TabMuse — a Home for Digital and Analog Music Inspiration

Tag: Behringer

The Volca Modular Highlights Our Virtual Look at NAMM 2019

Without a travel budget, a trip to the NAMM show is more of a dream than a reality here at TabMuse. Nonetheless, every year we wait with baited breath to see what fresh music technology announcements inspire us. These inspirations naturally occur within the synth realm, and unfortunately many synthesizer makers chose to not attend NAMM 2019.

Korg’s new Volca Modular synth. Image copyright Korg.

Still, a few products tickled our fancy, so let’s have a look. If you are interested in our coverage of previous NAMM events, simply click on the following links: 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

The Volca Modular Offers a Taste of Don Buchla’s West Coast

Korg brought a host of interesting new synths to NAMM 2019; the Minilogue XD definitely intrigues. But it was the new Volca Modular that ranked at the top of our wish list. It offers a simplified take on the classic Buchla Music Easel, color scheme included.

Of course, the “Vuchla” is battery powered, like the rest of the Volca family, with a similar footprint that fits perfectly on our studio’s Berlin School playground. Unfortunately, the patch points use a jumper wire format instead of the Eurorack standard, with the exception of a few CV and Korg sync ports. Hopefully, some enterprising person makes a patch bay for the unit.

The Volca Modular doesn’t have a MIDI input, which isn’t a huge problem considering the CV ports. The synth architecture is classic West Coast, following more of an additive model compared to the subtractive East Coast style, yo. A sequencer, microtuning, and effects are all in there. Its sound and possibilities for sonic mayhem definitely intrigue, and the $199 list price fits squarely within our budgetary wheelhouse.

We expect the Vuchla to play well with our Make Noise 0-Coast as well as the Volca Keys and Bass. The older Volcas primarily get used these days as a poor man’s analog poly synth, but their sequences dominated Church of Hed’s Brandenburg Heights album. Adding some West Coast synthesis to the equation is our hope.

Expect full coverage if and when we purchase one. There’s a three-tiered synth stand I’m also eyeing. I know… boring.

The Behringer Crave is a Great Entry Point to Analog Synthesis

Behringer’s product pipeline is filled with a host of soon-come synth clones: the ARP Odyssey, Roland TR-808, SH-101, and so much more. But it was the Crave, announced at the end of NAMM which garnered the most buzz. An analog monosynth, it features a host of patch points and a built-in sequencer at an impressive price point of $199.

The Crave’s oscillator clones the one from the Prophet 5 and its filter is based on the legendary Moog Ladder, so a robust sound is assured. The large patch bay integrates nicely with existing Eurorack gear. This synth isn’t yet available, but you can expect it to be popular upon release.

Teenage Engineering’s Foray into Modular Synthesis

Teenage Engineering introduced a line of proprietary modular synth kits at NAMM 2019; seeming like something out of IKEA. You get the opportunity to build before you play. We love the sound of our PO-12 drum machine, so these modular units are definitely worthy of a closer look.

There are two smaller models; the 16 features only a sequencer and controller, while the 170 provides the modules to build a basic analog monosynth. They are priced at $149 and $349 respectively.

The 400 is the flagship of this line. For $499, you get to build a three-oscillator monosynth with a host of modules and a sequencer. The 170 and 400 both include patch cables, and are Eurorack compatible. It’s a worthy option for those looking to dip their toes into Eurorack, but on a tight budget.

So there you have it. This collection of new synthesizers from NAMM 2019 is definitely budget friendly, apparently without skimping on sound and functionality.

February 7, 2019
A Distant View of Knobcon Number Seven

Knobcon is an annual synthesizer convention located in the Chicagoland region. Featuring synth vendors, electronic music performances, and more, the event continues to grow in popularity. This year’s edition took place at the Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg, conveniently offering a full experience under one roof.

Part of Eventide’s booth at this year’s Knobcon synth convention. Photo copyright Eventide.

