Syncussion SY-1 - Walkthrough and extended demo

video upload by Richard DeHove

"The Behringer Syncussion clone is a simple beast. It creates mighty bass drum hits with no effort and has beautiful noise. That in itself is something I find puzzling: If this cheap clone can so easily create big hits why are cheap drum machines always so dinky and gutless?

Here I do some lengthy noodlings with the SY-1 Syncussion with one channel through the Zen delay and the other through the Echolocator. This duo is really growing on me. The Zen has some good grit and saturation, while the Echolocator has various tricks with its freeze, shimmer and filter.

About halfway through I digress into a basic overview of the controls, then it's back to noodling. The DB-01 does a good job with sequencing although the original plan was to drive everything with the LXR-02. But horrors! I discovered that the MIDI out functionality on the LXR-02 is totally broken - confirmed by Erica Synths. Hoping for a fix on that soon. In the meantime the DB-01 will have to battle on as my sequencer.

If there's one thing I could change on the SY-1 it would be to add clock sync to the LFO. For me unsynced LFOs are a huge miss. Otherwise it's an excellent little synth. Two of them mounted in a Eurorack case could easily make for a powerful drum voice solution.

As usual, no DAW processing of any kind, it's all what you see.

0:00 Setup explained
2:01 Noodle soup
2:58 Elephant song
4:44 Tin shed
6:29 Weather system
8:08 Interface walkthrough
18:05 Robot bird
19:40 Corky
21:46 Trainride
22:36 Punching bag
26:19 Subby McSub

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

Knobcon 2025 Live Performances

video uploads by The Breathalyzer (Shawn Johnson Music)

A few Knobcon performances spotted and sent my way via Musical Miscellany (Poorness Studios).

Playlist: 1. Knobcon 2025 - Welcome Reception Set

Shortly after my arrival/check-in, I was asked if I could do a live set to open the Welcome Reception (the first live performances that open the annual Knobcon synth event). Just when you thought it was safe to go outside...in the big tent. Sorry for the bad camera work, everything was last minute, I didn't even have all the cabling I needed with me, lol. thanks to Brian Kupferschmid for the thumbnail photo

2. The Entire Robot Knobcon 2025 Welcome Reception (2:14)

Love Jeremy's soloing

3. The Entire Robot Knobcon Welcome Reception (3 minutes of blissful funk)

YEAH, MAN!

4. Chris Kuborn Afternoon Abstract Knobcon 2025

sorry for the obstruction there, here's Chris' complete performance (room audio). My room microphone was probably a little close, so the steel drum has a lot of presence.

5. TotoRobyn (Robyn Alman) Knobcon 2025 Afternoon Abstract

Live set from the Chill Out room at Knobcon

6. Brian Kupferschmid Afternoon Abstract Knobcon 2025

Very cool atmospheric/ambient guitar set from Brian.

7. Caro Arroba Knobcon 2025 Chill Out Room Set

8. Synsor (Steve McQuarry) Live at Knobcon 2025 Chill Out Room Set

The room audio was captured on a separate device, so it might not be syncrhonized with the video. The video freezes towards the end...low battery got me.

Xfer Serum Dark Industrial Noise Techno Presets No Talk demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"Xfer Serum - Technolize is a preset pack designed for atmospheric industrial, industrial techno, and noise genres. It draws inspiration from artists like Gesaffelstein, Mr. Oizo, Crystal Castles, Scorn, and Coil, who may not strictly represent the genre but contribute to a unique sound.
🌌 The result features rich and deep basses, immersive atmospheric pads, and metallic noisy leads, creating an interesting auditory experience. Many sounds are saturated with distortion, which is great for both aggressive sounds and noisy lo-fi.

📦 Get these presets: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/seru...

The bank includes 51 Presets: 17 Basses, 2 Drones, 7 Leads, 9 Pads, 11 Plucks, 3 Percs, 2 Synths.

👤 The author of the soundset is skendi (Arseniy Pushkov).

Whether you're producing techno, ambient, IDM, industrial, drum and bass, or any genre that demands a dark, moody aesthetic, these sounds will add depth and character to your music.

🎛 Macros can change tone, stereo width, modulation depth and rate, noise level, distortion, detuning, space/echo/reverb, effects mix, envelope parameters, and others.
You may control them via MIDI controller, use them for automation, or map the macros to your DAW modulators like LFO, Shaper, and others.
ModWheel adds expressiveness to the timbre.

💡 Ensure that you are using the latest plugin version. Version 1.368 or higher is required.
Installation: Open the Serum menu and click 'Show Serum Presets Folder.' You will see folders containing different Serum content. Open the 'Presets' folder and place the new bank of presets there.

