Hacking the Korg Phase8 to uncover NEW SOUNDS

video upload by Oscillator Sink

"The Korg Phase8 has been present in the collective synth-nerd consciousness for a few years, as Korg’s Berlin skunkworks department have slowly released details and demo’d prototypes, most notably at the last two Superbooth events. An iconic, mainstream synth manufacturer like Korg, exploring and experimenting with an entirely new concept in how synthesis can be used was an exciting prospect, and captured a lot of people’s imaginations - mine included.

I was lucky enough to find time to explore those prototypes at the previous two Superbooths, and even more lucky to have Korg approach me with a completed production model to make a video about.

The final model is an impressive physical instrument, with Korg Berlin’s industrial design chops on display, but I’m here mostly to talk about the sound and the functionality of the Phase 8, so in this video I’ll explore how it operates solo, how it can be integrated into a larger setup, try out some “extended techniques” and discuss where I feel the Phase 8 could be pushed further.

Transparency notice: Korg kindly sent over the Phase8 to make videos about. They haven't requested or been granted any oversight of the contents of the videos. I haven't otherwise been paid, but I do get to keep the unit shown in this video."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:04 What is Phase8?
03:36 Voices, Resonators and Tuning
06:17 The voice controls
07:58 The Air Control
09:03 The Mod Effects
12:44 The Sequencer
17:51 "Strum"
18:57 Control Voltage and Sync
22:13 MIDI control and CC
27:25 Can it DRONE?
29:35 Acoustic Feedback
31:53 Phase8's Untapped Potential
40:30 Final Thoughts

Korg Phase8 Review: What happens when Physical Resonators meet Synthesis?

video upload by

"Explore Phase8 at home with my multisamples on Patreon: ► / loopop"

TIMELINE: 0:00 Intro 1:45 Overview 3:15 Vel & env 3:55 Buttons 5:30 Air fader 6:00 Shift 6:20 Pluck 6:50 Drones 7:20 Drone jam 7:50 Build & IO 8:15 In the box 8:35 Mod left 8:55 Mod right 10:25 Mod center 10:50 Settings 11:25 Center #2 11:45 Step seq 12:35 Live seq 13:55 Automation 15:25 MIDI 15:45 Pros & cons 19:00 Three jams

The Phase8 has finally made it to market. Check with dealers on the right for availability.

Press release follows:

KORG Introduces phase8, an Eight-Voice Acoustic Synthesizer

MELVILLE, NY - KORG announces the phase8, an eight-voice acoustic synthesizer designed for musicians and creators who want sound that feels alive, immediate, and deeply responsive. Using Acoustic Synthesis technology developed at KORG, phase8 merges physically vibrating steel resonators with precise electronic control to deliver an instrument that behaves like an acoustic object while offering the creative flexibility of a synthesizer. It answers the need for a new kind of expressive electronic instrument by generating sound in the physical world, responding to touch and interaction, and integrating seamlessly into today’s creative setups through MIDI, USB-MIDI, Sync, and CV connectivity.

At the heart of phase8 are eight independent electromechanical voices driving steel resonators to produce genuinely acoustic vibration. KORG supplies 13 chromatically tuned resonators with the instrument, eight of which can be installed at a time, allowing players to customize the tuning, scale, and character of their setup. Through envelope control, these resonators can move from short, percussive hits to long, sustained tones, encouraging hands-on exploration and performance. The resonators are easily swappable and tunable, making the instrument adaptable to individual playing approaches and musical environments.

phase8 has been designed not only to sound organic, but to feel interactive in use. Players are invited to shape sound directly, touching, plucking, strumming, or tapping the resonators, or even experimenting with found objects to introduce new textures. An AIR slider lets users boost or quiet the acoustic response of what they bring into contact with the instrument, enhancing its tactile, haptic character and underscoring its role as a physical instrument as much as an electronic device.

