Keytars come in for some serious stick so how about a shift in the paradigm and have a synth you can strum instead? I mean, it worked for the Omnichord!

Keytars for the Win!

Everybody loves to hate keytars. Being a teen in the 80s means that I love them. I could finally strut my stuff on stage like the guitarists and get all the girls. Obviously, that NEVER happened. Ah well, maybe Elyra from BLL Instruments will change all that?

Elyra from BLL Instruments – What Is It?

At first glance, Elyra looks like a plank of wood with a large white plate glued on the top. However, look more closely and you can start to see there’s more to it than that. The body of the instrument is indeed a lovely piece of wood. Into this is carved all the recesses needed to accommodate the technology.

The playing surface comprises two strumming areas, a fretboard that contains the “strings” and a chord area. Beneath (or above?) these areas are the controls for the Elyra which includes an OLED screen. The buttons are “soft” buttons, i.e. their function is defined by what’s on screen.

To play the Elyra, you can sling it over your shoulder to strum like a proper guitarist, or you can lay it down on a flat surface and use it more like the aforementioned Omnichord. I am certain comparisons will be made between the two.

The Elyra Synth Engine

Things continue to get more interesting with the synthesis engine. Made by Kodamo, the team behind the brilliant EssenceFM and the very cool MASK1, it is a virtual analog affair with some FM thrown in for good measure. With 16 voices of polyphony, shared by all tracks, it is also 16 part multitimbral. The Elyra comes loaded with 256 factory presets and 1024 user presets.

There are 15 oscillator waveforms to choose from as well as the FM capability. Separate pitch and amplitude envelopes are joined by a 2-pole -12dB/Oct low pass and a 4-pole -24dB/Oct high pass filter. A pair of LFOs give you plenty of modulation options. There’s also a healthy complement of digital FX.

The onboard sequencer allows you to construct patterns of 256 steps. Each ‘project’ can contain 128 patterns. The SD card has the capacity for 999 projects. Power comes via a 5V USB port.

More Information

Despite the obvious Omnichord comparisons, Elyra has a much more capable and distinctive synth engine. It can also be played in several different ways. Will become a new way for keyboard players to traverse the stage? Who knows, we might see more guitarists delving into synthesis!

Elyra from BLL Instruments is available now via their website for $1,099 USD or €1,199 EUR.

• BLL Instruments Website
• More from BLL Instruments

The post Elyra from BLL Instruments – A Synth You Can Shred On! appeared first on gearnews.com.

Softube Model 82 is a groovy attempt to recapture those SH-101 club sounds of 1990s techno and it’s a lot of fun. Now only €19 with our exclusive code.

Softube Model 82 deal

Now available for €19 with coupon code PBNL53 at Plugin Boutique.

Softube Model 82

Available for €19 (with coupon code “PBNL53”) at

Model 82

[Originally posted on 8th June 2022] Softube never likes to say what synthesizer it bases its emulations on. But in this case, it’s clearly the Roland SH-101. While the synth was produced in the early 80s, the vibe Softube are going for is set firmly in the club culture of the 1990s and they nailed it.

Both the Model 72 and the Model 84 were brilliant, so I’m expecting great things from this emulation. The idea is to try to capture the feelings as well as the sound of this synth. Softube says something about “Rock & Roll Science” which conjures up images of trashed laboratories and professors snorting coke off each other’s arses. But it could also mean that the designers have gone beyond the attention to detail and inhabit some kind of heart and soul emulation. Or maybe let’s get a grip on ourselves and enjoy it as a mono synth with a couple of waveforms, a cool filter and a useful envelope.

Softube went to a lot of trouble to model the sequencer and arpeggiator in the hope of instilling Model 82 with that elusive inspiration and improvisational quality.

No software emulation would be complete without some extras. The interface has been optimised for a quicker workflow, and velocity and aftertouch have been stuck in. And there’s a new Drive knob for a bit of saturation and some stereo enhancements.

Honestly, it looks and sounds totally brilliant and while it’s been done before I always enjoy Softube’s take on these things. I’m also loving the crappy signs of wear on the GUI.

Modular

The other groovy thing Softube does is pull the synthesizer apart into individual modules that can then run inside Softube Modular. And so you get the VCO, LFO, VCF-VCA, FX and ENV as separate patchable modules.

This is also brilliant.

So, for €79 Softube has nailed the Roland SH-101 in software form with all the right nuance and extras. Great stuff.

