Whimsical Raps Atrium -CALC- Brass Bahnd in the Lobby - Atrium as desktop module with Launchkey

video upload by -CALC-

"Today's etude d'Atrium. Using it a a 5 voice analogue desktop synth controlled by a Novation Launchkey in Chord Map.

Atrium is a wonderful, complete and comprehensive instrument that sits very well on it's own terms.
But it can also be an incredible desktop module with functions, features and most importantly timbres that are totally unique.
Here it is simply using the FM synthesis mode to provide 5 voices of lovely analogue sawtooth sweetness FM only comes in later. Halfway through the looping envelopes activate to bring natural articulations to each of the 5 voices. As a (lapsed) trombone player it gives me great joy to hear how close to a trombone ensemble this comes. The chords are being fed from a Novation Launchkey Mini 37 with pads set to the superb Chord map with adventure and exploration set high. So much work went into developing and curating the chord map and its a joy to use, even for one fingered musicians.

I would say that 2026 has easily been the year of the Atrium in my world, and its only been the first year of Atrium in my world. It won't stop there either.

What an instrument Whimsical Raps have managed to bring into the world.

......It has my heart"

Guidance | Conducting an Orchestra with Voltage and Feedback Noise

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been experimenting a lot this week and this video will focus on feedback patching, with two twists. It's not just circuit noise, I added a delay and a reverb to the chain. But more important, I added a ring modulator, modulated by a sinewave. So the feedback path is constantly flipping, cancelling waves or amplifying them. The idea is not mine, I got it from La Synthese Humaine who got the idea from Jaap Vink (synth & sonology pioneer, NL, 1970's) , linked in the video.

OK so it's mosty sculpted noise with no VCO and no frequency or pitch. I guess we can call it an atonal spectrum, a sum of sines that doesn't harmonize or add up to a note. Then I was wondering, what if we'd use a symphony orchestra to try and align with the tone/cluster, using the noise as a guide? In the early days, one would arrange a score for the orchestra to mimic frequency sweeps, and Xenakis made it a legendary technique using graphical scores. But this is the other way around. The source is my modular feedback exploration, so the score is voltage and audio. There are no notes, no scale, no 440 Hz concert pitch, so the orchestra would need to improvise and approximate whatever pitch is perceived. Will it be messy? Or will we always gravitate to order and balance? Spoiler. We'd do both.

How did I pull this off? I can't tell you. Not yet. Not now. And there's no 'best part' in this video. It's all good. Or all bad.

00:00 Introduction
02:30 Forbidden Planets again
06:00 'Guidance'"

Currents & Nostalgia - Patch making with the coming synth from Unusable Engineering & more presets

video upload by Unusable Engineering

"This is the second video showing about the coming software synthesizer from Unusable Engineering.

This time it is both preset making and showing off presets.

0:00 - 9:40 Patch Making and Workflow (talk and action)
9:40 - 19:58 Presets Playing

This video is going through the basic workflow in Currents & Nostalgia - using its two oscillators, the filter and the slot sequencers.

The idea is to give you a feel for how it is to work with the synth and how it sounds.

After making a new preset, which in no way was prepared, I play through quite a few of the other presets with a touch of reverb on the output. I use Geometry Reverb (which is free with any paid purchase from unusable.net). In the patch making section I also use a few other effects from Unusable Engineering on the very end. Ensemble Diffuser which is an analog style modulation plugin, Geometry Delay which is a multi-tap delay and Cavitation Fractures, which is a fluid simulator reacting to sound and affecting sound. (They are all available already).

CLICK FOR MORE »

Dirtywave M8 Syntax 2025 one track challenge compo entry

video upload by Avrilcadabra

"Syntax is an Australian demoscene party, While it mostly is a celebration of coding and tracking for 8 and 16 bit computers they do have some M8 tracking competitions.