Contents:
00:00 BS Grizzly / BS Iron Step / PD Anxiety
01:30 BS Room Destroying / BS Repeating / PD DigiChoir / LD Noisy / PL Voltage
03:02 PD Black & White / BS Acid Runner / PL Pulsed / PL Vanished / PL Vintage
04:09 BS Wobbly Dark / BS Talking / PD Ghosty / SY Mechanical Space / LD Electro Acid
06:16 PR Bass Kick / PR Metallic Snare / PR Metallic Hat / BS Boiling / PD Electric
07:27 DR Dark and Lonely / LD Robot / DR Feel The Voice / BS A Little Wobbled
09:24 SY Short / PD Magic / BS Thick Shot / LD Detuned Lo-Fi / BS Muzzle Reese
11:00 BS Detuned Dreams / PL Low & Jumpy / LD Dirty Hoover / PL Velocity Reacted / BS Weird & Thick
12:18 BS Shot / LD Broken / PD Oil / PL Wench
13:22 PD Tonnel / BS Mechanic / BS Mechanic"

Fairfield Circuitry Roger That - probing for sounds on synth (no talk)

video upload by Richard DeHove

"Not many pedals are designed to be played. Usually you just dial in a sound and then play or tweak something else. The Fairfield Circuitry 'Roger That' wants to be tweaked. Its controls can be very sensitive for something so brutal. Here I don't try to give a "showcase" of sound but more a feeling of what it's like to tweak the pedal. Sometimes tiny movements give drastic changes, other times you sweep a knob and nothing much happens. I was initially very excited for the CV input but it often seemed to have little effect. OTOH an external LFO (or perhaps Schlappi Engineering's similarly conceived Interstellar Radio) would probably be a much better CV source.

There's no nice stuff here, it's all grinding tones and noise and it gets worse (better?) as it goes along until it ends with a Throbbing Gristle style tribute. But I like the Roger That. It's hardcore distortion generated in a new way and without the high noisefloor which usually comes with traditional distortion. Good raw material for sampling and looping. Roger That was bought by me with my own money at full price. Fairfield did include a handwritten postcard though so that was nice.

And by the way, you know the (British) slang meaning of "Roger That" don't you? :D

0:00 Mild tweaking
2:15 With CV
3:10 Slow sequence
3:56 FM drone
5:45 Robot gas
7:51 Slow sequence 2
9:16 Random awfulness
11:20 Gristle time

Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
Many thanks to my kind patrons who keep this channel ad-free
My website: https://richarddehove.com/"

Introducing Roland AIRA Compact | T-8 Beat Machine, J-6 Chord Synthesizer, E-4 Voice Tweaker

video upload by

$199.99 each. Additional videos below. Press release and pics below them.

"AIRA Compact puts Roland’s legendary creative magic in the palm of your hand. Easily play and perform with these highly jammable instruments—anywhere, anytime. Chain them together to catalyze your creativity or connect with MIDI gear, computers, and music apps to expand your setup. Just power on and go with the flow.

About the T-8 Beat Machine

The T-8 Beat Machine is a mini rhythm factory with six tracks of pristine TR drums plus a TB-303 bass track. Embodying decades of modern musical sound, the T-8 gives you the power to create infectious tracks in seconds flat. Craft on-the-fly acid jams or trap bangers with the intuitive 16-step sequencer, shape sounds with onboard controls, and flip and dice beats with simple, yet powerful tools.

About the J-6 Chord Synthesizer

The J-6 is a portable synth toolbox with all the building blocks you'll need to bring harmonic substance to your jams. Pairing a powerfully unique chord sequencer with lavish JUNO-60 synth tones, J-6 packs a versatile feature set into a highly jammable format. Generate soul-stirring song ideas with the turn of a knob and explore 100 chord sets over a variety of genres. Experiment with styles and variations to coax dancing lines and rhythmic patterns from your chords. Add lush chorus, reverb, or delay to frost your sound.

About the E-4 Voice Tweaker

Harmonize, auto-pitch, vocode, loop, and glitch your voice all from the portable E-4 Voice Tweaker. Want hands-on control? Connect a mic or input a feed and easily explore effects using the sliders, function buttons, and scatter knob. From looping live jams to livestreaming or tightening up and expanding performances, the E-4 will transform your voice into your new favorite instrument.

