JOMOX ALPHABASE ANALOGUE DRUM MACHINE MK2

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

via this listing

Additional Signal Sounds listings

"A pre-owned Jomox AlphaBase in very good condition. It comes with original packaging and accessories.

Manufacturer's description
The ALPHA BASE Mk II is the sucessor of the already legendary ALPHA BASE.
Graphic OLED display
Real RGB LEDs in the sequencer
More buttons: Last Step, Roll/Flam, Store Kit/Patt, Rec Para and Rec Sample
Analogue panning circuitry for the hybrid sample channels
Improved analogue engine
Noise volume is controllable in the hybrid sample channels
More samples
Headphone volume is independent from mix volume
It's true analogue. Eleven instruments, sequencer, Midi/USB/SD-Card. Samples. Sampling inputs, balanced individual outputs.
Although it may appear similar to the classics XBASE 09, 999 and 888, the ALPHA BASE has an entirely new design under the hood. We have put in the concentrated know-how of the Jomox drum machines and of our synths of the past 20 years. We have simplified some things, but also added new components or have combined them new. The outcome is the best sounding and most versatile drum machine that Jomox has ever built."

Synthesizers.com is Back with Dan Snazelle of Snazzy FX

via Synthesizers.com

WE'RE BACK!
We are thrilled to announce that Synthesizers.com is returning to full operation — under new management and with a renewed commitment to excellence in all things 5U/MU!

Thank you for your patience as we finished our big transition: relocating the company from Texas to our new home in the Boston area, rebuilding production lines, organizing inventory, and preparing to craft the same world-class instruments you’ve always known us for.

We’re reaffirming our dedication to founder Roger Arrick’s vision while entering a new era for Synthesizers.com. Our path forward is guided by three core commitments:

Commitment One
We will continue to hand-build the highest-quality modular synthesizer instruments here in the USA — crafted with care, precision, and in the spirit of the modular community that has supported us for decades, designed and built for musicians, artists, engineers, performers and hobbyists around the world.

Commitment Two
We will honor the legacy of our existing modules while exploring the boundaries of what’s next. A few legacy modules will retire, and in their place we will design and introduce an exciting new generation of analog and digital modules to expand the Synthesizers.com catalog.

Commitment Three
We will remain dedicated champions for the entire 5U/MU community. That means expanding options for 5U/MU cases, power systems, and accessories — and actively supporting the broader ecosystem of 5U makers, builders, and designers who continue to grow this format.

In the coming weeks, you’ll see updated inventories, new product announcements, and a stronger customer-service focus. Under the leadership of Dan Snazelle of SnazzyFX fame, our team is here for you — by phone, email, social channels, or on the ModWiggler Synthesizers.com forum.

Here are a few words from Dan about the Synthesizers.com journey.

"As someone who has spent the last 30 years involved with synthesizers I am extremely excited to be stepping into the role of leading Synthesizers.com. We have put together a great team so we can continue the tradition of making synthesizers by hand, while also working to bring new modules to our customers. I can't wait to meet people who own our systems and I am also going to be putting a lot of thought into bringing new musicians to large format synthesis" Thank you for welcoming us back. We can’t wait to show you what’s coming.

Schlappi 100 Grit, AntiMatter BrainSeed, & BASTL Instruments Dark Matter

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

Three listings from supporting member brian comnes on Reverb here.

Instruction manuals for 100 Grit & BrainSeed pictured below.

"The 100 grit is a distortion, VCA, and low pass filter module with 8 brass touchpoints.

Features:

8 brass touchpoints
2 inputs to transistor core low pass filter
Voltage control over frequency, resonance, and gain
OTA VCA with soft saturation characteristics
Distortion circuit based around a vintage headphone amplifier driven into instability
Three position x100 gain switch with off, on, and momentary on settings
Each input and cv input is normalled to a different feedback path (6 total)
Seperate outputs for the VCA and distortion
Can operate as a vintage voiced VCA and LPF or a screaming distortion and noise effect
All analog design"

CLICK FOR MORE »

ARP Foundation's Soul of the Machine CD & Download Update

If you haven't picked up a copy of the release, now might be a good time.

via the Alan R Pearlman Foundation:

Soul of the Machine is a Roaring Success!!!

We have officially sold half of our limited edition CD; we are also going to end our introductory 'Name Your Price' for downloads on BandCamp soon, so don't hesitate to purchase today!

Praise from BandCamp (Alan R Pearlman Foundation and Projekt Records )

"A tribute to the creator of my favorite music instruments. I Like the sound of the ARPs in classical electronic albums. Great record with many great contributions!"

