"Retromulator is a multi-core retro hardware emulation app and AUv3 plug-in that brings legendary synthesizer, sampler, and keyboard cores back to life through authentic low-level emulation. Each core runs its actual firmware, physical model, or sample data — delivering the unmistakable character of the hardware that defined electronic music from the early 80s through the 2000s.
— EMULATED CORES —
VIRTUAL ANALOG SYNTHS
Motorola DSP 56300 recreation (interpreter mode), built on the open-source Gearmulator by the dsp56300 team:
• Access Virus A, B and C • Access Virus TI / TI2 / Snow • Clavia Nord Lead 2X • Waldorf microQ • Waldorf Microwave XT
FM SYNTHESIS
• Yamaha DX7 — original chip set emulation, based on VDX7 by Charles Chiaccona
• Yamaha OPL3 — Nuked OPL3 cycle-accurate FM by Nuke.YKT
"The two modules in this video were built by Jakub Jasiński as a custom order for their previous owner. One is loosely based on Zerosum Inertia’s masterpiece 5U VCO module, the 6550-99. The other is based on the Metasonix Agonizer. We just got them, so this was a first quick test while I work out power. The ALM Pamela’s New Workout is driving the Birdkids Unicorn Boom 808 bass drum clone (into its internal compressor), then that runs through the Metasonix Agonizer clone for distortion. As usual, this tube module responds very differently to how hard you drive the input, and how much decay there is on the bass drum. There’s gated reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II and a stereo reverb blended on the CXM 1978."
"Blue Giant is a bit accurate emulation of the Novation Supernova II
Running 4 instances in this project, performance mode, each instance running 9 DSPs, 8x DSP56362 and 1x DSP56303
It is 8 part multitimbral, offers 4 stereo outputs and has 24 voices, expandable to 48"
See The Usual Suspects label below for additional emulations by them. These essentially run the same code/OS as the original hardware, ported featuring a software UI.
Let's welcome to the first 3rd party Donner Essential B1 library - ACID & Trance V1 patterns.
With these new patterns, your Donner B1 will sound completely new. In the video demonstration, I showed how beautifully it can be combined with guitar pedals, preamps, and other effects to achieve the most pleasing sound. And of course, as usual, in my acid libraries I focused on Acid and Trance.
The soundbank contains 32 Donner B1 Patterns.
Each pattern was created from scratch and carefully crafted to perfection.
"Liminal Space 2 is now available for macOS... And now it does my favorite 80s reverb tropes: Gates, nonlinear decays, and deep modulations. So grab your Easy Panel and get ready for an algorithms-a-go-go episode of your favorite talky synthesizer content show!
The usual Links, Chapters, and Other ephemera coming soon. Since you're here early, please like, comment, and do light your torch for the new moon on Monday to appease the algorithm. Thanks and I love you."
A quick 90-second showcase of some of the coolest interfaces available for JE-8086 — from classic hardware-inspired looks to completely different designs.
🎵 The background track was made entirely with 4 instances of JE-8086 — no other synths used.
"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.
"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."
"Today I'm taking a first look at JADE, the brand-new Roland JD-990 software emulator developed by The Usual Suspects.
In this video I'll give you a quick overview of the project, explain how to get access to the current alpha, and let you hear a few sounds from this amazing emulation.
If you enjoy vintage Roland synthesizers, this is definitely a project worth following!
"My singing is poor at best and am actually a man so have used Ace Studio to generate some cool Female vocals. Still not had much time with the Opsix so it is just doing a simple bass. Hydrasynth doing house chords as usual and Sub37 doing what it does best."
"OP-Z
I tried to find perc samples that had no obvious FX, but no additional FX were added to any samples or synths in this performance.
Pretty dry, but that was the challenge. :-)
As it was a simple challenge, I finally had time to make something again after being too busy for my usual HWJ output for many weeks."
"Relax with this soothing, calming ambient track. Live performed simple looping with the almighty Loopy Pro and a bunch of beautiful effects.