Chapter Breakdown
0:00 – Series Introduction
1:50 – T-8 Beat Machine
2:22 – T-8 Patterns, Sounds, and Tracks
3:22 – T-8 Hands-On Controls and Performance Tools
4:19 – T-8 Create a Drumbeat
4:41 – T-8 Create a Bassline
5:40 – T-8 Advance Programming and Effects
6:25 – J-6 Chord Synth
6:52 – J-6 Playback and Genres (Chord Sets)
7:13 – J-6 Sound
7:52 – J-6 Style and Variation
8:22 – J-6 Chord Sequencer
9:14 – J-6 Connect to DAW
9:39 – E-4 Voice Tweaker
10:14 – E-4 Hands-On Controls
10:29 – E-4 Auto Pitch, Harmony, Vocoder
11:09 – E-4 Looper
11:26 – E-4 Scatter
11:50 – Connectivity"

Roland AIRA Compact J-6 / T-8 / E-4 - DEMO by gattobus

video upload by gattobus

"Roland's birthday party it's not over!
A few days ago they sent me these little magic boxes to try them out and in less than an hour of tweaking, I came out with this song!!!
The song title "A Big Tiny World" is because they are BIG sounding TINY boxes indeed! :D
They are:

- J-6 Chord Synthesizer
- T-8 Beat Machine
- E-4 Voice Tweaker

Their sound quality is astonishing! It's amazing to have the power of ACB technology in such a small form factor...
Everything you hear in this video was played and recorded in real time, no post processing or FX was added.
I had so much fun, I hope you like it!"

Roland Aira Compact : T-8 / J-6 / E-4 : Portable Drum Machine, Polyphonic Synth, & Vocal Effects

video upload by Perfect Circuit

T-8 Drum Machine & Acid Style Bass Synth
J-6 Polyphonic Synth
E-4 Vocal Transformer

"Join our pal Dustin for the debut of the AIRA COMPACT line of synthesizers ! These three desktop style devices combine some of Roland's most recognizable and powerful sound palettes into a portable, affordable, and outrageously fun package!

Check out our in-depth Signal article for more details - https://bit.ly/3L08Msr

0:00 - Intro jam
1:07 - Overview of Aira Compact Line
2:54 - T-8 Drum Machine & Bass Synthesizer
5:50 - J-6 Four Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer
9:50 - E-4 Vocal Processor, Looper, & Effects
11:57 - Robot Acid BOPS !"

AIRA Compact- First Look at the new Range

video upload by sonicstate

Roland T-8 J-6 E-4 Compacts Review: Here's what makes them special // Full Tutorial

video upload by loopop

TIMELINE
0:00 Intro
1:05 Overview
2:05 Connectivity
5:15 T-8 OVERVIEW
8:30 Drum sounds
11:55 Bass synth
14:00 Sequencing
19:20 Effects
20:15 Drive
22:05 Sidechain
24:55 Performance
26:20 T-8 Pros, cons
28:10 J-6 OVERVIEW
29:20 Synth
31:15 Effects
32:55 Keys, chords
33:50 Phrases/arp
36:10 Sequencer
39:50 Step length
40:20 Menu misc
41:40 J-6 Pros & cons
45:10 E-4 OVERVIEW
46:00 Eight things it does
50:00 Interface
50:50 MIDI control
51:20 Vocoder
52:00 Looper
53:20 Scatter
56:25 E-4 Pros & cons
58:25 T-8 Patterns
1:07:10 J-6 Patterns

How fun is the Aira Compact series?

video upload by True Cuckoo

And the press release:

Fun, Pocket-Size Instruments with Innovative Creative Features, Authentic Roland Sounds, and Class-Leading Connectivity

Los Angeles, CA, May 10, 2022 — Roland announces AIRA Compact, an all-new series of ultra-portable instruments with free-flowing features for creative exploration and authentic Roland sounds. Fun, affordable, and easy to learn, the T-8 Beat Machine, J-6 Chord Synthesizer, and E-4 Voice Tweaker bring serious musical power to everyone from hobbyists and gadget collectors to tech-savvy pros.

AIRA Compact instruments let anyone jam, perform, and develop ideas on the go with friendly controls, inspiring sounds, and loads of intuitive music tools. Users can realize complete compositions with a single unit or expand their possibilities by connecting and synchronizing with other AIRA Compact models. From one master unit, multiple AIRA Compacts can be mixed and monitored with headphones or an external speaker system. It’s also possible to interface with computer DAWS, mobile music apps, and hardware instruments via USB-C or MIDI.

Driven by Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) and other advanced technologies found in top-line Roland instruments, AIRA Compact delivers the real-deal sounds behind decades of hit music. Users can create with the genuine voices of Roland icons, including TR rhythms, TB basses, JUNO synths, VT effects, and more.

