UVI SonicBundle Session | Creating a Stranger Things theme with Venus Theory

video upload by UVI

"Today, Cameron from ‪@VenusTheory‬ welcomes us in the intimacy of his home studio, where every sound tells a story.

Inspired by the mysterious atmosphere of Stranger Things and the excitement around the new season, he challenged his creativity by crafting a cue entirely with instruments and effects from SonicBundle.

Explore SonicBundle now, at https://www.uvi.net/sonicbundle"

Eurorack Modular Mixing Tips with HIVE from Vostok Instruments

video upload by DivKid

"Here’s the new 10HP stereo Eurorack mixer ‘Hive’ from Vostok Instruments and with the opportunity to make a demo of it I ran with the idea of showing a series of patching making the most of basic features, how to patch them for more advanced exciting things and bringing larger, layered patches and mixes together in the modular format. It's packed full of tips, give them a go."

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DUTCH MODULAR FEST 2025 Set for Next Weekend WORM ROTTERDAM

Highlights via https://worm.org/

WORM is delighted to welcome Dutch Modular Fest to Rotterdam! This hugely successful and forward-looking festival normally takes place in Utrecht. This will be a day full of surprises, showcasing the incredibly and enlightening world of modular synths!

Music
DMF have created a wide-ranging music programme to enjoy. Every artist is carefully selected and presents a certain genre, or aspect of modular synth music. And we are delighted to present: Julian Edwardes, Skander Jaïbi & Ines Kooli, Chebedahja, Maj Rachel, Cinematic Laboratory, and, returning to WORM, Animistic Beliefs. You can watch the gigs in WORM’s main concert space.

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JoMox Alpha Base Analog Drum Synthesizer SN 2021-728

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

Additional SYNTH CITY Listings

"Jomox Alpha Base, tested in perfect working order. Includes SD card and original power supply.

It's true analogue. Eleven instruments, sequencer, Midi/USB/SD-Card. Samples. Sampling inputs, balanced individual outputs.

Although it may appear similar to the classics XBASE 09, 999 and 888, the ALPHA BASE has an entirely new design under the hood. We have put in the concentrated know-how of the Jomox drum machines and of our synths of the past 20 years. We have simplified some things, but also added new components or have combined them new. The outcome is the best sounding and most versatile drum machine that Jomox has ever built."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Back at it again- Live looping in the studio 2025 and an Interview with MR TUNA Music

video upload by MR TUNA Music

"My friends I am sorry to leave you hanging all summer with no jams, but its a beautiful sunny world out there and I've got to be out IN IT! So in the meantime I have a few jams backlogged that have **never before been released** and expect some weird b-sides that I was too embarrassed to post when I had content to spare !

Anyways- lots going on here, we got some Hydrasynth deluxe, classic analog pads from the JX-8P... and lots of super pump-jumping with the MX-1 sidechaining and doing some beat effects. Jupiter-80 muted trumpet is the funnest sound in the world.

Stay a while, and listen!"

---

And an interview with MR TUNA Music by Ivan Trajkovic aka dejayiwan editor and journalist (and sometimes producer and DJ):

Q: Have computers and DAWs, in a sense, destroyed creativity – why do we have so many “DAWless” setups today?

A: I think a really big part of it is a desire to get away from 'the screen'. Staring at a computer all day for work, clicking away on a mouse and keyboard can become exhausting after a long day, and to break away from the rigidity and comforts of software simply makes it more fun.... and thats a really big part of why I do what I do. There is some minor advantage to the near-unbeatable quality of analog circuitry you cant quite replicate working purely within a DAW, but that point is being made more and more moot by incredible emulations and virtual analog softsynths.

Q: Today we have apps like BandLab that are complete studios on a phone – have we reached “peak technology”?

A: It staggers me to think about what the future might hold now that music production can be with someone anywhere anytime so long as they have their phones. You can literally be on the bus making a hit track with your thumb. That’s crazy. But I don’t think it’s peak.... Tech is always moving and it doesnt stop for anyone... AI is going to be the next big thing whether we like it or not and we need to find a way to keep in check so we're still doing the creating and imagining and the technology is just an extension of that.

Q: Why are new producers so mesmerized with 80s synths and samplers, even though they’re obsolete tech?

