MATRIXSYNTH

Can this synth restore his faith in Monosynths?

video upload by Oscillator Sink

"I must confess, for the past few years I have felt sort of burned out on what you might term “traditional mono-synths”. Not because of the sound or their utility in electronic music, but because…well I guess the fact that I used the word utility sums it up: it had been a while since I had come across a mono-synth which felt like more than a means to a musical end; it had been a while since a mono-synth felt fun.

Which is why I was overjoyed at superbooth this year to come across a number of mono-synths which renewed my faith in the genre - instruments which did something fresh and exciting in their presentation, features and sound, which iterated on traditional ideas in truly interesting and useful ways leading to instruments that felt fresh and playful without being unfamiliar.

One of those instruments was the SWEN2 from Analog Sweden. Based on their earlier, rare and relatively expensive Swenigizer synth, which itself was based on an even rarer and much more expensive synth called the Energizer, the SWEN2 manages both to add new features while also moving to a manufacturing process that makes it a lot more affordable - it feels like a lot of synth for the money.

At its heart SWEN2 is a semi-modular subtractive synth but with so many clever little tweaks to its sound and usability, along with some ideas that I haven’t really seen in other instruments, as well as a very fun and jammable generative sequencer, all of which add up to an instrument that is a joy to use and, yes, extremely fun.

Transparency Notice: Analog Sweden kindly sent me this prototype unit for free after meeting the team at Superbooth, but they haven’t had any editorial oversight of this video."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:01 The Oscillators
07:59 No talking demo: Pseudo Paraphony
08:49 The Filter

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The OXI Playbook #1 Interlocking Saga Melodies

video upload by OXI Instruments

"The OXI team's favorite workflows, patches, and sequencing tricks.

Today we're transforming one Saga pattern into complex, interlocking melodies with just a few simple techniques."

00:00 Introduction
01:04 Setting the first sequence
02:10 Copying the sequence
03:00 Creating variations changing notes duration
04:08 Using accent to ground the sequence
07:25 Creating a second rhythm with LPG striking

Ocean Swift releases DevOcean Modular - 145+ modules, fresh DSP, unique ideas

video uploads by Ocean Swift / Faxi Nadu

Playlist:

1. DevOcean Modular | OUT NOW | Fast forward modular synthesis #modularsynth #sounddesign #synthesiser
2. DevOcean Modular - Artificial Echo Book - Patch Example #modularsynth #sounddesign #synthesiser
3. DevOcean Modular - Create A 3 Osc Synth Patch From Scratch #modularsynth #sounddesign #synthesiser

"Ocean Swift releases DevOcean Modular - a modern modular synthesis and sound design platform. Offering a growing collection of 145 modules which include dozens of nods to the open source DSP community, DSP and MIDI scripting, an educational and UX mindset and more.

The developer quotes:

'It sounds compelling. The DSP is written from scratch, in the way that shows - filters with weight and bite, effects that behave like hardware, an oscillator section with real dynamic range.' - Yaron, Product Manager @ Ocean Swift.

'It is a system built for discovery. Complex where you want it, inviting from the first minute, and generous with what it teaches you as you go. Thousands of patches, presets and snapshots to pull apart and learn from. It doesn't ask you to move in - it offers.' - Fernando, Sound/UX Designer @ Ocean Swift.

On intro for €129.99, 35% off €199 MSRP until September 1 2026.

Grab it here: https://oceanswift.net/product/devocean/

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AUDIO DAMAGE Introduces Tessera Tuned Resonator Effect

via Audio Damage

"Tessera is a tuned resonator effect. Feed it a drum loop, a guitar, a synth, or a voice, and it uses that signal to excite twelve parallel resonator voices, each pitched to a note of a chord or scale you choose. A single hit blooms into a full chord. A sustained sound becomes a slowly shifting pad.

Under the hood are eleven resonator models: a plucked Karplus-Strong string, a bowed waveguide String, and nine banded-waveguide bodies, from tuned bars and glass to bells, bowls, membranes, plates, and tubes. Decay, Damping, Brightness, and Spread voice each one, from tight and percussive to vast and ringing.

Five motion engines decide how and when the twelve voices speak: Contour, SEQ, Strum, Arp, and Swarm, moving from shimmering arpeggios to strummed chords to drifting swarms, all lockable to host tempo. Same as the rest of our catalog: Mac, Windows, Linux, and iOS. No DRM, no subscriptions, no dongles, perpetual license."

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MEET NODES: A MODULAR FX RACK PLUGIN

video upload by Okay Synthesizer

via Okay Synthesizer

"We're excited to share something we've been working on: Nodes, a modular FX plugin that just launched in early access.

Here's what makes it different: instead of being locked into a single effect chain, you get 55 nodes and counting—24 modulation sources and 29 effects—that you can wire together however you want. Sound design on steroids. We've also baked in our Eurorack LFO Lowstepper and mutable instruments modules, so the creative possibilities are basically endless.

The best part? It's a one-time purchase ($50 right now, down from $100). No subscriptions, no hidden costs. The price holds until version 1.0, when we're adding Linux support and more.