"No favourite track, just indulging in the sonic wash of this amazing album. Just wonderful."

"...what an AMAZING collection!! ..."

"A ritual offering—ARP as oracle, muse, and monument. The machine has a soul. And here, it sings."

"It's hard to pick a favorite track off of this compilation... Lots of groovy music by a lot of artists.I had never heard of, but there are a few artists.I am familiar with. this is pretty groovy stuff... " "Awesome tribute and collection. Mr. Roach has somehow found time to be an archivist. would love a second volume. get this as both sampler and tribute..." Purchase from BandCamp

CLICK FOR MORE »

Harmonium VST FREE With Crow Hill VAULTS

video upload by CROW HILL

"With Theo off on hols this week Christian opens the lid on one of his favourite instruments, The Harmonium. Think Penguin Cafe Orchestra, think Jon Brion, think a leading (albeit inanimate) character in Punch Drunk Love."

Press release follows:

The Crow Hill Company announces availability of VAULTS - HARMONIUM, bringing bellows to DAWs as latest free VI abiding by its Make Music, Your Music motto

EDINBURGH, UK: The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of VAULTS - HARMONIUM — bringing bellows to DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) as its latest free VI (Virtual Instrument) monthly drop, allowing anyone to experience the timbral complexities and harmonic layers of its gorgeous and, some might say, quaint instrument namesake for the rest of their lives, abiding, as always, by the Edinburgh-based enterprise creators’ collective Make Music, Your Music motto — as of October 24…

Its iconic appearance in Director/Writer Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2002-released dark romantic comedy Punch: Drunk Love — look it up! — may make many think of the harmonium in a certain way. What is certain, though, is that the small free-reed organ was patented way before, back in 1842 by Frenchman Alexandre Debain. By being smaller and less expensive than traditional pipe organs, it quickly became popular through Europe, India, Africa, and the southern United States. Travelling through the north of the UK, harmoniums can still be found tucked away in the corners of many recording studios. Saying that, those that are there are not just set dressing; after all, the harmonium captured the hearts of artists such as The Beatles, Supertramp, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Tori Amos, all of whom featured it in their music.

Making music with a harmonium is easier said than done, however, since the instrument in question generates sound by pumping air — using two foot-operated pedals joined to a mechanism that operates a bellows or by pushing and pulling a handle joined to the bellows back and forth with one hand — past a thin piece of metal in a frame and making it vibrate. Vibrations then resonate through the harmonium’s wooden body, thereby producing the distinctive, church-like sound. Thankfully, The Crow Hill Company has succeeded in capturing this sound to produce VAULTS - HARMONIUM, making it much easier for many more appreciative sound-seekers to experience its musical magic.

Composer Christian Henson — original founder of The Crow Hill Company — freely admits to being a big fan: “It’s got to be one of my favourite instruments. It can bring a simplicity to music — dare I say it, a quaintness, but because of its timbral complexities, it’s also massively expressive.”

CLICK FOR MORE »

Soul Of the Machine: A Celebration of the Life & Legacy of ARP founder Alan R. Pearlman

via the Alan R Pearlman Foundation

Available on Bandcamp here

Press release follows:

Kingston, NY— In 2025, the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation celebrates the centennial of its namesake, the electronic visionary whose marvelous ARP synthesizers changed the landscape of music forever. As part of the ongoing celebrations, the Foundation is announcing the release of Soul Of The Machine, a 36-track musical celebration of the man and his creations as interpreted by a diverse range of recording artists.

Soul Of The Machine is a 36-track collection of tracks old and new, covering everything from innovative electronic, dance, and space music to jazz, funk, and Latin pop, all featuring the signature sounds of classic ARP instruments. The collection includes everything from ARP’s first synthesizer — the massively powerful ARP 2500 modular system — to the instruments that rewrote the rules on how electronics and music came together. The 2600, Odyssey, Pro Soloist, Omni, and many more ARP instruments sing, cry, scream, and soar, in the hands of musical talents both legends and newcomers.

Soul Of The Machine is a treasure trove of musical exploration. Martin Gore’s “KIno" combines Depeche Mode’s signature rhythmic power with a uniquely lyrical and sweet atmosphere. “Mr. No” is a celebration of the classic proto-techno sound of John Foxx. Award-winning soundtrack composer Mark Isham showcases his signature pulsating energy and evocative moodscapes in the mini-suite “Musings – in Two Parts”. Lisa Bella Donna takes listeners on a journey into timeless wonder in the epic “Conclusions.” JG Thirlwell’s “Sphere” is a synth freakout ricocheting between ominous sci-fi atmospheres and searing beats. Panic Girl offers "Drifting Whispers," a somber and uplifting neo-retro journey into a past that never was.

