GENE 616 is an all analog, stereo polyrhythmic drum machine with two independent CV / Trigger sequencers.
The upper sequencer controls the Bass Drum Generator and Oscillator 1, a Synth Drum voice with a unique architecture which can produce almost any frequency, multiple waveforms, sweet and soft or totally untamed and unhinged, and is CV controllable over a wide range of pitches, timbres and decay times.
The lower sequencer controls the Snare Drum Generator and Oscillator 2, which is the same type of Synth Drum voice but with slightly extended high frequencies.
Why limit yourself to six voices when you can have eight? Introducing our brand new Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer the Behringer Polyeight. An 8-Voice that sparkles with the sound of the 80s. Join Bartek as he jams through the presets of this exciting new addition to our Synth lineup."
Behringer's Polyeight is an eight-voice analog synthesizer that re-creates the era-defining sound of the Polysix. The 2044 low pass filter gave that sound its character and sits at the center of the Polyeight's pure analog signal path. Positive or negative envelope control shapes the filter to create sounds from tight plucks to long blooms. Eight discrete VCOs can be played in dense polyphony for rich harmonies or locked in unison for powerful leads and basslines. Chorus, phaser, and ensemble effects are integrated into the signal path to provide rich textures for strings and pads. Program complex voicings into chord memory and trigger them from a single note. For players chasing the classic Polysix sound, the Behringer Polyeight delivers with more voices and powerful performance features.
Polyeight Features
Eight-voice analog polyphonic synthesizer based on the Polysix Pure analog signal path with discrete VCOs, VCF, and VCA Each VCO features saw, square, and pulse width waveforms Classic 2044 low pass filter with resonance and positive or negative envelope control Unison, double, and poly modes for eight-VCO leads, four-voice doubled patches, or eight-voice chords Sub-oscillator one or two octaves below the main VCO Chorus, phaser, and ensemble BBD effects Pulse width modulation with a dedicated LFO Multi-waveform LFO for pitch, filter cutoff, and amplitude MS-20-inspired global noise generator Eight-slot modulation matrix Chord memory triggers stored voicings from a single key Polyphonic portamento Arpeggiator with up, down, and up-down modes and external tempo control 256 program memories with compare and match for front-panel controls 49 semi-weighted full-size keys with velocity and aftertouch Product Details
Polyphony: 8 voices (unison, double, and poly modes) Keys: 49 Memory: 256 user programs Display: LCD with encoder MIDI: 5-pin DIN in, out, and thru USB: USB 2.0 type B, class-compliant MIDI Main output: 1/4" TRS, balanced mono Headphone output: 1/4" TRS Sustain pedal input: 1/4" TS Expression pedal input: 1/4" TS Chord memory footswitch input: 1/4" TS Arpeggio sync input: 1/4" TRS (tip: clock, ring: start/stop) VCF fcM input: 1/4", -5V to +5V Power: internal switch-mode power supply, IEC Dimensions: 4.7" x 32.4" x 10.2" / 120 x 825 x 260 mm Weight: 16.5 lb / 7.5 kg
"SpectraPad is a powerful spectral synthesizer designed for creating rich pads, evolving textures, shimmering atmospheres, and sounds that sit somewhere between the familiar and the completely unexpected.
Rather than relying on conventional oscillator shapes alone, SpectraPad lets you build sounds from their harmonic structure. You can shape the balance and character of individual partials, spread energy across the spectrum, introduce formant-like qualities, add movement and modulation, and transform relatively simple harmonic material into complex, evolving instruments.
With a conventional synthesizer you often begin by choosing a waveform. With SpectraPad, the waveform is effectively the result of everything you do to the spectrum.
That makes sound design far less predictable — and considerably more interesting.
You can start with a familiar harmonic structure, pull energy towards the lower or upper harmonics, introduce unusual frequency relationships, change the spectral character, add formants and movement, and very quickly arrive somewhere completely different.