• Softube Model 82 webpage.
• More from Softube.
• Available from Plugin Boutique via this affiliate link.

The post Softube Model 82: Classic techno mono synth special deal appeared first on gearnews.com.

Polyend have been making some very cool stuff recently. The Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini are just two great examples. These two portable powerhouses have got you covered for sampling, sequencing, synthesis and effects. And now, for a limited time, they are both available with €100 off over at the Thomann store!

Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini On Offer

The Play+ is a hugely powerful tool that encompasses a sequencer that can drive both its internal sound generation and external gear too. Its large surface is dominated by 8×20 RGB-coloured pads that can be used for sequencing or firing off sounds and loops, Ableton style. There’s a good size screen for ample user feedback and plenty of knobs for deep control.

The Polyend Tracker Mini harks back to early, non-linear sequencing days. I never fully got into trackers as I started out with the more traditional linear ways of making music. But there is a large tracker fanbase out there. Polyend clearly saw a market and leapt right in. Featuring a built-in sampler with its own mic, you can use your sounds as well as those provided to create your music on the go. The integrated battery means you’re not tied to your desk and can make music anywhere.

More Information

Both of these devices are available at Thomann with a healthy €100 discount. But hurry, it’s a limited deal!

The Polyend Play+ is available for €699 EUR, down from €799 EUR

Polyend Play+

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 699.00 € at

The Polyend Tracker Mini is available for €599, down from €699 EUR

Polyend Tracker Mini

Customer rating:

(9)

Available for 599.00 € at

The deal is on until February 29th 2024, whilst stock lasts. Get in quick because these will fly off the shelves.

• Deal at Thomann  (affiliate)
• Polyend website
• More about  Polyend

Note: This article about the Polyend Tracker Mini and Play+ deal contains affiliate links that help us build our site. The purchase price and final price always remain the same! If you purchase something through these built-in advertising links, we will receive a small “donation” and we thank you for your support!

The post Deal: Polyend Play+ and Tracker Mini Get €100 Discount! appeared first on gearnews.com.

This Love Hultén MIDI Guitar with a built-in NESpoly synth looks very square and industrial. It also features an onboard cat. As it was custom-built for musician Catbeats.

Love Hultén MIDI Guitar

Any fans of Swedish creator Love Hultén’s work will know to expect something unique and beautiful in design terms. This MIDI Guitar is very square and industrial-looking, contains YouRock MIDI technology, and a NESpoly synth, and a MOOD MKII. Resulting in an expressive chiptune, a retro, futuristic musical tool, shaped like a guitar created especially for Catbeats.

Expressive

In the demo video, it sounds great and appears to have plenty of expressive control. However, I could not make out exactly what all those buttons and switches are for. The MIDI guitar has a headless design and appears to have real strings, therefore you could potentially attack it like a standard guitar. However, it will go far beyond most ordinary guitars in terms of synth sounds, textures, and beyond.

Detachable Neck

The design also features a detachable neck, so perfect for when you are on the move. As the strings aren’t real, this isn’t an issue.

The Cat

I’m loving the cat in it’s little plastic dome on the bottom corner. Apparently, according to the Instagram post, this is a ‘detachable dome for avatar replacement’. There is also a custom strap made from extraterrestrial skin, whatever that is.

Is it a guitar?

Looks great and sounds very synthy, and chiptune in nature. Possibly, an upgrade from a strapped-on Roland SH-101 but not quite as ’80s in style, and certainly not as ridiculous as a keytar. It has strings (well, fake ones), frets, and a neck so it certainly qualifies as a guitar on some levels.

That square body gives it a hint of Bo Diddley I guess. I would love to play one, though these creations tend to be bespoke one-offs.

More Information

• Love Hultén
• Instagram
• More Love Hultén news

The post Love Hultén MIDI Guitar with NESpoly synth and onboard Cat appeared first on gearnews.com.

Moog overhauls your bottom end with the fat, punchy and dynamic Mariana bass synth. It borrows liberally from the Taurus, Sub Phatty, Minitaur and Model D and yet finds depth in its own identity. Now with 50 % off!

Deal

You can currently get the software synthesizer plugin Mariana with a price reduction of 50% off the original price – check here at Plugin Boutique (affiliate)!

