BVR Instruments | SynthFest 2025

video upload by SynthFest France

Click CC on the bottom of the player for subtitles.

"Bruno de BVR instruments revient avec son produit phare, le séquenceur TS1, mais entre temps, il a développé d'autres modules percussifs (BD et HH) qu'il nous fait découvrir à l'occasion de sa demonstration sur la grande scène de l'Odyssée."

Googlish:

"Bruno from BVR Instruments is back with his flagship product, the TS1 sequencer, but in the meantime, he has developed other percussion modules (BD and HH) which he will be showing us during his demonstration on the main stage of the Odyssée."

Ample Synthesizer Arpeggios Triggered via MIDI

video upload by rezfilter

"There are Ample arps in this video—but don’t let their simplicity fool you. MIDI is driving a minimal arpeggio pattern while the Ample’s oscillators are gradually blended in for added depth, including a thick, grounding sub-oscillator."

Yamaha DX7 and Fractal Audio FM3 soundscape improvisation

video upload by MIDERA

"I think I'm getting worse at playing keyboard. Anyway, a friend wanted me to fix his DX7, but I can't find anything wrong with it so I tested it out for a little while and just made this brief piece.

Yamaha DX7
Fractal Audio FM3"

4/22/25 Soundforce S-LD + SSL 1660 + GenRad 1564-A + BLM Gate Seq + DSP 808 + MIDIVERB II + PV 1300

video upload by Cfpp0

"4/22/25 ElectroComp EML 200 + Synthetic Sound Labs 1660 + Analog Craftsman acVOKs + STG muSonics Vanilla Envelope + General Radio 1564-A + Blue Lantern Gate Sequencer + Soundforce S-LD + DSP 808 + Alesis MIDIVERB II + Peavey 1300

Testing out a used Soundforce S-LD module we just got. You can hear the cowbell and the maraca (there’s a switch on the back to choose the Linn toms or percussion). The other percussion is from the DSP 808 module, which is a similar sampled sound module, but with pitch control and voltage controls. The synthy kick drum is the General Radio 1564-A processing the S-LD kick drum. Its VU meter looks like it’s out of sync, but it’s just slow and getting pinned hard. The two drones that build up are from two ElectroComp EML 200 synthesizers. The synth lines are Synthetic Sound Labs 1660 The Matrix Algorithmic Composer through the Analog Craftsman acVOKS filter into the STG muSonics Vanilla Envelope. The reverb is preset 10 on the Alesis MIDIVERB II."

“Time is Now” Creating an Ambient Track Live Using Sonicware Ambient Zero & Oberheim TEO-5 Synths

video upload by Maria Calfa-DePaul

"I am a big fan of sonicware’s liven offerings and I have several and this is becoming one of my favorites because it’s just it’s got a lot of character. It’s great for using with other synths and it’s got a sequencer and I use this live in the video trying to build up an ambient track and then having the TEO be like the headliner where I can riff on it and have it all worked together. I really enjoyed myself during this. It’s a little hard sometimes multitasking but hopefully I was able to provide you with some entertainment and enjoyment."

The Master of Synthesizer Design : Axel Hartmann : From Inspiration to Iconic !

"Apr 11, 2025

The Master of Synthesizer Design : Axel Hartmann : From Inspiration to Iconic !

Hosted by Vin Curigliano of AAVIM Technology, I am joined by guest co-host Pete Brown of Microsoft, and special guest Axel Hartmann who has been the go to designer for some of the most iconic synthesizers of the last 35 years, and continues to be one of the leading designers in the field. Chances are, you have seen or played one of his designs.

We discuss Axel's history in music and technology, what lead him to follow the path to Industrial Design, and what motivated and inspired him to focus his attention and creativity, primarily in the area of musical instruments.

Starting with his early career at Waldorf that was initially in graphic design but expanded into the area of industrial design and the eventual design and development of the iconic Waldorf Wave synthesizer, as well as many other well-known and much-loved synthesizer designs for numerous other manufacturers.

