Sonicware Introduces ELZ_1 core

video upload by SONICWARE

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He put £15000 of Synths into SERUM and Pigments

video upload by Starsky Carr

"I sampled the Frap out of a Magnolia, an Analogue Solutions Maximus, a Pittsburgh Taiga, a Pittsburgh Voltage Lab 2, a Sequential Prophet VS, a Korg DW8000 and a Novation Peak — then chopped them into single cycle waves and turned them into 151 wavetables for Serum and Pigments.

£15,000 is roughly what those seven instruments would cost you, give or take. The pack is £15.

What's different here is what got sampled: full sweeps through the Magnolia's wavefolder, the Voltage Lab 2's complex oscillators, PWM across its whole range, the DW8000's 16 digital waves, the Prophet VS set. Not generic waveshapes — the actual character of specific, expensive, awkward instruments.

It started with a comment. Someone watched my Magnolia demo and asked how to get that tone out of their Peak. The short answer is you can't, because the oscillators don't start with the same harmonics. The long answer is this video.

Along the way I've used it as an excuse to go through the different ways a synth actually makes a tone — subtractive, FM, wavefolding and wavetable — and why the Magnolia can do three of them and the Peak can do the fourth. If you've ever wondered what people mean by East Coast and West Coast synthesis, start at 1:18."

0:00 Matching a Magnolia patch on a Summit
1:18 Back to basics: the classic analog waveshapes
3:36 Subtractive synthesis, and why it's called East Coast
5:09 FM: harmonics that aren't related to the fundamental
7:22 Wavefolding, and where the gnarly tones come from
8:38 Three synthesis types in one synth — the Magnolia
9:09 Wavetable synthesis, and the one thing the Peak can do
10:08 The comment that started all this
13:33 Into Serum: the Magnolia wavetables
16:00 Emulating Polymove in the Serum mod matrix
17:30 The rest of the pack: 151 tables, 19,088 waves
19:18 Working in Arturia Pigments
20:54 Thanks for watching

Frap Tools Magnolia: From Lush Poly to Nasty Mono

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Frap Tools Magnolia is an 8 voice analog polysynth with through zero FM, wavefolding and poly aftertouch — and it goes from lush Jupiter pads to full MS-20 scream in about two moves. Full review and demo.

I've never played a polysynth that turns into a monosynth this easily. Magnolia is what happens when Frap Tools take the Brenso oscillator and the Cunsa filter out of their Eurorack range, put them in a very sexy box with a poly aftertouch keyboard, 64 modulation slots and no menus at all — then add a load of things nobody else is doing.

Sync that flips the waveform instead of resetting it. FM smoothing, which I don't think I've seen on a poly before. A resonant high pass filter that squeals into MS-20 territory. Filter FM from either oscillator or the noise. And Poly Move, which throws a random value at every note you press so the whole thing breathes like a modular.

I've had a review unit here for a few weeks and it's going back this week, which is a genuine shame. In this video I go through every section, show how you interact with 64 modulation slots without a screen or a modulation matrix, and build a patch from one plain triangle wave into something enormous. There are two demo tracks in there too — it inspired me to write a track, which doesn't happen with everything that comes through the door.

WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT IT
• Two oscillator types
• A dedicated TZFM envelope,
• Sync that flips rather than restarts
• FM smoothing
• Resonant low pass AND high pass filters,
• Filter FM from OSC 1, OSC 2 or noise
• Poly Move
• Hertz detune
• 64 modulation slots, all assigned and toggled from the panel — no menus, no screen

Around £3,800 / $4,200 / €4,200. It's an expensive synth, and there's nothing wrong with that — my full thoughts on whether it's worth it are at 47:52"

Echon6 Samples and a FREE Auto Sample Tool for Decent Sampler

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Point a MIDI cable at your synth, walk away, and come back to a finished Decent Sampler instrument. I've built a tool that does exactly that — and it's completely free.