Driven by Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) and other advanced technologies found in top-line Roland instruments, AIRA Compact delivers the real-deal sounds behind decades of hit music. Users can create with the genuine voices of Roland icons, including TR rhythms, TB basses, JUNO synths, VT effects, and more.

AIRA Compact strikes the perfect balance between portability and power. Each model is small enough to slip into a pocket and features an inviting panel to jump-start the creative flow for immediate results. Onboard lithium-ion batteries provide hours of continuous use per charge, while Roland’s famous build quality will support musical adventures for years to come.

T-8 Beat Machine
The T-8 Beat Machine combines iconic Roland drum and bass sounds in a go-everywhere rhythm factory. Beatmakers can build tracks with legendary sounds from the TR-808, TR-909, and TR-606 drum machines, paired with the shapeshifting low end of the dynamic TB-303 Bass Line. The six-track drum sequencer features the famous TR-REC workflow, enhanced with deep tools like step loop, pattern shift, probability, and others to generate dynamic performances with constantly evolving grooves. The T-8 also provides an authentic TB-303 bass experience, including the tactile power to squeeze, squelch, and mangle sounds in the moment.

J-6 Chord Synthesizer
The J-6 Chord Synthesizer is an endless well of musical inspiration, pairing a powerful chord sequencer with the lavish tones of the renowned JUNO-60 synth. Creators don’t need to know chords or theory to make music—they can simply call up one of 100 chords sets and build compelling chord progressions with one-touch presses on the built-in keyboard. Styles and variations are also available to coax dancing lines and rhythmic patterns from chords. Users can quickly string progressions together via step input, tweak the sound with dedicated filter and envelope controls, and add polish with customizable delay and reverb effects.

E-4 Voice Tweaker
The E-4 Voice Tweaker combines advanced voice transformer tools and standard vocal effects with a hands-on interface that’s meant to be played. Performers can go from traditional vocal enhancements to punchy beatboxed grooves to striking alien soundscapes—all in a single tune. Pitch and formant sliders are available to instantly change the vocal gender, create robot voices, and more. Auto Pitch, automatic harmony, and vocoder processors are included, along with reverb, delay, and other effects. There’s also a built-in 24-second looper for capturing performances on the fly, plus a unique Scatter function for slicing and dicing the sound via a dedicated panel knob.

Availability & Pricing

The Roland AIRA Compact series is now available in the U.S. for $199.99 each."

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

Korg Symphonic Piano 80S SN 607492

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

via this auction

User manual

"Really beautiful medium colored wood veneer, surprisingly few chips/dents for being over 30 years old. Kept exclusively under a sheet when not in use.

Veneer on the lower left corner has potential for peeling but it's not noticeable unless you're trying to pry it back with vigor.

Every key works, if you look in the inner panel some key slots have chipped corners, but this does not affect stability of the key nor makes them stick while playing.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Using Little Alter Boy - Little Alter Boy Soundtoys

video upload by Distinct Mastering

Quick note: Soundtoys is a new sponsor of MATRIXSYNTH and will be featured more often on the site. For posts featuring effects they either need be demoed with synths or they need to be applicable to synths. This video focuses on vocals but it can obviously be applied to synths. The Little Alter Boy also features a robot/vocoder mode not demoed here. That said, this gets a post. You can find Soundoys at: https://www.soundtoys.com

Timecodes:
0:00 Start
00:37 Overview of Little Alter Boy
01:24 The Pitch Knob
01:51 The Formant Knob
02:18 Layering with Soundtoys Little Alter Boy
03:11 Using Drive
03:34 Alter Boy Modes
0:355 The Mix Knob

PO-33 & PO-28: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

tubesockor

"A live version of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' using the Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O. loaded with the (soon-to-be-released) sound pack #16operators, plus some solo assistance from PO-28 Robot

I was invited to contribute to the PO-33 sample pack #16operators arranged by @AA Battery where 16 different creators supplied one sample (or kit). Then the purpose was to make one song using this pack as the main component.

In my case I used the PO-33 for almost everything, except the solo parts which are handled by the PO-28 Tonic. All recorded live in one take.

Used sounds from the pack:
* (...will be revealed when sound pack is released)

The sound pack was originally planned to be released before Christmas so I made a Christmas song, but was allowed to post this video as a little preview :)"

A tiny little jam with Voice Bot

humbletune

"In this video I use 3 instances of voice bot running in AUM. Ableton Live is used to control them with midi on separate channels. This new version of voice bot comes with quite a few new things like pitch tracking, a new dynamic keyboard and mono mode with glide.

