Roland TR-505 drum machine tutorial, review, sound demos & sample pack - why do people hate it?

video upload by ako

"Roland TR-505 drum machine review tutorial and sound demos. This drum machine gets some hate from TR purists (often referred to as 'a good doorstop') but honestly I think this is a really solid little drum machine with that classic Roland TR / Boss DR sound and a really nice to use srquencer. It has also been used by a plethora of great artists including: Aphex Twin, Vince Clarke, Tame Impala, Thom Yorke, Derrick May, Blood Orange, and Venetian Snares and probably many others! See chapters below if you want to skip straight to the tutorial or sound demos.

Hope you folks enjoy the video :)

TR-505 Samples here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pJWa...

Chapters:
00:00 - background info and review
08:55 - I/0
10:20 - basic sounds (link to sample pack in description) tutorial part 1
11:01 - changing the level of the sounds
11:59 - MIDI settings
13:00 - setting tempo
13:39 - play mode (track / pattern play)
13:57 - pattern play - selecting and playing saved patterns
17:07 - track play - selecting and playing saved tracks
18:28 - programming your own patterns
23:35 - Sound demo 1 all drums from 505, with some mixing / effects (this is a track from my upcoming album)
25:33 - Sound demo 2 ll drums from 505, with some mixing / effects (this is my track Basic Microwaving, links below)
27:17 - sound demo 3 raw drum sounds, no effects, playing through the preset patterns
29:01 - sound demo 4 raw drum sounds, no effects, playing through one of the preset songs

ako - Basic Microwaving (vaporwave / synthpop / jazz)

video upload by ako

"Track from my new album 'Industrialised Magic' which is out now cassette tape, VHS and download via Halcyon Tapes and Streaming via Kaneda Records.

Cassette tape, VHS & download: https://halcyontapes.bandcamp.com/alb..."

Editor (Moog Minitaur // DFAM // Waldorf Protein // Roland JU06A // TR6S // Squarp Hapax)

video upload by 2-Minute Warning

"This time, I'm keeping the same setup as my previous jam... [below] with one new member joining the party: the Moog Minitaur. 🎸

But the real star of this experiment is probably the Squarp Hapax.

I've been pushing its sequencing capabilities a little further this time, using a combination of its MIDI effects, automation and LFO modulation to make the different parts evolve throughout the performance.

I'm using several of the Hapax MIDI effects, including Euclid, Harmony, Random and Swing, as well as LFOs to continuously modulate MIDI parameters (using CC).

And I also wanted to explore the FILL feature a bit further.

For example, I use a Fill to create a drum break, while simultaneously triggering an LFO that sends CC messages to the TR-6S, increasing the level of its internal reverb during the break.

So the Hapax isn't simply telling the synths which notes to play anymore... it's also changing their behaviour while the music is happening. Quite a lot is happening behind the scenes, even if hopefully it doesn't sound like a Hapax having a nervous breakdown. 😄

The performance was recorded in a single take. I mixed and mastered the individual tracks afterwards in Ableton Live, but the actual performance wasn't edited or fixed."

176▶️ 808 (Waldorf Protein // Roland JU06A // TR 6S // Moog DFAM // Squarp Hapax)
video upload by 2-Minute Warning

Roland Jupiter-6 Polyphonic Keyboard Synthesizer SN 343465

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

via this eBay listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

Kawai K1m Editor: Edit Patches, Manage SysEx & More

video upload by Ian Dixon

"In this video I show my free Web MIDI editor and librarian for the Kawai K1, K1m and K1r, designed to make it easier to manage patches, build libraries, send sounds to the synth and edit programs from a browser.

The Kawai K1 family is easy enough to program from the front panel, but the limited memory slots make patch management awkward once you start collecting SysEx banks or creating your own sounds. This editor lets you load and save libraries, import SysEx files, remove duplicates, read patches from the K1, send sounds back to the synth, mute individual sources and edit key parameters with a visual envelope display.

Get the editor at:

https://thedigitallifestyle.com/w/TDL...