We then cover a large number of his better-known designs, and get first-hand insights and behind the scenes details of what is actually involved in bringing these instruments to market.

Throughout, we dive into Axel's design philosophy and how he works in collaboration with the clients to bring the designs to life and to market. We navigate the highs, lows, hits, and misses over his career, and much, much more, with some great stories and laughs along the way."

Only 400 to 500 Hartmann Neurons built.

This one was sent my way via Soviet Space Child

Waldorf Discontinues the Quantum MK2

Waldorf is discontinuing the Quantum MK2. Check with dealers on the right, and Reverb, on availability.

The following is a recap from the Waldorf website for the archives.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Reverb to Become Privately Held Again

Press release follows:

Two new investors with ties to the music industry—Creator Partners and Servco—have entered an agreement to purchase Reverb from Etsy

Tuesday, April 22—Today, music gear marketplace Reverb announced that two new investors—Creator Partners and Servco—have entered an agreement to purchase Reverb from Etsy. Once the deal closes, Reverb will be a privately-held, independently operated company backed by two investors that share Reverb’s experience in the music industry and focus on supporting musicians.

“Creator Partners and Servco share our passion for the musical instruments industry and a community-first approach, plus a deep desire to strengthen creative industries,” said David Mandelbrot, CEO at Reverb. “The musicians, shops, and brands who use Reverb have always been at the center of all that we do, and these two partners will help us support our music-making community in new and better ways.”

Known for their focus on the digital transformation of creative industries, Creator Partners is an investment company currently investing in music companies including BMI, SoundCloud, Color Studios and Mogul.

“Reverb is the #1 global marketplace for musicians, and a one-of-a-kind platform that has transformed access to quality used gear for creators of all levels” said Kerry Trainor, Creator Partners Founder and former CEO of SoundCloud and Vimeo, “We are thrilled to join the Reverb mission to make the world more musical, and grow the entire industry through seamless secondhand commerce.”

Servco has been involved in the musical instrument industry since 1937, including a long history with Fender—first as a dealer of Fender music gear in the 1950s, then as part of the group that bought the company from CBS in 1985 and now as the majority owner of the company, as well as an active investor in other musical instruments businesses.

“We are thrilled and honored to be a part of Reverb’s continued success,” said Executive Chair of Servco, Mark Fukunaga. “For nearly 90 years, Servco has been deeply involved in musical instruments and music education programs. And we remain committed to being good stewards of leading musical instrument companies, like Reverb, and supporting players everywhere in pursuing their passion to create music.”

When the deal closes in the coming months, Reverb will return to being an independent business. According to Mandelbrot, buyers and sellers won’t notice any disruption as a result of this news, but he does expect the Reverb community to notice positive changes and new innovations in the coming months as the team continues to focus on making Reverb the best place to buy and sell music gear.

“We’ve got a lot of exciting changes in the works. We’re expanding access to music-making software on Reverb and we’re getting ready to pilot a new option for selling that allows musicians to get paid faster, while skipping the listing and shipping process. Our teams are working on improving our search functionality, making it easier to ship, and shortening the time it takes to resolve support issues,” said Mandelbrot. “All and all, there’s a lot for our community to look forward to and I’m very excited about what’s coming as we move forward as an independent company again.”

About Reverb
Reverb is the largest online marketplace dedicated to music gear. Since launching in 2013, Reverb has helped millions of music makers find the perfect piece of gear from its trusted community of music shops, top brands, and other music makers around the world. Built by musicians and gear lovers, Reverb combines one of the largest selections of musical instruments with tools to help music makers find music gear that inspires them and a passionate musical community to connect with. Sales on Reverb help support Reverb Gives, which provides youth music programs with musical instruments.

Ocean Swift releases Fractal Scapes bank for Massive X with Free version

video uploads by Ocean Swift / Faxi Nadu

"Fractal Scapes for the Massive X synthesizer is a soundbank with 104 surreal presets - more than one hundred surreal pads, ambiences, synth keys, arpeggios, sequences and other abstract immersive sounds.