For structured creativity, phase8 features an intuitive sequencer that supports both step programming and unquantized live recording, with step skip available per voice to enable complex polymetric rhythms. Sequences can be stored and recalled across eight memory slots, while all front-panel parameters can be automated using the record function, allowing evolving passages and detailed motion to be captured directly into performance. Three modulation modes are available, including tremolo and two pitch-dependent audio-rate modulation types, with the final mode offering optional harmonic quantization. A trigger delay, controllable via the instrument’s shift knob, allows delayed resonator triggers relative to the selected or synchronized tempo, further expanding rhythmic expression. phase8 is designed to integrate effortlessly into modern creative workflows. External MIDI devices can trigger the Acoustic Synth, while the phase8 sequencer can, in turn, trigger external MIDI instruments over MIDI or USB-MIDI. Tempo synchronization is available over MIDI, USB-MIDI, and Sync, and CV input (±5V) allows parameter control from compatible analogue hardware. The instrument provides MIDI TRS-A In/Out, USB-C for USB-MIDI and firmware, Sync In/Out, a ¼-inch line audio output, and a 3.5mm headphone output.

Practical considerations match the innovation inside. phase8 runs on a 12V AC adaptor and consumes 4.8W of power. It measures 231 x 236.5 x 46 mm, weighs 1.71 kg, and ships with an AC adaptor, hex key, Quick Start Guide, Precautions Sheet, and five more resonators alongside the included chromatically tuned set. phase8 is a new chapter in expressive instrument design, bringing together acoustic behavior, electronic precision, real-time interaction, and deep sequencing control in a compact, performance-ready form. For more information, please visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.korg.com.

Street Price: $1149.99 USD

Cellular Automata prototype is alive - Low-Gain Electronics / Nonlinear Circuits | 4U Serge Modular

video upload by LowgainElectronics

"A super quick demo showing the latest revision of the Cellular Automata prototype up and running. CV is just feeding an FM input of a sine wave oscillator to show the modulation. One more board revision and it’s ready for public consumption.

Gate outputs (not used in this video) will be buffered and designed to be stack in OR logic configuration. Which makes for quick gate patterns to be made."

Today Marks the 10th Anniversary of the Sequential Oberheim OB-6

Andrew McGowan, pictured here with Tom Oberheim, wrote in to let us know today is the 10th Anniversary of the Sequential OB-6. Andrew was a product designer at DSI/Sequential and worked with Tom Oberheim on the OB-6.

You can find a write-up on some the development of the OB-6 as well as the Prophet-6 on his website, https://www.smartbombdesign.com.

A couple of excerpts:

"I was sitting in my office at Seer Systems one day in 1997 or thereabouts when the phone on my desk rang. It was Dave Smith calling from his home. 'I’ve been talking to Tom Oberheim. He’s between jobs and wants to learn about software synths, so I asked him if he wanted to write the Reality operation manual. Can you get him set up and manage that?' I knew who Tom was, of course, but I had never met him, and now Dave was asking me to be his manager. I had no reason to believe that Tom was anything other than the warm, bright, and kind person that I now know he is, but the idea that I would be managing him made me deeply uncomfortable.

Seer Systems was in the process of developing Reality, which is generally considered to be the first 'professional' software synthesizer, though I’m not certain what makes one synthesizer professional and another not."

[Side note: Propellerheads Rebirth was also released in 1997, however the demo version was released in October 1996. A bit like The Damned vs. Sex Pistols for those in the know!]

And [thought this was funny]:

"Those Fucking Lines

Tom and I had talked about synths over the years and, on several occasions, he remarked how often people asked him to remake the OB-X, perhaps because not many were made. Or maybe Rush/Tom Sawyer? I don’t know. What little I did know about the OB-X was that it had a (low-pass only) SEM filter, and we had already made a synth with an SEM filter in it. And our hardware engineer Tony Karavidas had worked at Oberheim and owned multiple Oberheim synths. I also felt very strongly that if we were going to make two poly synths that were essentially the same except for the filter, the 2-pole, SEM state-variable filter would be complementary to the Prophet-6’s 4-pole, OTA low-pass filter.