The Morphor Echon6 has been on my bench for weeks now and it still sounds fabulous — that lovely organic feel I keep going on about. The whole point of this channel is to give you the experience of playing the synth yourself, so I wanted to go one better: give you the actual presets to play.

So I started auto-sampling the Echon6 on the 1010music Bento… and then remembered why sampling is such a pain. It's not the recording. It's everything after: trimming, levelling, converting, hand-building the mapping. So I spent a weekend making a tool that does the whole lot, start to finish, and now it's yours.

Runs in your browser, works on Mac and PC, comes with a full manual. You might need to install Python if your machine hasn't got it (most have). It's not a polished app with a pretty icon — you click a command file — but it works, believe me.

Honest warning: I'm not a programmer. My digital assistant did the heavy lifting. I can't offer any support on this whatsoever, because the answer will be "I haven't got a clue." It should work. Have fun with it — and do tell me what you end up sampling with it, I'd love to know.

🎹 ECHON6 SAMPLES

There's a FREE 2-preset Echon6 Decent Sampler pack to get you started, and a full 20-preset library for anyone who wants the lot — 800MB of detailed multisamples, no effects, just the raw beauty of the thing.

🎵 And stay to the end — two finished tracks from the Echon6 sessions, because the music is why we're all doing this in the first place."

FREE Auto Sampler tool → https://www.starskycarr.com/patches/p/autosampler


FREE Echon6 Decent Sampler pack (2 presets) → https://www.starskycarr.com/patches/p...

Echon6 Decent Sampler library (20 presets) → https://starsky-shop.fourthwall.com/p...

The Strangest, Most Interesting Synth He's Played This Year (Morphor Echon6)

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Morphor Echon6 is the world's first analog modal polysynth — a genuine departure from the wall of subtractive synths flooding the market right now. In this review and demo I dig into its Karplus-Strong-based exciter and resonator, six voices you can split into six independent monosynths, and a modulation system so intuitive it doesn't need a menu. Full raw demo at the end so you can hear it completely unprocessed.

WHAT IS MODAL SYNTHESIS?
Modal synthesis uses a Karplus-Strong oscillator — an exciter (like a pluck, bow, or hammer) run through a resonator (like a string or instrument body) — to fake physical, plucked/struck sounds. First proposed by Kevin Karplus and Alexander Strong back in 1982, you'll recognise the concept from modules like Mutable Instruments Plaits, Rings and Braids, and digital oscillators in synths like the Arturia MiniFreak and Korg Minilogue XD. The Echon6 takes that same idea and builds it entirely in analog circuitry — as far as I know, the first synth to pull that off.

CHAPTERS
0:00 What's coming up
1:43 DEMO JAM #1 - glitchy ambient
5:40 What is modal synthesis? (Karplus-Strong explained)
6:53 Front panel overview
7:52 Six voice groups patch demo
9:53 DEMO JAM #2 - as an FX unit on drums
12:20 SIx voices in unison - CHORD MODE?
13:06 DEMO JAM #3 - 6 unique voices
13:48 Exciter section deep dive
21:15 BBD resonator deep dive
25:47 Modulation section deep dive
36:22 Building a musical patch from scratch
41:16 DEMO JAM #4 - A Love Story ;) IYKYK
43:15 Echon6 vs Erica Synths Steampipe
45:00 Final thoughts
45:40 Patreon & website
46:13 DEMO JAM #5 Intro raw (maybe a little reverb at the end)

MY TAKE
The Echon6 is a genuinely fresh alternative to the current glut of subtractive synths — your Jupiters, Junos, Prophets, and OB-style clones. It felt natural within minutes, the modulation is some of the cleverest I've used on any hardware synth, and the build quality is excellent. Compared to the Erica Synths Steampipe (digital modal synthesis), the Echon6 is easier to learn, while the Steampipe can get more chaotic, faster, thanks to its distortion and reverb. Both are worth a look if experimental modal synthesis is your thing — but the Echon6 gets a big thumbs up from me.