SpectraPad has been designed so that you don't need to understand spectral synthesis to enjoy it. You can simply explore the controls and listen. But for those who want to dig deeper, the individual harmonic and spectral controls provide an enormous amount of sound-design potential.
Whether you're looking for a warm pad behind a mix, an evolving cinematic atmosphere, a delicate bell, a synthetic string ensemble, or something you have never heard before, SpectraPad gives you the tools to create it.
SpectraPad features a built in stereo arpeggiator and gate effects, as well as well as stereo delay, stereo echo and cloud effects. Many parameters can be automated to create an even more complex presets."
"There weren't many more than a couple thousand made. The Mark Vail book goes into some detail on the company's history. It functions very well for its age, smaller electrolytic caps have been replaced, pots and switches have been cleaned. Like anything this old, it has its quirks, but this synth when new was kind of its own special thing. No Modifications or custom "Improvements". Missing handle. Otherwise in pretty nice shape. Has not been calibrated recently, but span and octave tuning are close enough to play fairly well. (keys per octave fine tuning has to be full sharp for accurate octave, I think it was just mistakenly set that way when tuned last) A pot or two might still be a little scratchy from sitting, but you'll have that. I may clean it while packing if I find time. Full service manual, schematics, and documentation are available online.
Features: 4 VCO's 2 can be LFO's, all have some degree of continuously variable waveform blend -runs 1.2v/Oct Tons of odd as well as conventional internal modulation switching and routing options 4 channel source mixer VCF (Love it or hate it, its tame and musical) has a continuously variable mode control LP/BP/HP 2 AR generators with Sustain Ring Modulator Sample/Hold Onboard Preamp White noise Gen Keyboard Glide Dupohonic (Ok, 2 note -Paraphonic?) Keyboard controller Limited external 1/4" patching, semi-modular It all fits in its own neat little box. The top half is the synth, bottom half, the keyboard"
"We spoke to Lorrain from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at M-China26 about two projects developed for her undergraduate coursework. Euclidean rhythm sequencer is a browser-based piece that lets you tap to change the sequence and record your own sound. It uses web technologies, including WebAudio and WebMidi, and was running on a local network rather than as a public web service.
The second project is a visual and sound piece based around a pet cat. It uses wave terrain synthesis, with the cat chasing a light across changing terrain. The terrain height defines the waveform, and the cat's movement changes the resulting sound.
This is coursework rather than a commercial product, we wish Lorrain well in her chosen career once she graduates.
"I created a custom patch for the official 2.3.4 firmware that adds a screen saver, speed change without pitch change, vertical waveform zoom, and an easy way to reset parameters to their defaults."
Additional details via the developer:
"I’ve put together a free, unofficial customization of 1010music Bitbox MkII firmware 2.3.4, adding a few features I’ve wanted on my own module. The customized version identifies itself as 2.3.4+c.
What’s added:
Vertical waveform zoom: pinch/spread vertically to adjust waveform height from 25–3200%. This makes quiet samples easier to see and lets you shrink loud waveforms. Horizontal zoom still works normally. A stationary two-finger tap restores 100% vertical zoom and horizontal fit. This only changes the display, not the audio.
Optional screen saver: a black screen after 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes of inactivity. It’s disabled by default, under Tools → Disp. Playback continues while blanked. The first touch, button press, or encoder movement only wakes the display, preventing accidental edits.
Optional MIDI/CV-trigger wake: choose MIDI, CV triggers, or both. MIDI clock and active sensing are excluded. Unlike physical wake controls, the first incoming musical event still performs its normal action.
Pitch-preserving Speed: 50–200% playback speed, with a dedicated SPEED dial on the Sample-mode LFO/Spd page. It supports live adjustment and the normal INFO modulation editor, including LFO/CV modulation. At 100%, it uses native playback.
Double-tap dial defaults: double-tap a numeric dial to restore its default base value. Modulation sources and amounts remain intact.