You can even enter some of the compos internationally. https://www.syntaxparty.org/

One such compo is the one track challenge inspired by Ess's wertstoffe track.

Rules are simple, only use 1 track, no samples, no midi, no nxt.

I think my entry came 3rd, Dustsucker won and Laamaa came second if I recall correctly.
Nevertheless I was quite proud of this.

I used a variety of techniques here, starting with fm synthesis of DTMF to make actually DTMF compliant dial tones, a DTMF decoder will understand these and it works via a table in the m8. if you want to dial an 8 and you THO (table hop) to 08 and so on, then a ring tone made in macro synth.

The speech synthesis is done by creating phonemes, it's flipping instruments and using vosim , wavemap and wavetables in wavesynth then arranged and sequenced to create words.

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Cymbal Legio: Voice based on granular metallurgy on the Legio platform

video upload by Noise Engineering

"Cymbal Legio is a granular percussion voice built for tight hi-hats to crashes and rides.

Get a Legio module and swap to this firmware today:
https://noiseengineering.us/products/...

Let's start with Type and Alloy. Together, these give you a range of different cymbal characters, from tight metallic hits to bigger, more resonant sounds.

Decay controls how long each hit rings out, while Tone lets you shape the brightness and character of the cymbal.

Then there's Morph. This blends between different grain sources.

And pressing the Morph encoder gives you a quick mute.

The Mix inputs let you bring other sounds into the Cymbal and mix them right alongside it.

Cymbal is just one way to transform your Legio. When you're ready to move beyond crashes and rides, check out the other synth voices, effects, resonators, and more for free with a USB connection.

23 Firmwares.One Legio.

Visit noiseengineering.us or your favorite retailer to get a Legio module in your case."

Free Roland D-110 Editor Librarian | Web MIDI Patch Manager

video upload by Ian Dixon

"A hands-on walkthrough of my free Roland D-110 Editor Librarian, a browser-based Web MIDI tool I developed to make the D-110 much easier to manage and edit from a modern computer.
https://thedigitallifestyle.com/w/TDL...

In the video I show how the editor reads the D-110's tones, patches, rhythm setup and system settings, then saves everything into a reusable library. I also go through tone editing, partial mute/solo style workflow, PCM sample selection, synthesis partials, envelopes, filters, patch editing, multi-timbral setups, SysEx import and why the D-110 can be more flexible than a D-50 when you want layered parts and MIDI-channel based arrangements.

The editor runs locally in the browser, uses Web MIDI, and does not send your synth data to the cloud. It is part of my free editor/librarian tools for bringing classic synths back into a modern workflow.

Timestamps
00:00 Why I am building modern editors for vintage synths
00:47 Introducing the free Roland D-110 editor
01:17 Web MIDI setup and reading tones
01:48 Reading patches, rhythm and system settings
02:23 Saving and reopening a master library
02:47 Loading presets and sending sounds to the buffer
03:14 D-110 architecture, partials and PCM/synthesis structures
04:17 Editing PCM samples and synthesis partials
05:09 Filters, envelopes and shaping the sound
06:16 Saving edited tones back to the synth
06:39 Editing multi-timbral patches and MIDI channels
07:39 Layering D-110 sounds in a way the D-50 cannot
08:25 Why editing from the front panel is fiddly
09:21 Importing SysEx and expanding the library
10:06 Managing patches, running locally and wrap-up"

Did Jacob Brashears Reinvent the Synthesizer? — THE RELIC

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

See the Shear Electronics label for additional posts.

"THIS SYNTH IS NEXT LEVEL!
A few years ago, I first met Jacob Brashears at NAMM, where he debuted an extraordinary new synthesizer called the Relic. Now, the Relic is finished and after spending time with it, I think it’s worth asking:

Is this the most impressive synthesizer made in the last 40 years?

In this video, Jacob takes me through the Relic’s front panel and shows how this remarkable instrument works. Then I get behind the keyboard and play sounds that I created in just a few hours. The Relic has an incredibly expressive character that seems to combine the best qualities of classic vintage Oberheim, Moog, and ARP synthesizers with some very sophisticated modern technology.

It has the immediacy and character of the great analog instruments of the past, while incorporating modern advancements, routing and expression…and even the ability to continue evolving through future firmware updates. One of the things that really surprised me is the Relic’s distortion. I demonstrate sounds with distortion that feels remarkably organic and nonlinear, much more like the behavior of a great guitar amplifier than conventional synthesizer distortion.

I’ll also play expressive keyboard sounds, leads, basses, and other patches I created while exploring the instrument, so you can hear what the Relic is capable of in the hands of a musician. Jacob has clearly put an enormous amount of thought into this synthesizer, and the result is an instrument that feels both deeply connected to synthesizer history and genuinely forward-looking.

Watch Jacob take you through the Relic and hear what happens when I get my hands on it."

Did Darkglass Just Kill A Favorite Synth Pedal?

video upload by SavageFridays

See the announcement post here.

"Darkglass just added a full monophonic synthesizer to the Anagram, and this might be the bass synth I’ve been waiting for.

In this video, I dig into the new Axioma synth block, build sounds from scratch, test its tracking and arpeggiator, run through all 12 templates, and put it up against the MXR Bass Synth and my Moog Subsequent 25.

Is Axioma the new benchmark for bass synths? Does it replace the MXR? And how close can a bass guitar actually get to the real thing?

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
1:24 What is Axioma?
2:12 Oscillators, Filters & Arpeggiator
3:44 Tracking a Synth From Bass
10:57 12 Axioma Templates
14:27 Building Sounds With Anagram Effects
15:39 Axioma vs MXR Bass Synth vs Moog Subsequent 25
16:33 Final Verdict: Does It Replace Them?"

Synthetic Sound Labs Announces Wave Oracle™

Synthesizer module review of the the Wave Oracle video upload by Synthesizer Sound Design

"Synthetic Sound Labs Wave Oracle Model 1910

This video is a review of the 5U / MU multi-function module from Synthetic Sound labs - The Wave Oracle.

The Wave Oracle exists to inspire curiosity about signals—and creativity in what you do with them. Your synthesizer makes voltages, but you usually experience the result through your ears. Wave Oracle adds another way to explore: you can see what is happening while you listen.

Time Index

00:42 Title
00:45 What is the Wave Oracle01:22 What I like about the Wave Oracle
02:56 How I will use the Wave Oracle
03:38 Review of the functions or the Wave Oracle
05:05 Examples
05:08 Understanding Modules Better
05:45 Inverted Envelopes Made Easy
08:26 Examining Harmonics
09:48 Through-Zero FM
10:54 Lissajous figures
12:33 Final Thoughts

** THIS VIDEO IS SPONSORED BY SYNTHETIC SOUND LABS ** they have funded the creation of this video."

Press release follows:

Synthetic Sound Labs announces Wave Oracle™, a multi-function signal visualization and learning instrument designed specifically for modular synthesizers. See and explore your sounds.

Wave Oracle™ combines oscilloscope, XY, spectrum analysis, tuning, metering, audio-responsive visualization and integrated learning functions in a single module. Four signal inputs allow several points in a synthesizer patch to remain connected simultaneously, with channel selection available within applicable modes.

Wave Oracle™ is designed to be easy to learn and use, without requiring a background in electronics or test equipment.

SCOPE
Wave Oracle™ can display signals from oscillators, envelopes, LFOs, modulation and complete voices.

The oscilloscope views these as voltage changing over time, revealing the actual shape and timing of a signal. Laboratory-style adjustable timebases, vertical scaling, positioning and triggering allow visualization and measurement of up to four independent synth signals at once.

XY
Plots two signals against one another to display phase and frequency relationships, modulation and Lissajous figures. XY uses Channels 1 and 2 as its X and Y signal sources.

FFT
Where SCOPE shows voltage over time, Wave Oracle™’s FFT modes reveal frequency content and how it changes over time. Multiple spectrum displays provide different views of fundamentals, harmonics, noise, filter response and the evolving spectral content of complex sounds and complete voices.

Automatic and manual display scaling accommodate signals ranging from individual oscillators to dynamic musical material.

TUNER
Measures frequency and musical pitch for oscillator tuning, matching pitches and checking oscillator tracking.

CLICK FOR MORE »

How He Played Live Techno on a Modular Synth — Built Around the Vhikk X

video upload by SynthDad

"I rebuilt my live rig around one module, the Forge TME Vhikk X, and this is the whole setup explained.

I go through every module in the case, what it does in the set, and why it's in there. There's a lot of playing in this one — I wanted you to hear each part in context rather than take my word for it, so most of the talking happens over a running patch.

The Vhikk X is the newest module and the one I'm still learning. It usually gets demoed as a drone voice, which isn't what I do, so I've been pushing it somewhere else. I cover what works, what doesn't, and whether it earns 24HP in a case I have to carry to a gig.

If you're putting together a rig you actually want to play in front of people, rather than one that only works at home, this should be useful."

Ober-Moog Prototype from DenverSynth

video upload by manmade madman

"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.

#nineinchnails #vst #denversynth #obermoog #obmx"

OBERMOOG

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

ElectroComp EML-101 VST from DenverSynthLabs

video upload by manmade madman

"Heres a short demo showing how analog this thing sounds.

Now available at store.denversynth.com"

ELECTROCOMP 101

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)

CLICK FOR MORE »

M-Vave FM-1 Review & Tutorial | Custom New FM Soundbank | Galaxia & Elemental Pro Stereo FX pedals

video upload by NatLife Sounds

"Link to my New sound library for FM-1 'Ambient & Dreams Vol.1' : https://natlifesounds.com/product/amb...

M-Vave FM-1: http://www.cuvave.com/product?id=fm-1

In this video, I’ve tried to briefly outline the main functions of the M-Wave FM-1 synthesizer. I didn't focus on simply switching algorithm - there are plenty of other reviews covering that - but instead delved into the finer details. I also demonstrated M-Wave’s new stereo effects, showing how they work with the FM-1 and sequences using my own custom presets for the synth.

Timeline:
00:00 - 00:50 Introduction
00:50 - 04:02 Internal FX's Overview
04:02 - 04:42 Few words about Sequencer
04:42 - 06:15 External pedals M-Vave Elemental Pro & Galaxia engage in work
06:15 - 07:33 Jamming with Sequences from "Ambient & Dreams" library for FM-1
07:33 - 09:22 EDIT button & FM Operators
09:22 - 10:20 LFO funcionality
10:20 - 13:20 ARP analysis
13:20 - 13:54 Explaining the ENV (Envelope)
13:54 - 15:10 More about EDIT button & 6 Operators work
15:10 - 15:38 Ideas of sound programming for M-Vave FM-1
15:38 - 18:32 Examples of 'Ambient & Dreams' Presets & my Sequences
18:32 - My Conclusion

#fm1 #mvave #fmsynth #fmsynthesis #synthesizer

Roland D-50 vs D-110: Can You Hear the Difference?

video upload by Ian Dixon

"The Roland D-50 and Roland D-110 both come from Roland's late-80s Linear Arithmetic synthesis era, but do they actually sound the same? In this blind comparison I play similar D-50 and D-110 sounds side by side, including warm pads, Soundtrack, synth bells, electric pianos, synth brass, Fantasia/Fantasy style patches, and dual-layer sounds, then reveal which synth was which.

The D-50 is the classic performance synth behind so many iconic digital sounds, while the D-110 is the rackmount, multi-timbral workhorse built for MIDI studios. This test is about the real character of each instrument: the modulation, the shimmer, the effects, the PCM attack, and how close the D-110 can get to the D-50 in practice.