GEAR MENTIONED
Morphor Echon6 (analog modal polysynth, reviewed here)
Erica Synths Steampipe (digital modal synth, comparison)
Mutable Instruments Plaits / Rings / Braids
Arturia MiniFreak
Korg Minilogue XD

MORE PATCHES, SAMPLES & TUTORIALS
Patreon: www.patreon.com/starskycarr - patches, samples, tutorials and more
www.starskycarr.com - patches, samples, free and cheap goodies"

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 »

Reliq Review & Demo: The Ultimate Hybrid Control Surface?

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Gear featured in this patch:
Reliq hybrid control surface/sequencer/mixer
Erica Synths Black Wavetable VCO
Erica Synths PolyVCF (multi-mode filter)
[Knobula] Drum Farm percussion module"

"Reliq review & full demo: the hybrid control surface that's a 16x16 analog patch matrix, mixer, sequencer and two-way Ableton/Bitwig controller all in one box. Here's exactly how I use it in my rig.

Reliq calls itself a "hybrid control surface" because it's really four or more machines built into one unit: a 16-in/16-out analog audio & CV patch matrix, a mixer, a deep polyphonic sequencer with per-track LFOs and envelopes, and two-way DAW integration with Ableton Live and Bitwig. On top of that there's Song Mode, which lets you snapshot entire patch/matrix/sequencer states into blocks and chain them together for a full arrangement.

Rather than trying to cover every single feature (it's genuinely as deep as trying to demo all of Ableton or Logic in one video, and it keeps getting free updates - v1.8 just dropped), I'm showing you how I've actually used it to build the patch and track in this video, so you can see how the pieces fit together in a real-world workflow.

Timestamps:
0:00 What is Reliq?
2:46 How I'm approaching this review
3:24 Hardware tour - screen, encoders, joystick, I/O
6:11 The 16x16 patch matrix
9:28 The mixer
11:00 The sequencer (tracks, automation, ratchets, probability)
17:08 Chord mode deep dive
21:00 Clip follow-up modes
21:38 LFOs & envelopes (128 per track)
24:41 DAW control mode (Ableton/Bitwig integration)
28:50 Song mode - blocks & snapshots
33:26 Settings menu
35:09 Full Demo Performance with Description"

Building a Full TECHNO Track With the RELIQ: First play with description

video upload by Starsky Carr

"I built an entire techno track using the Reliq hybrid control surface — sequencing CV, gates, and MIDI together. This is a quick preview before my full in-depth Reliq review drops, made for anyone who just wants to see what it can actually do in a real track.

In this short hardware jam, the Reliq's Breakout Module handles every CV and gate connection to my Eurorack rack, while its onboard LFOs and envelopes replace modules I'd normally need patched in separately — freeing up rack space while adding an extra oscillator's worth of movement. MIDI runs straight to the Dreadbox Artemis alongside it, all synced from the same sequencer. You'll hear polyrhythmic drum sequencing too — kick and closed hi-hat running full bars, snare on the backbeat at a different rate, and a 4-step open hi-hat loop sitting on the offbeats.

This is a fast, feature-packed look at the Reliq's matrix routing, CV/gate output, MIDI output, LFOs, and envelopes all working together in one musical piece — not a full walkthrough (that's coming soon), just proof of what one box can do.

What's covered:

Reliq Breakout Module: CV + gate patching into Eurorack
Onboard LFOs and envelopes standing in for extra modules
Simultaneous CV and MIDI sequencing (Eurorack + Dreadbox Artemis)
Polyrhythmic step sequencing across multiple tracks
Building a full techno track hardware-only, no DAW"

See the Reliq label below for additional posts.

UDO DMNO: Classic Oberheim SEM-Style Patches — Full Patch Bank Demo

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Chasing vintage Oberheim tone on a modern synth — this time I've built a whole patch bank around it.

