Bad Gear - The 2000s are BACK!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. After years of turning nostalgia into profit by bringing half-baked reissues to the market there is still one era mostly untouched by the profit maximization of music tech executives.

Today we are going to talk about Waldorf microQ. This virtual analog synth was spawned into existence during the dawn of the DAW revolution of the early 2000s, it was - in a way - itself a half-baked reissue, dated on release and yet there’s no one to take the disposable income of both, sentimental Gen-x ravers and trance revival-obsessed zoomers."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview micro Q
02:04 Oscillators, Wavetables, Sub OSC
02:25 FM, Sync, Ring Mod
02:49 Filter Section, Difference to Q
03:28 Modulators
03:48 Mod Matrix
04:00 Arpeggiator, FX, Vocoder
04:31 Multitimbrality, Outputs, Drums, Patches
05:00 Pricing, DSP Emulation
05:16 H*te Screen
05:39 Jam 1 ( PresetMaxxing )
06:33 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:33 Finale ( Sleaze House Bass Line )
08:03 VERDICT

1010music Introduces Blackbox 2 - Back in Black Compact Sampler Sequencer

video upload by 1010music

Two user videos further below. Press release follows:


"NEW blackbox 2 – Next Generation of a Compact Sampler Classic with 2X the Power

May 7th, 2026: 1010music unveils new blackbox 2 with features fueled by user requests and the development of the flagship bento sampling production lab.

A new high-resolution color touchscreen lets you load up to four Tracks where each Track can host Loop, One-Shot, Slicer, Shredder or Multisample Instruments. Record sequences in real time by using the touchscreen to finger drum on one-shots or play notes using a virtual keyboard with multisampled instruments like pianos. Or quickly create and edit sequences by drawing notes into the Piano Roll. Plus there’s a new Step Sequencer if that’s your preference.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Best Ambient Synth Shootout #150: Modal Skulpt - Song 2

video upload by Christian's Sonic Spaces

"This is the second, quite relaxing recording with the Modal Skulpt. It is a unique sounding, little 4-voice polyphonic virtual analogue synthesizer. The size of the Modal Skulpt is somewhere between the Korg Volca and the Sonicware Liven.

I used for the recording the following FX pedals: Boss Slicer SL-2, Hologram Microcosm, Pigtronix Echolution 2 Deluxe, GFI System Specular Reverb 2.

The signal went through a Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2 into the PC via USB for recording. To create the complete song I recorded consecutively several stereo tracks. On some tracks Compressor and EQ where added in Cubase. The final song was then mastered using iZotope Ozone.

Well, I decided to go back to the basics, but at the same time make something useful for the synth community and do a kind of competition (I like competitions;-). What's my best synth for ambient music :-)"

Ocean Swift Introduces Sound Creator Suite - tools for sound-design and instrument development

The Ultimate Sound Designer & Developer Toolkit: Sound Creator Suite Walkthrough | Ocean Swift video upload by Ocean Swift / Faxi Nadu

https://oceanswift.net/product/sound-creator-suite/

"Welcome to a complete walkthrough of the Ocean Swift - Sound Creator Suite. In this video, we take a high-level tour of the entire application, showing you not just what the tools do, but how they work in concert to provide a centralized host environment for virtual instrument developers, sample pack creators, and sound designers.

Whether you are automating hardware sampling, building custom UI components, or formatting vast preset libraries, this suite handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on the creative process.

What we cover in this walkthrough:
Global Settings & The Log Viewer: A look at the suite's foundation, including audio/MIDI routing, Kontakt developer integration , and the built-in, thread-safe Log Viewer capable of maintaining a 10,000-line history.
Audio Batch Processing & Sampling: How to recursively process thousands of audio files , mathematically align loops using MIR technology , and automate external hardware sampling via MIDI and threshold detection.
The Wavetable Ecosystem: A brief look at building wavetables from scratch with the Creator, extracting them from audio files, and converting formats across various software synthesizers.
MIDI & OSC Routing: Bridging the gap between your hardware, digital audio workstations, and modular environments like TouchDesigner.
UI Generation & NKS Workflow: From rendering 3D knobs into sprite sheets to batch-injecting metadata into Native Instruments NKS presets and standard audio samples."