We built this for sound designers and producers who love tweaking, but the macro system makes it live-performance-friendly too. And because we're an active developer team that actually listens to community feedback, this thing is only going to get better.

It's CPU-efficient, works on Mac and PC now (Linux coming at 1.0), and honestly—you can build anything with it. Grab it here: https://okaysynthesizer.com/nodes"

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Bach Prelude and Fugue in C Major (BWV 846) On Electribe ER-1

video upload by Hank Mason

"Playing perhaps Bach's most iconic prelude and fugue the way it was meant to be played: on piano and drum machine. The ER-1 glitches out a bit here, which happens sometimes in extreme weather (NYC was in the middle of a heat wave when I recorded this). I like to think that the strange tunings that arise might be recognizable to someone from Bach's time.

GEAR
Korg Electribe ER-1 Rhythm Synthesizer
Krakauer Bros. Grand Piano
MORE INFO: https://hankthemason.com/projects/fug..."

a world inside a speaker — meet mur mur

video upload by oio

"a speaker with a world inside.
find out more on https://murmur.living

A project by
‪@oio.studio‬ (https://oio.studio) and
Mattering Studio (https://matteringstudio.com/)

Sound engineering by Morgan Whitney"

This one is in via Ivan Trajkovic aka deejayiwan.

"Worlds not prompts

We didn't want to generate infinite soundscapes from a prompt.

We built small worlds that act as infinite ambient sound engines with weather patterns, underlying narratives, and a society of hundreds of tiny agents moving and interacting.

What you hear and see is an endless stream of situations, turned in real time into a soundscape that's never the same."

"Mur mur is not a world you play or control. It plays even without you. Sit back and listen, or peek in to see what's happening. Just don't shake it — there are living agents inside."

You can find additional details at https://www.murmur.living/

Introducing the Synido TempoKEY K32 Play!

video upload by Musical Miscellany & More

"The folks at @synidotech asked me to help launch their latest MIDI controller, the TempoKey K32. It's unique in that it's not just a MIDI controller but also includes a synth engine. In this video, I take a look at a pre-release model."

DISCOUNT CODE (Europe): SYNIDOK32 | Expires:August 30, 2026
Purchase link (Europe): https://www.synido.com/s/k32

Intro - 0:00
Unboxing & Overview - 1:26
Internal Synth Engine - 3:31
Using the Editor - 5:24
Direct Audio - 6:47
Using with Soft Synth - 8:15
Using the Arpeggiator - 10:08
Additional Features - 11:30
Using with Hardware Synth - 12:45
Final Thoughts - 14:24

And one from 2-Minute Warning:

The Key - 4-Minute Jam (TempoKEY K32 Play + Taiga + DFAM)

video upload by 2-Minute Warning

"This video is a little different for two reasons!

First, it's the first time I'm featuring an instrument kindly provided by a manufacturer. Synido sent me the TempoKEY K32 Play to explore in my own workflow and share my honest impressions.

They didn't ask for a scripted review, so I simply approached it the same way I approach every other instrument on this channel: by making music with it.

Secondly... this is exceptionally a 4-minute jam!

Think of it as two consecutive 2-minute performances before I take a short summer break. 😊

Rather than trying to showcase every feature of the K32 as a MIDI controller (Bluetooth MIDI, battery power, USB/MIDI connectivity, pads, knobs, etc.), I wanted to focus on what intrigued me the most: its built-in General MIDI sound engine.

For this performance, the Hapax sequences the entire setup. The Taiga handles the bass, the DFAM takes care of the analog drums (synchronized by the Hapax), while the K32 Play provides everything else: guitars, strings, bells, plucks, additional drum sounds… and occasionally runs through the Eventide H90 for a bit of extra space and texture.

As always, the musical performance itself was recorded in a single take. Mixing/mastering was done afterwards in Ableton Live, but the performance you hear is exactly as it happened.

A sincere thank you to Synido. Without their message, this musical experiment probably wouldn't have happened."

✅ PLAY THE MOMENT INSPIRATION HITS

Most MIDI keyboards need a computer and software to make a sound. K32 doesn't. Built-in sounds and speakers let you play instantly--couch,classroom, anywhere.

✅ 32 KEYS, MORE ROOM

25 keys feel cramped for chords and melody together. The K32's 32-key layout gives your hands space to play naturally.

✅ WIRELESS, GO ANYWHERE

BLE MIDI + Battery. Create from the couch, backstage, in class, or on a plane.

✅ GROWS WITH YOU

Connect another MIDI controller and use the K32 as a standalone sound module. Compact setup, maximum flexibility.

✅ INSTANT SOUND SWITCHING

Save favorite instruments to the KEY Sound buttons. Jump from piano to synth to bass with one press. No menu-diving.

✅ HANDS-ON CONTROL

8 assignable knobs, 8 drum pads, and a clear OLED display. Adjust, beat, and perform in real time—no mouse needed.

✅ FOR EVERY STAGE OF YOUR JOURNEY

From first beat to live performance, K32 adapts to your workflow. Start simple. Grow into it. Create without limits.

✅ FAST WIRELESS PAIRING

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