A: Things were built differently. Things were built for professionals. Instruments had a quality of sound and build that is still unmatched today. Some of my gear is 40+ years old and sounds better than the stuff from 2025 thats trying its best to emulate it all today. Why dont we build synths like that anymore? Because its all about money and the manufacturers want to make as much of it as possible while spending the least amount.

Q: With so much new electronic music today, how can anyone “find” an audience?

A: Maybe it's lame to say, but the best path is to be authentic to yourself. When i started finally sharing my music it was more of a personal diary than something i was using to 'get famous' or 'find an audience', but by being true to what I wanted and my own personal vision (and having trust in that over some time), people started to see what I was doing and it all came together. People connect with personality, but it's obvious when you're not being yourself... not just tracks. Its routine to say because its true: be consistent, put your stuff out there. The internet is huge — your crowd is out there, just waiting to stumble onto your page at 3AM.

Q: You have one of the most interesting studios – what was the idea behind its creation?

A: My studio was built with one idea in mind... live looping. When I started dreaming up how I *wanted* to make music there wasnt even the right tools to do it properly.... sequencers were still fairly limited and there wasnt a lot of people in the live-looping jam space. I was really discovering it all and making it work on my own. It all came together with the introduction of the Squarp Pyramid sequencer--- what it allowed me to do, the freedom it allowed me to create with... it was the breakthrough piece of gear I needed to bring everything together and start building and building... and BUILDING. I love the music I get to create, but I am more proud of my studio as a form of art in the beauty of it's function and how it's designed to jam with friends, than I ever have been of the music that I create in it.

Q: What’s the future of electronic music – maybe apps and DAWs in virtual reality?

A: The virtual space is here to stay and it will only get more and more indistinguishable from the real world.... We might be already living in that simulation, but like I said earlier I think the real future is going to be (for better or for worse) in AI production techniques, editing, and complete song production. We're already at the point where AI can create a song for us instantly with our own voices, but how long will it be before AI is doing our chores and boring tasks so that we are free to be creative and put our energy into real art rather than the opposite world we live in now! AI should save us from the hard stuff and let us work on the 'fun stuff', the worthy stuff, the music stuff!

Dark Marie // Signature Error Instruments

video upload by NOISEBUG

https://www.noisebug.net

Dark Marie represents all things that are special about Error Instruments. Their signature box, capable of making a range of experimental sounds. From stacked lofi melodies, resonant drones, to all out digital madness, Dark Marie will prove to be full of surprises. Its modular architecture and oversized alligator clips make for a very fun experience as you embrace the freedom of rerouting signals and discovering new sonic possibilities. There is also a pt2399 style delay that can be used with external audio signals. Dark Marie is available now at Noisebug"

Oberheim TEO-5 & Sequential Take 5 Desktop Modules - demo & history presentation | 30 July 2025

video upload by Signal Sounds

https://www.signalsounds.com/ - don't miss Signal Sounds' Summer Sale!

"On Wednesday, 30th July 2025, we welcomed synth wizard and long-time friend of the store Chris ‘-CALC-’ Calcutt to our showroom for a masterclass on all things Sequential and Oberheim.

He provided insight into the culture and history of both companies, as well as what makes their instruments a feature in so many studios and live rigs worldwide. These iconic brands - founded by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim, respectively - have been at the forefront of analogue synthesiser design for half a century, and they’re currently both going stronger than ever, with new desktop versions of the affordable Oberheim TEO-5 and Sequential Take 5 polysynths hitting the market. Chris spoke about both instruments’ illustrious heritage and explained just what makes each one sound so unique."

How do you feel about modifying vintage synths?

video upload by Soundgas

"How do you feel about modifying vintage synths?

Just got my EMS Synthi AKS back from a thorough overhaul and with a stack of mods added (it’d already had some historic and less than pretty ones installed).

People often ask whether modifying a synth like this affects value. While there’s no denying it can feel sacrilegious when you’re talking about an exceptionally well preserved example, I am 100% for anything that means old gear will get used more.