Other artists on the collection include Michael Brückner, Phil Cirocco, Rupert Greenall, LaMar "Kronick" Mitchell, Jeff Rona, Drew Schlesinger & David Torn, Don Slepian, and many others, as well as tracks by the collection's curators Steve Roach and Chris Meyer of Alias Zone.

Famed ambient / electronic pioneer and ARP user since 1978, Steve Roach shares his thoughts on Soul Of The Machine: "In 2024 I had the honor of meeting Dina Pearlman-Ifil — the director of the Alan R Pearlman Foundation — in person. Over the course of several phone conversations we discussed ways to celebrate the centennial year of her father's life and his place in history. My idea for a compilation of music using her father’s creations grew out of those conversations, presenting a perfect way to directly experience the vast range of music that was birthed by the family of ARP synthesizers. This compilation is just a small taste of the universe Alan inspired in sound explorers and artists across a vast range of genres."

Steve mapped out the music so that CD 1 represents a sonic journey and CD 2 provides a showcase of the depth and breadth of what ARP synths can do. After both CDs were finalized, there were more tracks than room on the CDs. These additional songs are available as a bonus digital supplement to the physical CD set.

Says Dina Pearlman-Ifil: “I have long-dreamed of a multi-genre collection that would illustrate the depth and breadth of the possibilities of my father's instruments. This collection is the embodiment of what my father treasured most: The creative spirit. As the old ARP tagline used to say: ‘The most creative part of an ARP Synthesizer is you.’”

The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is dedicated to the empowerment of young and burgeoning artists into the future. When we look at classical instruments born hundreds of years ago, we see that Alan Pearlman's synthesizers stand tall, earning their place in the evolution of musical history. Acoustic or electric, their common ground is the enduring inspiration for creativity and sonic innovation that inspires the hearts and minds of musicians, performers, and sound explorers worldwide.

Soul Of The Machine will be available for streaming on October 17, 2025. The special limited edition CD will be available for purchase in early-to-mid-November.

Proceeds go the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Our mission is to celebrate the legacy of inventor, musician, entrepreneur and engineer Alan R. Pearlman, by making his innovative inventions publicly accessible, and by inspiring future generations to imagine and create.

ARP Centennial Compilation Concept: Steve Roach
Project Directors: Steve Roach, Chris Meyer, and Dina Pearlman-Ifil Mastered by: Robert Rich

Cover concept and design by Dina Pearlman-Ifil, production by Sharon Wasko

This compilation wouldn't be possible without the support of our incredible sponsors: Cherry Audio, Korg USA, Moog Music and Steve Roach.
Also HUGE thanks to Chris Meyer / Alias Zone, Mark Marshall / interage.com for all things web, Dr. Mike Metlay/ atomicwords.net for creative input on the liner notes, and Sam Rosenthal / Projekt Records.

Purchase from BandCamp: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.bandcamp.com/album/soul-of-the-machine...

Thephonoloop's themkI

video uploads by THEPHONOLOOP

Playlist:

1. themkI | An exploration of a 70s classic
2. themkI | Overview
3. themkI | Presets playthrough

Press release follows:


Thephonoloop tweaks themkI as deeply-sampled, expressive VI exploring electromechanical keyboard classic’s imperfections with colourful Version 1.1 update


KATOWICE, POLAND: Thephonoloop is proud to announce that it has tweaked themkI — already available as a deeply-sampled, expressive VI (virtual instrument) for Native Instruments’ KONTAKT PLAYER platform housed in an MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) compatible engine built for discovery and experimentation, exploring the beautiful imperfections of a Seventies-vintage electromechanical keyboard classic — with a colourful Version 1.1 update introducing sharper contrast for better visibility alongside new GUI (Graphical User Interface) colour options for customising its look, as of October 7…

CLICK FOR MORE »

Last Kings | Spectralis 2 and Virus TI

video upload by MIDERA

"Five months into my wife not finding a job (anyone know any open software engineer positions?). What a wild time out there. Seems like things just get worse and worse. Found out our AC is leaking coolant too. Can't wait to figure out the bill on that. Sooner than later will have to sell off a bunch of my gear. Guess it was fun while it lasted.