Tom’s wish list was short. He didn’t want the Prophet-6’s analog distortion. And he wanted the OB-Xa’s blue lines."

Read the rest here

[P.S. I still own an OB-6 desktop and it's one of my most cherished synths. There is something organic about it. The demos I've heard of Sequential's new FOURM have that about them. I have enough synths as it is but the FOURM is very, very tempting for this particular reason.]

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Mother Lode synth meetup #3 Pics

A few pics from the latest Mother Lode Synth Meetup sent my way via Brian Comnes.

You can find the full set here.

That's Brian Comnes with the Buchla Music Easel.

Below is Mark Vail, author of Vintage Synthesizers and The Synthesizer with the Beetlecrab Tempura.

Small group shot further below. Be sure to see the full set for more.

P.S. Brian also had an iPad with the following to say: "Had fun showing Textquencer app , it converts text to midi notes, quite the sequencer, the letter A is the root note. I used our mailing list as the source text 😁. It’s also good with foreign languages with a lot of vowels like Hawaiian or Native American sources.

I also think Igor Vasiliev’s GLITCHSCAPER app for percussion is great, certainly not an 808/909 cliche"

Also: "in that picture I did an a/b comparison between the $5k Easel and the $200 KORG [Volca] modular with midi hack, and IMHO the KORG did pretty good😛"

See the Mother Lode label for additional posts.

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Stylosette Keys by Dubreq

video upload by Musical Miscellany & More

"Dubreq released the Stylosette last year but I'm just now getting around to buying one. I'm not sure why it took me so long but here's a quick overview of the Sytlosette Keys and what it can do.

Intro - 0:00
Unboxing & Overview - 0:50
Basic Functions - 2:31
Delay Circuit - 4:21
Patch Points - 5:24
Final Thoughts - 9:10"

The Stylosette is the latest addition to our Pocket-sized Analog synthesizer range. It’s a monophonic mini analog synth that looks like a cassette and comes in a cool retro cassette storage case for batteries, clips, a screwdriver and cables, which are all included. It also has a built-in speaker, aux out, and an expansion port.

Use the crocodile clips provided to trigger sounds using conductive objects such as fruits, vegetables, or spoons! The Stylosette has a 13-key touch-sensitive keyboard and is played by sliding your finger along the touch-sensitive metal surface, so no need for a Stylus.

Each segment on the synthesizer keyboard plays a different note, so you can create rich, dynamic music with delay effects, vibrato, and a three-octave range.

Change the speed, depth, and delay with the screwdriver accessory to customize your sound. Even connect to another Stylosette. Buzz, twist, and warp every note in the palm of your hand – anywhere.

It’s an excellent gift for both musicians and beginners alike. All you need to do is insert batteries, turn it on, touch the keypad, and make some noise!

Check with dealers on the right for availability.


Stylophonic Fun

GreyScale-DeadZone #greyscale #deadzone #duos #cs10

video upload by

"This work uses a runaway noise generator from Hikari Instruments / Duos as the main source. This extreme signal was passed through the external input of the legendary 1970s Yamaha CS-10, and then thoroughly deconstructed and reconstructed using filter modulation.

The unpredictable chaos of the Duos and the sharp yet sticky analog filter of the CS-10 resonate with each other, creating a dry, tense acoustic space reminiscent of the 'Dead Zone' suggested by the title.
The critical point of electricity. Listen to the texture."

Jamuary 21st 2026 - Wobbly Cops ft. Gunerius

video upload by Captain Credible

"Good cop / bad cop try their hardest to apprehend the baddies. But god damn it they are loose cannons! Teetering on the brink, about to burst with justice. #CasioSK-1 #polyendTracker #rolandS1 #rolandP6 #EventideH90"

Arturia MiniFreak Hybrid Polyphonic Keyboard Synthesizer

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

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Beetlecrab.audio Vector Digital Synthesizer Desktop Module

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

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

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Sequential Circuits Prophet VS Rackmount SN 0276

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

via this eBay listing

Pics of the inside below.