Build Kontakt Instruments Faster: WYSIWYG UI Editor & Prefabs | Ocean Swift Sound Creator Suite

video upload by Ocean Swift / Faxi Nadu

"In this in-depth walkthrough, we dive into the Kontakt Performance View tool, a powerful standalone WYSIWYG editing environment within the Ocean Swift Sound Creator Suite. If you build instruments for Native Instruments Kontakt, this tool bridges the gap between technical JSON editing and intuitive visual design.We cover the entire workflow, from initial setup to complex UI layout, showing you how to design without writing a single line of layout code. What you will learn in this video:Integration & Setup: How to use the suite's settings to launch Kontakt as an isolated child process. Automated NKS Creation: Watch the tool automatically generate the strict NKS folder hierarchy and silently execute a Lua script to create your base .nki and .nkr container files. Live WYSIWYG Editing: Explore the hardware-accelerated preview canvas that provides a near 1:1 visual representation of your UI.Drag & Drop Design: See how to physically drag controls across the canvas , use grab handles for free-resizing , and utilize the alignment menu to perfectly center, top, or bottom-align multiple UI elements instantly.
Advanced Tree & Property Inspector: Learn how to manage the exact structural hierarchy of your UI. We show you how to use Alt+Click to instantly select a Panel and all nested child controls , and how to edit multiple parameters safely using the dynamic property inspector.
Instant UI Prefabs: Discover how to recursively scan your resources folder to drop complex, pre-configured .nckc UI elements directly into your project in seconds.

Grab it here: https://oceanswift.net/product/sound-..."

Press release follows:

"Sound Creator Suite is an all-in-one desktop environment for advanced sound-design and virtual instrument development workflows. Serving as a robust, centralized host, this suite equips producers and developers with an unparalleled arsenal of specialized Ocean Swift tools and utilities.

Learn more and grab it here for €60 instead of €100, 40% off until May 7 2026: https://oceanswift.net/product/sound-creator-suite/

Generate studio-grade UI components - from photo realistic brushed-metal knobs to glowing LED rings with the GUI Knob Maker, and export complex animations as perfectly stitched sprite sheets in seconds. Seamlessly pair this with the Kontakt Performance View tool, an advanced WYSIWYG editing environment that lets you construct complex Kontakt interfaces using a visual, drag-and-drop real-time workflow, entirely eliminating the need to write tedious layout code.

Process audio in bulk, utilize MIR algorithms to surgically align loops, automate your hardware sampling workflows, and generate algorithmic MIDI patterns. Whether you are building and converting custom wavetables, batch-injecting metadata with the NKS preset and sample taggers, monitoring OSC packets, or accessing instant music-calculation tools, the Sound Creator Suite brings an entire development ecosystem into one powerful interface.

Featuring
30+ sound design and instrument development tools
Growing toolkit with an exciting future roadmap – more tools, more assets!
Design, Build, Record, Process, Edit, Manipulate, Monitor
Automate processes and speed up workflows
Innovative, unique, performant and user minded approach"

PPG Wave 2.3 w/ New Display

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

via this eBay listing

This one was spotted and sent in via
M Me.

"The Ultimate PPG Wave 2.3 – Serviced & Refurbished – Collector's Condition

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Crow Hill Company Introduces the THE SH*T SYNTH

The Sh*t Synth - Walkthrough video upload by CROW HILL XTRAS

Press release follows:


The Crow Hill Company turns to extensive and rare collection to turn out THE SH*T SYNTH as compendium of 48 circuit-, wave- and sample-bent instruments

EDINBURGH, UK: The Crow Hill Company is proud to turn to its own extensive and rare collection of hardware to turn out THE SH*T SYNTH — available as a compendium of 48 circuit-, wave- and sample-bent instruments inspired by some of the Edinburgh-based enterprise’s eclectic musical favourites (spanning the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, Joe Maus, Jon Brion, Laurie Spiegel, Radiohead, Throbbing Gristle, and Yazoo) to create something that they collectively ask: is it just shit or ‘the shit’? — as of April 7…