Chapters:
00:00 Kawai K1 editor-librarian overview
00:37 Free Web MIDI tool and why I built it
01:00 Enabling MIDI and choosing ports
01:15 Reading patches from the K1
01:28 Importing SysEx and building a library
02:02 Loading a full patch library
02:13 Sending sounds to the K1
02:48 Editing patches and viewing envelopes
03:19 Muting sources for sound design
03:43 Choosing waveforms and samples
04:15 Real-time editing and saving changes
04:48 Searching patches
05:08 Free download, feature requests and DW-8000 editor preview"

Lambda Synthetics Polypulse Algorithmic Performance Workstation SonicLAB Demo

video upload by sonicstate

"​‪@matthsmatthsmatths‬ looks at the Lambda Synthetics Polypulse, a powerful Algorithmic Performance Workstation with five tracks. Each track has an algorithmic sequencer, a polyphonic synthesis engine (subtractive, FM, additive, resonator, quad, granular or external), audio effects, and XY morph pads.
Connectivity includes eight outputs, four inputs, MIDI, Ethernet, per-channel pulse outputs and clock in.
The sequencer decouples pattern from pitch, offering four lanes per pattern, up to 24 patterns per track, and a shared note list with per-note chance, slides and rests.
Effects run per track or on a send, and includes a ducker for sidechain compression.

Matt loads samples over Ethernet, sequences a Dreadbox Artemis with MIDI, and maps MIDI CCs to the twelve dials.

Polypulse costs £1777/€1999 and is available now"

MONOCHORD: chord instrument sampled from 80s-2000s hardware (Mac/Win)

MONOCHORD in under 90 seconds (no talking) video upload by orph



"MONOCHORD is a dream machine, harmony workstation and chord instrument for macOS and Windows. It maps full chords to single keys, so chord progressions, melodies and arp patterns can be performed with one click or key press, no piano or theory training required. It ships with 600+ hand-voiced and adjustable chords (from simple triads to pianistic nine-note chords), 425 multisampled instruments in an 11.8 GB library recorded from hardware instruments from the 1980s to 2000s, 15 effect & modulation engines, MIDI output for routing to hardware and DAWs, and full audio and MIDI export and user multisample & chord import."

Buy here: https://www.orph.audio/monochord

MONOCHORD is a chord instrument & harmony workstation for producers, composers and sound artists — 425 vintage instrument sounds captured in the character of iconic 1980s–2000s hardware, 600+ hand-voiced chords, 15 effect engines, full MIDI routing and audio/MIDI export. Build chord-based arrangements from a single key press or mouse click. What normally takes piano and harmony training, a chain of plugins and a slow setup happens here in under a minute, leaving only the music.

FORMATS
Standalone · VST3 · AU
macOS 10.13+ · Windows 10 / 11
Universal · Apple Silicon + Intel
64-bit only

AUDIO
32-bit float internal
44.1–192 kHz
6 synthesis engines · FM · analog · wavetable · additive · granular · PCM

LIBRARY
~11.6 GB sample library · one-time first-launch download (streamed)
425 sounds · 70+ multisampled instruments

SYSTEM & I/O
~12 GB free disk space · SSD recommended
16 GB RAM minimum · 32 GB recommended
Internet for activation + one-time sample download
MIDI in / out · DAW automation
Export: MIDI · audio (full/ dry/ wet mixes) (key · scale · tempo)
Hosts: Logic Pro · Ableton Live · Cubase / Nuendo • FL Studio etc"

CLICK FOR MORE »

🎛️ 🎹 Turning a Thrift Store Projector Case into a Daisy Pod Synth + Amp

video upload by Foggy Mountain Spaceship and TrimPath

"A synthesizer, an amplifier, and a Bluetooth speaker, all built into a vintage projector case from a thrift store. Sound generation runs on an Electrosmith Daisy Pod.

It's the companion piece to the Banjo-Synth (BS-1) I built in 2024. The BS-1 plays it, this box makes the sounds. It was challenging and a lot of fun to build, I hope you enjoy the video.

🧰 The Parts:
Electrosmith Daisy Pod
Vintage Argus Projector Box
CME H2MIDI Pro Interface
JBL Home Audio Speaker
Vangoa PS-01 Rechargeable 9V Power
ZK-502T Bluetooth Amplifier Board"

See this previous post for additional demos and details on the Banjo Synth.

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Is the Dreadbox Nymphes Worth It in 2026?

video upload by TOSKABYSS

Also a demo of Condukt and controlling synths via MIDI CC.