4 Independent LFOs • Encoder Control • Hand-Built in Northern Ireland
Free-running or MIDI clock-synced — pair with any clock source for tempo-locked sweeps
WHAT DOES IT DO?
REVIVE is a standalone 4-LFO MIDI CC generator. Each of its four LFOs runs completely independently — its own waveform, speed, depth, MIDI channel, CC number and output routing — sending smooth, evolving modulation to your synths, effects and modular gear over regular 5-pin DIN MIDI.
Run each LFO free at its own rate — from fast vibrato-speed wobble right down to a genuinely glacial ~8-minute sweep — or lock it to incoming MIDI clock for tempo-synced modulation. Store up to 8 complete 4-LFO patches on board, and switch anytime between a full-screen icon/dial view or a classic text readout, whichever you prefer to work in.
Version V16 of the official firmware for the M-Wave FM-1 was recently released, and after using it for a while, I seriously wondered: Do I really need any other third-party firmware? The official firmware is the most stable, offering full stereo effects, multitimbral support, color gamut customization, a full 64-step sequencer, and much more that can't be found in third-party firmware.
And since the video didn't finish recording, I'd like to add: Do we really need custom firmware with incomprehensible code written by AI (which doesn't even understand sound synthesis)? Unfortunately, the video didn't finish recording, but that's exactly what I wanted to add in this video.
Timeline:
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - first Sequencer/Preset Demo 'SY Complx - Pattern 12'
01:47 - Analog sound demo with 'LD Jupiter - Ambient & Dreams V2'
03:15 - About 64-Sequencer
03:40 - 128 Effect Presets (in Stereo Effects)
04:33 - Global function Update
05:41 - How it will sounds now?
07:53 - "PLK Trance" in new Sequencer
08:43 - My thoughts about '3rd parties Firmwares'
09:55 - You can lost a quality of FM engine?
11:01 - FM Engine is the main thing of M-Vave FM-1
11:50 - My thoughts on all Firmwares
12:30 - Official V16 Firmware Pros
13:27 - The record was stopped (because the SD card is full :D)
Compared with: the 015 release (single-timbral, 12-note polyphony)
The user manual on the official website has been updated accordingly. Please refer to it for detailed operating instructions.
Prepared: October 20, 2026
Terminology: °∞Voice°± on the display refers to a timbral part. °∞Polyphony°± refers to the total number of synthesis voices available across the instrument.
1. Multitimbral Operation and Expanded Polyphony
1. Expanded from one timbral part to eight Voices. Play different sounds simultaneously or layer multiple sounds together.
2. Total polyphony increases from 12 to 20 synthesis voices, dynamically shared across all eight parts. The instrument provides 20 voices in total, not 20 per part.
"In this video, Alex walks through every mode and shift function on Modbox MkII. He also covers clock and reset assignment, switching outputs between unipolar and bipolar, and resetting the module. There are patch demos for each section, ending with a patch that uses the entire module.
Modbox MkII carries on the legacy of the original Modbox, a collaboration between WMD and SSF. It keeps everything from the original, including the three-phase LFO, the skew LFO, and the sample and hold, and adds much more. The three-phase LFO morphs smoothly between waveforms, has adjustable phase spread, and gives each output its own independent frequency ratio. That makes it work like three separate LFOs, with phase modulation and frequency spread modes on top. The skew LFO adds phase offset and log/exponential shaping. Both LFOs can be clock synced and reset, with beat-synced behavior that keeps the frequency knob full of sweet spots. The sample and hold now includes track and hold and a Turing Machine-style looping mode with adjustable length and probability."