One of the worst things you can do with old gear is put it on a shelf and not use it. We regularly get contacted by collectors (or people who no longer use their now valuable vintage synths) expecting top prices for their precious instruments which come ‘serviced’ and ‘working perfectly - last time I used it’. A little digging usually reveals this to have been a decade or more ago and the service work is ancient history.

So if modding that classic synth means you’ll play it more and enjoy it, that to me is a no brainer.

I understand that this puts us at odds with many vintage synth collectors, but the majority of our customers - who want to use them (shock horror) for making music - seem to agree.

What do you think? Modify old gear or not?"

Oberheim Perf/x COMPLETE SET OF 5 Cyclone Navigator Systemizer Strummer Drummer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Crow Hill Company Introduces POCKET STRING no-barrier-to-entry-styled string library plug-in

video upload by CROW HILL XTRAS

Press release follows:

"The Crow Hill Company creates POCKET STRINGS as no-barrier-to-entry-styled string library plug-in produced without compromise… with added ‘synthy spice’

EDINBURGH, UK: having recently rebranded itself with an aesthetic that truly realises company co-founder and composer Christian Henson’s heartfelt dream of encouraging people to make music and help them on their journey, regardless of whatever point they were at and wherever their journey began, The Crow Hill Company continues its journeying into ‘Season Two’ as a producer of resources and tools to protect, inspire, support, and provide opportunities for music-makers the world over, believing that music is, and should remain, a wholly human experience, one that is by far one of the most powerful forms of expression, escape, comfort, and remembrance, of which its newly-created POCKET STRINGS — styled as a definitive string library plug-in that opens the doors to collaboration between anyone anywhere, creatively combining live cinematic orchestral recordings with some rarefied vintage synth classics made to measure for added body, depth, and character — readily represents the cornerstone of this ethos, as of July 10…

“A string library that’s accessible to all without compromise — a distillation of the last 25, nearly 30, years that I’ve been working as a media composer, which means that I write music for film, TV, and computer games, giving you the very basic necessities to write pro-end string arrangements. Whether that be adding to productions, songs, collaborating with others, or, indeed, creating professional film scores — whether that be to demo for an orchestra to play, or, indeed, to go to broadcast, there’s been no compromises here. But accessibility is the key — not just with the price point, but with usability.” So says Christian Henson himself, perfectly positioned — as The Crow Hill Company’s original founder, forging forward by building upon his extensive experience gained from founding Spitfire Audio to originally offer a palette of sounds he had created for his own use as a professional composer to his film world colleagues by invitation only, though the rest, as they say, is history — to proudly introduce POCKET STRINGS as a never-tried-before strings library plug-in that aims to bring broadcast-grade string possibilities to everyone.

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An Update from muSonics via Their Electronic Newsletter

via muSonics

It's Independence Week and while I had intended for this to go out on the 4th itself, I put a bit more work into something special for you which delayed it a few days. I hope that's okay with you.

I wanted to give everyone a status update on how things were going over here and also offer a couple of specials to celebrate. Out of respect for the dozen or so people who have been patient and trusting of me I'm going to let you know how things are going and then share a few cool deals.

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Beetlecrab Tempera Granular Ambient

video upload by r beny

Click CC at the bottom of the player for the subtitles.

"Hello, I hope you are taking care. This video is a performance centered around the Beetlecrab Tempera granular sampler/synthesizer. My intention was to create a long form piece of music using only the Tempera, outside of sequencing (as Tempera currently doesn’t have a note sequencer).

I’ve had the Tempera for a while now, but have only recently gotten around to really getting to know it well - learning its ins and outs, learning its boundaries and edges. When learning a new granular instrument, one of the first things I like to do is figure out the relationship between grain length/size and grain density/rate. Tempera is quite unique in that regard, as grain sizes can span the entire length of the buffer (~11s in this instance) - this allows for one to play back entire samples as-is (polyphonically as well), without being “granularized”. On the other end of the spectrum, Tempera also excels at creating grain clouds with an abundance of short grains all firing off at once. I make use of both of these techniques in this video.

Some patch notes:
Tempera is loaded with 8 different samples from various sound sources from my studio. Each sample is just a single note of the sound source, recorded directly to Tempera. Tempera has a note detection feature, so each note was recorded at slightly different notes (mostly either A or C).

