The Drum Machine That Was Too Big to Handle | Oberheim Stretch DX

video upload by Nostalgic Explorer

"There's a drum machine from 1983 that was intended to sound like a real drum similar to the Linndum — rolls, flams, off-the-beat feel. But the real story is bolted to its side, and most people have never seen one.

The Oberheim Stretch DX is the machine almost nobody talks about — the expansion that turned a 6-voice box into something else entirely. Here's how it happened, and what it can still do.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 — The drum machine that didn't want to be a machine
00:38 — Oberheim DMX: the little brother that came first
01:20 — 18 sounds, EPROM cards & the idea that predicted sample packs
02:00 — Inside the DX: sequences, quantize & the swing mode
02:40 — Rear-panel tuning & individual outputs (why 6 voices matters)
03:10 — The Stretch DX: the bolt-on nobody expected
03:40 — Installing a Stretch: soldering irons & ribbon cables
04:00 — Why the DX & Stretch DX faded — and what they left behind
04:20 — Let's make some beats

🎛️ Gear in this video: Oberheim DX, Oberheim Stretch DX"

Bad Gear - Electribe ER-1

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. No, there is no episode about the Korg Electribe ER-1 out there yet - I had to look it up myself - and yes, the snares totally sound like sh*t!"

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:33 Overview Tempera
01:27 Percussion Synths
02:10 Low Boost
02:23 The Sample Situation
03:00 Master Delay, Ring Modulator
03:25 Audio Ins, Trance Gate
03:36 Accent Track, Motion Sequencer
03:58 Sequencer (Timing, Swing)
04:14 Quirks, Limitations, Versions, Pricing
05:10 H*te Screen
05:34 Jam 1 ( LoFi House )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:30 Finale ( Retrofuturist Techno )
07:57 VERDICT

Building a Minimal Performance System with OXI E16

video upload by OXI Instruments

"In this video we break down a small but deep performance setup built around the OXI E16 and the Elektron Tonverk — the core idea being that constraint creates focus. Instead of chasing more gear or more parameters, we map a handful of controls to a handful of sounds and build a pattern out of very few elements, performed live rather than programmed in advance.

What's covered:
The concept behind designing "small systems" — fewer knobs, fewer sounds, more intentional movement.
Mapping the E16 to control drums and a few additional sound sources on the Tonverk.
Routing and shaping send effects live, as part of the performance rather than as a mix afterthought.
A randomize trick: smashing everything into chaos on the fly, then snapping back instantly to a saved, safe starting point — so we can take risks without losing the pattern.
This is less a tutorial and more a way of thinking about performance setups: constrain first, then explore inside the constraint.

■ Learn more about OXI E16 : https://oxiinstruments.com/oxi-e16

00:00 Introduction
02:15 E16 layout overview
02:43 Randomize and Snapshot morph trick
03:35 The mapping I used
07:28 Randomization time
08:20 Keeping it simple and fun"

Will microtonal music save us from the AI apocalypse? | Signal Flow Podcast Ep8

video upload by Signal Sounds, Tom Churchill, Luukke

"Tom and Luke shoot the breeze about new pedals, making videos, playing live, exploring alternative tunings, and whether microtonality might be the key to staying one step ahead of AI-generated music…

Gear discussed:
Whimsical Raps Atrium:
https://www.signalsounds.com/whimsica...
Fancyyyyy Synthesis K-Accumulator:
https://www.signalsounds.com/fancyyyy..."

Dark side - OP-XY jungleish jam

video upload by Dan Chippendale

Gear used:

Music:
Teenage Engineering OP-XY
Novation Launch Control 3
Teenage Engineering EP-136 Sidekick

Video:
Fujifilm X-E5
Motu M2 Audio interface
Mac Studio with Logic Pro X

The Strangest, Most Interesting Synth He's Played This Year (Morphor Echon6)

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Morphor Echon6 is the world's first analog modal polysynth — a genuine departure from the wall of subtractive synths flooding the market right now. In this review and demo I dig into its Karplus-Strong-based exciter and resonator, six voices you can split into six independent monosynths, and a modulation system so intuitive it doesn't need a menu. Full raw demo at the end so you can hear it completely unprocessed.

WHAT IS MODAL SYNTHESIS?
Modal synthesis uses a Karplus-Strong oscillator — an exciter (like a pluck, bow, or hammer) run through a resonator (like a string or instrument body) — to fake physical, plucked/struck sounds. First proposed by Kevin Karplus and Alexander Strong back in 1982, you'll recognise the concept from modules like Mutable Instruments Plaits, Rings and Braids, and digital oscillators in synths like the Arturia MiniFreak and Korg Minilogue XD. The Echon6 takes that same idea and builds it entirely in analog circuitry — as far as I know, the first synth to pull that off.

