Hi!
If you've been following the leaks, this should be no surprise - MPC X Special Edition is now out. I had been curious about MPC X for a while, so when Akai offered to send me the XSE, it was an excellent opportunity to check this form factor out and compare it to all the other MPCs.
I say "for...
2023-04-26 14:08:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
It's pretty rare to get to play an original instrument, except maybe every time I review a SOMA synth, and Terra is no different.
In the video I compare it to Bruce Banner... - soft spoken as long as you handle it gently, but once you apply pressure, things can get out of cont...
2023-04-16 14:02:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
As I mention in the video, and I know this sounds hyperbolic, in my opinion Osmose from Expressive E is the biggest leap forward in black-and-white keyboard design since the invention of the piano compared to the harpsichord.
And then Expressive E went even further and partnered up with Lippol...
2023-04-08 16:29:35 +0000 UTC View PostDear WaveShapers,
Here's the latest book update! Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to try a few expressive/alternative controllers. In light of that, I've updated the Expressive Instruments "mini-reviews" chapter to include those controllers - you'll find them here:
Dear WaveShapers!
Attached are 15 multi-sample instruments - sampled from NINA so you can have a taste of playing this synth at home and in your projects!
For those of you that are new - I've attached a PDF walkthrough of how to use them.
A quick recap: I’ve decided to "standardize" on the...
2023-03-15 13:18:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
One of the things that frustrate me most in synths is that once you swap a preset (and even worse, a timbre), knob positions no longer reflect actual parameter values.
There are a few solutions to this problem - LED rings, screens and various pickup modes, and now, Melbourne Instruments give 32 d...
2023-03-14 19:33:45 +0000 UTC View PostDear WaveShapers,
The latest book update is here! You can skip between updates by searching for the string FEB2023, or just hop on to the page numbers as per below. Here's what's new:
Hi!
Roland's ZEN-Core is by far the most feature-rich (and parameter-rich) synth engine I've ever seen. That's also its problem - there's so much going on, it can be quite overwhelming to program.
With the SH-4d, Roland has broken away from ZEN-Core compatibility, in favor of simpler, smaller synt...
2023-02-23 08:08:27 +0000 UTC View PostDear WaveShapers!
Looking back at the past several reviews of Taiga, Trigon 6 and 3rd Wave, I noticed I've looked at three 3-oscillators synths in a row! If that's not a good enough reason for a new chapter about multi-oscillator synths, I don't know what is :)
Attached is the book update ...
2023-01-31 18:21:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi there!
If you've ever wondered what would come out of a 70s synth collaboration between Bob Moog and Don Buchla - Taiga from Pittsburgh Modular might just be it... with three oscillators - each (!) with a wavefolder, and a low-pass-gate like dynamics circuit, along with plenty of other goodies not qu...
2023-01-31 14:56:05 +0000 UTC View PostDear WaveShapers!
Attached are 17 multi-sample instruments - sampled from Trigon 6, as per the previous batch of Third Wave, so you can have a taste of playing this synth at home and in your projects!
Some of these are a bit bigger than last time because when relevant I sampled two or three veloci...
2023-01-21 14:44:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi there!
Trigon 6 from Sequential builds on the form factor and usability of Prophet 6 and OB-6, this time paying tribute to a monster old analog soul - the 3 VCO, ladder filter-based Memorymoog polysynth - which in turn was the result of putting together the sound and...
2023-01-19 22:50:37 +0000 UTC View PostDear WaveShapers!
Attached is the book update for December 2022 (as usual, search for the string DEC2022 to jump from update to update), and the 3RD WAVE multi-samples promised yesterday.
The biggest book update this month is a new appendix dedicated to using MPC Beats as a multi-sample player bec...
2022-12-31 18:46:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
Last review for the year! Here's my take on 3rd Wave from Groove Synthesis - a PPG-inspired wavetable synth with plenty of modern features and hands-on controls.
I've attached a high-quality audio recording of my favorite patches from the video - around 15 minutes of 40 or so patches.
Th...
2022-12-30 14:22:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi there!