In my original UDO Domino demo I showed how it's so much more than a modern take on the Oberheim 2-Voice SEM: multiple mod sources running simultaneously, deep filter routing options, and full digital waveforms on top. But because it looks like a SEM, I couldn't resist trying to make it sound like one too.

In this demo I play through a patch bank of SEM and Oberheim-style patches — feeding Domino 1 into Domino 2, alternating and detuning the two voices to fake that 2-Voice-to-8-Voice spread, using voice variation and drift for size, splitting the keyboard, and (just to push it) running the envelope and LFO on the filter at the same time. I stripped most patches back to only what an original SEM could actually do, chasing that thick, thunderous, vintage TVS-style tone — the kind of sound you'd expect from something like a Sequential Pro-TVS or an Oberheim Eight Voice — on modern, affordable gear.

The result: Bank A2–H2, 64 patches, all built to capture that classic Oberheim character without ever pretending to be a clone.

🎹 Get the patch bank:
→ https://starskycarr.com
→ Patreon: / starskycarr
If you own a UDO Domino, this bank is available now — grab it and drop it straight in."

Dreadbox Artemis Review — Raw Tones, V1.2 Update & Nymphes Comparison

video upload by Starsky Carr

"A full demo of the the Dreadbox Artemis V1.2 firmware plus a comparison with the Dreadbox Nymphes I demo demo every new Firmware V1.2 feature (mod matrix, MPE/CC74, BBD Resonator, BBD Playground, updated reverbs), and answer the big question: is it worth the upgrade?

You'll hear a 7-minute uninterrupted sound journey — from a bare 2-oscillator patch, through filter sweeps, stereo spread and lush Sinevibes effects, then all the way back down to the raw tone. I've hidden some classic samples in there too... can you spot them all? Drop your guesses in the comments 👇

Plus: PWM and sawtooth A/B tests against the Nymphes, the new no-oscillator mode (play the filter as a sine wave!), the drive circuit, every distortion algorithm, and a filthy acid bassline in mono mode to prove it's not just a well-behaved polysynth.

▶ WHAT IS THE ARTEMIS?
Dreadbox's flagship 6-voice analog polysynth: 2 VCOs per voice plus sub, hard sync, thru-zero FM, filter FM, resonant 12/24dB low-pass + high-pass filters, 2 ADSRs, 2 LFOs per voice, stereo voice spread, polyphonic sequencer, and 4 stunning Sinevibes effects (distortion, modulation, delay, reverb) — all modulatable within the patch."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Dreadbox Artemis – Ambient Pads, Chilled Tones & Arpeggios

video upload by Starsky Carr

"25 minutes of pure Dreadbox Artemis. No talking – just sound. Sit back and drift through lush ambient pads, evolving drones, chilled atmospheric tones and hypnotic arpeggios, all created on this 6-voice desktop analog polysynth.

Every sound you hear comes straight from the Artemis: 2 analog VCOs with wave shaping, PWM and FM, sub + noise, resonant 24/12dB low pass and high pass filters, dual poly LFOs, polyphonic sequencer/arpeggiator, and the onboard Sinevibes effects doing the heavy lifting on space and shimmer. It supports poly aftertouch and MPE too – perfect for slow-morphing ambient textures.

Ideal for background listening, studying, relaxing… or deciding whether the Artemis deserves a spot in your studio."

Korg Electribe EMX 1 - Techno weapon - Demo and Review

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Can a groovebox from 2003 really carry an entire live techno, House or Electro set? After watching my mate Beau Beaumont play a whole gig out of a single Korg Electribe, I had to find out for myself. In this video I dig into the EMX-1 (the blue, synth-based Electribe) — the sounds, the synth engine, the effects, and the performance tricks that let you play a full live set from one little groovebox. Stick around to the end for a 15-minute live set demo recorded in one take.