CHAPTERS
0:00 What's coming up
1:43 DEMO JAM #1 - glitchy ambient
5:40 What is modal synthesis? (Karplus-Strong explained)
6:53 Front panel overview
7:52 Six voice groups patch demo
9:53 DEMO JAM #2 - as an FX unit on drums
12:20 SIx voices in unison - CHORD MODE?
13:06 DEMO JAM #3 - 6 unique voices
13:48 Exciter section deep dive
21:15 BBD resonator deep dive
25:47 Modulation section deep dive
36:22 Building a musical patch from scratch
41:16 DEMO JAM #4 - A Love Story ;) IYKYK
43:15 Echon6 vs Erica Synths Steampipe
45:00 Final thoughts
45:40 Patreon & website
46:13 DEMO JAM #5 Intro raw (maybe a little reverb at the end)

MY TAKE
The Echon6 is a genuinely fresh alternative to the current glut of subtractive synths — your Jupiters, Junos, Prophets, and OB-style clones. It felt natural within minutes, the modulation is some of the cleverest I've used on any hardware synth, and the build quality is excellent. Compared to the Erica Synths Steampipe (digital modal synthesis), the Echon6 is easier to learn, while the Steampipe can get more chaotic, faster, thanks to its distortion and reverb. Both are worth a look if experimental modal synthesis is your thing — but the Echon6 gets a big thumbs up from me.

GEAR MENTIONED
Morphor Echon6 (analog modal polysynth, reviewed here)
Erica Synths Steampipe (digital modal synth, comparison)
Mutable Instruments Plaits / Rings / Braids
Arturia MiniFreak
Korg Minilogue XD

MORE PATCHES, SAMPLES & TUTORIALS
Patreon: www.patreon.com/starskycarr - patches, samples, tutorials and more
www.starskycarr.com - patches, samples, free and cheap goodies"

Melbourne Instruments Backs Its Motorized Controls With a 10-year Warranty

Press release follows:

Melbourne Instruments Backs Its Motorized Controls With a 10-year Warranty

Guaranteed to feel the same in 10 years as it does on day one. Every motorized rotary control that Melbourne Instruments builds is now covered by a 10-year warranty.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Melbourne Instruments today announced a 10-year warranty on the motorized rotary control components in every product it builds, covering NINA, DELIA and ROTO-CONTROL. The cover sits alongside the standard product warranty and is activated by registering the instrument.

A conventional knob uses a wiper dragging across a resistive track, and that contact is what wears, collects dust and eventually fails. Melbourne Instruments' controls remove contact from the assembly. Torque passes from the motor through a magnetic field rather than a gear train. Position is read optically, with nothing touching. There is no wear surface anywhere between the motor and the player's fingers.

That has benefits beyond durability. An endless encoder has no fixed position, so the knob sits wherever the last hand left it and the true value lives on a screen or LED. Its detents soften over time as the disc and wipers wear. Melbourne Instruments' knobs drive to the exact preset position, hold detents and switch positions under the hand, and change character on demand - stepped, smooth, or switch-like. No gears between the motor and your fingers. The knob moves the instant the sound does.

The motors have been tested 50 million times, far more than a lifetime of playing could reach. The 10-year warranty is not the limit of the mechanism. It is the point at which Melbourne Instruments stopped counting.

Customers who bought before 17 August 2026 have until 17 February 2027 to register at melbourneinstruments.com and activate their full 10 years, running from the original date of purchase. The terms and scope are the same as for a new purchase.

The warranty launches with a campaign called "A decade of play", running across Melbourne Instruments' channels and dealer partners from 17 August. The line appears on a 10-year motor warranty roundel supplied to retailers alongside product artwork and spec listings.

Claims in the first 2 years go through the customer's place of purchase, as they do today. From year 3 to year 10, claims come directly to Melbourne Instruments, with service points in Europe, the USA and Australia. Cover applies to the motorized rotary control components only and requires registration.

www.melbourneinstruments.com

Collarts Music Production at SynthTemple

video upload by Collarts and SynthTemple

"SynthTemple is home to some of the most sought-after synthesizers ever made: the System 700, the Oberheim Eight Voice, and the CS-80 Vangelis used on the Blade Runner soundtrack.

It's also where our Music Production students get to work first-hand, starting early in the degree through the Synthesizer and Sound Design subject, and later one-on-one during their self-directed projects.

Collarts has a partnership with SynthTemple, giving students access to gear and a space most producers only ever dream about.

If you're keen learn more about studying Music & Audio Production at Collarts, head to: https://www.collarts.edu.au/courses/m...