Moog Mariana

Available for $ 57.66 at

Mariana – Review

It should seem odd to feel excited by the arrival of another software instrument from a company famous for its dedication to hardware. But Moog has consistently produced superb software instruments that can brilliantly innovate like the Animoog or lovingly replicate like the Model 15 and Model D App. The recent MoogerFooger effects plugins even challenged the way plugins can interact within a DAW. Who knew that such a classic old manufacturer could push so well into new concepts? And so I met the arrival of Mariana with a good-sized bucket load of glee.

It’s a Bass Synthesizer

First and foremost, Mariana is designed as a bass synthesizer. It gathers all the low-end tones and deep waveforms like dark clouds brewing for a storm. The front end is so remarkably familiar (almost boringly so) that you have no inkling of the immense pressure of movement about to be unleashed upon your speakers. By golly, this has some punch.

Mariana is actually two synths layered on top of one another, identical, combined and yet fiercely independent. Each synth features a dual oscillator, sub-oscillator, multi-coloured noise generator, high and low pass filter, and a separate filter for the sub. Each synth has three LFOs, envelopes for the filter and amplifier, a separate modulation envelope and two random generators. It’s all mixed together through effects and various forms of saturation and compression. To say it’s meaty is an understatement.

Dual Oscillations

The foundation of the Mariana can be found in the interplay of the three oscillators. Our primary sound source is the Dual Oscillator, which houses two VCOs with shared waveform selection and Duty Cycle. The Duty Cycle is interesting in that it pushes that PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) sound on all five waveforms, not just the pulse wave.

OSC 1 takes the lead, and you can set the frequency to plus or minus 7 semitones. OSC 2 follows diligently along until you want to push it off the rails. You shift timbres by moving the OSC 2 waveform to 360 degrees out of phase. Or you can introduce some subtle detuning to find beats and wobbles or shift it anything up to 7 semitones away for instant dyads. An Octave switch can throw OSC 2 up one or two octaves, bringing in a whole load of new harmonics. Alternatively, you can enjoy the deliciousness of locked waveforms by hitting the Hard Sync button. Glide gives you more than enough slides between the notes, and Key Reset switch will ensure everything starts together on a new note if that’s what you want.

Voicing

A Voicing panel gives you some choice over how the oscillators respond to the monophonic nature of the synth; whether they retrigger, play legato or “Add” which uses the current envelope value as the bassline for retriggering. The Dual OSC SPREAD knob pushes the oscillators left and right for a gorgeous stereo image. And finally, an Accent button drives some more energy into the envelopes when you hit high velocities.

The Dual Oscillators are completely thrilling. Often, a monosynth will pull your focus to the filter, but there is so much tonal potential in the oscillator section that you find yourself spending a lot of time here. But we’re not done yet.

Feeling the Sub-Oscillator

The final piece of the oscillator puzzle is the SUB OSC. Commonly, this is a square wave oscillator set one or two octaves below the main oscillator, but here we have more things to explore. You’ve got three waveforms, phase shifting, and a choice of one or two lower octaves or a Linked lower octave, which will follow any tuning changes of OSC 1. With a bit of thought, you can set all three oscillators to different notes for some very cool chord action.

I should mention the Noise generator because, like so much of Moog Mariana , it has more than what we normally expect from a synth of this kind. The knob is centred on the full frequency spectrum of White noise but then tilts into the lower frequencies with Pink and Red and higher frequencies with Blue and Purple. Noise for every occasion.

All four sound sources are mixed through the Mixer section. The manual says that pushing the levels above 7 will introduce a small amount of overdrive. I would say that other than the increased loudness, there’s a tiny bit more instability, but nothing to write home about. But then, the waveforms are not entirely pristine to begin with. They are imperfectly shaped, scarred with the insecurities of detailed analogue emulation, and full of character in all the best possible ways.

Let there be Filters

For the main oscillators, we have a pair of resonant Moog filters doing exactly what you imagine them to. Both the low pass and high pass filters have fully modulatable cutoff and resonance controls and a bipolar knob to control the amount of the hard-wired filter envelope that’s being fed to the frequency.

The lowpass filter is tantalizingly smooth, carving its way artistically through those frequencies and with not too much drop-off as you push up the resonance. The resonance builds up layers of brightness all the way round to approaching 8, when it starts to collapse into self-oscillation. But it’s not an instant fall into turmoil; you have a whole area of spasm and cliff-edge tension before it whistles its way to a perfect sine wave. With all the sound sources turned down, you have a perfectly playable if slightly flat, sine wave oscillator. The High Pass has a lot less ambition but does a great job of pulling down the boominess and introducing higher tones.