Video Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:26 The original Modbox 1:07 Three-phase LFO: phase spread mode 2:14 Frequency and waveform 3:17 Spread knob 4:22 Shift functions: output attenuation 5:16 Output ratios 7:14 Phase modulation mode 9:43 Frequency spread mode 10:20 Three-phase LFO patch example 11:16 Skew LFO 12:44 Skew LFO phase and shape 13:42 Clock sync 15:00 Reset 16:15 Assigning clock and reset 17:36 Beat-synced LFOs 18:43 Synced LFO patch example 19:46 Sample and hold 21:02 Sampling external sources 22:14 Track and hold mode 23:27 Turing Machine mode 25:18 Unipolar and bipolar outputs 26:29 Resetting shift functions and the module 27:15 Full module patch example 28:26 Outro
"Modbox MKII is a deeply modulatable dual-LFO and multifunction tool. The Three Phase oscillator generates three interrelated outputs across phase, modulation, and frequency-spread modes. The Skew oscillator delivers a continuously morphing ramp / triangle / saw with curve warping and a beat-locked rhythmic LFO when clock synced. Add a three-mode sample & hold with a 32-step probabilistic Turing-style sequencer, an analog noise source, and full V/Oct calibration, and you've got a complete modulation lab in a single Eurorack module. Patched in seconds, explored for years."
"incremental chop
so testing right now this new function called Chop Incremental (default in ON u can turn it off and go back to old way on OTHER Setting)
you can chop way faster if u set the start point well. basically to calculate the length is 15000/bpm and u have the length of 1/16... so 15000/120 is 125....
the OS will duplicate the length using the end point of previous chop as starting point of the second one making chopping really faster
don't ask me waveform but i can help you in a vintage way
oh yes there is a stop sampling button finally
testing
ps yes using 120 is sloppy, and i like it that tiny bit of space in front"
Update:
Mpc3000 3.40 Bit Crusher on Track Mute Edition by Deep88
"Can you build a playable synthesizer in a single afternoon? Here's my attempt: a DIY synth built from a basic ESP32 I had lying around.
At its heart is a DCO: a digitally controlled oscillator. The waveform isn't generated in code. It comes straight from the PWM outputs, while the code only sets the pitch, pulse width and modulation. The result is a fat, raw, monophonic sound with accurate notes and no tuning headaches.
How this ESP32 synth works:
• Two PWM signals from GPIO 18 and 19
• A simple resistor mixer and a capacitor on the output
• MIDI input built around a 6N137 optocoupler, three resistors and a socket (powered from the ESP32 board)
• Pitch Bend and Modulation over MIDI
• Pulse width and detune of the second oscillator controlled by knobs
What this synthesizer doesn't have (yet): an envelope, polyphony and a filter. They can all be added later in the analog part of the signal path, and I'll start working on them soon."
"Curves & Membranes 1.5.0 adds two new filter modes, new orbital modulation patterns and polyphonic glide to the 'everything is visual' bezier waveform synthesizer for macOS and Windows.
In the first part of this video, I run a simple sequence from the Arturia Keystep and play around with some of the new features, mainly the new filter modes on a patch with some twisted and eased orbital modulators.In the middle part I play it in 4 voice paraphonic mode to show off internal overdrive.
In the end I run the first sequence again.
Regarding the two new filter modes: The new Filter Bank mode has 32 bands spaced in minor thirds, with per-band feedback and drive. All three filter points shape the bank, so you can move several resonant regions around at once. The new Pressure mode takes a different approach: each band opens in response to the signal going into it, with controls for sensitivity, recovery and drive. The original Membrane filter is still there too.
A bit on the orbs: Every orbital modulator now has Easing and Twist. Easing speeds up and slows down different parts of the movement while keeping the overall cycle time. Twist turns the circular path into a horizontal or vertical figure-eight. Both work with ellipse, rotation and the envelope-style half-turns.
"Building a loop and going over some features of Melodee, an intuitive groovebox firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1. The Melodee firmware expands the FM-1 with five sound engines, including Prophet-style synthesis, 6-operator FM, CZ, SID and drums, alongside a four-track, 64-step sequencer. It also adds recording, effects and hands-on sequencing tools designed to make building complete loops fast and intuitive.