Whatever way anyone chooses to read into the titling of THE SH*T SYNTH as the latest entry into The Crow Hill’s ongoing ORIGINS series of sample-based virtual instrument plug-ins, one thing is for sure: it readily represents a broad selection of three categories of 16 workhorse instruments each, effectively wrapped up into a single plug-in designed to bring a cohesive approach to making music more edgy, lo-fi, retro, and — swimming against the technological tide of so-called progress — decidedly AI (Artificial Intelligence) slop-free. From pianos to strings, plucks, beeps, bass, and pads, the compendium that is THE SH*T SYNTH has been lovingly sculpted by the Edinburgh-based enterprise’s media composer and ‘samplist-in-residence’ Christian Henson to take the hassle out of making existing sounds less refined, catering to those looking for an entirely new bank of Mellotron-style sounds as well as synths that have been long forgotten — for good reason, too!

CLICK FOR MORE »

Speak & Music — Lo Fi Retro Synth as a Virtual Instrument (Decent Sampler)

video upload by A Last Picture From Voyager

"I turned a rare 1980s Texas Instruments toy synth - the 'Speak & Music' - into
a full virtual instrument. Here's the demo and a live track built entirely with it.

This little plastic relic from 1981 has one of the most unique lo-fi tones I've
ever heard: wobbly oscillators, crushed bit-depth, and a raw analog character that
no modern synthesizer can replicate. So I sampled every note, every texture, every
glitch — and built a playable virtual instrument from scratch.

─────────────────────────────────
WHAT'S IN THIS VIDEO
─────────────────────────────────
→ Overview of the original Speak & Music toy synth (1981)
→ Demo of the virtual instrument
→ Live track composed entirely with the virtual instrument and the real one
→ How this fits into lo-fi & ambient music production workflows
→ Where to get the instrument (link below)

─────────────────────────────────
🔗 GET THE INSTRUMENT
─────────────────────────────────
Speak & Music :
Patreon : / speak-music-lo-154500567
Gurmoad : https://alpfv.gumroad.com/l/speakandm...

Speak & Music Bundle with 3 other retro instruments :
Gurmroad : https://alpfv.gumroad.com/l/forgotten...
─────────────────────────────────
ABOUT THE SOUND
─────────────────────────────────
The Speak & Music was part of Texas Instruments' "Speak & Spell" family —
a range of educational toys with surprisingly musical internal hardware.
Its built-in synthesizer produces the kind of retro, degraded, lo-fi tones
that music producers have been chasing with vintage synth VSTs and lo-fi
sample packs for years. This is the real thing, captured and made playable.

Perfect for: lofi beats, ambient pads, cinematic textures, lo-fi music production,
experimental electronic music, and anyone who loves the sound of broken vintage gear.

─────────────────────────────────
⚙️ GEAR & SOFTWARE USED
─────────────────────────────────
• Speak & Music (Texas Instruments, 1981)
• Logic Pro
• IR Tool by Robomitchum"

Roland D-50 - first virtual analog synth?

video upload by Don Solaris

"Soundset available at: https://www.donsolaris.com/?page_id=4157
Compatible with: Roland Cloud D-50, V-Synth D-50, D-05, D-550 and D-50.

All music composed by Don Solaris unless otherwise noted.
Copyright © 2026 Don Solaris. All rights reserved."

Casio CZ-101-1000-3000-5000 - "Cassiopeia" Soundset 64 Presets

video upload by LFOstore

"!! This soundset is completely re-worked previously released 'Mosaic Tones' soundset which is no more avaliable.

BUY: https://lfo.sellfy.store/p/casio-cz-1...

If you bought 'Mosaic Tones' please write to us with payment history and we will send you this one for free!

Casio CZ-101 aka. Cosmosynthesizer is here!

Soundset working with hardware CZ-101 Model & Plugin Boutique Virtual CZ!
Working with CZ-101,CZ1000,3000,5000!

As description says:
The CZ-101 is a state-of-the-art musical instrument which incorporates the latest electronics technology to make its operation as easy as possible.

Exceptional sound quality backed up by a host of sophisticated features and functions makes the CZ-101 a truly unique musical instrument.

Thanks for Injapan.ru - we've got 36 years old CZ-3000 in mint condition.
Introducing "Cassiopeia" Soundset with 64 organic sounds for CZ-101!