We have some options on the signal routing through the filters, which give a very different result. The default is Serial, which runs the two main oscillators and the noise through the low pass and then the high pass, giving you bandpass opportunities when both filters are engaged. In Parallel mode, the same sources go through each filter independently, and the result is mixed together. In HPF Noise mode, the main oscillators go through the low pass, and the Noise is routed to the high pass.

Crossing over

The OSC CROSSOVER is an interesting function that feels a lot like you are crossfading between the main VCOs and the Sub. In fact, as you turn it right, it applies a low pass to the Sub, or if you turn it left, it applies a high pass to the VCOs. It effectively isolates the sub-oscillator and drives the sound apart so that the sub sits flat at the bottom, leaving the higher frequencies and stereo image to the VCOs.

Finally, the last control on the Synth page is the filter for the Sub Oscillator. The Sub gets to have its own journey through the synth and can enjoy the benefits of highpass, bandpass or lowpass sculpting.

There’s a huge amount of tonal capacity in these filters. The separation of the sub gives it its own life and character rather than just being in a supporting role; it could be its own synth! Sometimes I wish I could run everything through the one filter or, perhaps, link the cutoff controls together so I do not have to work quite so hard. But this is no time to get lazy; the versatility is amazing.

CNTRL Page

All the usual modulation functions have been relegated to a separate CNTRL Page for each synth. They carry the ADSR envelopes for the Amp and Filter, a six-stage Mod Envelope, three LFOs and a pair of Random Voltage generators. While the Amp and Filter envelopes are hard-wired, pretty much everything else is fair game in the Modulation engine, which we’ll come to in a minute.

The LFOs have five wave shapes with phase shifting, sync and keyboard reset options. The rate goes from a nicely slow 00.5Hz up to a decent 50Hz, but there’s no real opportunity for a bit of audio rate modulation or FM synthesis, at least from the front panel. Maybe we’ll find something in the Modulation engine to help with that. The Modulation Envelope lets you add in up to two seconds of delay and stick a Hold stage between Attack and Decay. The Random generators produce various voltage values based on either Sample & Hold, audio rate noise or Perlin Noise, with or without slew to take off the edges.

All of the modulation modules can be in use throughout Mariana, which has the potential to get overwhelming. Fortunately, Moog has included a Modulation Summary panel on the right that lists all the current sources and destinations. It also holds onto the ones you’ve tried and turned off again until you ask it to clear disabled connections, which is something I find very useful.

There’s movement all over the place

Almost everything can be modulated. The one thing I’ve noticed that can’t be, are any of the waveform selection controls, which is a little disappointing as swapping wave shapes can add a dramatic amount of difference to a bassline. But let’s not dwell on the only missing thing and get stuck into how full and fabulous the modulation engine is.

Right-click any knob, and the modulation panel pops up on the left side and lets you add any of the available sources of modulation to that control. You’ve got all the modulators from both CNTRL pages, and you’ve got Global Modulators such as velocity, keyboard tracking, mod-wheel, aftertouch, release velocity and MPE’s magic third dimension if you’re using an MPE Controller. There’s also a bunch of Control Voltage options that we’ll come to separately.

Each source has an expanded panel that lets you enable it and set the amount of modulation in positive or negative directions. This is also reflected in an animated ring of colour around the knob itself. But there’s a lot more going on in this panel. You can add a second modulator to scale the depth of the first modulator. It’s like running your LFO through a VCA and letting an envelope control its level. And finally, you have a long list of Functions that you can use to transform the modulation. There’s scaling, offsetting, range limiting, filtering, slewing and even bouncing ball physics to play with.

In-depth modulations

The detail here is quite extraordinary, with acres of space to either let your modulations run wild or precisely craft them to your exact requirements. The depth and versatility are superb, and the visual feedback in the panels is helpful. However, in trying to find something to moan about, there’s a small design decision that drives me a little nuts. When you allocate a modulation source and close the expanded window, the list of modulators shows you what’s active and puts what looks like a little knob alongside displaying the modulation amount. But it’s not a knob; it’s a cruel tease that doesn’t let you change anything. Clicking on it just reveals the expanded panel in which you can change the modulation amount, but that’s twice as many clicks as needed. Why not make the knob a knob?

CV Modulation

Mariana’s Control Voltage aspect is completely fascinating. Sadly, it has nothing to do with hardware CV routing or patching your external modular synths into the fray; instead, this has to do with CV routing between different Moog plugins. This feature was introduced with the MoogerFooger effects plugins, which allowed you to route CV from one plugin to another.

This means you can route Mariana’s LFO to something like the feedback on the MF-104S Delay, or the Random source to the animation pattern on the MF-105S MuRF. You can go the other way, bringing the LFO from the MF-102S RingMod in to control the Mariana’s filter cutoff. You can also do it between different instances of Mariana.

Although you could wonder why you’d need any additional modulation considering the wealth of movement you already have within Mariana, the concept of internal, inter-plugin CV routing is simply brilliant. I’m not sure how Moog has pulled it off, but it’s the sort of functionality that ought to become standard in every software synth and plugin.

Let’s hear Moog Mariana

With your oscillators sounding awesome, your filters throbbing, and your modulators moving the heck out of everything, it’s time to turn our attention to where it all ends up: at the output.

The Output page is split into three. You’ve got Synth 1 and 2 Effects sections on the left and right and a chunky-looking Summing section in the middle.

For both synths, there’s some pretty heavy saturation. You can choose from Tube, Tape or Drive and then pile it on until your speakers fall apart. The three types are quite distinct, particularly when dialling in just a little bit, although I’m not sure it understands the nature of “a little bit”. Looking at the waveforms on a scope, the Tube saturation pushes higher and louder while the Tape pushes wider and fatter, and the Drive lops the top off. All of it is juicy, dripping with warmth and thoroughly satisfying.

The next bit is, for me, at least, a bit odd. Synth 1 has a delay effect, and Synth 2 has a chorus. Both are great effects, really nice, modulatable and interesting, but why have only one on each synth? Why can’t they be global effects or send effects where you can route some of each synth to them? And there’s no reverb, which, on one hand, makes the Mariana feel very full-on all the time, but on the other, gives it a rather stark dryness.

All the summing

In the Summing section, we have individual level control over each synth, with panning and an overall volume control. In the great-looking VU display, we have Correlation showing the phase difference between the left and right channels and Gain Reduction from the compressor. The compressor does a great job of squashing everything together, and then you can use the FET emulation to introduce some feedback to push up the volume to a remarkable level of epic punchiness.

Conclusions about Moog Mariana

You can get some huge sounds out of this thing. It’s all the way analogue without even a hint of digital cleverness. The superb 200-plus presets are a testament to that. Did I mention that there are two synthesizers in here? Most people would be completely happy with one and then perhaps load up another instance if they needed more layers of tone. But having two built-in together gives it another, fuller dimension and encourages you into more adventurous sound design. It also lets you use them in a dynamic duophonic mode if you want.

The sound is as fat and grungy as any hardware bass synth needs to be. There’s no need for a vintage knob to dial in the instability; the grit is baked in from the start. The way the oscillators interact is really satisfying, and then you’ve got this other, deep-natured animal running around in the shape of a sub-oscillator, which doesn’t just underpin the sound; it becomes its own entity. This is a thoroughly awesome analogue synthesizer.

If you run Mariana standalone, you also get a little configurable touch keyboard, which works brilliantly on Windows touch screens and probably on the iPad too. You can emulate pressure by where you touch the key or by sliding your finger/mouse forward and backward.

Moog Mariana: Annoyances?

However, it does have its annoyances. The indicators on the knobs are hard to see. Moog appears to be aware of this because there’s an option to turn on thick white “knob position highlights”, but they tend to ruin the vintage look of the thing. Unless you’re on the Output page, there’s no indication that anything is being played, not even a MIDI activity LED. I’ve lost time fiddling with the panel of one synth only to find I’m playing the other one while this one is muted. Maybe the Mute buttons could be duplicated into the toolbar, or perhaps the Synth tabs could flash green when it’s played so you’d have a better sense of what’s going on.

Overall, the interface is beautifully classic but it’s also a bit dull and samey and could perhaps use some of the Grandmother’s colour to better highlight the sections. The MIDI Mapping is also just slightly tucked out of the way, just enough to be annoying. However, you can save mappings for each preset and even share them, which is very cool.

