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.

CLICK FOR MORE »

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."

OktaDie — Organismic Touch Synth on iPad | Drone Demo, No Talking

video upload by Diego Capoccitti

Follow-up to this post.

"OktaDie is an 'organismic' synthesizer for iPad: eight touch-sensitive voices, a cross-modulation matrix, a dual modulated delay and an overdrive — with no keyboard, no scale and no quantisation anywhere in the signal path. No talking in this video: just hands on the glass. Everything you hear is OktaDie running standalone on iPad (AUv3 plugin versions included), played entirely on the eight pads — no MIDI keyboard, no sequencer, no external processing.

🎛️ ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT
The eight generators are closer to a vintage electric organ than to a VCO. TUNE moves each voice continuously across a huge untempered range, SHARP morphs the waveform from triangle to square, and the envelope shapes pitch and waveform as it moves instead of just opening a VCA after it. Voices work in four pairs and two groups, each pair picking its own modulation source — another pair, the Hyper LFO, or the instrument's own output. TOTAL FB feeds the post-distortion signal back in and turns the whole machine, delay and drive included, into one giant FM structure. Noise, bleed and drift are features here, not defects: it never produces exactly the same sound twice.

👆 PLAYED BY TOUCH
Eight multitouch pads replace the keyboard. Play with several fingers at once, slide sideways to glide from one pad to the next, press harder to open the envelope further — OktaDie reads the contact area of your fingertip, and Apple Pencil pressure where available.

📱 iOS VERSION (iPhone & iPad)
Standalone app + two AUv3 extensions: OktaDie as an instrument and OktaDie FX to run your own audio through the delay, drive and feedback loop. Works in AUM, GarageBand, Cubasis, Drambo and Logic for iPad.

💻 DESKTOP VERSION (Mac & Windows)
Available in AU, VST3 and AAX formats for all major DAWs. Presets are shared with the iOS version.

👉 https://www.diegocapoccitti.it/"

Yamaha TX802 Editor Librarian | Free to download

video upload by Espen Kraft

"My sound patches: https://espenkraft.com
Yamaha TX802 Editor & Librarian — browser-based, no install
Get the editor for free in my web shop here: https://espenkraft.com/b/MnPYo

A single HTML file that turns any Chrome or Edge browser into a full editor and librarian for the Yamaha TX802. Connect over MIDI and take control of the whole machine.

Voice editing — Every FM parameter on screen: all six operators with knobs for envelopes, levels, scaling and frequency, the LFO, pitch envelope, and the full 32-algorithm chart drawn exactly as Yamaha's. Plus the DX7II-era extras — poly mode, portamento, pitch-bend step and the complete controller matrix. Edit live and hear every change as you turn a knob.

Performance editing — Set up all eight tone generators in one grid: voice, MIDI channel, output, detune, note limits, tuning and more. Factory Preset A and B voices show by name, and linked tone generators resolve just like the module's own display.

Librarian — Read, save and reload all 64 voices and all 64 performances as standard .syx files. Double-click any voice or performance to load and play it instantly. Every write to the module is verified and read back, with a clear warning if memory protect blocks it.

Also — Full SysEx monitor, drag-and-drop file loading, remembered MIDI ports, and built-in help on every control.

*fractional scaling and micro tuning is not implemented in this editor.
*this is NOT fully compatible with the DX7II except for some voice editing

Made as a personal tool. Shared as is. I offer no support for this."

Tubbutec SH-1oh1 Max for Live Editor and Controller for the Roland SH-101

Tubbutec SH-1oh1 Editor for Roland SH-101 | Ableton Live Controller video upload by Studiomood



Studiomood has released SH-1oh1 Control, a Max for Live editor and MIDI controller for the Tubbutec SH-1oh1 upgrade installed in a Roland SH-101.

At the heart of the device is the Mood Engine, a 24-preset system designed for turning one sound into a whole collection of related variations. Inspired by the fast sound-variation workflow associated with the legendary AFX Mode, it encourages you to create a sound, copy it to the next preset, change a few parameters and keep moving.

Instead of treating presets as isolated patches, the Mood Engine makes them feel like different states of the same sound. Start with a bass sequence, copy it, open the filter, change the envelope, add an accent or push the extra LFO into filter FM territory. Within minutes, you can build a complete bank of connected variations and switch between them from Ableton Live or an external MIDI controller.

The video demonstrates exactly this Mood Engine workflow in action, moving through a series of connected SH-1oh1 sound variations and showing how a single starting point can evolve from preset to preset:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w1x0MWApas

This makes the modified SH-101 especially interesting for live performance, evolving sequences and fast studio experimentation. Presets can be selected with the arrow buttons, Random can generate an unexpected starting point, and Reset clears the current preset when you want to begin again.