From to left to right across the 8 cells, the samples are:
Mannequins Mangrove
Mutable Instruments Rings (patched to make a “harp” sound)
Mangrove with another timbre
Korg Z1 (with a “flute patch”, which I didn’t end up using in this video)
Rings (patched to make a “glockenspiel” sound)
Korg Z1 (with a “bassoon” patch)
Felt Instruments Blisko Cello (with a Sul Tasto patch with only a single string)
Novation Summit (with a pad patch)

In the video, I use the 4 granular emitters in conjunction with sequencing from the Squarp Hapax to sequence and play the various samples across the grid. Emitter 1 is set up to play just a single grain per note, with a grain length that matches the entire buffer. Emitters 2-4 are set up in various grain cloud formations.

The Tempera is running the latest beta firmware as of 6/24/25 (2.2.beta13, shoutout to the Discord).

This is a long one. Thanks for stopping by and sticking with."

ellitone instruments' groov-e device #01

video upload by ellitone instruments

via ellitone instruments

the ellitone groov-e firmware v1.0 is a fun and mysterious interactive drum-machine and polyphonic-synthesizer engine that automatically generates musical “grooves”

A “groove” consists of 3 individual sound layers: a drum-machine layer, an ambience-sample layer, and a synthesizer sequence layer. Each of these 3 sound layers can be individually tweaked and swapped to find the right mixture of sounds to make you say “WHOAH, that’s funky!”

The magic behind the groov-e firmware lies within the sequencing and rhythm creation engines. Rhythms and note sequences are NOT simply selected from a list of premade patterns, groov-e generates one-of-a-kind rhythms and note patterns using a series of decision-trees and probabilities. A NEARLY INFINITE number of possible note patterns and rhythm combinations are possible. To make things even more mysterious, these one-of-a-kind note patterns and rhythms are all temporary. Once you make the decision to generate a new drum pattern or synth sequence, the old pattern is gone FOREVER! The temporary nature of the grooves you discover makes them precious. You will NEVER hear the same combination of sounds twice while using this device. Cherish your grooves!

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1969 Moog IIIP Vintage Modular Synthesizer For Sale or NYC Studio Use

video upload by tonetweakers

"The Moog modular was one of the first commercially available synthesizers. Sold in different configurations, the Moog IIIP consisted of 3 portable cabinets. Containing ten (!) 901 series oscillators, the best lowpass and highpass filters in the biz, and a magical spring reverb that makes things sound more organic, we can't think of any other synth that matches the warmth and fatness of this genuine 1969 vintage Moog modular. Wendy Carlos’s classic album Switched on Bach and I Feel Love by Donna Summer were recorded on similar Moog modular systems. We just finished refurbishing this gorgeous example (assuming we don’t find any problems as we continue to test it). Restoration was done in stages and took many months to complete. Total tech time spent was around 85 hours. We hit a snag when some parts we ordered turned out to be fakes - a sadly common occurrence these days - but we eventually managed to track down some legit replacements. We originally planned to sell this system, but after spending some time patching it, we don’t know if we can let this one go! If this system was set up in a commercial studio here in New York City where it was available for use, would you be interested? If so, please email us. Or, make us a serious offer and if it's tempting enough, maybe we'll sell it. We'd also consider trades for similar vintage modular systems (Roland System 700, Buchla 200, Polyfusion, Emu Modular, ARP 2500, etc). We have a smaller (single cabinet) real vintage Moog Model 15 that's ready for sale.

We buy sell trade refurbish vintage synths and electronic musical instruments.

Tone Tweakers Inc.
http://www.tonetweakers.com"

CANON: NEW EURORACK MODULE by LARIX ELEKTRO

video upload by LARIX ELEKTRO

LARIX ELEKTRO CANON, Eurorack module OVERVIEW

video upload by LARIX ELEKTRO

"New Eurorack module:
Add a musical canon into your setup !
Clocked delay for CV and GATE.

Delay events from 1 to 16 steps.
LOOP mode.

Of course, as usual, with CV and trigger controle of all parameters.

Module available now, here: www.larix-elektro.com"

"WHAT'S THAT THING ?
The CANON, is, as its name suggests, a module to create a canon effect (!) between 2 voices.

Wikipédia: Canon_(music)
A theme that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect.