These things are mere trifles compared to the riot at your fingertips and do little to detract from enjoying the ride. Mariana manages to lean heavily into classic hardware while exploring some new thoughts of its own. It’s highly familiar, vastly modulatable and has the bone-rattling power of the bottom end of Moog’s fattest tones. This isn’t a synth; it’s a reckoning.

• Moog Music website.
• More from Moog Music.

Moog Mariana Bass Synth

Available for €52 at

The post Moog Mariana Bass Synthesizer – Monster tones with 50 % off! appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Boutique Call nobody asked for is happening as hip and trendy fashion house Supreme lend their design skills to a couple of mini Roland units.

When Street Fashion Meets Music Tech

In recent years, Roland attempted to popularise their oft-imitated trade dress of their 808 and 909 drum machines. There were authorised sneakers and jackets and the like. There was even a tram featuring 808 imagery.

Now it seems it’s the other way around. Supreme, who my kids tell me are some trendy sort of streetwear fashion house in New York, have styled out a couple of Roland Boutique units. Music tech history is lightly peppered with such things. Mostly, it’s custom jobs for major artists.

We’ve had units available in multiple colours. The Behringer TD-3 and RD-6 spring to mind. Nothing but a weak sales ploy, in this correspondent’s opinion. However, there must be a market for it, just one that doesn’t remotely appeal to this old man!

White Lines

As part of their Spring/Summer 2024 Accessories preview, Supreme have taken two Roland Boutique’s, namely the TR-08 and the JU-06A, painted them white and slapped their logo on them. The latter has been paired with the K25m, also painted white. The TR-08 doesn’t look too bad. They’ve inverted the main body colour and that of the area surrounding the step buttons.

This looks ok because it contrasts nicely with what we already know. However, the JU-06A fares less well. Also coloured white, they’ve slapped the Supreme logo right across the front panel. This makes looking at the already painfully small UI even more so.

Just A Paint Job

In terms of features, these units are the same as the originals. Just more brightly coloured. The only thing that may slightly be improved is your street cred. Or, in my case, greatly reduced.

More Information

Information on these units is as sparse as the colour palette that Supreme have used. Supreme say that the Spring/Summer 2024 collection goes on sale on Thursday 15th February, 17th in Japan & South Korea. No price, however. Just a few pretty pictures and ladles of ridicule and praise in equal measure, no doubt. The sound of wallets being drawn from pockets by hands still damp with beard oils and man-bun bands grows in the distance.

For those not fussed about a new paint job, the originals are still available and, no doubt, priced a bit more sensibly than these will be.

Roland JU-06A

Customer rating:

(54)

Available for 399.00 € at

Roland Boutique K-25m Keyboard

Customer rating:

(90)

Available for 109.00 € at

Roland TR-08

Customer rating:

(81)

Available for 389.00 € at

• TR-08 and JU-06A at Supreme
• Roland’s website
• More news from Roland

*Note: This article contains advertising links that help us finance our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you purchase something through these links, we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post Roland+Supreme Mashup: The Boutique Boutiques appeared first on gearnews.com.

Modular without the modules? Here’s a convenient way to get into modular synthesis. We’re looking at some of the best semi-modular synths for starting your own patch-lead spaghetti empire.

Semi-modular synths first rose to fame with instruments like the Roland System 100, ARP 2600, the EMS VCS 3 and Synthi AKS, and the Korg MS-20.

Although these instruments are revered for their sound, they provided a different approach to sound design than the workflows of classic subtractive synths like the Minimoog.

Choosing the Best Semi-Modular Synths

Semi-modulars differ from regular analogue keyboards and desktop modules in that they provide CV I/O for the various sections of the synth. This enables the oscillator, filter, and envelopes to interact with each other as well as with external instruments.

This allows a huge range of real-time tweaking, which makes them especially useful in electronic music production workflows. Also, many of the semi-modular desktop units you’ll find have their own sequencer, which means you can get creating straight away.

Behringer Crave

If you’re looking for analogue sounds, the Behringer Crave provides a great entry point into semi-modular synths. You get plenty of patching I/O (18/14) and sound-shaping capabilities, plus the VCO chip is based on the CEM3340 which was used in classic synths.

In addition, the 32-note step sequencer and arpeggiator means you can immediately begin creating synth patterns. The Crave offers poly-chaining, and there is a good deal of connectivity for incorporating it with other gear in your setup.

