Robin Vincent, Author at gearnews.com

Superbooth 2020 cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns

13 Mar 2020 in Synths

We've just heard that Superbooth 2020 has been cancelled. They were carrying on with never-fading optimism that the synthesizer show would go ahead but sadly it's been beaten by concerns for our health.

КОСМИЧЕСКИЙ ШУМ: Soviet cyberpunk Space Noise module from Paratek

13 Mar 2020 in Synths

Now for something completely bonkers! КОСМИЧЕСКИЙ ШУМ or "Space Noise" is from Russian based Paratek and is what you get when you stuff two Hexinverter Jupiter Storms into a single cosmic module.

IK Multimedia SampleTank 4 Custom Shop: 50 instruments and 4GB of sounds for FREE!

12 Mar 2020 in Deals, Synths

SampleTank 4 is IK Multimedia's flagship workstation virtual synthesizer with up to 260GB of sounds. The new SampleTank 4 Custom Shop kicks you off with 4GB of sound content completely free.

Hardware control of virtual Prophet-5 synths with the SoundForce SFC-5 V2 MIDI controller

12 Mar 2020 in Synths

With the SoundForce SFC-5 V2 you have boutique hardware MIDI control over Prophet-5 VST Instruments with better pots, walnut cheeks and an all steel case.

Virtual Reality music making just got VST support

11 Mar 2020 in Synths

In two new videos Jim Simons from AliveInTech takes us through the use of VST instruments and VST plugins in the new version of their loop-based recording environment called Tranzient.

Sampleson has sucked the DNA out of the Rhodes Suitcase 73 into the Suit73 VSTi

10 Mar 2020 in Synths

Using their magical second-generation spectral modelling engine Sampleson has analysed the Fender Rhodes Suitcase 73 and squeezed it down to a 35MB virtual instrument.

Cadenza Violin: heartbreaking, emotional solo violin virtual instrument

09 Mar 2020 in Synths

The Cadenza Violin from SoundMagic attempts to capture the genuine tone and emotion of a solo violin by combining an elegantly sampled instrument with acoustic modelling.

Low Gain Electronics DubMatrix is a 5 by 5 matrix mixer for audio and CV

09 Mar 2020 in Synths

The DubMatrix will mix both audio and CV signals with 5 channels in through a 5x5 mixing matrix and out of 5 outputs. There's all sorts of scope for strange waveforms and surprising audio signals.

Watch this unmissable introduction to modular synthesizers by Zoë Blade.

08 Mar 2020 in Synths

Got an hour to spare? Sit down and watch Zoë Blade's informative, watchable and utterly charming modular synthesis 101. Even pros will find some interesting stuff here that they may not have known.

Superbooth 2020: Urs Heckmann to reveal Wiretap – an auto-gating Eurorack module

05 Mar 2020 in Synths

Urs Heckmann from software synthesizer company U-he is booked for a live performance at Superbooth 20. It says that the performance is with Wiretap which we've never heard of before.

Intellijel squeezes delay, reverb and chorus into the Multi-FX 1U Eurorack module

05 Mar 2020 in Synths

Fancy a bunch of effects in a neat 1U module? Then check out the Intellijel Multi-FX 1U for some carefully crafted and nicely musical effects to take your modular blips to another dimension.

Roland GP-002: the perfect extension for the Boutique JX-03

05 Mar 2020 in Synths

Graphic designer Robert Chrispijn has conceptualised the perfect companion to the Roland Boutique JX-03 by reimagining the PG-200 hardware programmer as the GP 002 virtual extension. Shame it's not real.

Synthractive: no-nonsense subtractive virtual synthesizer

04 Mar 2020 in Synths

When many virtual synths offer untold depths of complex multi-layer hybrid sound design sometimes you need something simple and effective. Synthractive is a stereo subtractive synthesizer that does the job.

Mutable Instruments drops a new firmware for Marbles

03 Mar 2020 in Synths

In a time of chaos when all around you are losing their Marbles a wise woman will remind us that beauty exists in the world of electronic music and it's called the "Super Lock" feature.

Uli Behringer apologizes for Corksniffer video, then deletes post

03 Mar 2020 in Synths

After a huge internet backlash to the misjudged Corksniffer video and personal attack against online journalist Peter Kirn, Uli Behringer takes to Facebook to apologise.

Is this the new Polyend Sampler and Sequencer?

02 Mar 2020 in Synths

In the tiniest of briefest blurred moments at the very end of the latest Polyend teaser video we catch a momentary glimpse of what could perhaps be their new product.

Behringer introduces the KIRN Corksniffer: Vintage sourced cork-knobbed synth

02 Mar 2020 in Synths

Behringer takes a swipe at synth snobs with a video introducing the KIRN Corksniffer. Has the discussion about vintage authenticity got too silly or has Behringer turned nasty? Update: video's been pulled.

Squarp Rample: 4-voice sample machine for endless sound in your Eurorack

02 Mar 2020 in Synths

Squarp Instruments has officially announced Rample. It's a 4-voice Eurorack sample player and effects processor with no duration limit that can playback both sampled audio files and control voltage.

Superbooth makes a statement on the Coronavirus – Relax and make music!

28 Feb 2020 in Synths

With many large events cancelling or postponing in light of the spread of Coronavirus, Superbooth has just made a statement to say that until Berlin is declared unsafe then they are good to go.

Behringer Poly D or Minimoog? Watch the shoot-out video and vote!

28 Feb 2020 in Synths

Behringer Poly D and Minimoog go head to head in an epic new synth shoot-out video by YouTuber Starsky Carr - how do they compare? Watch the video and vote now in our poll!

MIDI 2.0 Specification is available: Here’s what you need to know

28 Feb 2020 in Synths

After the monumental vote at NAMM to adopt the MIDI 2.0 specification in full, it is officially released to the world as the utopian ideal for electronic music machine communication and control.

Polyend releases another tease: It definitely samples

28 Feb 2020 in Synths

Polyend is ramping up the tease machine with two new videos since they dropped the first one a couple of weeks ago. In this video they appear to directly sample a Fender Rhodes piano; very intriguing.

Ratchet: Eurorack drum brain for deep thinking rhythms from Schottkey Modular

26 Feb 2020 in Synths

Ratchet is the first module from Lia Harmon of Schottkey Modular and it's an impressively deep dive into the nature of beat making and rhythm composing in Eurorack.

Music Fingers: Unleash your fingers and tap out some tunes with these techno thimbles

25 Feb 2020 in Synths

Spanish hopefuls Music Fingers has some wearable instruments in the shape of thimbles designed to get you tapping out tunes and playing along with your fingers.