The Korg Electribe EMX-1 and its sample-based sibling the ESX-1 came out over 20 years ago, but they've quietly become cult live-performance machines. 9 drum parts, 5 synth parts, 16 oscillator types, 256 patterns per song, 3 chainable effects, motion sequencing, and a pair of glowing valves for warmth and grit. By the end you'll know exactly what it does, what it can't do, and how to actually gig with one.

🎛️ QUICK BUYER'S TIP
The older Electribes use SmartMedia cards; this newer revision takes SD cards — handier and worth paying a little extra for. Check which one you're getting before you buy.

🔗 CHECK OUT BEAU BEAUMONT
The whole reason this video exists. Amazing live performances and DJ sets:
👉 / beausoundart"

Erica Synths Introduces x 112db RAZORNATOR Stereo Effects Unit

video upload by Erica Synths

"Razornator is a unique stereo effects unit developed in collaboration with 112dB, featuring five chromatically tuned resonating delay lines that emulate the resonance of physical objects, spaces, and instruments.

Timeline:
00:02 - Take 1 / Bassline DB-01 through the Razornator with root note transposed via MIDI
00:50 - Take 2 / Error Instruments Ritual processed with Razornator
01:55 - Take 3 / TR-707 through the Razornator with root note transposed via MIDI
03:09 - Take 4 / Lapsteel processed with the Razornator
04:16 - Take 5 / Monotribe through the Razornator with MIDI set to Chord mode
05:27 - Take 6 / Pocket Operator processes with the Razornator with extreme envelope follower settings
06:24 - Take 7 / Sound FX toy making beautiful sounds with Razornator
07:38 - Take 8 / Jam with Razornator ar TR-909"

Erica Synths Razornator: Review and Demo

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Erica Synths Razornator is the 4th 112dB collaboration FX unit and it's a resonator like no other. In this hands-on walkthrough I build an entire track (strings, dubby stabs and thunderous bass) from nothing but short pulses of noise fed into its Karplus-Strong like resonators. If you want to know what the Razornator actually sounds like before you buy, this deep-dive demo is for you.

The Razornator packs 10 resonators (five stereo pairs), a resonant low-pass filter, +24dB of input gain, a built-in compressor and an envelope follower — all fully MIDI controllable. Originally a 1983 Karplus & Strong algorithm for plucked-string and percussive tones, Erica Synths and 112dB have turned it into a wildly flexible tone-generation and sound-mangling machine. I run through the signal path, the root/offset tuning, the gorgeous presets by Eraldo Bernocchi, and push it hard with synths, hi-hats and kicks. Resonator, but not as we know it."

⏱ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro — all synths made with the Razornator
1:14 How it works: Karplus-Strong resonators explained
2:36 Playing the resonator via MIDI
5:01 Recreating the intro tones — dubby stab & octave bass
9:10 Eraldo Bernocchi presets — the range of sounds
12:35 Percussion: enhancing hi-hats
16:45 Putting kicks through the resonator
19:39 Synth tones, shimmer & spring-reverb textures
23:00 Final Thoughts



"A unique stereo FX unit with an algorithm developed by Dutch company 112dB, the Razornator features 5 chromatically tuned resonating delay lines that can emulate the resonance of physical objects - bodies of instruments, rooms, structures. Chromatic tuning of the resonating delay lines makes the effect particularly musical, because it allows for aligning them in chord-like intervals, while the built-in envelope follower adds dynamics to the processed signal. Featuring 12 parameters for detailed sound design, save/recall functions for all parameters, MIDI control over all parameters and a sleek aluminium case to match our lineup of compact desktop units, the Razornator will let your setup take flight in any live show, studio or sonic experiment.