• More from Behringer

Behringer Crave

Customer rating:

(596)

Available for 189.00 € at

cre8audio East Beast and West Pest

Keen on exploring East Coast and West Coast style synthesis? cre8aduio and Pittsburgh Modular have created the perfect duo that allows you to experience the quirks of these two opposing schools of thought in synthesis.

• With the East Beast you get the classic East coast design with a multimode filter
• Meanwhile, the West Pest offers unique features like wave folding, FM, and an LPG-like dynamic section similar to the Taiga

Both are equipped with sequencers, mini button keyboards, and the versatile multimode modulation routing tool. You can also use either of these as Eurorack provided you have 40 HP of space.

• More from cre8audio

cre8audio East Beast

Customer rating:

(13)

Available for 239.00 € at

cre8audio West Pest

Customer rating:

(17)

Available for 249.00 € at

PWM Malevolent

The Malevolent is a simple keyboard-orientated semi-modular synth with a great layout, which makes it a nice choice for beginners. The design feels somewhat familiar, with a few similarities to the Korg MS-20.

You have all the basic necessities, including two oscillators, two envelopes, and an LFO, as well as distortion if you’re looking to get crazy. In addition, the internal arpeggiator has both MIDI and CV outs which makes the Malevolent useful for controlling other gear.

• More from PWM

PWM Malevolent

Customer rating:

(8)

Available for 479.00 € at

Pittsburgh Modular Taiga

It provides a huge amount of creative controls, but the layout of the Taiga is still straightforward enough to get going without having to RTFM. From the extensive 3-oscillator sound generation section to the analogue delay, each section has its own corresponding CV I/O below the controls.

What’s more, there’s a preamp with overdrive below the mixer, a multimode filter, and a dynamics controller. There’s no step sequencer per se, but the MIDI to CV interface allows you to easily sequence patterns from your DAW or another sequencer.

• More from Pittsburgh Modular

Pittsburgh Modular Taiga

Customer rating:

(6)

Available for 739.00 € at

The Moog Studio

With the Moog Studio, you get a complete modular desktop system, with 3 unique synthesizers neatly racked up and a 4-channel summing mixer and 3-way power supply unit.

• The Mother-32 is a single oscillator synth with a 32-step sequencer and a 4 x 8 patch matrix
• The DFAM is a percussion synthesizer with a simple 8-step sequencer and a 3 x 8 patch matrix
• The Subharmonicon is a 2-oscillator synth with an 8-step polyrhythmic sequencer and a 4 x 8 patch matrix

*Each unit offers Eurorack compatibility in a 60 HP format.

• More from Moog

Moog Sound Studio: Semi-Modular Bdl

Customer rating:

(11)

Available for 2,399.00 € at

More about the Best Semi-modular Synths:

• Everything Semi-modular
• All about Eurorack

*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post The Best Semi-Modular Synths for your Studio Setup appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Bob Moog Foundation’s latest amazing raffle gives you the opportunity to win a classic Moog The Source, signed by Bob Moog himself! 

Hot on the heels of their last raffle, the Bob Moog Foundation has come up with a real treat for their latest!

Released in 1981 and often seen as Moog’s attempt at embracing the future, Moog’s The Source is probably best known for providing the bass line in Blue Monday. Of course, New Order‘s smash wasn’t the only track to feature this classic synth. Depeche Mode, Devo, Front 242 and Casiopea were among its fans. The Source featured a ‘futuristic’ membrane control panel, 2 years before the Yamaha DX7 made them infamous! It also featured a ‘Data Wheel’ to adjust parameters.

A Minimoog in 80’s Clothing

It was also the first Moog synth to offer patch memory storage. Patches could also be saved and restored via a cassette tape. The panel layout was instantly familiar. It drew heavily from the Minimoog paradigm which, as we know, set the benchmark.

The Source was a pre-MIDI instrument but featured a built-in sequencer and arpeggiator. These could be synchronised via S-Trig in and out connections. There is also a Keyboard CV in and out too. Inside there were twin oscillators and the classic Moog 24db/oct filter.

Erik Norlander

This particular instrument has been donated to the BMF by synth legend Erik Norlander. As well as being a prolific musician, composer, and sound designer, Erik had more than a hand in the design of the Alesis Andromeda. More recently, he has helped IK Multimedia with their range of UNO Synths. His sampling efforts can be found in their Syntronik virtual instruments too.