"Is the Dreadbox Nymphes 6-Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer worth it in 2026? I think so!

Get Conduk Appt:
https://condukt.app"

https://toskabyss.gumroad.com

0:00 - Intro
0:44 - Condukt App
1:22 - My first issue
2:37 - The reverb
4:29 - LFO on the reverb
5:10 - Chord mode
6:01 - Thanks

Oberheim OB-8 61-Key 8-Voice Synthesizer SN C50516

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

via this Reverb listing

Additional SYNTH CITY Listings

"This monstrous synth is in great shape and sounds fantastic. There are eight analog voices which can be panned individually for some really interesting stereo sounds. The keyboard can be split or doubled and there are two oscillators per voice. It is a very warm sounding synth great for massive chords, basses and leads. This model has MIDI in out and thru.

It is quite a beast, with all the great 80s vibe and that classic Oberheim sound. In fantastic working and cometic condition overall. Serial No. 050516

Service notes:

-Replaced firmware IC
-Replaced several failied CMOS logic chips
-Recapped bend assembly and processor pcbs
-Repaired D/A converters on voice boards
-Cleaned panel controls
-Fully calibrated
-Repaired autotune circuit
-Replaced missing hardware"

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Hypercube Quadriphonique

video upload by Valmont

"Hypercube Quadriphonique", October 2024. This installation was part of a larger practical exercise at the ENS Louis Lumière master's degree.
Two meters above ground, inclined at an ominous angle, the cube generated four sets of textures layered into a quadriphonic speaker setup. A master OSC patch controlled all the devices in the exposition room ; on my end for my cube I was running MIDI and CV.
I first built a 16-channels 12-bits controller to get everything in harmony, but ended up simplifying the equation to use 4-states inputs and 4 audio outputs, traveling back and forth through the cube in a massive cable liana. The room environment was cyclically controlled by the master patch, and my cube would reconfigure its instruments to play along with the other creations. All sounds were made on a dozen oscillators, a handful of sample players and some Live processing. There was some random breakbeat chops too lmao I loved it, but I lost the session, so I only got some raw cube recordings, which I edited/mixed into this video. Additional black tiles were made to close off the bottom of the cube (just blank PCBs actually!)
Thanks again to Mains d'Œuvres, Franck for the safety tips, my father who helped me cut & paint the wood, and Neurotypic who lent me half the modules. I don't know anyone else who would just say yes to putting laboratory-grade devices into this... thing, suspended with fishing wire!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
My name is Valmont, I'm 24 from Paris! I compose/produce music, repair instruments and take sound on movie sets :) After a double bachelor in musicology and mechanics in Sorbonne, I ended up doing the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière.
I wrote my thesis on Publison and Early Digital, which ultimately tied together my long-standing fascination in vintage machines, servicing and technical demystification with my personal attraction to these instruments.
I tend to hope for a unified low-level approach to music production guided by DIY values. This Youtube channel is a form of its realization!
Join the gang : / valmont_naudin
Listen to my stuff : https://iconism.io/frame/valmont"

Minimal Audio Current 50 Atmospheric Arp Presets. Sound Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

✨ "Dreaming Motion" is a bank of 50 Arp Presets for Minimal Audio Current 2, combining warm analog-inspired sounds with soft and airy atmospheres.
The collection moves between retro synth character, subtle analog imperfections, dreamy textures, and spacious evolving arpeggios, giving the bank both nostalgic and modern sides.

📦 The download link: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/curr...
👤 The author of the soundset is Ilian.

🎛️ Each preset features 4 Macros for shaping the sound, while the Modwheel adds additional movement and expression.
The macros are a significant part of the soundset. They can change tone, stereo width, modulation depth and rate, noise level, distortion, detuning, space/echo/reverb, effects mix, envelope parameters, and others.
You may control them via MIDI controller, use them for automation, or map the macros to your DAW modulators like LFO, Shaper, and others.

📻 The patches are perfect for Electronica, Synthwave, Ambient, IDM, Downtempo, Melodic Techno, Chillout, and experimental electronic music.