Disclaimer: Stylophone sent this product free of charge; I wasn’t paid, and they had no input on the content.
I loved the Stylosette immediately after trying it. It looks like a toy, but the sound is fantastic, and the octave shift and adjustable vibrato makes it more capable than I thought it would be (I didn't even try the built in delay this time, but it also sounds great and can do self-oscillating madness as well).
Most people use the Stylosette through fruits, and other food like sushi and cheese (genius haha), which I might try next time, but I only wanted something simple and conductive for the octave key to play the high-pitched melody after the base loops were layered... so I used a Japanese knife. Mostly because it looks great and sits stable on the table (cutting edge idea...).
Now the usual geeky stuff:
Signal chain: → Stylophone Stylosette Keys through a TRS to RCA cable and a stereo to mono adapter → IK Multimedia iRig USB → iPhone with Loopy Pro as host
"A look at the famous Roland JP-8000 from 1996 along with its prototype.
0:00 Intro
1:17 History
4:18 Demo 1:
5:22 What is the JP-8000?
11:13 Demo 2:
12:22 The Story of the Prototype
15:59 Demo 3:
17:05 The Usual Suspects
18:48 Patron Outro Jam
With thanks to my Patrons, Roland, Andy Boucher, Mark Lawrence, Stéphane Pigeon, The Usual Suspects and other legends who know who they are!"
This demo takes Freqlux into a synth-based setup, using its tri-pitch engine to create movement, harmony, and new layers of sound beyond the usual pedalboard world.
NeonGlow was never made for one instrument.
It was made for ideas."
Pitch shifting, reimagined.
Freqlux is not just another pitch pedal. It is a creative engine built for players who hear more than one idea at a time. With three fully independent pitch voices and deep real-time control, Freqlux turns complex harmony concepts into playable reality.
Three Voices. Unlimited Directions.
At the core of Freqlux are three completely independent pitch engines. Each voice can run a different mode, interval, and behavior. Unlike traditional mono or standard poly pitch pedals, Freqlux lets you stack, blend, and sculpt three pitch ideas at once.
Each voice can be assigned to one of the following modes:
Poly Mode
Flawless polyphonic pitch shifting that preserves chord structure and articulation. Big chords stay intact. Fast passages stay clean.
Key Mode
Set a key and scale, and Freqlux generates musically intelligent harmonies that move with you. Classic harmony tones with modern precision.
"This video is shot at a more revealing angle than usual, to document the setup before we change it. When we added an EML 400/401 to our EML 200, we made custom shelves to line the three panels up on a table. But we got a great deal on a second EML 200 during the pandemic, so that got installed on a metal shelf over the first EML 200. The studio kept growing over the years, with lots of revisions on how it is all arranged, but the EML 400/401 hasn’t moved an inch. I never liked this hockey stick configuration and have always felt the EML 400/401 is a bit underutilized. This summer we’ve decided to move the 400 above the 401, creating a big EML block, so that the 400 is closer to the 200s, to the Buchla system, and so it’s easier to reach everything at once.
Anyways, the point of this patch was to use V1 on the right set of stages to reset the left set of stages. It’s a fun trick because you can control when and how often you want to reset the sequence using the sliders. The TR-909 is externally clocked by ALM Pamela’s New Workout at 130bpm. The kick and rim shot are saturated by the Dukane 2a76. The snare sound is the Simmons SDS1, triggered by the rim shot trigger output on the 909. The EML 401 filter is in high pass mode. At 0:43 I drop the kick, unmute the clap and hats, and turn off the voltage control of the envelope, which makes it sound like a goose. At 1:13 I change the TR-909 pattern and switch the routing of the lower voltages on the 400, from V4 to V3 and from V3 to V4."
"The beauty of having access to different devices is they inspire different things. You can't rely on muscle memory and your usual chops.
(If you leave you one device long enough, the same thing happens :) )
Btw, the little jitter on the Replay is by modulating the filter with an LFO with sample and hold."