FM-1 is a true frequency-modulation synthesizer in your pocket. Six independent sine-wave operators combine through 32 algorithms to recreate the iconic timbres of the FM era — pianos, strings, brass, basses and electronic synths. It comes loaded with 128 factory tones and a color TFT screen that draws the live algorithm structure and oscillator waveform. A 27-key silicone piano-layout keyboard with OCT-/OCT+ over 8 octaves, MONO/POLY voicing (up to 12-voice polyphony), six built-in effects (Filter / Reverb / Delay / Distortion / Chorus / Phaser), a 7-mode arpeggiator and 16-step sequencer turn it into a complete creation rig."
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - FM6, Prophet-5, XOX and SID engines
00:13 - Select root note and scale (SEL)
00:27 - Enable chord mode (SEL, CHRD)
00:41 - Adjust sequence length (SEQ, LEN)
00:52 - Arm recording (REC)
01:12 - Enable per-track FX (FX)
01:51 - Add another pattern to track (SEQ, PATTERNS)
01:58 - Adjust new pattern SEQ length (SEQ, LEN)
02:07 - Track 1 is now on Pattern (P2)
02:42 - Hold SEQ and press white key to queue the next pattern
03:18 - Select track (ALGORITHM)
05:01 - Adjust track levels (GLO)
05:34 - Select patch (PRESETS)
05:45 - Per-track arpeggiator (ARP)
07:04 - Hold EDIT to undo last recording
"A classic, inside the FM-1.
Free firmware. Install straight from the browser and go back to the original whenever you like.
Three oscillators, a ladder filter and plenty of body Each block of the Minimoog panel has its place on the FM-1's 240 × 240 screen, with four real knobs to play it for real.
Oscillator bank Three oscillators with ranges from LO to 2', a waveform each, independent detune on oscillators 2 and 3 and a touch of pitch drift, like analog VCOs.
Ladder filter A four-pole ladder, 24 dB/octave, with saturation in every stage and the feedback lag of the Minimoog circuit. From emphasis 8 up it self-oscillates as a pure sine that follows the keyboard at 1 V/octave. Cutoff reads -5 to +5, as on the panel.
Contours Two contours (filter and loudness) with attack, decay and sustain. The attack is exponential, like the original circuit. Glide, LFO and modulation complete the section.
100 presets Ten groups of ten: a showcase of styles, hard leads, soft leads, basses, pads and strings, brass, plucks, keys, atmospheres and sound effects. About a quarter comes with the arpeggiator already on. Save your own in 32 user slots.
Arpeggiator and sequencer One tap on ARP turns it on and off; holding it sets HOLD. The sequencer records up to 16 notes (REC) and plays them (PLAY). The key LEDs light with the notes.
Effects per preset Reverb, delay, chorus and drive, each preset with its own combination, so basses, leads and pads live in very different spaces."
"We spoke to Manuel and Gustavo from Oxi Instruments about updates for Oxi One and *Coral*. The Oxi One firmware adds microtonal scales, shared CV outputs for interconnected sequences, and a new pattern-editing view with variable zoom.
The updated pattern workflow supports note entry down to 128th-note triplets and patterns up to 64 bars. Each note keeps access to repeats, accumulator settings and trigger probability. MIDI file import also handles long files, with zooming, navigation and per-note editing available after import.
Coral firmware 3.0 is available now. It adds the polyphonic FMX7 engine, with six voices and DX7 preset loading from SD card, plus OBVA and an updated Acid 2 engine with four distortion types. Coral also includes an on-module settings menu and drone mode.
Oxi Coral and Oxi Meta are available for VCV Rack and VCV Plus. Oxi's free web tools include a waveform generator and an updated Coral preset manager with MIDI-connected real-time editing.
"Andrew from Groove Synthesis gave us a look at Third Wave Terminal, the new librarian and editor software for the Third Wave synth family. The range now includes the 24-voice desktop, 8-voice desktop and flagship keyboard versions. The software is planned for release very soon.