Behind the Mood Engine is a complete software editor for all MIDI-controllable SH-1oh1 parameters. Cutoff, envelope amount, the additional filter ADSR, filter and volume accents, accent decay and the extra filter LFO are all available directly inside Ableton Live. The LFO offers coarse and fine rate control, covering everything from slow movement to extreme filter FM sounds.

Velocity can be mapped to 9 different targets: None, Cutoff, Volume Accent, Filter Accent, Accent Switch, Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release.

Clock sources for the Arpeggiator/Sequencer and Random LFO can be selected from internal LFO, external trigger input, MIDI clock and MIDI note. The corresponding clock dividers are also available directly from the Max for Live device.

Settings are stored with the Ableton Live project. When returning to a session, Send All transmits the current parameter values back to the modified SH-101, bringing the hardware and software back together without having to recreate the sound by hand.

SH-1oh1 Control turns the expanded architecture of the Tubbutec modification into a hands-on Ableton instrument, with the Mood Engine opening up a fast and playful way to explore how far a Roland SH-101 sound can be pushed.

Requirements
Roland SH-101 with the Tubbutec SH-1oh1 hardware upgrade
Ableton Live with Max for Live
MIDI interface
SH-1oh1 Control is available from Studiomood for €19.95 including VAT.

Product page
Tubbutec SH-1oh1 hardware upgrade

Live Preview Oktopus Synthesizer VSTi - Windows/Mac/iOS App

video upload by Vyacheslav “Tatreal” Koristov

See the announcement post here.

"In this video, I'm using it live to create my sounds.

Try Oktopus Synthesizer FOR FREE: https://tatreal.pro/oktopus/#downloads

Check the manual page at https://tatreal.pro/oktopus/user-manual/

Oktopus is a powerful, deep synthesizer and production environment built from the ground up for advanced sound design, live performance, and music creation on Windows/Mac/iOS.

Features:
8-block synth architecture for layered and evolving sounds
MPE and MIDI input support
Sample loading, slicing, and playback tools
Built-in recording and sample export workflow
Per-block arpeggiator and sequencing controls
LFOs, modulation routing, and performance macros
Factory presets and factory samples included
Flexible effects chain with EQ, distortion, bitcrusher, compressor, phaser, flanger, chorus, filter, delay, and reverb Touch-friendly interface for iPhone and iPad music creation"

Akai S900 SuperOS v4.0 Firmware Update: Timestretch and Live/Midi Filter Modulation

video upload by superOS-303

"In this video we go over the features we have added to the Akai S900 SuperOS v4.0 Firmware. We have implemented timestretch from the Akai S950 and also live/midi filter modulation to the control knob.

We have only tested this on an Akai S900 with eeproms 1.2c running a Gotek FlashFloppy emulator on version 3.42.

Where to buy: https://superos303.com/shop/superos-a...
How to install: https://superos303.com/doc/s900

I do not have any more information about installation or how to install other than the tested unit we have described."

Erica Synths Hexdrums tutorial - Part 1: Essentials

video upload by Richard DeHove

"Erica Synths Hexdrums drum machine is easy to use. That's the usual wisdom, and it's true. If you already know the basics of drum machines then you can get started in seconds. Yet there are still around 20 performance functions to master and some crucial configuration options. The way accents work, for example, is not as obvious as it seems, just check 17:39

So this is a video manual to all the essential sequencer operations. It contains absolutely nothing about programming sounds. Part 2 will cover all the remaining function such as live performance options, samples and song mode.

Apologies in advance for the somewhat fuzzy appearance of the display characters - in reality of course they are crisp :/ At least the front panel text is sharp.

Many thanks to my kind patrons who keep this channel ad-free
My website: https://richarddehove.com/"

0:00 Intro
0:40 Specs
1:00 Make sounds
2:00 Accents
3:20 Patterns & banks

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Synido TempoKey K32 Play review - oh, it's a synth!

video upload by Floyd Steinberg

"Synido sent over a sample of their new TempoKey K32 Play."

"This is a battery powered two- and a half - octave MIDI controller with BLE MIDI, USB and TRS, and everything can be set up on hardware. And it's also a GM keyboard / synthesizer now."

Table of contents:

00:00 hello, what is this?
00:36 overview: what's in the box, user interface, editor app
01:10 keybed
01:20 pads
01:32 encoders

CLICK FOR MORE »

Creating Custom Chords on Plinky 12 (Chords)

video upload by Nathan Plante Synths

"This is a follow up to my full walkthrough video of the Plinky 12 Chords panel by mmalex and Making Sound Machines. In this video I walk you through the process of creating custom chords and custom harmonic progressions. You don't need to know anything about music theory to come up with interesting chords!"

