Synth Trends of Superbooth 2026: Putting the Conference in Context
What were the big trends of Superbooth 2026?
Synth Trends at Superbooth 2026 · Source: Superbooth / Polyend / Teenage Engineering / Buchla
Looking at the synth trends of this year’s Superbooth can tell us where the industry may be headed. Here’s what stood out – and what we think you’ll all be playing with by this time next year.
Synth Trends of Superbooth 2026
Synth Trends
What a show. Superbooth rarely disappoints, and 2026 was no different. What started as an alternative to big trade shows like NAMM has evolved into its own special kind of juggernaut, a convention for electronic music gear. It still has its Eurorack and indie roots – this is what anchors it into the ground, as it were – but Superbooth has grown to accommodate big-name players like Sequential, Roland and KORG too. Hey, there’s room for everybody in the studio.
Superbooth also presents an opportunity to take a macro view, to zoom out from the granular focus on individual pieces of gear and look at broader synth trends. That’s what I’m doing today, and I’ve identified three areas where there was a lot of activity this year: drum machines and grooveboxes, performance mixers, and desktop synths. I’m not saying there were no hardware effects units, Eurorack, or synths with keys on the show floor, far from it, but these categories particularly stood out to me. If you think I missed the mark, let me know in the comments.
Here then are the synth trends of Superbooth 2026.
Synth Trends of Superbooth 2026: Drum Machines and Grooveboxes
For the first synth trend of Superbooth 2026, I want to talk about drum machines and grooveboxes. This year, there were more than just a few really outstanding rhythm machines on display, to the extent that I had to wonder if we were entering a new golden age of grooveboxes.
The big surprise (and the machine of the show for me) was Drums from Polyend. With its mix of analog, digital and sample-based voices, it’s a worthy competitor for the Roland TR-1000 (which also showed off a new firmware update). More than just a drum machine, though, Drums seems aimed at creating full songs, albeit minimal techno-style ones. It doesn’t hurt that it’s gorgeous to look at.
The other big surprise was drumDING from Vermona, which combines an analog percussion synthesizer with a sampler. Whip up a sound with analog synthesis, sample it, and then bang out beats using the sequencer. It’s a beautiful machine and sounds amazing.
Speaking of sample-based drum machines, Erica Synths hopped into the show (sorry) with Bullfrog Drums, the latest in their educational series made in collaboration with Richie Hawtin. It’s Erica Synths so you know it’s quality, but it’s also lots of fun. I’m ready to go back to school.
Other drum machines and grooveboxes that impressed were SONICWARE’s deconstruct MINIMAL, which pairs a drum machine with a VA acid bassline synth, the open-source dadamachines TBD-16, and Twisted Electrons’ FLEXfm, an FM-based groovebox and sampler with analog filters.
Synth Trends of Superbooth 2026: Performance Mixers
I first noticed rumblings in the performance mixer category around the time of NAMM and Buchla & Friends earlier this year, when Bored Brain’s Xceleon SL Live joined Intellijel’s Jellymix as mixers to covet. Lots of other companies seem to have had a similar idea, as I counted five at this year’s Superbooth. It makes sense, though: live performance requires a different feature set than studio mixing.
The first one to gain my attention was AREA.6 from high-end DJ mixer outfit Union Audio. The six-channel mixer is aimed at Eurorack and trad synth producers, with built-in compression, a filter, and CV control over things like channel level, pan, and, of course, the filter.
Teenage Engineering finally dropped its EP-136 K.O. Sidekick, which we first spied in leaked photos alongside the EP-40 Riddim Supertone. The EP-136 is more than just a cute DJ-style two-channel mixer though, with a built-in USB interface with eight inputs and four outputs, a MIDI controller, and a performance FX section.
KORG surprised with the NTS-4, a mixer and part of the nu:tekt series – so I assume it will come as a kit. That also suggests it will be affordable. The mixer has a two mono plus four stereo input configuration, with effects and, surprisingly, MIDI, meaning you can use it as a MIDI interface. There’s even USB audio. The channels are minijack-only but they will accept Eurorack-level inputs.
Two other performance mixers that got us excited were Zaehl’s high-end PM12 and Bullfrog Mix from Erica Synths, the missing piece in their amphibious lineup.
Synth Trends of Superbooth 2026: Desktop Synths
By far, the biggest synth trend of this year’s Superbooth was desktop synthesizers. Sure, there were some interesting keyboard debuts, like Analog FX’s Larynx and the Auxy Swensson 49, but far and away, the vast majority of synths came sans keybed.
Let’s start with analog subtractive instruments. French manufacturer Miltone showed off its gorgeous (but expensive) 4Exp, an Oberheim Four Voice clone that had East Coast fans salivating at the mouth. Not to be outdone, Shear Electronics declared that its long-gestating Oberheim OB-X-inspired Relic is finally ready to ship, but that it will set you back an aspirational $14,000. Heading to the other side of the Iron Curtain, Elta Music debuted its Polivoks-8, which turns the famous Soviet-era synth into an eight-voice poly.
Staying analog but flying to the other American coast, the west one, Majella displayed its Compax, a semi-modular West Coast box with a built-in sequencer and the follow-up to Implexus. But the big West Coast reveal came in the form of Ziggy, a (relatively) affordable tabletop synth from Buchla. With its patch memory and digital effects, it represents a first step into more approachable territory for Buchla and a very welcome instrument indeed.
Sample-based desktop devices were also a big synth trend at the show, with at least four turning heads. First, 1010music impressed with its blackbox 2, offering twice the power plus a refined workflow. Kiviak brought a keyless version of its WoFi sampler. Called WoFi LE, it replaces the full keys with buttons and significantly lowers the price. Two granular samplers also appeared on the show floor, Tasty Chips’ GR-2 and ODD-1 from Oddment.
Lastly, a few other desktop synths that made me want to know more were the knob-laden AFOUR from Apaeron, Making Sound Machines’ triple square Plinky 12 synths, and Morphor Echon 6, an analog poly that derives its sound from BBD resonators.
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