The 70s were known for their analog three-oscillator mono synths, but none would invite you to get as wild and experimental as much as the EMS Synthi.
SYNTRX II from Erica Synths builds on that legacy and kicks it up quite a few notches compared to their original SYNTRX from two ye...
2022-12-19 17:26:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
Akai just updated their budget Ableton Live controllers APC Mini and APC Key 25 with color pads, a note and drum mode for the Mini, and a few odds and ends here and there. All the details are in the video - if you're looking for a budget starter controller for Ableton Live, these ar...
2022-12-15 14:01:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi there!
While I had performed live in a "previous life" - for as long as I've had the channel, I've never actually got on stage and put a set together, so when my friend Tomer AKA Animals and Synthesizers, invited me to play a short live set at his album launch party - it was a good opportunity to get out of my studio...
2022-12-06 19:28:01 +0000 UTC View PostDear Waveshapers,
Here it is! The November book update, with a few simple but powerful tips and ideas:
Hi!
SmplTrek from Sonicware is an affordable and portable sampler, looper, sequencer, and multi-track recorder with a list of features that seems to rival a full-fledged DAW. But, since as usual, you can't win them all, compromises were made. The screen is very small in light of what's packed into it, t...
2022-11-18 20:05:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
Eventide's H90 combines the power of two H9s (four if you count its spillover feature...) and usability which doesn't require a companion app. The result is an effects pedal that can dramatically alter and shape even the simplest of sounds.
In this video, I play all its algori...
2022-11-09 18:06:27 +0000 UTC View Post
Dear Waveshapers!
A MIDI keyboard is probably the first piece of gear people making electronic music buy. My book already has audio interface, synth, and sequencer/groovebox buyer's guides, but as I was making the videos about Minilab MK3 and MPK Mini Plus this month, I started jotting down the number of options and fea...
2022-10-31 16:04:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
After 30 years, Synclavier are releasing a new hardware synth!
Regen can split and layer its multiple synth timbres: FM, additive, samples, subtractive and "frames" (an additive-based "wavetable" synth).
It's an interesting combination of technology and soul, with a quir...
2022-10-28 18:50:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
With the MPK Mini Plus, Akai is going for KeyStep's 37 mini-key jugular, and unlike a certain cloning (allegedly) company, they actually bring quite a lot of new substance to the table, including MPC Pads, more encoders, a two-track sequencer with another track for arp/keyboard inst...
2022-10-20 13:07:45 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
It's double feature day! And when I say feature, I'm not kidding, my MiniFreak video is an hour and 42 minutes long. The review part is "only" around 50 minutes or so, but I've included me playing through almost all its presets.
I've attached to this post a high-quality downlo...
2022-10-18 16:08:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi!
As you may have been in my "Fix Studio Lies" video, I'd rather have synths in my studio than massive blocks of Rockwool.
The problem is, bass modes in small rooms generate a lot of pressure and low-end ...
2022-10-06 11:43:44 +0000 UTC View Post
Dear Waveshapers!
This month's update is a brand new chapter intended for those of you that haven't yet made the leap into exploring the magical world of isomorphic grid instruments and controllers.
Pros for grid-based layouts are that once you learn a chord shape...
2022-09-30 13:33:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Good morning!
drumlogue (lower case d) by Korg has been made available for review so here goes! (and I'm told it's coming to stores soon)
It's got a mix of analog, sample based and digital synth based voices, an easy to use interface and a nice serving of IO.
I'm particularly excited about t...
2022-09-15 08:13:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Dear WaveShapers!
Here goes - all 258 samples, chopped up, normalized, sorted and ready to go to give your sampler a bit of Perkons' vibe...
Enjoy!
Ziv / Loopop
2022-09-03 15:44:40 +0000 UTC View Post
UPDATE! Modulator level sound pack attached - 72 samples - not too shabby! WaveShaper level sound pack ended up 258 samples in case you're considering moving up to that tier. Regardless your support is much appreciated!
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Hi there!
The samples from Erica Synths'
Dear Waveshapers!
I hope you're doing well! Here it is, the latest book update. Let's jump right in, here's what's new:
