"Which live performer doesn't know this situation: You build the tension to immeasurable heights, add another filter here, three more effects there, hands go up in the air, everyone's waiting for the big drop... and then you realize: You can't find your way out of the chaos you've created!
The sweat on your forehead drips onto your equipment, and in a firework of spraying sparks, your devices and your fans say goodbye forever...
🇬🇧 Exquis - Ableton Live 12 Suite Remote Script
video upload by Intuitive Instruments
0:00 - Intro and installation
1:13 - Note Mode
1:36 - Settings (1)
2:13 - Settings (2) and favorite presets
2:34 - Devices and Tracks
3:17 - Session Mode
5:00 - Outro
🇬🇧 Exquis - Tutorials
Press release follows:
Exquis: expressive, MPE, intuitive, affordable, now optimised for Ableton Live
[Superbooth25] Intuitive Instruments, the French company behind the award‑winning Exquis ex‑pressive MPE keyboard, unveils a triple update that turns its flagship instrument into the ultimate, lightweight and compact creative hub for Ableton Live users
Unlike pad‑centric grid controllers optimised for finger‑drumming and loop triggering, Exquis responds like a real acoustic instrument: its 61 soft silicone keys, each with independent five‑dimension MPE control, provide the nuanced touch and emotional depth needed for flowing melodies and harmonically rich chords.
Exquis Remote‑Control Script for Ableton Live
The brand‑new Python‑based Remote Script integrates Exquis seamlessly into Live’s native controller family, delivering Launchpad‑style Session control and an instrument‑grade expressive touch—courtesy of its MPE twist—that makes playing melodies and chords feel effortlessly natural:
• Session view – create, launch and delete clips or scenes without touching the mouse.
• Track mastery – arm, select, mute and solo any track, and get immediate access to volume, pan and aux sends
• Expressive performance – chords, melodies and drum racks flow through all 61 soft silicone keys with independant and polyphonic 5 dimensions controls.
• Hands‑on transport & harmony – set Live’s tempo, root note and scale directly from Exquis.
• Per‑track note layouts – recall any of the keyboard’s eight onboard layouts (or your own customs) automatically when you change tracks — instantly reconfiguring Exquis into a specific instrument for every track, be it a bass, a percussive grid, or a soaring solo lead.
• One‑touch Favourites – call up Live racks or plugin presets in a heartbeat via Exquis’ exclusive favourites system.
• Device & mix control – tweak any parameter on any device and any track with using four push encoders and ten action buttons.
The script installs like any official Ableton controller template and requires Live 12.
In keeping with Intuitive Instruments’ drive for constant refinement, firmware v2.1 delivers two headline additions:
• Poly‑Hold Sustain – let chords ring out indefinitely while the onboard arpeggiator conti‑ nues to evolve.
• Developer Mode – an open MIDI API that exposes every hardware element—keys, en‑ coders, action buttons, RGB LEDs and even onboard memory—so developers can remap behaviours, write custom DAW scripts or integrate Exquis into bespoke performance setups.
The update also packs an array of stability improvements for an even smoother playing expe‑rience.
Exquis App v2 — New factory preset list and 1 500 Curated Presets
The companion software for macOS/Windows receives new factory preset list featuring hand‑picked, layout‑optimised patches for Surge XT, Vital and Decent Samplerand a vast sound‑library expansion bringing 1 250 new sounds tuned for Surge XT, Vital, Decent Sampler, Baby Audio Atom, Beatsurfing Random, Dawesome Abyss, Zyklus, Audiomodern Soun‑ dbox and Newfangled Audio Pendulate — now 1 500 presets in total.
Superbooth 2025 and Embodme.
Intuitive Instruments will attend the Superbooth 2025: booth O134, in the mezzanine of the main hall, side to Expressivee and Embodme.
A Sneak Peak into Pipo modules video upload by Pipo Interfaces
"Video produced by Tom Bouchet
Music: "Transition" by Alex-Productions (CC BY 3.0)"
Press release follows:
Pipo Interfaces brings a new versatile toolkit for creative sensing and audiovisual interactions in real-time.
Developed by creative technologist Rupert Renevier, Pipo is a range of electronics modules that connect sensors to computers, and are meant to simplify creative interactivity between people, real-world objects, and digital creation.
Whether you're performing, designing experimental MIDI instruments, or interested in making installations, Pipo builds the foundations of an accessible and adaptable open source toolkit.
When digital experiences become sensible and tangible, they allow for greater engagement and connection. The idea of using sensors for audiovisual applications and arts is far from being new, but still requires building custom solutions on Arduino or Raspberry Pi, which tends to be complex, time-consuming, and therefore not easily accessible to most.
Pipo wants to unlock the creative potential of real-time sensing, and lower the technical barrier to it, by proposing tools that connect the physical world to the digital in a straightforward fashion.
The Pipo recipe is simple: small affordable modules, wireless capabilities, and an intuitive yet powerful user interface. All Pipo modules can be used alone or in combination, fixed, worn on the body, embedded in objects, etc... All Pipo modules have mounting holes to augment all kind of projects and casing will be made available.
The first 3 modules of the family are Pipo Motion, Pipo Range and Pipo Analog.
Pipo Motion is dedicated to sensing movement: orientation, acceleration and magnetic field, thanks to an advanced 9 axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). It allows for relative and absolute orientation.
Pipo Range is an accurate distance sensing unit which can be used to detect hands, obstacles, objects, or people (up to 3m). It can be used the same way as a theremin, or as a people proximity sensor for eg.
Finally, Pipo Analog, a versatile Input/Output device. On one side it has 8 capacitive touch inputs to create original touch buttons (for eg: with wires, metallic tape, vegetables, conductive paint, etc...)
On the other side it has multiple analog voltage inputs/outputs (up to 8). With these you can acquire and use any external buttons, specialized analog sensors modules, knobs or control servo motors, drivers, etc...
Beyond these three first sensing modules, Pipo Interfaces carries a vision for a whole creative ecosystem for many more input and also output modules. It has a strong anchor towards open source development and wants to create a strong user community connection.
Pipo modules can all send standard MIDI and/or OSC data wirelessly for maximum compatibility.
The connectivity is made through WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, or USB and every module has an onboard battery charger, so that whatever idea you have, you can test it quickly and have it communicate to your audiovisual software in a matter of seconds (no matter your operating system).
All the settings can be tuned in the field through a web interface hosted on every module. No need for an app or software, just open any web browser on your mobile. This interface allows you to set various settings like sensing parameters, ranges, and to adapt the incoming and outgoing data streams to your needs, quickly and easily.
You can for example eg fine tune the midi output, choose a note scale, channel, etc...
On a technical level, the project is developed with PlatformIO and the Arduino framework to make it easy for people to hack, modify, upgrade their pipos, or build their own custom Pipos. The software is open source, and the project runs on the Esp32-s3, one of the most versatile and powerful IoT chips around.
Pipo will launch as a pre-order campaign to fund the first production run. If you like Pipo, you can support it by entering your email address on the campaign page, it means a lot ! By doing so, you will also be notified of the launch date, so that you can be among the first people to get yours.
The launch date is pending on gathering a critical mass of people who want to see the project going live, so subscribing helps the project move forward.
All this happens on CrowdSupply, a platform dedicated to launching open source projects:
LONDON, UK: VOID & VISTA is proud to announce availability of FRAMES as its latest bold virtual instrument for contemporary music creation — crafted for Native Instruments’ KONTAKT platform, pairing characterful, expressive, and unique sampling with powerful sound design features and an inspiring interface rendering it ideal for media composers, production music writers, and (obviously) sound designers, as well as also expanding the toolbox of artists and producers across multiple genres thanks to its variety of emotive sounds and textures — as of April 23…
Being built around 40 sound sources made from capturing unique, unrepeatable sonic moments, FRAMES readily represents a bespoke collection of specially curated samples created using prepared instruments, resonated sound objects, and aleatoric performances using experimental techniques. These are all recorded at 96kHz using specialist microphones to capture sound beyond the range of human hearing, ready to pitch down and explore.
Such sound sources are split into five categories: INSTRUMENTS — traditional instruments captured using extended techniques and aleatoric performances; OBJECTS — uniquely prepared objects and instruments played in experimental ways; EFFECTED — heavily effected, processed sounds, and resonated objects; TEXTURES — tonal, textural, and found sounds that are perfect for blending; and WAVES — sampled synth waveforms taken from an analogue hardware collection.
Above and beyond that, the new ZONE SHIFT feature vastly expands the timbres of each sound source, enabling immediate dynamic exploration of the movement and detail found within them. Thanks to shifting samples from different registers, sounds can shift from slow and muted to frantic and urgent with each key press.
But better still, those 40 sound sources can be layered, sculpted, and effected using the deep two-layer sound design engine, featuring multimode FILTERS; two MOTION LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — LFO 1 and LFO 2; six envelopes; LOFI effects; an ENSEMBLE page for blending additional voices; parallel CHARACTER insert effects; and dedicated SPACE send effects. And all of this sound design power is available from an inspiring and intuitive interface, designed to keep users focused on making music.
Music-making or otherwise, users ultimately benefit from FRAMES coming complete with a colossal collection of preset snapshots organised logically for ease of use, with pre-assigned mod wheel modulation mappings for jaw-dropping sound manipulation.
FRAMES is initially available to purchase at a 20%-discounted price until June 4, 2025 — rising thereafter to its regular price of £129.00 GBP — as a KONTAKT PLAYER-compatible/NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®)-ready AAX-, AU-, and VST-formatted virtual instrument plug-in featuring 16 GB of samples that works with all major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) running on macOS 12 or above — natively compatible with Apple Silicon — and Windows 10/11 directly from the dedicated product webpage here: https://www.voidandvista.com/products/frames
Click CC on the bottom of the player for subtitles.
"L'exquis, de Intuitive Instruments, est un instrument de musique qui communique en MIDI avec une application. Proposant une autre approche du geste musical, l'Exquis communique avec une application dédiée. En exclusivité, Bruno nous fait part d'une toute nouvelle fonctionnalité permettant d'en faire un contrôleur pour Ableton Live."
"The Exquis, from Intuitive Instruments, is a musical instrument that communicates via MIDI with an app. Offering a different approach to musical gestures, the Exquis communicates with a dedicated app. Bruno shares an exclusive with us about a brand new feature that allows it to be used as a controller for Ableton Live."
"What if your synth reshaped reality?
Alice-9 is the next-generation sample-based synthesizer forged from the chaos of the unknown and built for creators who refuse to follow.
Powered by SCO technology, and infused with analog soul, AL9 isn’t here to emulate.
It’s here to change the rules.
🎛 Real movement, deep stereo placement, aging imperfection, and punchy compression.
🎶 Every preset is a twist. Every sound a move. Every session, your next breakthrough.
This isn’t just another synth.
This is the edge of synthesis.
Choose your sound. Be the one who rewrite the rules.
Alice-9 (AL9) is a next-generation sample-based synthesizer in the digital domain, part of the Marea virtual instrument series, and powered by the innovative MUST (Modular Unified Synthesis Technology). Early testers have described it as an instrument with a deeply organic and varied sound palette — evocative of iconic synthesizers from the 1990s and early 2000s. AL9 redefines what a sample-based synth can be, merging analog realism, playable feel, and modern digital power into a single instrument. Available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats, ensuring integration with all major DAWs. Use code: ALICESPECIAL at checkout for 41% off until August 31, 2025!
The first users compared AL9 to walking into a music store in the 1990s, hearing a synth that delivers something new and inspiring with each preset. That rare sensation of immediacy, depth, and musicality — the feeling of a “real instrument” — is the essence of AL9.
Made to Inspire The architecture of AL9 goes far beyond sample playback or wavetable synthesis. Its sound engine is built around SCO (Sample-Controlled Oscillator), a high-resolution resampling system capable of reproducing natural analog behaviors such as frequency drift and evolving dynamics. Unlike typical static samplers or rigid waveforms, AL9’s oscillators breathe and shift like their analog ancestors.
This realism is further enhanced by the proprietary Superstereo system for natural stereo placement , the Age control that adds subtle imperfections, emulating the warmth of aged hardware and Integrated multiband dynamics processor inspired by the popular OTT compression paradigm, delivering musical glue and energetic punch.
Whether you're chasing nostalgia or forging new paths in sound design, AL9 provides an inspiring playground that rewards musicianship and creativity.
Beyond Emulation The idea for THING originated during the development of Thing (TH8 – TH5) — an emulation of a classic 1980s DCO synth. During that process, a question arose: what if, instead of replicating digital waveforms, we could capture and reproduce the actual behavior of an analog VCO? What if we could push timbral diversity beyond the limitations of traditional synthesis methods?
"Meet Nightshade, part of the Scene series – a collection of lightweight, cinematic tools crafted for media composers. Featuring over 100 horror-inspired presets, Nightshade blends eerie synths, droning strings, and haunting choir textures to summon unsettling soundscapes. From ghostly whispers to deep, cinematic swells, it’s perfect for effortless scoring of fear, tension, and suspense."
The sounds of Scene: Nightshade | Native Instruments
"Join product specialist Matt Lara as he dives into the eerie world of Scene: Nightshade. Explore how this compact cinematic instrument blends haunting choirs, droning strings, and spectral synths into one intuitive XY pad interface."
Press release follows:
Berlin, April 17, 2025 – Native Instruments today released Scene: Nightshade, a powerful virtual instrument designed to create immersive horror and moody soundtracks, and the latest addition to their Scene series. Nightshade delivers a sinister fusion of deep strings, haunting vocal pads, eerie plucks, and ominous synth textures, wrapped in a streamlined interface for effortless sound exploration. At the heart of Nightshade is an XY pad, enabling composers to morph between 16 ghostly sound layers, creating evolving soundscapes instantly.
Designed to evoke the full spectrum of cinematic horror, Nightshade vividly conjures feelings from creeping tension to overwhelming dread with unsettling plucks and shimmering overtones. Nightshade empowers artists to design truly chilling soundscapes that will captivate audiences.
Key Features:
· Sinister Palette: Haunting synths, droning strings, and eerie plucks crafted for cinematic horror soundtracks.
· XY Pad Control: Quickly morph between 16 hybrid sound sources for dynamic sound manipulation.
· Scales and Modes: Easily stay in key with a wide selection of scales and modes.
In this video we demonstrate Monumatic's capabilities alongside other modules and controllers, these include; Intuitive Instruments Exquis Knobula Chord Pilot Knobula Echo Cinematic Knobula Kickain Endorphins Queen of Pentacles Jasmine and Olives Water Bela Gliss Arturia Keystep"
Knobula Monumatic Synth Demo (no talking): 18 Patches
Monumatic is a fully polyphonic 8-voice synthesizer and a monophonic synthesizer packed into a compact 12HP Eurorack module.
It features16 selectable oscillator modes to provide a diverse range of both classic and futuristic tone generation using exclusively virtual analog algorithms.
New soundset 'Skyline' 65 new patches Dive into dynamic and abstract sequences, immerse yourself in rich landscape textures and classic pads, all while experiencing an atmosphere enhanced with exceptional effects. Explore a diverse array of 65 presets, each meticulously crafted to offer a unique sonic experience: Enveloping Atmospheres Mesmerizing Fx Ethereal Pads Intricate textures Rhythmic Sequences Soundtracks Ambient.
New soundset 'Atlas' for Modal Electronics Argon8. You can look forward to 64 meticulously crafted presets in styles such as Advanced Electronica, Synth Wave, Ambient, Avant-garde, Synth Pop, Atmospheric, and Drone. The set includes rhythmic arpeggios and sequences, synth sounds, pads, psychedelic textures, cosmic effects, and various wavetable-based sounds.
The Modal Electronics Argon series of synthesizers embodies innovation and sonic excellence, offering musicians a powerful toolset for sound design and performance. These instruments deliver exceptional wavetable synthesis capabilities, intuitive interfaces, and a wide range of modulation options, making them ideal for creating everything from lush pads to cutting-edge leads. Our new "Wave Scopes" soundset offers 65 meticulously crafted patches, featuring an exquisite selection of Arpeggios, Sequences, Evolving Pads, Rhythmic Sequences, Soundtracks, Ambient textures, and SFX Atmospheres. These patches utilize the precisely programmed modulation matrix to allow sounds to evolve and develop in mesmerizing ways. "Wave Scopes" takes full advantage of all the new features introduced in OS 3.2, ensuring a cutting-edge and immersive sonic experience.
Expand your sound library with a blend of classic synthesizer tones and psychedelic textures from wavetable synthesis with our latest set. Inside this comprehensive soundset, you'll discover a range of meticulously crafted sounds, including: Atmospheres to create immersive sonic environments Lush Pads for ethereal melodies Rhythmic Sequences to drive your compositions forward Soundtrack elements for cinematic flair Ambient Sound Effects for atmospheric enhancements Intricate Textures for detailed sonic landscapes.
Step into the world of 'Horizon', our latest soundset featuring an exquisite selection of textures, drones, and expansive sonic landscapes. With 80 meticulously crafted presets, this collection is tailor-made for genres like Cinematic, Ambient, Avantgarde, and IDM, providing a rich palette of sounds to inspire your musical creations. A vast array of LFOs stream into various destinations in sync with internal effects, while modulations take advantage of dynamic expression. A precisely programmed modulation matrix makes sounds evolve and develop in terrific ways. Each preset is finely tuned to showcase the character of the Argon8.
Whether you're creating electronic, or cinematic music, provides the perfect palette to expand your creative possibilities.
The soundset is compatible with Modal Electronics Argon8, Argon8M, and Argon8X.
In the demo version, no additional layering or processing techniques were employed.
Made by A.Kav
Argon8 ® is a registered trademark of Modal electronics which owns all rights on it."
April 8, 2025 – Cre8audio, proudly introduces Assembler, a synth-focused analog audio mixer designed to deliver unmatched vintage console sound with intuitive hands-on control. Developed in collaboration with the renowned Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers, Assembler fuses the warmth of classic analog mixers with a modern workflow tailored for contemporary electronic artists, plus a few other fantastic sound sculpting tools.
Vintage Sound, Modern Control Inspired by the iconic consoles that defined decades of music production, Assembler brings the same sought-after warmth, character, and tonal shaping to today’s producers and performers. Featuring custom-designed Pittsburgh Modular analog circuitry, the mixer utilizes signal contouring and soft compression to unify the overall mix. This process emulates the beloved sonic characteristics of vintage recordings, offering a rich and cohesive sound.
Comprehensive Mixing Power With ten audio inputs split into three distinct channel types, Assembler seamlessly integrates into any live or studio setup. Key features include:
Powerful preamps with up to 20x gain boost for line-level signals, clarity enhancement, or saturation.
Vintage tape saturation style contouring and soft compression on all channels and auxes
Three assignable aux sends for external effects and sub-mixing.
"Discover how to create beautiful piano compositions from scratch - even without years of music theory training! In this comprehensive tutorial, I walk you through using Midicake ARP (a powerful parametric sequencer) to control multiple piano tracks in Ableton.
This 30-minute masterclass covers: Setting up Midicake ARP with Ableton and Kontakt piano instruments Creating complementary pads, chords, and melodies across 4 piano tracks Deep dive into the revolutionary Chord Progression and Chord Inversion features in the new V8 firmware Practical demonstration of parametric sequencing for intuitive music creation
Whether you're new to Midicake ARP or an experienced user looking to explore the V8 update, this tutorial shows how parametric sequencing can transform your piano composition workflow. Watch as a complete piano piece comes together before your eyes!
Gear used: Midicake ARP (V8 firmware) Ableton Live Native Instruments Kontakt Piano Instruments"
"Adam from *Venus Instruments*, a London-based company, introduced us to the *Veno Orbit*, their upcoming experimental sampler. Formerly known as the Veno Looper, the Vino Orbit offered way more than just looping capabilities, so it got a hasty rename, just a couple of days ago.
With really gorgeous visual display of what's going on, The Veno Orbit allows you to modulate various parameters such as start, length, pitch, and direction, and has two channels with mirrored controls, providing an intuitive user interface."
"Access Virus TI as a Frequency Shifter,
Frequency and Panning midi CC control by
Yamaha MCS2 and 2x Fv7,
Haken ContinuuMini with Firmware 10.51,
Waldorf Iridium,
Roland J 6,
Intuitive Instruments Exquis,
Strymon Big Sky MX, controlled by,
ATO Faderbank 16 n , with Midi CC,
Line6 DL4 MK2,
Eventide Pitchfactor,
Bastle Bestie,
Harmonic Minor Scale,
22.03.2025
vid # 2496"
"Between firmware testing and design, I took a moment to explore Spotykach with Touch 2 FX. What what a combination! The tactility of both instruments makes for an intuitive, hands-on experience. Simple yet endlessly explorative, fluid, and expressive.
ABOUT SPOTYKACH
Spotykach will be released in small batches starting in June 2025. Make sure to join the Synthux Community to get notified when it's out - www.synthux.academy/join
Spotykach is a looping playground for hands-on sound exploration and performance. It revolves around three distinct modes, each channeling a different era of looping: the hypnotic tape manipulations of the ’60s, the razor-sharp slicing of the ’90s, and something entirely new—emerging from the intersection of chance, texture, and time. With two decks, 12 responsive touch pads, CV and MIDI connectivity, plus built-in modulation sources."
Access Virus TI as a Frequency Shifter,
Frequency and Panning midi CC control by
Yamaha MCS2 and 2x Fv7,
Haken ContinuuMini with Firmware 10.51,
Waldorf Iridium,
Roland J 6,
Intuitive Instruments Exquis,
Strymon Big Sky MX controlled by,
ATO Faderbank 16 n , with Midi CC,
Line6 DL4 MK2,
Eventide Pitchfactor,
Bastle Bestie,
20.03.2025
vid # 2495
The Crow Hill Company creates VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line synth and associated Acid House genre
EDINBURGH, UK: music-making community tools-maker The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as the latest entry into its lengthening line of free and accessible virtual instruments arising from company co-founder and composer Christian Henson effectively opening his ‘vaults’ for everyone to enjoy — this time creating an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line, launched with high hopes in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth by the Japanese giant of electronic musical instrument manufacturing responsible for its creation before being deemed a commercial failure and discontinued quite quickly thereafter, though it was later instrumental in driving Acid House into the musical mainstream as a whole new EDM (Electronic Dance Music) genre and associated cultural movement, the popularity of which triggered a dramatic rise in the price of used units — as of March 19…
It is fair to say that when Roland released its TB-303 Bass Line in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth with the intention of mimicking the characteristics of an electric bass guitar, there were far fewer tools to create electronic music available. But buyers of the TB-303 Bass Line were possibly swayed by the fact that it could be time-synced — using Roland’s proprietary five-pin DIN sync interface (later superseded by MIDI) — to its contemporarily-released Computer Controlled sibling, the TR-606 Drumatix drum machine, making for an affordable rhythm section that could conceivably fit into a small briefcase as a beautiful backing combination for the solo gigging musician, further helped by both devices being battery operated as an attractive alternative to their (included) AC adapters… or so Roland had hoped.
Though the engineers involved tried their best to imitate the sound of an electric bass guitar with the technology of the time, the TB-303 Bass Line fell short in capturing its subtleties as an instrument, sadly, so it was discontinued within a couple of years, with Roland cheaply selling off the last of the 10,000 units manufactured. Now, normally this would be the end of the story, yet something incredible happened…
Helpfully, for the benefit of anyone not already in the know, The Crow Hill Company’s Theo Le Derf picks up what is an incredible story in itself: “DJ Pierre and his band called Phuture found a used TB-303 in a music shop in Chicago for a bargain price. They started experimenting with the bass sequencer and a drum machine while playing about randomly with the filter and resonance knobs. The sound they produced was so unique and, frankly, weird that they decided to commit the jam session to tape. With the release of this experiment on Trax Records in 1987, they unwittingly birthed a new genre: Acid House. This slimy, hypnotic, subversive sound subsequently built a cultural movement, and was the soundtrack to many illegal warehouse parties of the late Eighties — all of this from a tiny synth that was used ‘incorrectly’.”
Thanks to VAULTS - ACID SYNTH’s GUI (Graphical User Interface) being as intuitive as always, correct — or ‘incorrect’ — usage of the virtual instrument in question comes quickly. “The first large dial — CUT OFF — is a 24dB lowpass filter that controls what high frequencies you cut out, and it is automatically assigned to MIDI CC1.” So starts Theo Le Derf by way of an appropriately quick guided tour, before continuing: “RESONANCE determines the peak of the filter as it opens and closes, which creates that characteristically ‘squelchy’ sound that the synth is known for. The small dials are more concentrated effects — MOD controls how much voltage is being sent to the filter, so you can get some really interesting sounds by adjusting the CUT OFF dial and MOD simultaneously; DECAY controls the decay for all the envelopes; and, of course, there is also our standard ECHO and SPLOSH, with the SPLOSH being an algorithmic imitation of a cave, which suits this synth so brilliantly.”
It is as easy as that, though Theo Le Derf is keen to add: “Another thing to mention is that you can obviously play staccato, but when you play legato — MIDI notes overlapping with one another, you get a glide between the notes. This glide effect is another characteristic that the ’303 is renowned for.”
No need, necessarily, then, to risk dropping a bank-balance-busting four-figure sum on a decades-old Roland TB-303 Bass Line when The Crow Hill Company’s ‘tribute’ truly captures the essence of its distinctive sound for all to enjoy for literally nothing. Notes Theo Le Derf, ending on a high note: “The story arc of this synth is so amazing — from its unpromising beginning to completely defining a genre and an era, it’s so exciting to have this celebrated instrument at my fingertips for free!”
VAULTS - ACID SYNTH is free for everyone — as are all VAULTS… releases from The Crow Hill Company — from here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/vaults/
Haken ContinuuMini ,with Firmware 10.51,
Waldorf Iridium,
Roland J 6,
Intuitive Instruments Exquis,
Strymon Big Sky MX, controlled by,
ATO Faderbank 16 n , with Midi CC,
Keeley Halo,
Bastle Bestie,
18.03.2025
vid # 2494
A note on the update:
"Haken Editor and Firmware 10.51: Updated March 17 2025
This new firmware adds increased functionality and sound design possibilities to our EaganMatrix sound engine, the sonic heart of all of our Haken Audio products.
EaganMatrix BiqGraph Bank has enhanced ways to control narrowband resonances.
Control resonance using Decay Time Constants or Bandwidths
Optional use of Excitation Position for filter inputs.
Optional use of String Nonlinearity Coefficient for filter center frequencies.
EaganMatrix Additive Bank has support for Christophe Duquesne’s “Loris” Additive Overlay.
Up to 40 additive analyses, grouped into 4 decades.
Analyses and associated presets are set up by Loris, then playable within the EaganMatrix.
Continuum players have a new way to play tiny intervals or unisons: Place one finger at near side of surface and another at far side, then keep each finger at its side while sliding towards same pitch.
Fixed a variety of bugs reported by users, including:
Polyphony incorrect on certain older presets.
Damper pedal issues on some 8x Continuums.
Certain presets had incorrect voice allocation when receiving MPE.
Incorrect formula interaction with Touch Control Area and Pitch Trim Graphs.
Stuck notes when changing polyphony while playing additive presets.
Power-up inter-dsp communication improvements for multi-dsp systems (6x, 8x).
"Drumkid is a new aleatoric drum machine module from Bradshaw Instruments, a Eurorack version of the original Drumkid from 2020, with lots of upgraded features. Buy it from https://bradshawinstruments.myshopify..."
What does it actually do?
Drumkid is essentially a standard drum machine but with the ability to add (or subtract) hits from a rhythm using probability. Imagine starting with a basic drum beat, then flipping a coin on each beat to decide whether to add an extra snare hit. Drumkid does this, but with fine control over, for instance, how often to flip the coin, which channels the coin flip will apply to, how likely the coin flip is to result in "heads", etc. In practice, this gives you several knobs (and CV input signals) which can affect the flow of randomness in a way that feels intuitive and musical, producing a sort of hybrid between programmed and live drums. It's also possible to push Drumkid outside the realm of human-playable rhythms and into weirder, glitchier beats that operate at high frequencies, creating oscillator-like sounds.
Features/specs
2 x audio outputs (CD-quality, 44.1kHz, 16-bit) 4 x trigger outputs 4 x CV inputs Clock input/output (adjustable) 12 x parameter knobs SD card slot for loading samples Tap tempo Live edit and step edit Tuplet modes (triplet, quintuplet, septuplet) 4-digit LED display Open source design with editable firmware 24HP, 55mm deep Current draw: 55mA +12V, 20mA -12V