Wanna support my work? Join me on Ko-fi!
https://ko-fi.com/nathanplantesynths

https://www.plinky12.com/

00:00 Intro
00:43 Changing the Chord Voicing
03:57 Custom Chord Progressions
06:22 The Related Play Surface
11:05 Custom Chords from Scratch
12:51 Changing the Root
15:14 Changing the Key
18:37 Saving Your Chord Bank
18:57 Creating Chords with MIDI
20:44 Outro

External MIDI Amiga Synth? Wait, what?!

video upload by Jeremy Parker

"A few years ago I restored my childhood Amiga 500, and only recently found a way to use a soft synth, Aegis Sonix V2, with external MIDI control. I saw ‪@magicalsynthadventure3216‬ video on the topic a while back, and on a whim decided to revisit the idea of using my Amiga as a synth. Thanks to an Amibay.com forum thread, I learned that it's pretty easy to get Aegis Sonix V2 to respond to incoming MIDI, and so I was off to the races. Enjoy!

Magical Synth Adventures video: • Commodore Amiga Music Production: Modern S... [below]
Amibay thread: https://www.amibay.com/threads/aegis-...
Stone OakValley Studios info on Aegis Sonix: https://www.stone-oakvalley-studios.c...
OctaMED info: https://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/10...

00:00 Intro
02:28 The Solution
03:33 Sonix Demo
05:31 Sonix & Reaper
07:33 Amiga Groove

Commodore Amiga Music Production: Modern Sound Design on Retro Hardware

video upload by Magical Synth Adventure

"A delve into obscure software instruments on the Commodore Amiga. Here I look into both realtime & non-realtime varieties, covering a staggering array of synthesis types!

Additional attributions:

I forgot to give a shout out to uncle Brian! Sorry uncle Brian!
Endless Tunnel Animation: KRITRIMVAULT
Syndicate Intro: BullFrog Productions

Links:
SOFTWARE
http://old.exotica.org.uk/websites/dr...
http://ftp2.grandis.nu/turransearch/"

Update: An interesting side note is that Sonix was released in 1987 with a beta in 1986. That's 10 years earlier than Dave Smith's Seer Systems Reality, which was released in 1997. Seer Systems Reality is often credited as the world's first soft synth. Curious if the distinction was between an editor/interface for the existing Amiga sound chip vs. a self contained software synthesizer.  

I asked Google AI just to see what it would say. Here it is:

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Half-Time Techno w/ TR-808, TB-03, and OP-1 field | Lopho 2026-08-08 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"A half-time techno piece created with the TR-808 (MIDI modified), TB-03, and OP-1 field.

On the TR-808, the bass drum and snare are routed through separate outputs. The bass drum passes through the SANSAMP BASS DRIVER DI. The snare is processed through the NIGHTSKY with heavy reverb and filtering.

The master output is connected to the blueSky, allowing reverb to be applied to the overall drum mix.

On the OP-1 field, percussion sounds are glitched using a modulated delay created with the CWO effect.

On the TB-03, a bassline is looped while the filter is adjusted in real time.

The OP-1 field is used as the master clock. The TR-808 and TB-03 are synchronized via MIDI clock."

The LOST Bad Gear Episode

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. In a time like ours when material needs no longer exist in music production the accumulation of things seems to have become more important than ever.

Today we are going to talk about Novation Drumstation. While today’s synth clones are mostly used for home studio decoration this 1996 drum machine and shameless Roland TR-808 and 909 ripoff was more or less the only affordable way to actually tweak the iconic drum sounds. Simpler times."

Chapters:
00:00 I found the Lost Episode on an old Hard Disk
00:13 Intro tune
01:06 Overview Novation Drum Station V1
01:47 Limitations
02:02 Midi Control
02:24 Analog or Digital???
03:05 Workflow
03:32 Features
04:00 NoIsE iSsUeS
04:29 Audition/Auto-trigger
04:40 What else??? (More Features, Pricing, V2, D-Station ,...)
05:06 H*te Screen
05:35 Jam 1 ( Old School Techhouse )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Old School Trance )
07:28 Finale ( Old School Footwork/Juke )
08:02 VERDICT

Testflight Betas: Vekte and Tresse for iOS

Tresse 1.2.0 for iOS, VST3, AUv3 and Standalone video upload by Våld Labs

"Now TRESSE is a 39-engine, dual-layer polysynth built around 24 Mutable Instruments Plaits engines plus 15 custom engines. It has two independent 8-voice synth layers, three LFOs, two generative modulation lanes, a dual-playhead arpeggiator, delay and shimmer reverb, and a deterministic generative sequencer derived from VEKTE.

Each layer has its own synthesis engine, filter, envelopes and voice mode, so you can combine completely different synthesis methods in one patch and modulate the balance between them. It runs standalone or as an AUv3 in AUM, Drambo, GarageBand, Audiobus and other iOS hosts.