“This Source is signed by Bob himself, and its new owner will have an extremely special piece of synthesizer history in addition to a beautiful sounding musical instrument. It is a solid performer with the epic Moog transistor ladder filter sound that we all know and love. . . Owners of multiple Moog instruments will find that the Source occupies its own unique space and will be a worthy and treasured addition to any synth collection.”

– Erik Norlander

The Bob Moog Foundation

All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Bob Moog Foundation.The BMF, established by Bob’s daughter Michelle, runs a number of educational and archival initiatives. Dr Bob’s SoundSchool teaches the science of sound to elementary children. The Bob Moog Foundation Archives catalogs and preserves all manner of documents and articles associated with Bob. The Moogseum in Asheville, North Carolina, is an immersive, experiential museum with numerous classic synths on display. Many of the exhibits are hands on. There’s even an exact recreation of Bob’s workspace!

Bob Moog’s Signature

More Information

This latest edition of the BMF raffle kicks off today and runs till midnight on February 26th. The raffle finishes early when all 5,000 tickets are sold. The draw will take place after this date and the winner announced on Friday, March 1st, 2024. Tickets are available individually for $20 or in discounted bundles of 6 ($100), 14 ($200) or 40 ($500).

• Bob Moog Foundation Website
• More from the Bob Moog Foundation
• Sound like New Order

Moog Grandmother

Customer rating:

(113)

Available for 1,289.00 € at

The post Win a Moog The Source in the Latest Bob Moog Foundation Raffle! appeared first on gearnews.com.

Hammond organs were never the easiest instruments to gig with, particularly the classic Hammond B-3 but over the years, technology has enabled them to be much easier beasts to tame. The Hammond M-Solo is the latest and smallest yet!

The new Hammond M-Solo is the latest in a long line of more manageable instruments from this legendary brand. This truly compact organ crams that huge sound into a very portable frame and could very well be the only travelling keyboard you need. Don’t believe me? Read on…

The Hammond M-Solo

There was once a time when synthesizers were designed and made to be placed on top of organs. Now it seems the tables have well and truly turned. Hammond’s new M-Solo is a compact, 49-key genuine Hammond organ that can sit atop your big stage piano or synth.

The Hammond brand has been synonymous with organs in almost all musical genres. From pop to rock, prog to psych, soul to funk. That truly emotive sound has never been beaten. Of course, it wasn’t just the organ but the legendary Leslie Speaker cabinet that gave the likes of the B-3 its distinctive, signature sound. And now, weighing in at a mere 8lbs (3.63kg), the M-Solo gives you a B-3 and a whole lot more.

Squeezing The Organs In!

Under the hood of this 49-key instrument is Hammond’s MTW II Modelled Tone-wheel Drawbar engine with 61 voices of polyphony. This is the same one found in their XK-4. So no cutting corners here. Everything you would expect to find on a Hammond organ is here. Traditional drawbars, touch response percussion, and the vibrato/chorus features. The velocity-sensitive keyboard itself has, I’m told, the “real-deal” B-3 feel. All of this is fed through their Leslie emulation giving you ‘that’ sound in a tiny package. No more lugging that Leslie cab up two flights of stairs!

Hammond M-Solo Maroon

If a B-3 wasn’t enough, Hammond have also added three classic Combo organs to the package. These include Vox, Farfisa, and ACE-Tone emulations, each of which can be registered the same as the originals and feature 96 voices of polyphony.

More Than Just Organs

In this day and age, versatility is the name of the game, especially in the world of gigging keyboard players. Complementing the four organs in the M-Solo, there is also a 96-voice string ensemble and an 8-voice, twin oscillator analog modelling synth! All of these extra instruments can be controlled from the drawbars, such as filter settings.

The Hammond M-Solo is great for the working player or just if you’re looking for the classic Hammond sound in a small package. Rear connectivity includes 5-pin MIDI and USB, so it hooks right into a 21st-century rig. There are two pedal ports, one of which is for the Leslie speed.

Hammond M-Solo Rear

More Information

The Hammond M-Solo is available now in Black and Maroon finishes for $1,090 USD/€1,199 EUR.

• Hammond Website
• More from Hammond

Hammond M-solo Black No customer rating available yet

Available for 1,199.00 € at

Hammond M-solo Burgundy No customer rating available yet

Available for 1,199.00 € at

*This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!

The post Hammond M-Solo – The Most Portable Hammond Ever appeared first on gearnews.com.