Spectralis 2
Access Virus TI
Microcosm Hologram
Native Instruments RAUM

#radikaltechnologies #accessvirus #hologrammicrocosm"

UVI SonicBundle Session | Creating a Stranger Things theme with Venus Theory

video upload by UVI

"Today, Cameron from ‪@VenusTheory‬ welcomes us in the intimacy of his home studio, where every sound tells a story.

Inspired by the mysterious atmosphere of Stranger Things and the excitement around the new season, he challenged his creativity by crafting a cue entirely with instruments and effects from SonicBundle.

Explore SonicBundle now, at https://www.uvi.net/sonicbundle"

Eurorack Modular Mixing Tips with HIVE from Vostok Instruments

video upload by DivKid

"Here’s the new 10HP stereo Eurorack mixer ‘Hive’ from Vostok Instruments and with the opportunity to make a demo of it I ran with the idea of showing a series of patching making the most of basic features, how to patch them for more advanced exciting things and bringing larger, layered patches and mixes together in the modular format. It's packed full of tips, give them a go."

CLICK FOR MORE »

DUTCH MODULAR FEST 2025 Set for Next Weekend WORM ROTTERDAM

Highlights via https://worm.org/

WORM is delighted to welcome Dutch Modular Fest to Rotterdam! This hugely successful and forward-looking festival normally takes place in Utrecht. This will be a day full of surprises, showcasing the incredibly and enlightening world of modular synths!

Music
DMF have created a wide-ranging music programme to enjoy. Every artist is carefully selected and presents a certain genre, or aspect of modular synth music. And we are delighted to present: Julian Edwardes, Skander Jaïbi & Ines Kooli, Chebedahja, Maj Rachel, Cinematic Laboratory, and, returning to WORM, Animistic Beliefs. You can watch the gigs in WORM’s main concert space.

CLICK FOR MORE »

JoMox Alpha Base Analog Drum Synthesizer SN 2021-728

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

via this Reverb listing

Additional SYNTH CITY Listings

"Jomox Alpha Base, tested in perfect working order. Includes SD card and original power supply.

It's true analogue. Eleven instruments, sequencer, Midi/USB/SD-Card. Samples. Sampling inputs, balanced individual outputs.

Although it may appear similar to the classics XBASE 09, 999 and 888, the ALPHA BASE has an entirely new design under the hood. We have put in the concentrated know-how of the Jomox drum machines and of our synths of the past 20 years. We have simplified some things, but also added new components or have combined them new. The outcome is the best sounding and most versatile drum machine that Jomox has ever built."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Back at it again- Live looping in the studio 2025 and an Interview with MR TUNA Music

video upload by MR TUNA Music

"My friends I am sorry to leave you hanging all summer with no jams, but its a beautiful sunny world out there and I've got to be out IN IT! So in the meantime I have a few jams backlogged that have **never before been released** and expect some weird b-sides that I was too embarrassed to post when I had content to spare !

Anyways- lots going on here, we got some Hydrasynth deluxe, classic analog pads from the JX-8P... and lots of super pump-jumping with the MX-1 sidechaining and doing some beat effects. Jupiter-80 muted trumpet is the funnest sound in the world.

Stay a while, and listen!"

---

And an interview with MR TUNA Music by Ivan Trajkovic aka dejayiwan editor and journalist (and sometimes producer and DJ):

Q: Have computers and DAWs, in a sense, destroyed creativity – why do we have so many “DAWless” setups today?

A: I think a really big part of it is a desire to get away from 'the screen'. Staring at a computer all day for work, clicking away on a mouse and keyboard can become exhausting after a long day, and to break away from the rigidity and comforts of software simply makes it more fun.... and thats a really big part of why I do what I do. There is some minor advantage to the near-unbeatable quality of analog circuitry you cant quite replicate working purely within a DAW, but that point is being made more and more moot by incredible emulations and virtual analog softsynths.

Q: Today we have apps like BandLab that are complete studios on a phone – have we reached “peak technology”?

A: It staggers me to think about what the future might hold now that music production can be with someone anywhere anytime so long as they have their phones. You can literally be on the bus making a hit track with your thumb. That’s crazy. But I don’t think it’s peak.... Tech is always moving and it doesnt stop for anyone... AI is going to be the next big thing whether we like it or not and we need to find a way to keep in check so we're still doing the creating and imagining and the technology is just an extension of that.

Q: Why are new producers so mesmerized with 80s synths and samplers, even though they’re obsolete tech?

