Bad Gear - It's a MESS!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about Make Noise 0-Coast. This 2016 wannabe music tech influencer must-have and flyover state synth tried to bridge the gap between buchlaesque exploration and moog-ish accessibility and offers a wide range of modular flatulences with a mostly useless built-in anti-Eurorack safeguard. What a mess!"

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:47 Overview Make Noise 0-Coast
01:24 Oscillator
01:35 Overtone, Multiply, Linear FM
02:07 Random Generator
02:19 Slope
02:50 Contour
03:04 Mixer, Dynamics ( Buchla-style LPG )
03:32 Make Noise MATHS (stripped-down version;)
03:41 Midi, Menu LFO, Arpeggiator
04:14 Patches (Yes, I did a Krell Patch ;)
04:47 Pricing, Thanks
05:02 H*te Screen
05:25 Jam 1 ( Nerdy Techno )
06:14 Jam 2 ( Nerdy Elektro )
07:21 Finale ( NormCore )
07:48 VERDICT

UVI Vintage CASIO Legacy | Exclusive interview featuring Cosmo Synthesizer Prototype

video upload by UVI

"We sat down with Hiroshi Iwase, who spent over four decades shaping Casio’s approach to electronic instruments. In this exclusive interview, he shares insights into the vision behind Casio’s synthesizers, their role in making electronic music more accessible, and the legacy they continue to hold today.

Video credits : Anthony H. / Pauline B.
_________
Discover the new Vintage CASIO Legacy - Legends of Digital Instrument
https://www.uvi.net/vintage-casio-legacy

A premium collection built to honor a generation of iconic instruments, while unlocking their full potential in a modern workflow. With six classics, a Multi groove engine, deep editing, and a huge preset library, it’s a uniquely CASIO sound world for today’s producers, composers, and sound designers."

Bad Gear - I don't WANT THIS!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Teenage Engineering is a great company, not only because they are the most reliable ragebaiters in the synth world but also because they are among the few manufacturers of overpriced music toys I have no interest in spending money on.

Today, however, we are going to talk about OP-XY and I’m still doing a pretty good job at convincing myself that I don’t want this."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:48 Overview OP-XY
01:26 Instruments
01:55 Sampling
02:22 Synth-like Structure, Pitch Bend, Arpeggiator
02:50 Sequencer, Velocity, Polyphony
03:45 Auxiliary Tracks
04:28 The BRAIN
04:45 Mixing, Mastering
05:01 Connectivity, Pricing, Microphone, Speaker
05:39 H*te Screen
06:00 Jam 1 ( 128 BPM Techno )
06:31 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:53 Finale ( FuturePsy )
08:21 VERDICT

Analogue Solutions Colossus AS100 Classic

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

via this Reverb listing

Additional CONTROL Listings

"Fully tested. Includes brand new set of Black 0 Ohm pins and Red 10k Ohm Pins. Shipping rates are arbitrarily set. Email or message us for crated rates, LTL shipping rates, and alternative payment methods. Dimensions of this are 62.4" W x 27" D x 25.79" H before being crated.

Some notes for this unit:

There is a panel dent in the back, above the power inlet and audio outputs.

There is a panel dent to the left side of the CV Matrix.

There is a small blemish on the right wooden end cheek.

There is a small dent on the left wooden end cheek.

There is a small blemish on the back left top wooden lid.

VCOs are calibrated for the Touch Sequencer and will need recalibration for external 1V/Oct use."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Yamaha DX1 +Hypersynth H-cards library

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

via this Vemia listing

Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.

"Superb condition and all original DX-1 Synthesizer. Beautiful condition throughout and supplied with Hypersynth H-Cards with complete DX library. Velocity and polyphonic after touch all working with only 3 lower keys that need a little pressure for the AT but not an issue. Supplied with a modern flight case on wheels and expression pedal."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - The OG

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. By now it must have dawned on even the most terminally online late GenX/early millennial person that calling something The OG is cringe.

Today, however, we are going to talk about Novation Bass Station. This 1993 mono synth and predecessor to the incredibly popular Bass Station 2 is more than deserving of the title because A - it was one of the most important heralds of the 90s analog revival and B - it even got a little shoutout by The Wu Tang. Dolla Dolla Bills y’all.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:55 Overview Novation Bass Station I
01:39 Synth Engine, Oscillators
02:06 Filter
02:21 LFO
02:38 What's under the Hood? (UI Problems)
03:18 OG Bass Station vs. Bass Station Rack
04:16 Build Quality, Pricing, Thanks
04:42 H*te Screen
05:07 Jam 1 ( Acid )
06:05 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:05 Finale ( That other Acid )
07:34 VERDICT

CLICK FOR MORE »

Famous Yamaha DX7 Sounds & The Songs That Made Them Iconic

video upload by RetroSound

"🎹 The Yamaha DX7 is one of the most iconic synthesizers of all time—and the sound of the entire 1980s. In this video, we break down the most famous DX7 presets like E. Piano 1, Marimba, and Bass, and the legendary songs that made them unforgettable, from Toto to The Police. If you want to know why the DX7 changed music forever and why its sounds are still everywhere today, this video is for you. The Yamaha DX7 shaped the sound of the 80s like no other synthesizer. These sounds defined pop, rock, R&B, and film music.

The DX7 song list:
0:06 Dire Straits
0:22 The Police
0:36 The Commodores
0:50 Bryan Adams
1:05 Chaka Khan
1:20 Toto
1:33 Kenny Loggins
1:42 H. Faltermeyer
1:55 Chris Rea
2:06 Dirk Michaelis

(c)2007-26 by RetroSound
supported by UVI: http://bit.ly/retrosound-uvi

synth tees: https://retrosound.creator-spring.com
Donation: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/9N..."

Magnificent 5U / MU modular

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

via this Vemia listing

Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.

"All modules are in basically good working condition. On a few of them you can slowly notice that they have not been used for a long time, but this should easily disappear again with regular use. One or two jacks are a bit stiff.
I am the first owner. Listed from top to bottom and then the rack on the right (not in the main photo, but full of amazing modules).

ModularGrid Rack 1: https://modulargrid.net/d/racks/view/3056577 Dimensions (W × H × D) approx.: 143.5 × 25 × 22 cm Dedicated power supply (from MoonModular), completely independent. Synthesizers.com Q118 Instrument Interface Synthesizers.com Q125 Signal Processor Synthesizers.com Q105 Slew Limiter Club of the Knobs C 994 Multiples Synthesizers.com Q106 Oscillator (VCO) Synthesizers.com Q106 Oscillator (VCO) Synthesizers.com Q113 8-Channel Mixer Synthesizers.com Q106A Oscillator (VCO) Synthetic Sound Labs The Matrix Algorithmic Composer – Model 1660 Corsynth C103 Frequency Divider Multiplier Synthetic Sound Labs VC Envelope Generator – Model 1230 Synthesizers.com Q107 State Variable Filter (VCF) Synthesizers.com Q162 Filter Mixer for Q107 Synthesizers.com Q109 Envelope Generator Club of the Knobs C 905A Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter Club of the Knobs C 911 Envelope Generator Club of the Knobs C 902 Voltage Controlled Amplifier Club of the Knobs C 905 Reverberation Unit

ModularGrid Rack 2: https://modulargrid.net/d/racks/view/3056596 Dimensions (W × H × D) approx.: 143.5 × 25 × 22 cm Dedicated power supply (from MoonModular), completely independent. Synthesizers.com Q124 Multiples Moon Modular 563 v1 4-Track/8-Step Trigger Sequencer Moon Modular 528 Sample and Hold Moon Modular 524 Quad Low Frequency Oscillator Moon Modular 524A Quad Low Frequency Oscillator Assistant Synthetic Sound Labs 5-Pulser / Dual Analog XOR – Model 1710 Club of the Knobs C 962B Sequential Switch (bidirectional) Club of the Knobs C 995 Attenuators Synthetic Sound Labs Double Deka VCO - Model 1130 Synthesizers.com Q115 Spring Reverb (Modified with 2 Tanks) Club of the Knobs C 911P v1 Pentaphonic VC Polyphonic Envelope Generator STG Soundlabs Digital Attenuators Synthesizers.com Q109 Envelope Generator Club of the Knobs C 906A Low Pass Gate Club of the Knobs C 906A Low Pass Gate Club of the Knobs C 911 Envelope Generator Club of the Knobs C 902 Voltage Controlled Amplifier Club of the Knobs C 994 Multiples

CLICK FOR MORE »

Modern Sounds Pluto - Ambient Soundscapes

video uploads by The Pedalboard Orchestra

"A collection of long ambient tracks based on the Modern Sounds Pluto Semimodular Synthesizer and various effets pedal setups."

Playlist:

1. Modern Sounds Pluto Synthesizer – Ambient Demo & Sound Exploration

These are my first "ten minutes" (okay, the video turned out a few minutes longer 😉) with the Modern Sounds Pluto semimodular synthesizer.
🎧Headphones recommended for the full sonic experience.

In this small setup Pluto is accompanied by three pedals, the Strymon El Capistan v1, the Chase Bliss/Goodhertz Lossy and the Eventide Space in ModEchoVerb algorithm, all in stereo.
Pluto, this tiny little box, is such a fascinating and inspiring instrument. You can get a million and more of sounds out of it.
I love how the filter of Lossy changes the overall mood of the sounds.

All sounds and video footage by The Pedalboard Orchestra.

(Disclaimer: This is a non sponsored video. All equipment is self-purchased.)

#modernsoundspluto #ambientdrone #ambientsoundscapes #ambientmusic #meditationmusic #modernsoundspluto #semimodular #strymonelcapistan #chaseblisslossy #eventidespace

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - You GET what you PAY for

video upload by AudioPilz

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Moog Sirin
00:55 Structure
01:18 The Moog Taurus Heritage
01:41 Hard Sync, Note Sync
02:02 VCO 2 Beat
02:13 Ladder Filter
02:36 Envelopes, LFO
03:11 How to Fake PWM?
03:50 Differences to Minitaur
04:07 Why is it so expensive?
04:38 H*te Screen
05:04 Jam 1 ( Nordic Techno )
05:54 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:04 Finale ( Melodic Downtempo Techno )
07:34 VERDICT

With the Moog Sirin.

A "JP-8000" in your DAW for FREE

video upload by mylarmelodies

"Meet the DSP6300 crew and 'JE-8086', part their amazing ongoing project to make the firmware in 90's virtual analogue synths run in a modern DAW as a VST plugin. FOR FREE. 🔗 https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/ 👉 / mylarmelodies 🙌 MORE LINKS BELOW

Thanks to those who sent me the lecture - it's really interesting if you'd like to understand how this was achieved!

MORE INFO
▶︎ DSP56300 Site (the plugin is called "JE-8086"): https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/
▶︎ Roland's Official JP-8000 Firmware is here: https://www.roland.com/global/support..
. ▶︎ Lecture video by the creators on how it was done: • 39C3 - From Silicon to Darude Sand-storm: ... [video below]
▶︎ The DSP56300 donation link from the app: https://paypal.me/dsp56300
▶︎ More talks from them: https://media.ccc.de/search?p=giulioz


CHAPTERS:
00:00 This sounds familiar.
00:42 The sound, the feat
02:07 How it was done
03:41 Legal implications of ROMs
04:27 A quick fiddle
06:49 How to install & support it

39C3 - From Silicon to Darude Sand-storm: breaking famous synthesizer DSPs

video upload by media.ccc.de

"https://media.ccc.de/v/39c3-from-sili...

Have you ever wondered how the chips and algorithms that made all those electronic music hits work? Us too!

At The Usual Suspects we create open source emulations of famous music hardware, synthesizers and effect units. After releasing some emulations of devices around the Motorola 563xx DSP chip, we made further steps into reverse engineering custom silicon chips to achieve what no one has done before: a real low-level emulation of the JP-8000. This famous synthesizer featured a special "SuperSaw" oscillator algorithm, which defined an entire generation of electronic and trance music. The main obstacle was emulating the 4 custom DSP chips the device used, which ran software written with a completely undocumented instruction set. In this talk I will go through the story of how we overcame that obstacle, using a mixture of automated silicon reverse engineering, probing the chip with an Arduino, statistical analysis of the opcodes and fuzzing. Finally, I will talk about how we made the emulator run in real-time using JIT, and what we found by looking at the SuperSaw code.

This talk is a sequel to my last year's talk Proprietary silicon ICs and dubious marketing claims? Let's fight those with a microscope!", where I showed how I reverse engineered a pretty old device (1986) by looking at microscope silicon pics alone, with manual tracing and some custom tools. Back then I claimed that taking a look at a more modern device would be way more challenging, due to the increased complexity.

This time, in fact, I've reverse engineered a much modern chip: the custom Roland/Toshiba TC170C140 ESP chip (1995). Completing this task required a different approach, as doing it manually would have required too much time. We used a guided automated approach that combines clever microscopy with computer vision to automatically classify standard cells in the chip, saving us most of the manual work.

The biggest win though came from directly probing the chip: by exploiting test routines and sending random data to the chip we figured out how the internal registers worked, slowly giving us insights about the encoding of the chip ISA. By combining those two approaches we managed to create a bit-accurate emulator, that also is able to run in real-time using JIT.

In this talk I want to cover the following topics:
What I learned since my previous talk by looking at more complicated chips
Towards automating the silicon reverse engineering process
How to find and exploit test modes to understand how stuff works
How we tricked the chips into spilling its own secrets
How the ESP chip works, compared to existing DSP chips
How the SuperSaw oscillator turned out to work


giulioz

https://events.ccc.de/congress/2025/h..."

Magnolia Gain Staging Explained: 5 Gain Stages That Shape Your Sound

video upload by Frap Tools

"Gain is not just about volume — it directly affects tone, harmonics and filter behavior.

In this video, we explore Magnolia's gain staging architecture and analyze its four main gain points (plus a bonus one), showing how each stage shapes the sound.

From the mixer to the amplifier, drive and post-drive section, you'll hear how different gain levels impact filters, saturation and overall character.

If you want to unlock Magnolia's full sonic potential, understanding its internal gain structure is essential.

🎛 More on gain staging: • The wonderful world of gain staging, or: h... [posted here]

00:00 Introduction – Magnolia's Gain Points Overview
01:07 1) Mixer – First Gain Stage
04:23 How Mixer Gain Affects Filter Response
07:28 2) Amplifier – Main Level Control
09:45 3) Drive – Harmonic Saturation Stage
10:55 4) Post Drive – Final Volume Shaping
11:44 General Observations on Magnolia's Gain Structure
12:55 Bonus Tip – Using the Wavefolder as Extra Gain
14:18 Closing Remarks"

The Son of GX - Demo song, History and Details

video upload by R.O.T. Studios

‪"@marcbrasse747‬shows off his creation with a full demo song, plus the history and details of the 'Son of GX'.
Website with details: https://www.brassee.com/instruments.h..."

Timestamps:
0:00 - Demo song
7:23 - The history and story
14:37 - Explanation of the controls and sounds

"This is a heavily customized E-70 organ with the synth functions of all 3 orchestra sections (upper keyboard, lower keyboard, pedals) fully and independently programmable. Furthermore a 4th solo section has been added.

Although many people have compared converting Yamaha E-series organs into programmable synthesizers to turning them into CS80´s I have always looked much more towards the GX1 connection. The GX1 was the mother of all Yamaha CS´ and contained 1 analog solo synthesizer, 2 polyphonic sections and 1 bass pedal section. So how could the Son Of GX ever be really complete without the addition of such a solo synth?"

Read more here

Bad Gear - He tried his best to HATE IT

video upload by AudioPilz

[Funny side note: I just saw that episode of Myth Busters with the truck plowing through cars, just yesterday.]

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are a few learnings to be taken from years of ploughing through music production gear like an 80s rock band shopping in a liquor store: don’t believe the hype, everything has been done before and never trust a stylish instrument sold with the promise to give you all you need in a compact form factor without compromising sound quality and usability.

Today we are going to talk about Dirtywave M8. This hardware tracker and mini DAW comes with more red flags than the average dating app experience like a cult-like following, a Game Boy-inspired workflow and believe me - I tried my best to hate it.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Fooling around with the Haxophone for the first time

video upload by MIDI IN

"This is a little music that I recorded as part of my vlog about building the Haxophone, a series that's on my second channel:"

Building a Haxophone : Part two - a working Haxophone!

video upload by shieladixon

"In part one of this vlog I had ordered and received the pcbs, 3d printed parts and most of the components. In this part I finish the first one and try it out."

Part 1 of this series:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - PROTEIN

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Every once in a while we have to remind ourselves why we still prefer the luxury of tangible hardware to the unlimited possibilities of plugins: unique tones, ergonomic control surfaces and - ideally - a timeless piece of music history that effortlessly weathers the decades.

Today, however, we unfortunately need to talk about Protein."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:45 Overview Waldorf Protein
01:28 One Problem becomes obvious immediately
01:50 Synth Architecture, Oscillators
02:28 Noise (Dirt), Filter Section
03:02 FX Section
03:14 The problematic Envelopes
03:46 Mod Matrix, LFOs
04:01 Synth Nerd Tic Tac Toe, Flavour
04:20 What else? (Scales, Chords, Arp, Seq, Multis, Thanks)
05:18 H*te Screen
05:38 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:22 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:27 Finale ( Dub Techno )
07:58 VERDICT

Howard Jones Revisiting the Jupiter 8, H'es had this since 1983 and it still excites him.

video upload by Howard Jones

"Revisiting the Jupiter 8, I've had this since 1983 and it still excites me. Short clip from a Dick Clark interview on American Bandstand. Daniel Arteaga artwork on the back wall"

http://www.howardjones.com/

Waldorf Protein Kaafi | Rageshri

video upload by Ebotronix


video upload by Ebotronix

Waldorf Protein,
Doepfer ,3x, R2m,
Mutable Instruments ,3x,MidiPal,
Intuitive Instruments Exquis,
Roland FC 200,
Iconnectivity Mio XL,
Lab4Music enJOY,
CME ,H4 Midi WC,
Yamaha MCS 2,
Hologram Electronics Microcosm Special Edition 2024,
Eventide H 90 ,
Strymon Big Sky MX, in Dual Mono Mode controlled with
Midi CC by, 16n Faderbank, AtoVproject ,
Rageshri Scale,
06.02.2026
video# 2605 & 2606

Buchla Format Model 416.3 Meta Expander by guyd2

According to guyd2, the Model 416.3 Meta Expander is:

"A sophisticated, stand-alone expansion unit for the Buchla Music Easel.
Contains several dedicated modules : Comparators, Dividers, Boolean, VC Slew Limiter, S/H & Noise, analog ultrastable VCO/LFO, advanced Mixer w/ Comparator, and an 8-step Sequencer.
Also expands on the 208 CV I/O's, pulses I/O and Switch inputs."

https://guyd2.com/416_3-order/

"What you get :

- Model 416.3 Meta Expander for Bemi/Busa/Buchla Easel, 208c, or clones.

- Custom-made enclosure (boat) + tilted support stand.

- Two Model 416 Edge Cards, 100% compatible with 208’s Ext/Prog Interface.

- Two 40-pin custom-made ribbon cable assemblies (one short, one longer).

- A printed User Manual.

- Internal power supply; its location (back or right-side) is adjustable by the user."

Waldorf Protein Riegel

video upload by Ebotronix

Waldorf Protein,
Doepfer ,2x, R2m,
Mutable Instruments ,2x,MidiPal,
Intuitive Instruments Exquis,
Iconnectivity Mio XL,
Lab4Music enJOY,
CME ,H4 Midi WC,
Yamaha MCS 2,
Hologram Electronics Microcosm Special Edition 2024,
Eventide H 90 ,
Strymon Big Sky MX, in Dual Mono Mode controlled with
Midi CC by, 16n Faderbank, AtoVproject ,
Bhairav Scale,
03.02.2026
video# 2604