Music: "Journey to Venus" by ‪@brettlittle‬"

Synth Temple Walk Through

video upload by SynthTemple

"Welcome to SynthTemple in Kew, Melbourne, Australia. A labour of love for our team, heaven for synth enthusiasts and an inspiring haven to elevate the creativity of local, interstate and overseas artists, bands, writers and producers.

📹 with thanks to Ben Willis"

"Bear" (from Obsession OST) – Rock Burwell Cover | Analog Four MKII + Novation Summit

video upload by diswest

"Cover of 'Bear' from the Obsession (2026) soundtrack by Rock Burwell.
Not a fan of the movie but this track is beautiful.

Gear:
Elektron Analog Four MKII
Novation Summit

All delay and reverb are the onboard effects on each synth — no external FX. Everything recorded directly from a mixer output.

Mastering chain
Softube Bus Processor 670 → Softube Tape → Steinberg Cubase Limiter → Goodhertz Good Dither"

Audio Damage AD-202 - How Can This Synth Sound This Good - Walkthrough & Demo - iOS

video upload by The Sound Test Room

"You can get AD-202 here on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ad-202/...

Roland MC-202 in a Plugin? | Audio Damage AD-202 Demo

video upload by Autodafe

"The Audio Damage AD-202 is a modern software take on the classic Roland MC-202 MicroComposer, the compact analog monosynth and sequencer released by Roland in 1983. With its single VCO, sub oscillator, resonant 24 dB low-pass filter and simple modulation architecture, the original MC-202 shared much of its sonic DNA with instruments like the SH-101 and TB-303.

I actually owned an original Roland MC-202 many years ago — and, like quite a few pieces of vintage gear I used to have, I eventually sold it. So I was particularly curious to hear Audio Damage's take on it.

AD-202 keeps the straightforward single-oscillator architecture and vintage workflow, while expanding it with modern features including 8-voice polyphony, analog-style drift, MPE, tempo-synced modulation, saturation, drive and distortion.

In this no-talking demo, I'll simply go through some sounds and presets so you can hear what AD-202 can do.

🎛️ Audio Damage AD-202:
www.audiodamage.com/collections/instruments/products/ad066-ad202"

Supercritical Synthesizers Interview Superbooth 2026

video upload by Take the Fear out the Gear

"Hi everybody this time we bring you the Supercritical Synthesizers Interview Superbooth 2026

Redshift 6 is a true sonic powerhouse. With 16 analog oscillators per voice and a 4-pole analog multimode filter featuring drive and character controls, it effortlessly delivers everything from super saw stabs to lush pads and from unison basses to vintage poly synth sounds. The Redshift 6’s 4 envelopes and 4 LFOs, combined with complex yet easy-to-assign modulation possibilities and the 32-slot mod matrix, offer endless possibilities for sound design.

Each of the Redshift 6’s six voices features a Demon Core Oscillator, capable of generating up to 16 simultaneous analog oscillators per voice. These oscillators can be assigned in various ways, from lush polyphonic textures to a massive 96-oscillator unison.

To take full advantage of the 96 oscillators almost endless sonic possibilities, the Demon Core Oscillator has various Engines, giving users a range of powerful options to choose from. Whether it’s traditional twin oscillators, supersaw engines, flanging phase sync, or transistor organ modes, each Engine is designed to be intuitive, highly controllable, and fully modulatable.

The filter core is an analog 4-pole state variable filter that is digitally controlled to act like almost any classic vintage synthesizer filter and more. In addition to the oscillators and filters, Redshift 6 has all the features expected of a modern synth – plenty of modulators, flexible voice routing, multitimbrality, MPE, and DSP effects."

Frap Tools Magnolia - Preset Demo

video upload by Perfect Circuit

"Here we are exploring a few preset sounds from the amazing and innovative Frap Tools Magnolia Analog Keyboard Synthesizer.

Jam-packed with unique offerings like through-zero FM inherited from their fantastic work in modular synthesis, Magnolia is just as magnificent for warm and wooly analog keys as it is for far-out, west-coast inspired sound design.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
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"

Politek University Turin Interview Superbooth 2026

video upload by Take the Fear out the Gear

"Hi everybody this time we bring you the Politek University Turin Interview Superbooth 2026"

This appears to be the first post to feture Politek University Turin.

Bad Gear - Better buy a PLUGIN!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. After almost 30 years of ruthless online battles on the topic of software vs. hardware, synth experts of all creeds and nations were finally able to agree on a firm and resolute 'YES'!

Today, however, we are going to talk about Modal Cobalt 8. While many high end plugins and top shelf hardware instruments evolved to coexist in our sonic toolboxes on an equal footing this 2020 VA synth…didn’t."

