Superbooth, an Awesome Freebie, and a Farewell to Vectra: Tops & Flops of the Week
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Superbooth, an Awesome Freebie, and a Farewell: Tops & Flops of the Week · Source: Neuzeit Instruments, Frap Tools, Future Retro
Superbooth is almost here! The world’s biggest synth event is still a few days away, but the first highlights of this year’s show are already pouring in. Also: Soundtoys releases a freebie you won’t want to miss, and Future Retro discontinues the Vectra. Tops & Flops of the Week!
Tops & Flops
Superbooth: It’s That Time of the Year Again
Every year for a few days in May, there’s only one place to be for anyone into synths, modular systems, and music gear in general. I’m of course talking about Superbooth, the world’s biggest and most vibrant synth meetup and trade show. As the excitement grows and we get ready for this year’s event, news is already starting to pour in.
By the way: have you ever wondered how the name “Superbooth” came to be? Long before it became a standalone event, Andreas Schneider of Schneidersladen in Berlin used to rent a big (super!) booth at Musikmesse Frankfurt (RIP), where he brought together lots of smaller modular and synth manufacturers that wouldn’t have been able to afford a booth by themselves. For synth fans, the original “Superbooth” was far and away the best thing about Musikmesse, a fascinating place filled to the brim with blinking modules, patch cord spaghetti, and inspiring conversations. When Musikmesse (which was once the biggest music trade show in the world, even ahead of NAMM) went into a slow but cruel decline, Andreas decided to turn Superbooth into a standalone event in Berlin. That was eight years ago. And look at which of the two shows is still going strong today …
As always, we at GEARNEWS will keep you posted about all the latest news from Superbooth 25. Members of our team will be on the ground in Berlin, so we hope to be able to bring you some first-hand impressions of the new gear.
While some manufacturers prefer to wait until Superbooth opens its doors next Thursday, others have already revealed what they’re about to show. Take Beatboxer Mosaik, for example, an exciting new sample-based groove box developed by former employees of Native Instruments and Nonlinear Labs. I’m also a big fan of the new Drop controller by Neuzeit Instruments, which looks like the perfect MIDI controller for sweaty live sets in the club. Can’t wait to try this one out for myself! And just yesterday, Frap Tools shared a preview of Magnolia, an 8-voice analog through-zero FM synthesizer. Exciting times!
Stay tuned for more Superbooth news, and remember to check our rolling report regularly. And who knows, there may just be a synth or two we’re not allowed to tell you about just yet! 😉
Soundtoys SpaceBlender
You probably already have more reverb plugins in your plugin folder than you can count. And you’re probably only using half of them. But every once in a while, a plugin comes along that does things a bit differently. And if it happens to come from Soundtoys and is available for FREE for a limited time, it’s an instant download in my book.
Instead of recreating the same concert halls and cathedrals over and over again, SpaceBlender is an experimental reverb that specializes in creating unreal and imaginary nonlinear spaces. It can turn a simple sound into absurdly long, dramatically evolving textures that’ll make your head spin. If you’re into ambient music or cinematic sound design, it should be right up your alley. But SpaceBlender can also handle everyday reverb duties like adding depth and dimension to vocals, guitars, and synths.
And here’s the best thing: until May 22, you can download Space Blender for free! Don’t miss this awesome gift from Soundtoys!
Future Retro Discontinues Vectra, Puts Manufacturing on Hold
On a sad note, Future Retro has said that the Vectra will be discontinued. According to the manufacturer, they’re out of parts for the unique 4-joystick synth and do not plan to restock the Vectra, citing excessive build time and cost. What a pity – it seems like yesterday that Future Retro re-introduced the Vectra after restructuring and changing ownership.
As of now, the Vectra is still available at Thomann*. If you want one, this could be your last chance.
However, Vectra being discontinued seems to be part of a bigger issue. Future Retro also said that it would temporarily suspend all manufacturing until the tariff situation is sorted out. The planned Swynx and Transient reissues are being put on hold. The FR 777 synth has also been delayed by parts availability. This reflects the situation many manufacturers worldwide are now finding themselves in, and as always, the smaller ones suffer first. With tariffs being announced and retracted almost daily, no manufacturer has the planning security needed to order parts or subcontract manufacturing, let alone develop new products.
*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!
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