A: Things were built differently. Things were built for professionals. Instruments had a quality of sound and build that is still unmatched today. Some of my gear is 40+ years old and sounds better than the stuff from 2025 thats trying its best to emulate it all today. Why dont we build synths like that anymore? Because its all about money and the manufacturers want to make as much of it as possible while spending the least amount.

Q: With so much new electronic music today, how can anyone “find” an audience?

A: Maybe it's lame to say, but the best path is to be authentic to yourself. When i started finally sharing my music it was more of a personal diary than something i was using to 'get famous' or 'find an audience', but by being true to what I wanted and my own personal vision (and having trust in that over some time), people started to see what I was doing and it all came together. People connect with personality, but it's obvious when you're not being yourself... not just tracks. Its routine to say because its true: be consistent, put your stuff out there. The internet is huge — your crowd is out there, just waiting to stumble onto your page at 3AM.

Q: You have one of the most interesting studios – what was the idea behind its creation?

A: My studio was built with one idea in mind... live looping. When I started dreaming up how I *wanted* to make music there wasnt even the right tools to do it properly.... sequencers were still fairly limited and there wasnt a lot of people in the live-looping jam space. I was really discovering it all and making it work on my own. It all came together with the introduction of the Squarp Pyramid sequencer--- what it allowed me to do, the freedom it allowed me to create with... it was the breakthrough piece of gear I needed to bring everything together and start building and building... and BUILDING. I love the music I get to create, but I am more proud of my studio as a form of art in the beauty of it's function and how it's designed to jam with friends, than I ever have been of the music that I create in it.

Q: What’s the future of electronic music – maybe apps and DAWs in virtual reality?

A: The virtual space is here to stay and it will only get more and more indistinguishable from the real world.... We might be already living in that simulation, but like I said earlier I think the real future is going to be (for better or for worse) in AI production techniques, editing, and complete song production. We're already at the point where AI can create a song for us instantly with our own voices, but how long will it be before AI is doing our chores and boring tasks so that we are free to be creative and put our energy into real art rather than the opposite world we live in now! AI should save us from the hard stuff and let us work on the 'fun stuff', the worthy stuff, the music stuff!

Dark Marie // Signature Error Instruments

video upload by NOISEBUG

https://www.noisebug.net

Dark Marie represents all things that are special about Error Instruments. Their signature box, capable of making a range of experimental sounds. From stacked lofi melodies, resonant drones, to all out digital madness, Dark Marie will prove to be full of surprises. Its modular architecture and oversized alligator clips make for a very fun experience as you embrace the freedom of rerouting signals and discovering new sonic possibilities. There is also a pt2399 style delay that can be used with external audio signals. Dark Marie is available now at Noisebug"

Oberheim TEO-5 & Sequential Take 5 Desktop Modules - demo & history presentation | 30 July 2025

video upload by Signal Sounds

https://www.signalsounds.com/ - don't miss Signal Sounds' Summer Sale!

"On Wednesday, 30th July 2025, we welcomed synth wizard and long-time friend of the store Chris ‘-CALC-’ Calcutt to our showroom for a masterclass on all things Sequential and Oberheim.

He provided insight into the culture and history of both companies, as well as what makes their instruments a feature in so many studios and live rigs worldwide. These iconic brands - founded by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim, respectively - have been at the forefront of analogue synthesiser design for half a century, and they’re currently both going stronger than ever, with new desktop versions of the affordable Oberheim TEO-5 and Sequential Take 5 polysynths hitting the market. Chris spoke about both instruments’ illustrious heritage and explained just what makes each one sound so unique."

How do you feel about modifying vintage synths?

video upload by Soundgas

"How do you feel about modifying vintage synths?

Just got my EMS Synthi AKS back from a thorough overhaul and with a stack of mods added (it’d already had some historic and less than pretty ones installed).

People often ask whether modifying a synth like this affects value. While there’s no denying it can feel sacrilegious when you’re talking about an exceptionally well preserved example, I am 100% for anything that means old gear will get used more.

One of the worst things you can do with old gear is put it on a shelf and not use it. We regularly get contacted by collectors (or people who no longer use their now valuable vintage synths) expecting top prices for their precious instruments which come ‘serviced’ and ‘working perfectly - last time I used it’. A little digging usually reveals this to have been a decade or more ago and the service work is ancient history.

So if modding that classic synth means you’ll play it more and enjoy it, that to me is a no brainer.

I understand that this puts us at odds with many vintage synth collectors, but the majority of our customers - who want to use them (shock horror) for making music - seem to agree.

