Once I’d heard ‘Are Friends’ Electric?” by Tubeway Army, I knew synthesizers would be a huge part of my life. Despite drums becoming my main instrument for many years, I dabbled and lusted after countless pieces of gear and started using computers to help me make my own music with a Commodore 64 and a copy of Electrosound.
Over the years, I eventually progressed to more professional tools and began to truly indulge my love of electronic music making, slowly building a collection of gear that covered most synthesis methods, from sampling to physical modelling and beyond. However, my love of the gear that soundtracked my formative years was strong and I was fortunate enough to be asked to work with the inventor of the Fairlight CMI on their more recent projects. This then led to me restoring Fairlight CMI’s, something I still do to this day.
My home studio is now filled with classic vintage gear of the 80s and 90s, as well as modern classics. In recent years, I have been producing podcasts for Sound On Sound, as well as writing articles for them and I also present a weekly live stream for the Pro Synth Network. I still drum, albeit now on e-Drum kits, which are far easier to move around and a lot quieter when practising! You can often find me delivering seminars & lectures and at various synth shows around the world, talking about and demonstrating iconic synths.
KORG's microKORG2 takes the legendary microKORG to new heights, much like the opsix did for FM synthesis. Check out these new KORG presets and more in this week's Sound and Presets.
Scott McAuley Sounds delivers one of the first Arturia Polybrute 12 specific sound banks, and Expressive E releases the Legend HZ Expressive Suite.
A guide to the best, smallest and quietest e-Drums for Christmas that you can gift the budding drummer in your family, we look at five small footprint kits that won't annoy your neighbours.
Initially produced as a limited run of units under Dr. Yu Endo's 'Personal Projects' banner, the SONICWARE ELZ_1 play gets a useful firmware update and officially joins the SONICWARE roster in full production!
Week after week, I deliver some amazing presets and samples to stuff into your instruments but why not learn to make your own with Anthony Marinelli's new "Think Like a Synth" course!
Not ones to rest on their laurels, Cherry Audio bring us the P-10, recreating one of the giants of analogue synthesis minus the weight and heat issues!
This week's sumptuous helping of the smaller stories in the world of synths contains some interesting DIY Synth projects and a compelling new take on hardware strumming synths.
The KORG nanoKEY Fold takes portable keyboard technology to the extreme with a fold-up control surface that slips right inside your jacket pocket for when inspiration strikes on the move!
Appalachia from Indiginus brings the magical sound of a Mountain Dulcimer to your Kontakt library with all the performance scripting you need to sound like a master.
Yamaha's CS6x often gets overlooked. A synth tech from the Midlands, U.K. reckons we need to re-evaluate our perceptions and treat it as a classic.
Studio refits to make more room, or at least better use of it, come to us all, sooner or later. And who else has had enough of paying for upgrades so soon after the last?
The classic E-MU and Ensoniq sample libraries were, and still are, highly regarded for their variety and quality. You can still enjoy these sounds in the form of Kontakt/NKS libraries from Digital Sound ...
In this week's Synth Journal, we look at one of the biggest online auctions of vintage gear and I fall back in love with a Yamaha CS1x!
As well as some amazing free sounds for two modern French classics, there's a Time Capsule for your Martinic AX73 and a shedload of wavetables.
Alesis releases the Nitro Pro XL and the Nitro Amp, a bigger e-drum kit and a drum amp at very reasonable prices.
KORG continues its line of Raspberry Pi-based synths by resurrecting a familiar name from the past with a twist. Let's say hello to the new KORG multi/poly.
Plenty of variety this week as we check out new MPE presets for u-He's Hive 2 from Osmose manufacturer, Expressive E and a new Piano library for IK Multimedia's Pianoverse.
As Sequential celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is offering a limited version of its flagship synth, the Rev.4 Sequential Prophet 10 Special Edition.
The ever-increasing trend for eDrum kits with full-size shells can mean more expense and more space required. The Alesis Strata Core may just be the perfect compromise.
The Roland Juno range of synthesizers still pleases many an ear to this day, and now they receive the Samples from Mars treatment.
The final UK synth shows of the season are upon us with SynthFest U.K. and Bristronica. Plus, win yourself a vintage Minimoog signed by the legendary Peter Gabriel and other interesting tidbits!
With Atomika, Cherry Audio once again delivers a plugin synth that few others have tried to do and succeeded, bringing Soviet synthesis to the masses.
This week we have some of the first 3rd party preset packs for the new Moog Muse, plus some spooky Halloween sounds for KORG NAUTILUS and KRONOS users!
The legendary Elka Synthex receives the Arturia treatment as Synthx V, delivering this Italian classic with a French twist.