Mellow Leads
Beautiful Pads
Sweeping Strings
Bells & Plucks
Poly's & Brass

A PDF booklet is included with description to every patch in the soundset.
From Ambient & Electronica to SynthWave & SynthPop with benefits of phazeDistortion synthesis.

Made by Nick Klimenko aka Chronos, a creator of 'Organica' for Waldorf Blofeld & 'WS Universe' for Korg Wavestation

Enjoy and may the music come with you!"

A "JP-8000" in your DAW for FREE

video upload by mylarmelodies

"Meet the DSP6300 crew and 'JE-8086', part their amazing ongoing project to make the firmware in 90's virtual analogue synths run in a modern DAW as a VST plugin. FOR FREE. 🔗 https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/ 👉 / mylarmelodies 🙌 MORE LINKS BELOW

Thanks to those who sent me the lecture - it's really interesting if you'd like to understand how this was achieved!

MORE INFO
▶︎ DSP56300 Site (the plugin is called "JE-8086"): https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/
▶︎ Roland's Official JP-8000 Firmware is here: https://www.roland.com/global/support..
. ▶︎ Lecture video by the creators on how it was done: • 39C3 - From Silicon to Darude Sand-storm: ... [video below]
▶︎ The DSP56300 donation link from the app: https://paypal.me/dsp56300
▶︎ More talks from them: https://media.ccc.de/search?p=giulioz


CHAPTERS:
00:00 This sounds familiar.
00:42 The sound, the feat
02:07 How it was done
03:41 Legal implications of ROMs
04:27 A quick fiddle
06:49 How to install & support it

39C3 - From Silicon to Darude Sand-storm: breaking famous synthesizer DSPs

video upload by media.ccc.de

"https://media.ccc.de/v/39c3-from-sili...

Have you ever wondered how the chips and algorithms that made all those electronic music hits work? Us too!

At The Usual Suspects we create open source emulations of famous music hardware, synthesizers and effect units. After releasing some emulations of devices around the Motorola 563xx DSP chip, we made further steps into reverse engineering custom silicon chips to achieve what no one has done before: a real low-level emulation of the JP-8000. This famous synthesizer featured a special "SuperSaw" oscillator algorithm, which defined an entire generation of electronic and trance music. The main obstacle was emulating the 4 custom DSP chips the device used, which ran software written with a completely undocumented instruction set. In this talk I will go through the story of how we overcame that obstacle, using a mixture of automated silicon reverse engineering, probing the chip with an Arduino, statistical analysis of the opcodes and fuzzing. Finally, I will talk about how we made the emulator run in real-time using JIT, and what we found by looking at the SuperSaw code.

This talk is a sequel to my last year's talk Proprietary silicon ICs and dubious marketing claims? Let's fight those with a microscope!", where I showed how I reverse engineered a pretty old device (1986) by looking at microscope silicon pics alone, with manual tracing and some custom tools. Back then I claimed that taking a look at a more modern device would be way more challenging, due to the increased complexity.

This time, in fact, I've reverse engineered a much modern chip: the custom Roland/Toshiba TC170C140 ESP chip (1995). Completing this task required a different approach, as doing it manually would have required too much time. We used a guided automated approach that combines clever microscopy with computer vision to automatically classify standard cells in the chip, saving us most of the manual work.

The biggest win though came from directly probing the chip: by exploiting test routines and sending random data to the chip we figured out how the internal registers worked, slowly giving us insights about the encoding of the chip ISA. By combining those two approaches we managed to create a bit-accurate emulator, that also is able to run in real-time using JIT.

In this talk I want to cover the following topics:
What I learned since my previous talk by looking at more complicated chips
Towards automating the silicon reverse engineering process
How to find and exploit test modes to understand how stuff works
How we tricked the chips into spilling its own secrets
How the ESP chip works, compared to existing DSP chips
How the SuperSaw oscillator turned out to work


giulioz

https://events.ccc.de/congress/2025/h..."

DiscoDSP Releases Retromulator Based on The Usual Suspects dsp56300 Engine

via DiscoDSP

[Note: although DiscoDSP gives credit to The Usual Suspects, it's my understanding TUS is not happy about it. From a forum:

"He basically took our source, put his own wrapper on it and is trying to sell it and use it to promote his own business. Can't prevent it, but frankly this is reprehensible IMHO.