🎹 All Arps are designed in either C Major or C Minor, following Current 2’s tonal Arp system. This makes the presets easy to use while keeping their harmonic character consistent. You can change the Scale in the lower right corner of the synthesizer to the one used in your track.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Voidcontrol MIDI Releases the Typhon Unofficial Assistant

Typhon Unofficial Assistant - Demo video upload by Voidcontrol MIDI



"Voidcontrol MIDI has released the Typhon Unofficial Assistant, a software controller and patch librarian for the Dreadbox Typhon.

It brings the Typhon's sound onto the screen, adds full DAW automation, and keeps a library of your patches on your computer. Because the Typhon shares its sound parameters over MIDI but not its patch storage or internal routing, this is an Assistant rather than a full editor: it focuses on live sound control and patch management.

Features:

Live control of every parameter the Typhon exposes over MIDI, laid out by section
One-click read of the current sound from the hardware
Full DAW automation with real automation lanes, not just MIDI learn
A 32-step sequencer that locks to DAW tempo or MIDI clock and plays the Typhon, with per-step gate, tie, velocity and gate length, plus global division, swing and probability
A lossless patch library with naming, categories, favorites, search, and single-file or full-bank import and export
Preset export to .typhonpr for use with Dreadbox's own Preset Manager
A standalone version for use without a DAW
Init and randomize
Resizable UI, 50 to 300 percent
Windows 10 and 11, as a VST3 plugin and a standalone app. Requires a MIDI connection to a Dreadbox Typhon on firmware 4.2 or later. Tested in Ableton, Bitwig, Cubase, Reaper, Studio One, and Waveform. A Mac version is under consideration.

Available now at voidcontrolmidi.com for $15.

Not affiliated with Dreadbox. 'Typhon' is a trademark of its respective owner."

CLICK FOR MORE »

always the sun

video upload by Ebotronix

Arturia ,Minifreak, Microfreak, (2x),
Doepfer R2m,( 3x),
Hologram Electronics Microcosm,
Strymon Big Sky MX, in Dual Mono Mode controlled with
Midi CC by, 16n Faderbank, AtoVproject ,
MXR Phase 99,
Electro Harmonix Mel 9,
Bastl Bestie,
Yamaha MCS 2,
Mixolydian Scale,
13.08.2026
video# 2663

Nord Modular Editor Site Gets a Huge Update

via Peter van der Noord, the man behind the new online Nord Modular Editor [see additional posts with demos here].

"We've launched a major update to the Nord Modular Editor, a browser-based editor for the Clavia Nord Modular G1.

Until now, this was just an editor but with this release we have added a full community and social layer on top:

Browse thousands of patches: Explore what other G1 users have created, both now and in the past. Instantly send any patch to your connected synth.

Upload and share your own: Build a library of your patches, organize them into collections, write descriptions.

Comment and engage: Like patches, leave feedback, see what other people are experimenting with.

Live sync with hardware: Edit in the browser while your synth is plugged in over MIDI; changes hit immediately.

G2 support is coming: Also interesting to note that support for the newer G2 versions of the Nord Modular is in the pipeline"

MIDIPan enhancements and purple special edition

video upload by MIDI IN

"Additional touch pads and the centre pad no longer tied to the root note. And it's purple! In this video I talk about these enhancements to MIDIPan and make some music using the built-in looper.

More info / purchase:
https://peacockmedia.software/drum/"

Partials & Discrepancies | Laid-Back Jam with MPE + Unusable Engineering FX

video upload by Unusable Engineering

"A slow, fairly minimal jam that appeared at the end of a testing session while I was working on improvements across the Unusable Engineering full suite.

There are only three sounds.

The pulse / heartbeat-like rhythm comes from Logic’s Drum Synth, processed with Spectral Pressure Chamber and a static Frequency Guillotine setting used mainly for EQ shaping and stereo spread.

The main keyboard sound is Partials & Discrepancies. It is a four-slot patch built from very few partials, but with constant movement between the slot states. That runs through a stereo tremolo sequence in Binaural Modulator, subtle stepped movement from Frequency Guillotine, a slowly modulated Geometry Delay, and a similarly slow-moving Geometry Reverb.

The high drone comes from Curves & Membranes, using two currently unreleased features and some portamento movement. It runs through a slewing Frequency Guillotine sequence, a deeper modulated Geometry Delay, and another slow Geometry Reverb setting.

Partials & Discrepancies is being played from both a Moog Muse over regular MIDI and a ROLI Seaboard Rise 2 using MPE at the same time.