What do you think? Modify old gear or not?"

Oberheim Perf/x COMPLETE SET OF 5 Cyclone Navigator Systemizer Strummer Drummer

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

via this Reverb listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Crow Hill Company Introduces POCKET STRING no-barrier-to-entry-styled string library plug-in

video upload by CROW HILL XTRAS

Press release follows:

"The Crow Hill Company creates POCKET STRINGS as no-barrier-to-entry-styled string library plug-in produced without compromise… with added ‘synthy spice’

EDINBURGH, UK: having recently 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 continues its journeying into ‘Season Two’ as a producer of resources and tools to protect, inspire, support, and provide opportunities for music-makers the world over, believing that music is, and should remain, a wholly human experience, one that is by far one of the most powerful forms of expression, escape, comfort, and remembrance, of which its newly-created POCKET STRINGS — styled as a definitive string library plug-in that opens the doors to collaboration between anyone anywhere, creatively combining live cinematic orchestral recordings with some rarefied vintage synth classics made to measure for added body, depth, and character — readily represents the cornerstone of this ethos, as of July 10…

“A string library that’s accessible to all without compromise — a distillation of the last 25, nearly 30, years that I’ve been working as a media composer, which means that I write music for film, TV, and computer games, giving you the very basic necessities to write pro-end string arrangements. Whether that be adding to productions, songs, collaborating with others, or, indeed, creating professional film scores — whether that be to demo for an orchestra to play, or, indeed, to go to broadcast, there’s been no compromises here. But accessibility is the key — not just with the price point, but with usability.” So says Christian Henson himself, perfectly positioned — as The Crow Hill Company’s original founder, forging forward by building upon his extensive experience gained from founding Spitfire Audio to originally offer a palette of sounds he had created for his own use as a professional composer to his film world colleagues by invitation only, though the rest, as they say, is history — to proudly introduce POCKET STRINGS as a never-tried-before strings library plug-in that aims to bring broadcast-grade string possibilities to everyone.

CLICK FOR MORE »

An Update from muSonics via Their Electronic Newsletter

via muSonics

It's Independence Week and while I had intended for this to go out on the 4th itself, I put a bit more work into something special for you which delayed it a few days. I hope that's okay with you.

I wanted to give everyone a status update on how things were going over here and also offer a couple of specials to celebrate. Out of respect for the dozen or so people who have been patient and trusting of me I'm going to let you know how things are going and then share a few cool deals.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Beetlecrab Tempera Granular Ambient

video upload by r beny

Click CC at the bottom of the player for the subtitles.

"Hello, I hope you are taking care. This video is a performance centered around the Beetlecrab Tempera granular sampler/synthesizer. My intention was to create a long form piece of music using only the Tempera, outside of sequencing (as Tempera currently doesn’t have a note sequencer).

I’ve had the Tempera for a while now, but have only recently gotten around to really getting to know it well - learning its ins and outs, learning its boundaries and edges. When learning a new granular instrument, one of the first things I like to do is figure out the relationship between grain length/size and grain density/rate. Tempera is quite unique in that regard, as grain sizes can span the entire length of the buffer (~11s in this instance) - this allows for one to play back entire samples as-is (polyphonically as well), without being “granularized”. On the other end of the spectrum, Tempera also excels at creating grain clouds with an abundance of short grains all firing off at once. I make use of both of these techniques in this video.

Some patch notes:
Tempera is loaded with 8 different samples from various sound sources from my studio. Each sample is just a single note of the sound source, recorded directly to Tempera. Tempera has a note detection feature, so each note was recorded at slightly different notes (mostly either A or C).

From to left to right across the 8 cells, the samples are:
Mannequins Mangrove
Mutable Instruments Rings (patched to make a “harp” sound)
Mangrove with another timbre
Korg Z1 (with a “flute patch”, which I didn’t end up using in this video)
Rings (patched to make a “glockenspiel” sound)
Korg Z1 (with a “bassoon” patch)
Felt Instruments Blisko Cello (with a Sul Tasto patch with only a single string)
Novation Summit (with a pad patch)

In the video, I use the 4 granular emitters in conjunction with sequencing from the Squarp Hapax to sequence and play the various samples across the grid. Emitter 1 is set up to play just a single grain per note, with a grain length that matches the entire buffer. Emitters 2-4 are set up in various grain cloud formations.

The Tempera is running the latest beta firmware as of 6/24/25 (2.2.beta13, shoutout to the Discord).

This is a long one. Thanks for stopping by and sticking with."