Yes. He knows he cannot legally "sell" it due to the licensing model our code is published under. Therefore he sells "support" of "his development efforts" to include difficult things like "git clone" and other Arcane and extremely difficult stuff. sigh... I'd strongly advise anyone using it not to actually pay him for it, but that is just my opinion.]

What isn't clear is whether the UI is just the player above or includes the full editors by The Usual Suspects. I'm hearing it's just the player, which in effect might be an upsell for the full editors by The Usual Suspects.

That said:

"Retromulator brings legendary hardware cores back to life through authentic low-level emulation. The virtual analog synths are powered by a faithful recreation of the Motorola DSP 56300 processor, the Yamaha DX7 runs a full emulation of its original chip set, and the Akai S1000 sampler plays your SF2, SFZ, and Bliss sample banks with studio-quality interpolation. Each core runs its actual firmware or sample data — delivering the unmistakable character of hardware that defined electronic music from the early 80s through the 2000s.

Unlike traditional software emulations that recreate synthesizer behavior by approximation, Retromulator emulates the original integrated circuits at the hardware level. The virtual analog synths run on a cycle-accurate Motorola DSP 56300, the Yamaha DX7 runs a full emulation of its Hitachi HD6303R sub-CPU and Yamaha YM21280/YM21290 EGS/OPS chip set, and the Akai S1000 sampler runs on the SFZero v3.0.0 engine with 8-point sinc interpolation supporting SF2, SFZ, ZBP, and ZBB sample banks. Each core executes its authentic firmware or sample data exactly as intended.

Load the ROM firmware from your own hardware or sample banks from your library, place them in the designated folder, and Retromulator takes care of the rest. The result is not an approximation — it is the real hardware running inside your DAW.

Retromulator is built on Gearmulator, an open-source synthesizer emulation project by the dsp56300 team. We are grateful for their extraordinary work in bringing these classic instruments back to life."

You can find demos of the dsp56300 engines in previous posts here.

Featured synths:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Follow the Sound I

video upload by Todd Barton

"Todd Barton with Buchla Music Easel and Eurorack

Making this public, my OSU Soundbox 4 virtual performance from 2021. Eager to perform live for Soundbox 9 in May 29-30.

The original post:

Dear Patrons, I'm so glad to share this little improvisation with you. It premiered last night at SoundBox4 https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/s... That festival is still going on today and tomorrow and it is free, you might like to check it out.
I surely miss performing live but when I turn on the video and audio recorders and imagine an audience it is an exciting alternative. I hope you enjoy this. All best wishes, Todd"

FREE SYNTH: OB-Xf (Oberheim OB-X Emulation) - No talking demo

video upload by ADL-MusicLab

"Hi, everyone!

OB-Xf is a continuation and modernization of the last open source version of OB-Xd by 2DaT and later discoDSP, bringing together several efforts going on in the audio space and combining them inside the Surge Synth Team infrastructure.

It is an amazing freely downloadable virtual synthesizer inspired by the venerable Oberheim OB-X.

The original Oberheim OB-X is one of the best analog poly-synths ever, used by Rush, Van Halen, Queen, Japan, Eurythmics, Ultravox, Tangerine Dream and many others.

It is a classic synthesizer with a timeless sound that continues to captivate musicians and producers alike. With its rich, full-bodied tones and expansive sound design capabilities, the OB-Xf is the perfect choice for those looking to add a vintage touch to their music.

The OB-Xf is a synthesizer that has been designed to recreate the sound and behavior of the Oberheim OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8. However, the architecture of the original instruments was limited in some ways, so the OB-Xf includes a number of additional or altered features. Overall, the OB-Xf has been designed to produce a sound that is as good and as rich as the original OB-X.

Also, like many synths of the OB-X's generation, the OB-Xf has no internal effects so its sounds and textures can be greatly enhanced by the use of additional processing like chorus, reverb, delay, etc.

In this demo I will just let you hear what some amazing sound designers have made for this stunning synth simply by scrolling and playing some beautiful presets.

No additional effects or outboard processing here. What you listen is what you get!

More info here:
https://surge-synth-team.org/ob-xf/
https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/..."