Robot sample by excellent Synth Talk: https://www.synthtalk.net
(available as a factory preset)

Check out Voice Bot at: http://www.humbletune.com/voicebot"

Waldorf Microwave 2 SN 740126090

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

via this auction

"Brutal German Synth Rack"

little robot

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Waldorf Q Synthesizer Rack Desktop

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

via this auction

little robot

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JoMox Xbase 09 V2.09 Drum Synthesizer Drumcomputer SN 9742-0690

via this auction

little robot

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Waldorf Rack Attack Drum Synthesizer SN 110110001977

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

via this auction

Little robot model not included.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Novation Nova Desktop Synthesizer OS V3 12-Voices

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

via this auction

Little robot model is back.

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Yamaha Tenori-On Synthesizer Magnesium Made in Japan

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

via this uaction

Modeled by a little robot.

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Roland VP-9000 VariPhrase Processor 4 x 32MB memory w/ Zip disk SN ZN52614

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

via this auction

"The Roland VP-9000 VariPhrase Processor is a revolutionary sampler/vocal processor. It is a sampler capable of elastic realtime manipulation of pitch, time, and formants via MIDI while maintaining superb sound quality. With the VP-9000 you can instantly match drum loops to the same key and tempo. Or use it to bend notes, change pitches or harmonize and more! It all works in real-time with little artifacts and in a non-destructive environment. Thankfully, the VP-9000 features three large knobs for realtime control over pitch, time, formant, and groove right on the front of the module for realtime tweaking!

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Moffenzeef Modular Stargazer with FX // More drones, more distortion, more dead dreams

Published on Nov 29, 2018 DivKidVideo

"**TIMING INDEX / SECTIONS BELOW** Here's my third and final (for now) video with the Moffenzeef Modular Stargazer. With more drones, more distortion, more dead dreams and NO TALKING. The first video of patches is linked below as is the walkthrough and demo. This video pairs the Stargazer with FX from tape delays, to BBDs, guitar pedals and modular units. There's some original dalek inducing analogue ring modulation from the Nervous Squirrel ring modulator and a little help from a Korg Volca Beats and a Korg Volca Sample.

TIMING INDEX / SECTIONS

00:00 Tentacle drones & BBD delays

00:52 Tape / cartridge delay & piranha eating chickens

01:38 PJ bottom beats & Nervous Squirrel ring modulation

02:29 Space cruiser melodies & stargazing drones

04:02 Robot nipple covers

04:39 Voodoo vibing drones & gorilla beats

05:49 Textural clicks & cosmos distortion"

The MJ-12 handmade synth.

Published on Oct 25, 2018 Rarebeasts

"Soundart instrumental by Brian McNamara
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/65397..."

Like a little white UFO robot.

"The MJ-12 is a 3d printed synth designed and handmade by me.

Apart from looking adorable this synth is super simple to play and has a huge range of sounds.
All is required to get started is a USB power supply(PC or phone battery packs are perfect) and something to to hear the sounds, this can be as simple as a set of headphones or an amplifier. A speaker with an aux input is perfect.

The MJ-12 has three controls, The first varies the frequency of the output, the second modulates the output and the third shifts the frequency the 2nd 3rd and the 4th waveform to be slightly off tone.

Stats:
Output: 3.5mm socket (Use with earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier)
Power: USB (Plug into a computer, phone charger or wall socket). No internal battery.
Case: 3D printed ABS"

Vinicius Electrik Eurorack Modules Including Lizard, Multiwaves And SVVCF

Published on Sep 24, 2018 Perfect Circuit Audio

"The Vinicius Electrik eurorack modules include some interesting modules with bright red panels. The Lizard is a sequencer as well as oscillator, Multiwaves is a triple VCO/LFO. Vinicius also offers a state variable VCF with multiple inputs and outputs and CV controls over everything and up to 18db/octave lowpass. There is are also solid utility modules from Vinicius including a midi to CV converter, an ADSR envelope, dual VCA and four channel mixer. We got a little help with the tune in the beginning from the Teenage Engineering PO-28 Robot Pocket Operator.

Vinicius Electrik available here: https://www.perfectcircuitaudio.com/v..."

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Supporting MATRIXSYNTH members get %10 off at Perfect Circuit Audio!

Switched on Kraftwerk - The Mono Machine

Published on Feb 24, 2018 TheTrackdriver

"A short cover version of 'The Man Machine' album originally made by Kraftwerk. All instruments and robot voices are created on an Elektron Monomachine and the simple drums on the Elektron Machinedrum. I added a little Lexicon MX200 reverb. Both machines are running in song mode. The Monomachine is synced to the Machinedrum via MIDI.

Note the artifacts when switching from one kit to another, especially where the delay settings are very different between the kits."