Behind the Music: Chang Rodrigues' Home Studio (Electronic Beats TV)

video upload by Telekom Electronic Beats TV

"For this episode of Electronic Beats TV, we visited Brazilian-born, Berlin-based artist Chang Rodrigues in her home studio.
With a background in music and a deep curiosity for synthesis and sound design, she has developed a unique approach that blends club-oriented electronic music with experimentation and sonic exploration.
Inside her studio, mainly analog instruments, modular gear, and drum machines take centre stage, while the computer and Ableton are used mainly for recording. Chang explains why the Elektron Digitakt has become the heart of her workflow, how she combines MIDI and CV to connect her instruments, and why modular synthesis continues to fascinate her with its almost endless creative possibilities.
Beyond the gear, we also talk about creativity, trusting your ears, embracing happy accidents, and why she sees sound as a living organism—something that constantly evolves through interaction rather than remaining fixed."

Janko Isomorphic keyboards Interview Superbooth 2026

video upload by Take the Fear out the Gear

"Hi everybody this time we bring you the Janko Isomorphic keyboards Interview Superbooth 2026"

Melbourne Instruments Interview Superbooth 2026

video upload by Take the Fear out the Gear

"Hi everybody this time we bring you the Melbourne Instruments Interview Superbooth 2026"

https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/

MYSTIC FREQUENCIES - SPACE [Featuring an Atari 2600 w/ Mini Keys]

video upload by Mystic Frequencies

MYSTIC FREQUENCIES - SPACE
Random Dawless playing.
Gear used:
Kawai SX-240
Arturia MatrixBrute
Arturia PolyBrute (x2)
Atari VCS MiniDexed
Erica Synths Steampipe
Novation Summit
Oberheim OB-X8
Synthstrom Deluge oLED
Polyend SEQ
Irijule Theoryboard
Roland TR8S
Elektron Digitakt
Effects - Digitech DSP256XL (x4)
Mixer - Roland M-480
Recorded on - Tascam Model 24

External MIDI Amiga Synth? Wait, what?!

video upload by Jeremy Parker

"A few years ago I restored my childhood Amiga 500, and only recently found a way to use a soft synth, Aegis Sonix V2, with external MIDI control. I saw ‪@magicalsynthadventure3216‬ video on the topic a while back, and on a whim decided to revisit the idea of using my Amiga as a synth. Thanks to an Amibay.com forum thread, I learned that it's pretty easy to get Aegis Sonix V2 to respond to incoming MIDI, and so I was off to the races. Enjoy!

Magical Synth Adventures video: • Commodore Amiga Music Production: Modern S... [below]
Amibay thread: https://www.amibay.com/threads/aegis-...
Stone OakValley Studios info on Aegis Sonix: https://www.stone-oakvalley-studios.c...
OctaMED info: https://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/10...

00:00 Intro
02:28 The Solution
03:33 Sonix Demo
05:31 Sonix & Reaper
07:33 Amiga Groove

Commodore Amiga Music Production: Modern Sound Design on Retro Hardware

video upload by Magical Synth Adventure

"A delve into obscure software instruments on the Commodore Amiga. Here I look into both realtime & non-realtime varieties, covering a staggering array of synthesis types!

Additional attributions:

I forgot to give a shout out to uncle Brian! Sorry uncle Brian!
Endless Tunnel Animation: KRITRIMVAULT
Syndicate Intro: BullFrog Productions

Links:
SOFTWARE
http://old.exotica.org.uk/websites/dr...
http://ftp2.grandis.nu/turransearch/"

Update: An interesting side note is that Sonix was released in 1987 with a beta in 1986. That's 10 years earlier than Dave Smith's Seer Systems Reality, which was released in 1997. Seer Systems Reality is often credited as the world's first soft synth. Curious if the distinction was between an editor/interface for the existing Amiga sound chip vs. a self contained software synthesizer.  

I asked Google AI just to see what it would say. Here it is:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Storm Bringer

video upload by John L Rice

"A quick patch and noodle on my main system for fun and stress relief! 😊

Synth modules from the following companies used:
Synthesis Technology (VCOs)
Moon Modular (VCFs, sequencer, switching, MIDI to CV)
Oakley Sound/Krisp1 (VCAs)
Club Of The Knobs (poly EG, master clock)

Other gear used:
Mellotron M4000D Rack
Yamaha FS1R
Samson S-Patch Plus patchbays
Mark Of The Unicorn Midi Timepiece AV
Allen & Heath MixWizard 3 20S
Roland RSP-550 effects and A-88 keyboard
Strymon BigSky and timeline pedals
Tascam SD-20M flash recorder
Canon C100 MKII camera and CN-E 20mm lens
ATOMOS Ninja Flame video recorder
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve editing software

#modularsynth #electronicmusic #mellotron"