Immersive ambient presets for Massive X:
Experience a captivating journey of high-quality sounds, all thanks to the powerful synthesis capabilities of the Massive X synthesizer.
Delve into intricately designed and detailed presets, ranging from complex to beautifully simple.

Control with ease:
Fractal Scapes presets are both fun and easy to explore. They allow you to fully utilize the macro controls, enabling you to quickly and effectively control the best sonic aspects of each sound – with ease.

Full NKS support:
NKS support, including audio previews when hosted in Maschine or Komplete Kontrol. The soundbank and presets are properly organized and tagged for a better workflow.

Features:
✅ 104 presets in .nksf format
✅ NKS support, including audio preview when hosted in Maschine or Komplete Kontrol.
✅ Bank and presets organized with tags
✅ Macro controls - control the best sonic aspects of each sound
✅ Free Version Available

You can get Fractal Scapes for 28% Off intro offer of 18eur (reg.25eur) until 6th of May
https://oceanswift.net/product/fractalscapes/"

Void & Vista: FRAMES

video upload by VOID & VISTA

Press release follows:

LONDON, UK: VOID & VISTA is proud to announce availability of FRAMES as its latest bold virtual instrument for contemporary music creation — crafted for Native Instruments’ KONTAKT platform, pairing characterful, expressive, and unique sampling with powerful sound design features and an inspiring interface rendering it ideal for media composers, production music writers, and (obviously) sound designers, as well as also expanding the toolbox of artists and producers across multiple genres thanks to its variety of emotive sounds and textures — as of April 23…

Being built around 40 sound sources made from capturing unique, unrepeatable sonic moments, FRAMES readily represents a bespoke collection of specially curated samples created using prepared instruments, resonated sound objects, and aleatoric performances using experimental techniques. These are all recorded at 96kHz using specialist microphones to capture sound beyond the range of human hearing, ready to pitch down and explore.

Such sound sources are split into five categories: INSTRUMENTS — traditional instruments captured using extended techniques and aleatoric performances; OBJECTS — uniquely prepared objects and instruments played in experimental ways; EFFECTED — heavily effected, processed sounds, and resonated objects; TEXTURES — tonal, textural, and found sounds that are perfect for blending; and WAVES — sampled synth waveforms taken from an analogue hardware collection.

Above and beyond that, the new ZONE SHIFT feature vastly expands the timbres of each sound source, enabling immediate dynamic exploration of the movement and detail found within them. Thanks to shifting samples from different registers, sounds can shift from slow and muted to frantic and urgent with each key press.

But better still, those 40 sound sources can be layered, sculpted, and effected using the deep two-layer sound design engine, featuring multimode FILTERS; two MOTION LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — LFO 1 and LFO 2; six envelopes; LOFI effects; an ENSEMBLE page for blending additional voices; parallel CHARACTER insert effects; and dedicated SPACE send effects. And all of this sound design power is available from an inspiring and intuitive interface, designed to keep users focused on making music.

Music-making or otherwise, users ultimately benefit from FRAMES coming complete with a colossal collection of preset snapshots organised logically for ease of use, with pre-assigned mod wheel modulation mappings for jaw-dropping sound manipulation.

FRAMES is initially available to purchase at a 20%-discounted price until June 4, 2025 — rising thereafter to its regular price of £129.00 GBP — as a KONTAKT PLAYER-compatible/NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®)-ready AAX-, AU-, and VST-formatted virtual instrument plug-in featuring 16 GB of samples that works with all major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) running on macOS 12 or above — natively compatible with Apple Silicon — and Windows 10/11 directly from the dedicated product webpage here: https://www.voidandvista.com/products/frames

To function, FRAMES needs Native Instruments KONTAKT 7.10 or higher via the Native Access 2 administration tool for music creation software available from here: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/specials/native-access-2/