In the modular world, it's Simply a delay for CV and GATE.
But unlike an audio delay (that records audio at 'audio rate') the CANON records data only according to a clock signal.
With the CANON module, you can delay until 16 steps.

The CANON can delay one GATE and one CV
(+1 CV with an extension).
Of course with CV controle of the number of steps. With the unique knob: Nb Steps.

To be more playable, there are two more functions:
Reset (RST), to clear the memory, that can be useful to not let the sequence running if you don't want that.
Enable (EN). In this case, the input is ignored. The module will works like a small sequence memory of 16 steps.
The Nb Steps knobs will controle the duration of the loop.

To resume, The module needs a Clock signal (CLK)
A CV and a GATE input.
And you will have the same things as the input, shifted !
Then a Reset button + Jack to clear the memory. (RST)
And a Enable button + Jack to freeze the memory. (EN)

With an external module, like the Mult., you can delay one more CV.

Typical use:
Building musical canon.
Save and play with the sequence in the memory.
creative re-construction of sequence."

Clatters Machines Introduces SONORA Spectral Mixing Output Module

Video Manual upload by Clatters Machines

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Sonora
0:09 What's Sonora?
1:15 Headphones on!
1:30 12 pre-panned inputs summing mixer
1:59 Dive into stereophony possibilities
4:18 Pro Line outputs
4:28 Headphones output and loudness indicators
4:35 LED meter and soft clipping limiter circuit
4:53 Why Sonora?
5:15 Ciao!

"Sonora is a 6HP, skiff friendly, spectral mixing output module designed to be the ultimate sound stage of your eurorack setup.
A place where all your mixes meet and find a stereophonic solution for your final track thanks to its twelve fixed panning inputs that allow you to give each track its own space and importance in the stereo field. While being a 12 inputs summing mixer, Sonora also features a LED meter, a soft clipping limiter circuit at the output stage, a headphone output section with loudness indicators and 3.5mm pro line output jacks.

Features:

12 pre-panned audio inputs:
2 hard left inputs;
2 hard right inputs;
2 mid left inputs;
2 mid right inputs;
1 low left input;
1 low right input;
2 mono inputs;
3.5mm stereo headphones socket (300mW headphone amp @200Ω impedance) with dedicated volume control and stereo LEDs loudness indicators;
3.5mm pro line outputs jacks (+4dBu);
master volume control;
stereo LEDs meter with 0dB reference indicator;
soft clipping limiter circuit;"


Update: press release follows:

"Clatters Machines announces availability of Sonora spectral mixing output module as ultimate sound stage for Eurorack setups

SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, ITALY: small town lovers of music and electronic instruments Clatters Machines is proud to announce availability of its Sonora spectral mixing output module — aimed at acting as the ultimate sound stage for Eurorack setups by being marketed as a place where all of a user’s mixes meet to find a stereophonic solution for the final track, thanks to 12 fixed panning inputs that allow each track to breathe in its own space while also determining its importance in the stereo field — as of May 23…

Translated to generally meaning sound (in English), sonora is actually an Italian feminine adjective that stands for loud, resonant, ringing, and sonic — depending on the context in which it is used; however, in the context of Sonora being aimed at acting as the ultimate sound stage for Eurorack setups as Clatters Machines’ latest module, who better, then, to introduce it than company Co-founder, engineer, designer Michelangelo Nasso. “A compact, final sound stage module was an obvious — and needed — choice for us,” he begins, before briefly detailing how it came into being: “As musicians, we’ve always struggled with headphone/output/mixing modules. Most modules in this field take up way too much space inside a case — space that we’d prefer to fill with other effects, sound sources, and utilities. And although some other output
modules are super-small, which is nice, they usually lack features, so we tried to solve this problem with what we think is the
perfect combination of what’s already out there.”

Think 12 pre-panned audio inputs — including two hard-left inputs, two hard-right inputs, two mid-left inputs, two mid-right inputs, one low-left input, one low-right input, and two mono inputs. “So Sonora has 12 pre-panned audio inputs, which is great if you’re composing with multiple sound sources,” says Michelangelo Nasso, continuing: “We came up with the idea of additionally assigning a fixed panning space to each input, so the possibility of creating a perfectly stereo balanced final track is pretty straightforward.”