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DSI PROPHET 12 w/ NEW SKB Hard Case

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

via this eBay listing

"This is the Prophet 12 Keyboard by Dave Smith Instruments, later by Sequential. It includes a brand new SKB hard shell case with unopened keys, model SKB31-4214-KBD."

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A Synth Expo Walking Talking Tour // Buchla & Friends '25

video upload by DivKid

"Here's a walk around Buchla & Friends from the 2025 event. Alongside a little bit of a speed run travel and NAMM round up before we get into the Buchla & Friends event.

The 2026 Buchla & Friends is days away head here for info and get yourself there if you can.

Buchla & Friends
Instagram // / buchla_n_friends
Free tickets & info // https://www.eventbrite.com/e/buchla-f..."

Bastl Introduces CITADEL Alchemist Eurorack Module

video upload by Bastl Instruments

Check with dealers on the right for availability and price.

Playlist:

1. CITADEL ALCHEMIST & Kastle 2+Citadel DIY Kits & more NEWS from Bastl!

We built a fantasy world of magical music machines with the FX Wizard multi-effect, the Wave Bard sample player and the Alchemist synth that live in battery powered Kastle 2 format and the Citadel eurorack version. We are excited to not only announce the late arrival of the Citadel Alchemist Eurorack module to the party, but to let everyone know that all the instruments are now available as DIY kits and that we are partially open-sourcing it so the world we started could be expanded by many others."

2. Bastl CITADEL Alchemist - All Synth Modes preview

"A complete preview of Alchemist's Synth Modes with a quick preview of the Dual FX and a small jam."

Chapters:
00:00 Filter
00:44 FM
01:32 Supersaw
02:25 Hypersine
03:24 GlitchNoise
03:41 Dual FX
04:27 Small Jam and patching

3. Hello Alchemist ! Bastl Citadel synth engine rave to experimental - Stazma and Bastl Instruments

Alchemist is now EURORACK... into the CITADEL!!!!!
So here we go checking out how this synth engine will play out with his other citadel friend the Wave Bard in breakbeat torture mode.
Also a cool oportunity to play around the Diktaat from Mzourack to trigger both units in a performative way.

Citadel Alchemist is a patchable hybrid-synthesis based eurorack module that empowers you in discovering melodies and even harmonies despite being monophonic.
Patch programmable sequencing via the control signals into the two PITCH MOD inputs opens up a world of melodic inspiration beyond classic arpeggios while staying in your preferred SCALE.

5 synthesis modes
The Alchemist has a carefully tuned wide timbral range spanning across 5 synthesis modes (FILTER, FM, HYPERSINE, SUPERSAW and GLITCHNOISE) accessed by main TIMBRE sweep that is refined by the RATIO control.

The ENV macro knob affects different parts of the synth and sequencing engine to maximize musicality and it even lets you continually morph between the synthesis modes and access truly unique sounds.
The timbral palette is further extended by the dual FX section which offers either a wide delay that will smear the arpeggios into echoed harmonies or a chorus-flanger-distortion-combfilter macro custom tuned for each synth mode.
You can also access gliding rubber textures with the PITCH SLIDE macro that applies pitch envelope and portamento.
You can customize its rhythms and scales with the web-based editor.
Modulate anything
All main parameters can be modulated and tightly sequenced by the surprisingly powerful CV and GATE pattern generator. Create groovy off-grid beats using the built-in LFO, which can be synced, reset, or left to run freely.

CLICK FOR MORE »

OBNE Parting // An Innovative Approach to Lo-Fi Effects

video upload by

0:00 Intro
1:30 Hands on / Delay
9:54 Glitch Knob
14:23 Modulation
18:35 Dissolve
25:28 I get lost
29:44 TR-1000 / drum machine demo
34:25 Matriarch / ambient demo



"Parting is a box of pleasant surprises. Moments of chance will give bursts of a glitch delay that can smear into a reverb, modulated by tremolo or vibrato, filtered, and, most importantly, dissolved into lofi aliasing or stretched out reverse. All of this may jump around in halves and octaves of itself - it’s up to you and Parting, together.
Controls

Dissolve has two functions. Below noon, it reduces sample rate, creating an increasingly degraded version of the signal. Above noon, it reverses the signal, and repeatedly cuts the reverse clock in half as the knob is turned, creating an increasingly long and degraded reverse.