Deeply Flawed, Utterly Charming: RMIF TI-5 Synthesizer

video upload by HAINBACH

"The RMIF TI-5 "Digital Keyboard", an 8-Voice analog/digital hybrid synth, is little known, even in former Soviet countries. As they did on the ES-2-5 drum machine I covered here before, it seems that the engineers in Riga took a look at what Roland was doing, taking inspiration from the Juno-line. Unlike the famously sturdy Japanese instruments, the TI-5 was built rather haphazardly, with bad clones of western chips managing the voices and processing. That is why only few survived the test of time. Yet despite its shortcomings it sounds utterly charming, managing both deep Moog-basses, vast evolving pads and chiptune leads.

Music & TI-5 Sample Instrument: / hainbach
My Music: http://hainbach.bandcamp.com"

You can find additional videos of the RMIF TI-5 including a virtual version in previous posts here.

Equations: Graphing Calculator Synthesizer by Decent Samples

Playing around with the Equations Synth video upload by Peter Kirn

"I am not going to write a Kraftwerk reference here.

This is too awesome. Review -- and more on the TI calculator hardware and how it's been used for music:

https://cdm.link/making-music-on-the-..."

via https://www.decentsamples.com

Where mathematics meets music: a unique synthesizer plugin that puts the power of mathematical expression directly at your fingertips. Instead of selecting from preset waveforms, you write your own equations to generate completely unique sounds.

Equation Synth is a unique synthesizer plugin that puts the power of mathematical expression directly at your fingertips. Instead of selecting from preset waveforms, you write your own equations to generate completely unique sounds. Whether you’re a sound designer seeking unprecedented sonic possibilities or a music producer looking for fresh, distinctive textures, Equation Synth opens up an infinite universe of waveforms limited only by your imagination.

Comprehensive Modulation System

Bring your equations to life with an extensive modulation matrix featuring:

Modulation Sources:

3 Envelopes (ADSR) with tempo sync options
3 LFOs with multiple waveform shapes (sine, square, saw), tempo sync, and delay
Note Velocity for dynamic expression
Modwheel for performance control
MPE Support: Timbre and Pressure for expressive multi-dimensional control
Modulation Destinations:

Route modulation to virtually any parameter including:

Volume, Pitch (Coarse/Fine)
All Equation Parameters (A, B, C, D)
Graph parameters (Scale X/Y, Offset X)
Filter Cutoff and Resonance
Noise Level
Effect parameters (Chorus, Delay, Reverb, and more)

Effects Chain

Polish your equation-based sounds with a professional effects suite:

Delay: Stereo offset, feedback, tempo-synced timing
Harmonic Reverb: Room size, damping, and mix controls
Chorus: Modulation depth and rate
Tape Simulator: Wow, Flutter, Saturation, as well as various tape player emulations
Intuitive Interface Design

Inspired by classic calculator aesthetics, Equation Synth features:

LCD-style display showing equation input and real-time waveform visualization
Tabbed interface organizing Equation, Synth, Modulation, Effects, and Note settings
Integrated help system with context-sensitive guidance
Virtual MIDI keyboard for quick auditioning
Scalable, resizable window
Preset management system for saving and recalling your creations
Advanced MIDI & MPE Capabilities

CLICK FOR MORE »

Access Virus A + Novation Drumstation: The Sound of Early Reflections

video upload by Insect O.

"On Early Reflections, Insect O. built a sonic world using two key machines: the Access Virus A and the Novation Drumstation.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:39 Novation Drumstation
01:59 Access Virus A
02:35 Live Session with both instruments
06:11 Outro

Music intro & outtro:
Insect O. - Deep Blue

This video explores how those two pieces of hardware shaped the emotional depth and mechanical pulse of the LP — from evolving Virus pads and saturated basslines to sharp 909-style drums programmed on the Drumstation. By limiting the setup to a focused hardware workflow, Insect O. crafted a cohesive, raw sound that defines Early Reflections.