Third Wave Terminal includes a patch editor with many synth parameters visible at once. Edits made on the synth update on the computer, and edits made in the software update on the hardware. The editor also shows animated wavetable position movement across the three oscillators while notes play.
The librarian manages patch banks, downloads and transfers, with drag-and-drop loading to the synth and double-click auditioning. The wavetable editor includes visualisation, waveform drawing, interpolation and auditioning before transfer. The sample editor loads WAV files and edits start, stop, loop points and gain.
Third Wave Terminal is free for Third Wave owners after account creation and product registration on the Groove Synthesis website.
More Info: https://www.groovesynthesis.com"
"I've been tinkering with some of my older, discontinued and obscure modules recently, so I decided to share some of my experiences. Not technical or user guides, just self-indulgeance. This time it's the Livewire Audio Frequency Generator that gets the perpetual noob treatment, an huge, flexible, and pretty damn good saounding VCO with wave-shaping, sub oscillator (both square and triangle), and a bunch of fixed or variable waveforms.
Key features of this are the 'Animated Pulses' and 'Alien Saws', which are both affected by the 'animation section'. Each consist of two waves overlapping eachother, and the 8 pots to the right control the pulse width and phase position of both, but on the higher and lower portions of the waveforms separately... which of couse can all then be modulated! Bonkers! It sounds great though, and you could lose yourself for some considerable time just listening to how these 8 controls affect the timbre of the two waveform outputs.
As always, running the module through my AJH Synth modules never dissappoints - totally vintage charcter and warmth, with no shortage of functionality and physical control. A great-sounding VCF based on the Musonics (pre-Moog) Sonic V, and a VCA based on the early Minimoog, complete with amp-like overdrive when driven hard. The Ring SM is also based on the Moog CP-3 mixer, with -1 & -2 sub-octave generator, and 3-axis ring modulator based on the EMS Synthi/VCS3.
Gear used:
Livewire Audio Frequency Generator V2
AJH Synth Sonic XV diode filter, Dual LFO, Sample Hold & Noise, Ring SM, Discreet Cascaded VCA.
Cosmotronic Cosmix Pro
Happy Nerding FX Aid (as reverb)
Expert Sleepers Disting Mk4 (as WAV recorder)
CASA Modular acrylic case powered by Konstant Lab StrongPWR.
No post-processing, just the audio straight from the modular."
"We spoke to the SynthAccess team from NYU Tandon School of Engineering about SynthAccess*, a set of accessibility tools for electronic instruments. *Jason Dasent first ran us through MIDI-to-speech operation on a Novation Summit and an Oberheim TEO-5 synth setup, then Luke DuBois described how the system works.
SynthAccess listens to a synth’s MIDI output and uses JSON mapping files to translate controls, patch names and parameter values into spoken feedback. The mappings cover controls such as filter cutoff, LFO rate, effects levels, envelopes, patch changes and waveform selection. The files are open source, and the team has a GitHub API for creating new instrument definitions (link below).
Then Jason Wallach showed us some of the physical updates being introduced, such as Braille and tactile overlays for synth panels, plus some really cool modular jack identifiers, which use shape, colour and raised or flat surfaces to mark signal type and input/output status.
Another haptic prototype uses small vibration motors to represent LFO movement by touch.
The team said support is available for manufacturers, studios and hobbyists working on accessible setups.
"ARGON8, COBALT8, CARBON8 — the same 8-voice chassis, the same FATAR keybed, the same modulation framework. But when you actually open up the engines, they take three completely different sonic paths.
This video takes a deep dive into the core engine differences between the three synthesizers:
🔹 COBALT8 — Extended virtual analogue. 64 VA oscillators, 40 algorithms. Chasing classic analogue warmth, but with digital flexibility.
🔹 CARBON8 — XCore experimental digital engine. 56 digital cores ×2, 18 algorithms + 38 wavetables. Generating new waveforms rather than selecting waveforms.