I have started liking this combination quite a lot. The regular keyboard gives you the predictable part of the performance, while the MPE controller can add pressure, slide, and more expressive movement on top of it without having to commit the whole patch to one playing style.

Truth be told, most of my testing sessions ends with something like this. It is a nice way to clear the head.

More information:
www.unusable.net"

Introducing the Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms SV-2

video upload by Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers

Pics and details via Perfect Circuit.

[You can find additional demos by Starsky Carr, BoBeats, and Molten Music Technology further below.]

Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms SV-2
Lifeforms SV-2 from Pittsburgh Modular is a duophonic analog semi-modular keyboard synthesizer that honors classic East Coast subtractive architecture while packing a punch of flavorful twists afforded by modern technology. A full-blown revamp of the SV-1, it features updates to nearly every aspect of the instrument: new oscillator core, classic PGH filters updated with new character modes and overdrive stages, new spring reverb, new response curves and range modes on the ADSR envelopes, a custom 37-key keyboard with pitch-bend and mod wheels, and a redesigned interface with eighty-four patch points along the top. Moreover, a 24hp Eurorack expansion bay with three power headers sits alongside them, so external modules of your choosing can be dropped into the signal path at any point.

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Behind the Music: Chang Rodrigues' Home Studio (Electronic Beats TV)

video upload by Telekom Electronic Beats TV

"For this episode of Electronic Beats TV, we visited Brazilian-born, Berlin-based artist Chang Rodrigues in her home studio.
With a background in music and a deep curiosity for synthesis and sound design, she has developed a unique approach that blends club-oriented electronic music with experimentation and sonic exploration.
Inside her studio, mainly analog instruments, modular gear, and drum machines take centre stage, while the computer and Ableton are used mainly for recording. Chang explains why the Elektron Digitakt has become the heart of her workflow, how she combines MIDI and CV to connect her instruments, and why modular synthesis continues to fascinate her with its almost endless creative possibilities.
Beyond the gear, we also talk about creativity, trusting your ears, embracing happy accidents, and why she sees sound as a living organism—something that constantly evolves through interaction rather than remaining fixed."

Rithmatic: a DX7 Patch Librarian for the KORG volca FM2

via https://madewithbestpractice.com/rithmatic/

"Rithmatic turns the 64-slot Korg volca FM2 into a searchable, offline library of tens of thousands of classic DX7 patches, all credited to the public collections they came from, and pushes any voice straight to the synth, with full one-file backup and restore of the whole box, plus real-time control of its sequencer transport and live motion. And because it carries its own FM engine, Rithmatic is a playable DX7-style synth in its own right: plug in any MIDI keyboard and play those patches with no hardware synth at all. Korg never made a librarian for the FM2, and unlike the desktop options (Dexed, Patch Base) this one runs on the phone already in your bag. Free, local-first, no account.

Music tooling is a big part of what we do, and we also make Emojio Paint Composer, a browser music sequencer that speaks full MIDI."

Neiro N106 Plugin: Digital Emulation & Real Hardware Render | Sound Demo

video upload by Davide Puxeddu

"In this video, I showcase the true power of the Neiro Audio N106 plugin. We are doing a direct comparison: Digital Emulation vs Real Analog Hardware Render! You will hear the huge difference when the digital preset is suddenly processed through the actual analog circuitry.

How does it work? The N106 is not just a standard VST. You compose your track using their high-quality digital emulation without any streaming latency. Once your MIDI and automations are locked in, the plugin sends your data directly to Neiro Studios. There, it is fed through a real physical Roland Juno-106 (specifically a hardware Kiwi 106 synth). The analog output is recorded using high-end RME Fireface UCX interfaces and automatically downloaded right back into your DAW as a WAV audio file. It's exactly like owning the real vintage analog synthesizer remotely.

To sit perfectly in a mix, I've also processed these sounds through external hardware-style reverb and delay.

🎧 Best experienced with studio monitors or high-quality headphones.

More Info: https://neiroaudio.com"

"Connect to a classic analog synthesizer revered for its lush, warm sounds. The Neiro N106 features a rich chorus effect that’s instantly recognizable from classic tracks like 'Jump' and 'Tom Sawyer'.

Connect directly to the Roland Juno-106 unit today."