We break down:
Technical aspects of the Access Virus A and Novation Drumstation
Drum programming techniques on the Drumstation
How the Virus A was used for pads, bass, and textured atmospheres
Hands-on control for live performance

CLICK FOR MORE »

RetroSound Studio Tour: Vintage Digital Synthesizers

video upload by RetroSound

"RetroSound Studio Tour:
Legendary Vintage Digital & Hybrid Synthesizers of the 80s and early 90s

In this episode of RetroSound Studio, I explore classic digital synthesizers that revolutionized electronic music production during the 80s and early 90s. From FM synthesis and wavetable synthesis to vector synthesis, PD synthesis, vitual analog and Roland’s LA synthesis, these instruments introduced a new generation of sound design and defined the sonic identity of an era.

The Yamaha DX7 became one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time, defining FM electric pianos and metallic digital textures. The PPG Wave pioneered wavetable synthesis, laying the foundation for modern digital sound engines. The Sequential Prophet VS introduced vector synthesis, allowing dynamic blending between digital waveforms. The Roland D-50 shaped late-80s pop and film scoring with its LA synthesis architecture, while the Roland JD-800 brought hands-on control back to digital synthesis in the 1990s.

These digital synthesizers shaped genres such as synth-pop, new wave, ambient, house, techno, trance, and film music. Today, they remain highly sought after by producers, collectors, and sound designers researching vintage digital synthesizers, 80s keyboard sounds, virtual analog, classic FM synthesis, and wavetable history."

The Digital & Hybrid Synths:
0:07 Sequential Prophet VS
4:39 PPG wave 2.2
10:36 Yamaha DX7 II FD
14:56 Yamaha DX11
16:39 Casio CZ-101
19:29 Casio VZ-1
21:21 Roland JD-800
26:40 Roland D-50 / D-550
28:00 Korg Wavestation EX / SR
31:24 Korg DW-8000 / EX-8000
32:42 Roland M-VS1
35:57 Kawai K5000R
38:57 Waldorf Microwave
39:44 Waldorf Microwave II XT
41:15 Clavia Nord Modular
41:59 Yamaha AN1x
44:36 Roland JV-1080
45:33 Ensoniq SQ-80
46:23 Quasimidi Raven Max
47:42 Korg Z1

Full Studio Tour playlist:

Casio CZ-1 - "Cassiopeia" Soundset 64 Presets

video upload by LFOstore

"Casio CZ-1 aka. Cosmosynthesizer is here!

BUY: https://lfo.sellfy.store/p/casio-cz-1...

Soundset working with hardware CZ-1 Model & Plugin Boutique Virtual CZ!
NOT working with CZ-101,CZ1000,3000,5000!

As description from 1986 says:
The CZ-1 is a state-of-the-art musical instrument which incorporates the latest electronics technology to make its operation as easy as possible.

Exceptional sound quality backed up by a host of sophisticated features andfunctions makes the CZ-1 a truly unique musical instrument.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Cherry Audio Fuses Three Classic Synths into New SH-MAX Powerhouse

video uploads by Cherry Audio

Playlist: [Use the player controls to skip around.]


1. Cherry Audio | SH-MAX Synthesizer - NEW!
2. Cherry Audio | Preset Walkthrough with Andrew Longhurst
3. Cherry Audio | MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE Preset Pack for SH-MAX Synthesizer by James Dyson
4. NEW! Cherry Audio LIVE PREMIERE Tuesday, February 10 at 10 AM PST
5. Cherry Audio SH-MAX - Roland's SH series reimagined! (Demo / Tutorial) - CatSynth TV

Press release follows:


Cherry Audio has announced SH-MAX, an innovative software synthesizer that integrates three legendary SH-series synths from the '70s: the SH-5, SH-7, and SH-3A.

Cherry Audio has announced the launch of SH-MAX, an innovative software synthesizer that integrates three legendary SH-series synthesizers from the 1970s: the SH-5, SH-7, and SH-3A. SH-MAX captures the bold sound of the SH-5 while incorporating features and aesthetics from the other models, enhancing the original designs with greater power, versatility, and essential tools for modern music production. Musicians and vintage synth enthusiasts can start using SH-MAX today for the incredibly low price of just $59, available at cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide.