VEKTE is the other side of the idea: a 16-channel generative MIDI sequencer built around 36 deterministic algorithms, ranging from Euclidean rhythms, Fibonacci and random walks to cellular automata, logistic maps, harmonic systems, Tonnetz movement and more.

Each VEKTE channel contains a NOTE lane plus four independent MOD lanes. Those modulation lanes can control MIDI CCs, rhythm, harmony, probability, density, playback direction, algorithm parameters and even other generators, so patterns can evolve structurally rather than simply playing back notes.

A big part of both instruments is that their generative systems are deterministic. The same algorithm and parameters always reproduce the same result, so you can explore without losing something interesting you discover.

They also share a compact patch-sharing system.

With TRESSE, the entire patch, including both synth layers, all three LFOs, delay and reverb, the complete sequencer and both generative MOD lanes, can be encoded into a single TRS2 key of roughly 155 characters. TRESSE can turn that key into a QR code, export it as a 1080 × 1350 social card, or scan a patch directly from another screen or printed QR using the iPad/iPhone camera.

VEKTE uses the same idea for generative MIDI. A complete channel can be represented by a compact VKT2 Base62 key, typically around 43 to 130 characters. Because the patterns are deterministic, VEKTE doesn’t need to store every generated MIDI event in the key. It stores the recipe and reconstructs the exact pattern when it is loaded.

VEKTE can display those keys as QR codes, scan them directly with the iPad camera, and share individual channels or an entire 16-slot rig. It can also create 1080px Share Pattern cards containing the QR, key and caption, ready for the iOS Share Sheet, so patches and generative patterns can be exchanged through Messages, social media, forums or even from a screenshot.

That sharing system is something I’m particularly interested in developing further: instead of presets being files hidden inside an app, a sound or generative pattern becomes something you can post, photograph, print, send to somebody, and reconstruct exactly on another device.

The philosophy behind both instruments is the same: the art of shaping chaos. I’m interested in generative systems that can surprise you without taking control away from you. What you discover can be reproduced, edited, saved, performed and shared rather than disappearing into randomness.

They’re designed to complement each other as well: VEKTE can generate and evolve the musical structure while TRESSE turns that structure into sound, although both are complete instruments in their own right."

https://valdlabs.com

Poly Rave 👾 (Waldorf PROTEIN // Roland TR-6S // JU-06A // Moog DFAM // Squarp HAPAX)

video upload by 2-Minute Warning

"This time, I'm introducing a new instrument to the setup: the Waldorf Protein, used here for the CHORDS 🎹

The rest of the setup is made of a Roland JU-06A for the BASS, a Roland TR-6S for the DRUMS (no samples used, only ACB analog behavior engine with mainly the TR-808 model) and, for some additional percussion, the only analog instrument in the setup: the good Moog DFAM 🤩

Everything is sequenced by the Squarp Hapax, with quite a few things happening behind the scenes as usual.
MIDI LFOs are used to modulate some parameters of the TR-6S, while automation takes care of changing parameters on the JU-06A during the performance.

This time I also decided to use the Hapax's physical MIDI ports rather than relying on USB MIDI:
MIDI A : Roland TR-6S
MIDI B : Roland JU-06A
MIDI D (TRS) : Waldorf PROTEIN

And then there's the DFAM... which, as usual, refuses to speak MIDI. 😄
Since the DFAM doesn't have a MIDI input, I sent very short Gate pulses from the Hapax (Track 11) to simulate an audio clock, allowing its internal sequencer to advance in sync with the rest of the setup.

So, quite a lot going on behind what hopefully sounds like a relatively simple piece of music!

Another little experiment in making several machines behave together without making the whole thing look like a NASA control room 😄

As always, the performance itself was recorded in a single take. I do the mixing and mastering afterwards in Ableton Live."

The Crow Hill Company Announces POCKET STRINGS Plug-in for Free

The Best Strings Plugin Money CAN'T Buy??? video upload by CROW HILL

Press release follows:

The Crow Hill Company announces availability of popular POCKET STRINGS plug-in for free, bringing broadcast-grade string possibilities to everyone

EDINBURGH, UK: around a year after its initial launch, not long after the Edinburgh-based enterprise effectively rebranded itself with an aesthetic that truly realises company co-founder and composer Christian Henson’s heartfelt dream of encouraging people to make music and help them on their journey, regardless of whatever point they were at and wherever their journey began, The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce that it has made its popular POCKET STRINGS — styled as a never-tried-before strings plug-in that aims to bring broadcast-grade string possibilities to everyone by combining live cinematic orchestral recordings of some of the best musicians working in the UK with some rarefied vintage synth classics made to measure for added body, depth, and character — available for free with no strings attached (but pun intended), as of August 6…

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