The Razornator combines several well considered and tuned “modules” for stereo audio processing with the aim of altering the harmonic content of the incoming signal. The signal path starts with an audio GAIN STAGE that boosts signals up to +24dB (it can effectively act as an analogue overdrive), then the signal is fed through the lowpass FILTER with a RESONANCE control and after filter treatment it passes through five chromatically tuned DELAY-BASED RESONATORS that can be manually tuned or controlled by the ENVELOPE FOLLOWER. After the resonators, the signal is summed and limited by the COMPRESSOR, then mixed with the dry signal and passed through the EQUALIZER and finally is sent to BALANCED OUTPUT stage.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
Product Features
5 chromatically tuned resonating delay lines
Chromatic tuning
Built-in envelope follower
Save/recall functions for all 12 parameters
Preset morphing
Resonators tunings playable via MIDI
Configurable footswitch input
True stereo signal path
Premium aluminum enclosure"

Next Level Drum Modules A Perfect Pair // Bohm + Drum Farm

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Two of the most powerful drum modules in Eurorack, working better together than apart. In this review and demo I dig into the Knobula Drum Farm and the Ohmforce Bohm — and show how combining them gives you a complete, performance-ready techno drum setup in a single rack.

The Knobula Drum Farm is a drum synth AND sampler in one: 16 synth models (FM, Simmons, 808/909-style snares, toms, congas, claps, ring-mod tones, hats, cymbals and more), 16 onboard effects (reverb, delay, multi-tap, reverse, cymbal crash), plus two sample players and 256 factory samples across 16 banks. Sample your own synth tones on the fly, record straight into the module, and route everything through the main or aux outputs for instant variation.

The Ohmforce Bohm is a seriously deep kick drum module with FM, tube drive, bass and wavefolder shaping — but the Performer (DJ filter, beat roll, beat slice, ducking) and Groove (clocked rumble/reverb tails) expansions are what turn it into a room-filling techno machine. Duck the Drum Farm through the Bohm and the whole groove locks together as one living pattern instead of separate hits.

Together these run around £535 (Bohm + expansions) and £450 (Drum Farm) — close to £1,000 of drums — but if you're building a live, hands-on modular setup, they're stunning."

Over 600 Monster Kicks from the Bohm

▶ Patreon: / starskycarr
▶ Website: https://starskycarr.com

Introducing the Official Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Software

video uploads by GForce Software

"Meet GForce Prophet~5 - the first-ever official software recreation of the legendary Sequential Prophet~5.

On sale now: https://www.gforcesoftware.com/produc..."

Playlist:

1. GForce Prophet~5 | Available Now
2. Introducing the Official Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Software
3. GForce Prophet~5 | A Walkthrough of the Sounds
4. Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Walkthrough

User videos:



Playlist:

1. GForce / Sequential Prophet-5 Plug-in - My Factory Patches - Polydata

00:00 Intro 02:14 Aquarium Visit 1983 02:30 Auto Buchla 02:41 Central Texas Disc Golf Semi-Finals 02:51 Clouds Over Ocean 03:08 Concrete Engineering 03:22 CV Input 03:38 Heat Index 03:49 Horizons 04:00 Luggage Carousel 04:15 Natural Science Center 04:27 Network Protocol 04:44 North American Walnut 05:04 Observatory 05:17 Peach Flower 05:32 Plant Irrigation 05:47 Prairie Dawn 05:58 Rainbow Vision 06:13 ROM Upgrade 06:25 Sea Foam 06:44 Silicon Manufacturing 06:55 SSM Bass 07:06 Striking the Circuit 07:17 Television Relay Circuit 07:27 UCSD Research Grouping 07:42 Woodland Hills

2. GForce Prophet 5 vs the Hardware - Starsky Carr

I put the GForce Prophet 5 VST head-to-head against my real Sequential Prophet 5 hardware — testing filters, oscillators, envelopes, LFOs, vintage mode, FM, sync, unison, and more — to find out just how close it really gets.

The GForce Prophet 5 is the ONLY Prophet 5 software officially endorsed by Sequential, making it the only plugin that can legally call itself the Prophet 5. But does the endorsement mean anything sonically? After hours of clinical testing with spectrum analysis, oscilloscopes, and direct A/B comparisons, the results genuinely surprised me.

