & sing mode with licensed music
07:21 free play mode / chord pad customisation
08:06 AI mode (loop generator)
08:37 using it with a DAW
09:51 some internet controversy (or maybe not)
11:01 conclusion: the good ...
11:35 the mid ...
12:08 ... and some improvements that would be very nice to have
12:46 it's good!
13:05 used with a hardware synthesiser (Zynthian 5.1)
14:03 do the youtube thing :-)
Blog post links: https://www.popumusic.com/blogs/news/... and https://roli.com/blog/best-smart-keyb...
HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"
See dealers on the right for pricing and availability on gear.
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Controllers, New Makers, News, PopuMusic
LABELS/MORE: MATRIXSYNTH Members, New Controllers, New Makers, News, PopuMusic
NEXT PAGE
HOME
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH






