Rate sets the rate of the modulation LFO, which is also the frequency of triggers for moments of chance.

Depth sets the depth of the LFO.

Shape sets the LFO shape: Sine, Square, Reverse Saw, Saw, Random Sine, Random Square, Envelope

Chance allows random bits of signal to enter the delay/reverb buffer during an LFO cycle.

Smear adds diffusion and feedback to the delay lines, turning them into a lush reverb as the knob is turned up.

Glitch creates various clock subdivisions.

Time sets the timing of the delay/reverb, as well as the reverse.

Filter sets the cutoff point of the post-dissolve filter.

Mix sets the blend of dry and wet signal.

Aux switch for tap tempo, half speed, or preset switching.

Soft-touch On/Off footswitch with relay switching for minimal switch noise"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Leviasynth Synthesis tips Wave transforming

video upload by Ken Flux Pierce Fluxwithit

"Fluxwithit is back finally and starting with the release of Leviasynth! a new 16 voice 8 oscillator digital / analog hybrid synth from ASM. Ashun Sound Machines has been hard at work for years on this synth and I am so proud to have been a part of this project. To give back to the community I am doing my part in creating a bunch of quirky tips and deep dives into what makes this synth so unique.

So join me while I share some tips and be sure to check out Fluxwithit.com as I intend to be uploading a lot of new content very soon! also if you would like to support my channel, be sure to visit Shop.Fluxwithit.com where I have both free and paid sound packs , presets, samples, and all sorts of goodies.

0:00 bumper
0:06 intro sound
0:53 intro
1:14 Init patch
3:00 Start Designing
5:49 Wave Transforming
10:20 Stereo panning
13:12 it all comes together"

Redshift 6 - Melodic Synth Jam

video upload by Supercritical Synthesizers

"Five-Part Multitimbral synth jam on the Redshift 6.
All synth sounds and FX are from the Redshift 6 — no external FX were used."

Testing de nieuw Indian resonator 4 Bansuri eurorack

video upload by



Indian Resonator 4

is a special Eurorack module designed to generate the warm, deep sound of an Indian bamboo flute — the Bansuri. Rather than being a simple oscillator, it behaves like a resonant physical model that responds very organically to control and performance gestures. The sound can be shaped in two main ways: 1. Control Voltage (CV) All core parameters can be controlled with CV, allowing the module to integrate fully into a Eurorack system. This makes it possible to modulate pitch, tone, and expression dynamically using sequencers, envelopes, LFOs, or other modules. 2. Light-Sensitive Sensors What makes the Indian Resonator 4 truly unique is the inclusion of three light-sensitive sensors. These sensors react to changes in light and shadow and directly influence the flute sound. By moving your hands over the sensors, you can subtly or dramatically alter the tone, airflow character, and resonance — much like the finger and breath control of a real flute player. A dedicated switch allows you to turn the sensors on or off, so you can choose between: •

Pure CV control • Sensor-based performance control •

Or a combination of both Playing Experience The module rewards exploration. You typically start by finding a sweet spot in the sound — a resonant, expressive tone that feels alive. From there, you bring the sound to life using CV modulation or by performing with your hands over the sensors. There are many beautiful and unexpected sounds inside the Indian Resonator 4, but they don’t all reveal themselves immediately. It’s an instrument that invites patience and experimentation — the more time you spend with it, the more expressive it becomes. sice 15 HP

Programma900 Probe 7 / A Shrine of Fresh Verdure (cocoquantus, chase bliss mood)

video upload by takao_kurokawa

"a polytonal piano improvisation (like a fragment of debussy's Images...),
with programma 900 as a birdsong.

#destinyplus #modularsynth #ambientmusic #experimentalmusic"