Further features abound, as Michelangelo Nasso notes: “Once we created what is basically a spectral 12-input summing mixer, we decided to go all in and added all the features we think are a must for an end-of-chain module, such as a 3.5mm stereo HEADPHONES socket, with dedicated volume control and stereo LED loudness indicators; 3.5mm pro LINE outputs; stereo LED meter, with a 0dB reference indicator; and a soft clipping limiter circuit, which we believe is always handy, both to protect your gear and spice things up!”

And as if that is not an exciting enough prospect in itself, all those features fit neatly into a 6HP-wide module with an anodised brush aluminium front panel that is available in either black or silver, so standing out from the sound of the crowd with what is surely the ultimate sound stage for a Eurorack setup also applies to what a Sonora purchaser prefers that proposition to look like.

Sonora is available worldwide — with a choice of silver- or black-coloured aluminium front panels — from Clatters Machines’ growing global network of retailers (https://clattersmachines.com/retailers-3/) or directly via its online Store (https://clattersmachines.com/shop/) for €245.00 EUR (plus VAT). For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Sonora webpage here: https://clattersmachines.com/prodotto/sonora/"

Check dealers on the right for availability.

TIPS & TRICKS – CAN HAPAX RANDOM?

video upload by Squarp instruments

"🎲 All things random! 🎲
This little jam showcases multiple techniques for note generation and randomization, using only one drum track of Hapax.

CHAPTERS
0:10 Basic rythm
0:29 Generator algorithm
0:43 Swing effect
0:57 More Generator tweaks
1:17 Every N algorithm
1:27 Quick mutes
1:38 Curve algorithm
1:53 Random effect

COMPLETE MANUAL
​🇬🇧 https://tinyurl.com/hapax-manual

QUICKSTART MANUAL
​🇬🇧 https://tinyurl.com/ENG-quickstart
​🇫🇷 https://tinyurl.com/FR-quickstart
🇯🇵 https://tinyurl.com/JP-quickstart"

Rotto

video upload by Memetune Studio

"I managed to set up the Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control with the Buchla. No mean feat! With the addition of an Endorphines Shuttle and a Goma voltage processor, plus a few jack to banana jumblers made by CGP, I can get up to 16 channels of cv control of Buchla parameters and other things like the ALM MFX here. These can then be recorded into the Roto Control (see the moving knobs!) or into the computer. Whatever, its cool to see them playing nicely together"

https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/

Sequentix Cirklon 2, Minimoog, Prophet 12, SX-240, Nord Drum 2 IDM electronic track

video upload by MIDERA

"I've been trying to see what sequencers to keep. Obviously the Spectralis stays, but I kept running into roadblocks with the Cirklon so it was something I needed to write a track with. I did the same with the Squarp Pyramid, but I got stuck working through it. I'm starting to get the hang of the Cirklon though. Although it does often take a few extra button presses to do things I think should be easy, I've figured out other ways to do what I want too. I'll try again with the Pyramid, but most likely that one will be going away.

Sequentix Cirklon 2 - sequencing
Moog Minimoog - bass
DSI Prophet 12 - bell/synth tone
Kawai SX-240 - pads
Clavia Nord Drum 2 - drums
Native Instruments Raum for reverb"

Introducing PTNSHIFT - NEW Generative Music System Is Wild Mashup of Modular Synths & DJing

video upload by Tim Exile

"PTNSHIFT is a generative music performance instrument that combines the deep sonic universe of a modular synth with DJ-style interactions like pattern-launching, mixing, blending and FX.

▶︎ Get PTNSHIFT / ptnshift-1300717

COMPATIBILITY UPDATE: The companion app now fully supports Windows and MacOS. If you have an Ableton Push 3, Niklas and I would love to hear from you so we can test support! Please DM me on Patreon."

PTNSHIFT Generative Music Performer: First Look and Deep Dive

video upload by Tim Exile

00:00 Intro & Overview
02:34 Background
04:08 Compatibility & Setup
07:23 Layout & Control
08:52 Controlling Parameters
11:54 Navigating & Creating Patterns
14:12 Creating & Editing Collections

CLICK FOR MORE »