CLICK FOR MORE »

100% OP-XY internal synth engines. How does this thing sound so polished? - Live IDM music

video upload by Dan Chippendale

"Ok, so maybe it's partly me. I do spend a lot of time tweaking my synth sounds to get them juuust right. Even so this box just mesmerises me when you hit the sweet spots.

Hope you enjoy it

Gear used:

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

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

The Voicing Dial started it all - Telepathic Instruments Interview with Tom Cosm

via Telepathic Instruments

"The Voicing Dial started it all

When Kevin Parker wanted to create an ideas machine, he DMed electronic musician and educator Tom Cosm.

What began as a one-off handmade lockdown project soon became much, much more.

In an exclusive new interview with Synth History, Tom Cosm shares the story and the people behind Orchid."

"As a keyboardist, I'm used to playing lots of chords with one hand and trying to not move around the keyboard as much as possible. How you move to the next notes and the different inversions really matters." — Tom Cosm

Animal Factory x Philtersoup Asura || Polyphonic Wavetable Synthesizer with Analog Fuzz from India

video upload by Animal Factory Amplification

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.

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DemonBox Eternal Research - Knobcon 2026

video upload by sonicstate

"We spoke to Jordan from Eternal Research about DemonBox, a triangular electromagnetic instrument and controller. He explained how it reacts to electromagnetic fields from motors, magnets, speakers, phones and other implements, turning those interactions into audio, CV and MIDI.

DemonBox has 33 inductors on its surface, arranged as three channels of 11 in concentric spirals. It has no internal oscillators or tone generators; the audio output comes from disturbances in the electromagnetic field, closer to a wide-field pickup than a synth voice. MIDI notes control instruments such as HydraSynth, while MIDI data can also drive TouchDesigner visuals and DMX lighting via conversion.

The unit includes three external audio inputs, one for each inductor channel. Incoming audio can be mixed with the knobs, and it also affects outgoing MIDI and CV. MIDI runs over USB-C, the unit is powered by 5V USB power, and CV is available for modular hardware. DemonBox is priced at $999, with an in-person Knobcon 26 offer including a free Ferris wheel order.
More Info: https://eternalresearch.com"

Sonicware Introduces ELZ_1 core

video upload by SONICWARE

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Build Your Own Audio Plugins, No Code Required, With Amorph AI Driven Plugin Platform

Build Your Own Audio Plugins, No Code (Amorph v1 Beta) video upload by Artists in DSP

"Amorph is a free audio plugin. You build, play, and share your own tools inside the DAW — the sound, the knobs, and the code sit on your computer.

This is the full how-to. Install. The window. Three ways to build. Remote. Lock. Share.

A patch can be an instrument, an effect, or a MIDI processor.

Download Amorph v1 Beta:
https://artistsindsp.gumroad.com/l/am...

Getting started:
https://artistsindsp.com/get-started-..."

Modular Town : a synth hidden in a town (Amorph)

video upload by Bungle Society

"Modular Town — a synthesizer town, drawn by hand.

Modular Town is a single Amorph instrument: a hand-drawn village you scroll through, where every knob, step-sequencer and jack is mounted on a building facade wired by hand, just like real hardware. 🏭 Filter (Cutoff/Resonance) on the factoryVCO1 / VCO2 on the vending machinesDetune and Attack/Decay/Release tucked into the houses🥁 A 16-step drum machine (Drums Volume, Accent, Drive) running through its own sequencer🍜 Ramen Bass Shop, a mono bass synth with its own 16-step piano roll, playable live or sequenced. A day/night cycle you flip from a shop sign. Delay (Time/Feedback/Mix) on a canal-side wall. A full patch panel route LFO, ENV and random modulation across the whole village with real cables✨ Reverb, aged-paper texture and film grain for a sketchbook feel"

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