SH-MAX faithfully recreates the vibrant tones and workflow of the original SH hardware. It features powerful dual oscillators, two LFOs and ADSR envelopes, the dual-parallel multimode and bandpass filter sections, and the five-channel mixer of the SH-5 (1976), plus a ring modulator and sample/hold capability. Also included are autobend, duophony, filter FM, and the syncable VCOs with additional waveforms found in the SH-7 (1978). The extra additive-style oscillator from the SH-3A (1975) further enhances sound design flexibility. Moreover, SH-MAX incorporates and expands upon the expressive touch performance of the SH-2000 (1973) and features an onboard sequencer inspired by the Model 104 of the legendary System 100 semi-modular synthesizer from 1975.

SH-MAX honors its lineage while taking full advantage of modern software capabilities, supporting mono, duophonic, and 16-voice polyphonic operation for rich chords as well as earthshaking unison timbres. It features three unique retro interface themes that pay homage to the aesthetic of the SH-3A, SH-5, and SH-7, providing a visually immersive experience for true vintage synth enthusiasts. Additionally, optional drift and slop controls for the oscillators, filters, amp, and dual envelope generators introduce authentic analog character and warmth to every sound patch.

The highly flexible SH-style stereo mixer and its varied workflow options allow for modular-style signal routing. Each sound source -- VCO-1, VCO-2A, VCO-2B, the ring modulator, and noise -- can be independently routed to the VCF, BPF, or VCA, with each path enhanced with its own chain of studio-quality effects. With 20 effects available to arrange and reuse within its four chains, SH-MAX provides an exceptionally wide sonic palette. Additional features include a four-channel step sequencer capable of parallel playback or extended chaining, along with a touch effects panel that supports channel and polyphonic aftertouch with compatible MIDI controllers.

SH-MAX's legacy traces back to over five decades of synthesizer and electronic music innovation. The SH-series synthesizers have been used by a diverse range of artists, including Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre, Brian Eno, Gary Numan, Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, Aphex Twin, Orbital, Mathew Jonson, Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, Kitaro, MGMT, Vangelis, The Human League, Blondie, Yello, and more.

With SH-MAX, users can create everything from massive leads and thick basses to lush pads and exceptional sound effects, making it a true synthesis powerhouse at their fingertips. To inspire musicians right out of the box, SH-MAX includes over 300 expertly crafted presets that showcase its broad capabilities. For those wanting even more, the Maximum Overdrive Preset Pack by sound designer James Dyson is available from Cherry Audio for $9.99, offering 100 additional presets that highlight SH-MAX's raw analog tone, advanced modulation, four-channel step sequencer, and abundant effects.

Furthermore, until February 22nd, customers can take advantage of Cherry Audio's "Build Your Own Bundle" promotion at cherryaudio.com. Choose the Pick 3 bundle for $99 (regularly $129) or the Pick 6 bundle for $149 (regularly $169) to mix and match any of Cherry Audio's award-winning instruments for as low as $25 per plugin.

Cherry Audio's SH-MAX synthesizer is now available for $59 at cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide. SH-MAX is a virtual instrument for macOS (10.13 and later) and Windows (7 and later), provided as AU, VST, VST3, and AAX plugins, as well as a standalone application. A free 30-day demo is available. For in-depth product details, an introductory video, extensive demos, and system requirements, visit cherryaudio.com.

CROW HILL Introduces Vaults GLASS BEAKER - Free

video upload by CROW HILL

"In this video Theo takes us through the next instalment in our FREE plugin range called Vaults - Beaker. Can a big old bit of glass from a homewares shop really make a beautiful sounding instrument. It can if it's recorded at Gorbals Sound in Glasgow and performed by our founder Christian Henson. A testament to what sampling enables us and you to do, make beautiful sounds and music with nothing more than a bit of imagination and care."

Press release follows:

The Crow Hill Company creates …GLASS BEAKER as latest …VAULTS virtual instrument, free for all to download and make music with no formal training

EDINBURGH, UK: The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of VAULTS - GLASS BEAKER as the latest downloadable drop in its free virtual instrument collection, created from thecnotion that music need not necessarily begin with formal training, specialist instruments, or expensive tools but instead it comes from working directly with sound — specifically, placing a microphone in front of a simple object and exploring what happens through touch, movement, and experimentation, the resulting tone of which feels familiar but resists easy identification, sitting somewhere between a glockenspiel and a celeste without being either — as of February 2…

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