In this video:
Rev 1 vs Rev 2 vs Rev 3 filter comparison (SSI vs CEM — hear the -difference)
Oscillator shapes: sawtooth, square, triangle side-by-side
Pulse width modulation & LFO speed accuracy
FM / oscillator sync behaviour (I did find a minor difference here)
Polymod and audio-rate filter modulation
Unison & Vintage mode — does the voice-to-voice character match?
Low frequency oscillator mode
X-Mod section: LFOs and envelopes on everything
Built-in effects: chorus, phaser, distortion, multi-mode filter, delay, reverb
CPU load test: 10 simultaneous instances vs Ozone on the master bus

The verdict? The differences I found are no greater than you'd hear between two hardware Prophet 5s. If you don't own the hardware and aren't doing a clinical A/B, you will not notice them.

The GForce Prophet 5 is also remarkably CPU efficient — 10 instances use less CPU than a single Ozone instance. It adds two layers, up to 10-voice polyphony, full CC modulation, and an X-Mod section that turns a classic polysynth into something far more powerful."

ASM Leviasynth: The Most Ambitious Synth of 2026?

video upload by Starsky Carr

"So much more than a DX7 on steroids. In this hands-on walkthrough I program the Leviasynth from scratch to show what Ashun Sound Machines' 16-voice hybrid synth (the long-awaited Hydrasynth successor) can really do: 8 oscillators per voice, 144 algorithms, 7 modulation types, I even demo wavetable-style tones, deep DHDSR envelopes and that gorgeous new analog filter.

I'll show you how it sounds, how it's built and exactly how to start programming it — from a classic Prophet-5 patch to dirty FM basses, glassy vintage-digital pads and modular-style generative patches. By the end you'll understand the workflow and whether the Leviasynth deserves a place at the centre of your studio.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
🎹 ABOUT THE LEVIASYNTH
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The ASM Leviasynth is a 16-voice, 8-oscillator algorithmic hybrid synthesizer from Ashun Sound Machines — the team behind the Hydrasynth. It pairs an advanced digital engine (144 algorithms, 7 synthesis types, 300+ waveforms, FM, phase distortion, phase modulation, pulse-width modulation and sync) with a brand-new pure analog 4-pole resonant filter featuring custom pre-drive saturation. Add 13 envelopes, 5 LFOs, a deep mod matrix, a 3-track sequencer, arpeggiator, Polytouch polyphonic-aftertouch keybed and ribbon controller, and you have one of the most powerful synths released in years. Available in keyboard and desktop versions."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
⏱ CHAPTERS
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 Intro — tracking shots & first sounds
00:32 First impressions & build quality
01:14 Spec overview: 16 voices, filters, envelopes & FX
02:37 The heart of it: a DX7 on steroids

CLICK FOR MORE »

Erica Synths Resonant Filterbank Desktop // Review and Demo

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Erica Synths Resonant Filterbank looks like a lighting controller from a 1980s Radio Shack. It sounds like nothing else on the market. In this full review and demo I take the new desktop stereo analog filterbank through all four modes, explore its roots in the legendary Serge Resonant Equalizer, and find out what happens when you turn the resonance knob past 3 o'clock.
Spoiler: it's much, much more than a graphic EQ.

⭐ WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS VIDEO:

Opening demo: input gain, resonance and self-oscillation right out of the gate
The Serge Modular connection — why the filter tuning is in major 7ths, not octaves
All 4 modes: Filterbank, Filter, Clocked Modulation and Dynamic EQ
Per-band feedback routing — the feature the Serge never had
Dual resonance, attenuverter feedback and stereo channel select
Snapshot pools with MIDI-clocked morphing between presets
LFO and envelope modulation — synced to MIDI and free-running
Macro page setup for live performance
Spectrograph / Lissajous display
Honest verdict including current firmware quirks"

Frippertronics on Stereo-oids // Synthux Spotykach review and demo

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The r3ta of loopers!! Synthux Academy Spotykach is the most unique looper I've ever played. Think two tape machines that can loop, overdub, cross-record from one to the other, slow down, speed up — all with three distinct modes: tape/real mode, a time-based slice mode, and granular mode. Add LFOs, envelopes, a trigger sequencer, an onboard clock, MIDI I/O and you've got a sonic playground that'll swallow hours without you noticing.

In this review and hands-on demo I cover everything: the three playback modes, granular cloud control, tape speed pitch-bending, slice quantisation, stereo routing modes, deck-to-deck recording, LFO shapes (sine, saw, square, sample & hold), the trigger sequencer, loading/saving samples via SD card, and syncing it all to an external clock with the Symmontronic Gnome 2. I'm also running it alongside the Synthux Pro X and a DAW running 808s at 130 BPM — so you can hear exactly how it sits in a full setup.

At $949 it's not cheap, but if you're into ambient, experimental, or textural music, it's hard to think of anything else that does this.

The Spotykach supports:
✔ Three modes — Real (tape), Slice, Granular (Drift)
✔ Dual independent decks (A & B) with cross-deck recording
✔ Onboard clock with tap tempo (internal / external / MIDI)
✔ Trigger sequencer per channel
✔ Two LFOs (sine, sawtooth, square, sample & hold)
✔ Envelopes per channel
✔ Delay & distortion/grit effects
✔ Pitch quantisation (semitones, fifths, octaves, 1–2 octaves)
✔ Three stereo routing modes including stereo randomisation
✔ SD card sample load/save (48kHz 32-bit float, 42 sec max)
✔ MIDI in/out, USB power, headphone out
✔ Voltage per octave (V/oct) input
✔ Pickup mode (no parameter jumps)
✔ Visual LED feedback for every parameter"

Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums Review Demo and Manual

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums looks lie a toy but has hidden depths. In this video I give you a complete hands-on review, a live demo built from scratch, and a full manual walkthrough so you know exactly what this drum machine can do before you buy.

The Bullfrog Drums is the follow-up to the Bullfrog Synth — a collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, designed to be approachable for beginners but deep enough for professionals. Spoiler: it absolutely delivers on both fronts."

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Erica Synths Syntrx II Review and Demo // Not just for Bleeps, Fizzes and Ambient Soundscapes

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Erica Synths Syntrx II is one of the most talked-about synthesizers of recent years — but three years on from its release, is it still worth your money? In this in-depth review and demo, I finally get hands-on with this modern spiritual successor to the legendary EMS VCS3 and EMS Synthi, and I want to bust two big myths: it's NOT as complicated as it looks, and it's NOT just a crazy sci-fi sound effects machine.
🎹 What's covered in this video:

-Syntrx II vs the original EMS VCS3 / EMS Synthi — key similarities and differences
-Syntrx II vs Syntrx I — what changed and why
-The 16x16 digital pin matrix explained simply
-Using the Syntrx II as a standard 3-oscillator monosynth
-The trapezoid (looping) envelope in practice
-All-analog signal path walkthrough
-Onboard 3-channel sequencer, DSP reverb and delay, envelope follower
FM, self-oscillation, noise modulation, and filter techniques
-Sample & hold circuit — how to set it up
-The joystick as an LFO / recording modulation source
-MIDI setup tips (offset fix, CC assignments for X and Y axes)
-Patch saving — what it DOES and DOESN'T save, and why it matters
-Honest pros and cons

🎵 Extended drone demo — 5 minutes of the Syntrx II running a single live patch with the trapezoid looping envelope, FM, noise, filter modulation via joystick, and DSP effects. The full version was over 10 minutes — it really is that good.

💷 Price context: Original EMS Synthis now sell for £24,000+. The Syntrx II comes in under £2,000. If you've ever wanted that Synthi sound without selling a kidney, this might be your answer."