Some year, I’d like to venture northwest to attend in person, but this time out just kept an eye on the proceedings from afar. TabMuse needs a larger travel budget! Nonetheless, here are a few insights on what piqued my interest at Knobcon 2018.

The Behringer Analog Drum Machines Intrigue

Behringer’s expansion into the synthesizer instrument market continues unabated. The company’s Minimoog clone – the Model D – garners praise from synth nerds looking for quality analog sound on a budget. Naturally, it makes sense for the German instrument manufacturer to now turn its eyes on those classic Roland drum machines of yore: the TR-808 and TR-909.

Knobcon 7 saw Behringer feature its Roland drum machine clones – the RD-808 and RD-909 – to the discerning ears of convention attendees. The 909 clone is still in a prototype stage. Check out the following video for a quick overview of this proto beatbox.

On the other hand, the RD-808 is closer to hitting the market. Rumors place the price point for the Behringer TR-808 clone around $400. Not merely an imitation, the RD-808 features an internal filter and wave “mangler” for an extra measure of sonic manipulation.

Here is a video overview of the RD-808. No release date is available at this time.

If I didn’t already own an Arturia DrumBrute, a PO-12, and a host of software-based drum machines, either Behringer kit would be on my shortlist. That classic analog sound combined with additional features and functionality likely place both units in the wheelhouse of anyone doing electronic music. Their releases remain highly anticipated.

Eventide’s Knobcon Presence illustrates Guitar Effects are now for Synth Players

We regularly cover Eventide’s software effects plugins. In most cases, they beautifully simulate the company’s legendary hardware units. Speaking of which, I’d love to purchase an H9 someday.

The fact that guitar effects are increasingly the domain of synthesists and sound designers is indisputable. We harp on this topic regularly on TabMuse and in person. Eventide’s booth at Knobcon 7 nicely illustrates this point.

The company displayed nearly their full line of synth stomp pedals and effects with nary a guitar in view. Oh wait; I see one in the Twitter picture in the above link. Sigh. The booth also featured a Eurorack setup with some of Eventide’s products for that format.

This provides another example of the blurring between the effects pedal and synthesizer markets. I think the Eurorack format is one of the key factors driving this trend. Once you get used to patching cables on a modular synth, plugging in a few hardware effects seems like nothing.

For those synth musicians not dipping their toes in the Eurorack pool, it offers the means to take those synthesizer patches to a different place. Personally, it helps give me a small taste of the full modular experience, since I only own (and have the room for) the Make Noise 0-Coast.

The Reemergence of the Polyfusion Modular Synthesizer

The resurgence of the modular synthesizer market continues to bring former manufacturers back into the scene. Polyfusion is the latest company riding this industry trend. They originally issued the Polyfusion Series 2000 system in the 70s, inspired by Bob Moog’s seminal modular synth. In fact, the company cofounders were former Moog engineers.

Now nearly five decades later, the brand name reemerged at Knobcon 7, with the announcement of the Polyfusion Series 3000 combined with a collection of new modules. The new series appears to be Eurorack compatible. The company demoed the original modular system at Knobcon: a unit owned by Toto’s Steve Porcaro.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this great music technology story. Check out the video profiling the Series 2000 with insights from Polyfusion’s 74-year-old cofounder, Ron Folkman. The Series 3000 is expected to hit the market in 2019.

September 13, 2018
Superbooth, Novation, Behringer, Propellerhead — Synth News Digest 1
This is the first installment of what I hope to be a regular series on TabMuse. Essentially, it collects recent interesting news stories and product announcements from the synthesizer and music technology worlds. Expect the occasional interjection of my own analysis and insights – for better or worse.

Superbooth 17 features New Synth Announcements from Novation, Behringer

The German synthesizer convention, Superbooth, continues to raise its profile. This year’s edition rivaled the more-established Musikmesse in overall buzz factor, at least within the music press I typically peruse. For my eyes, more interesting synth announcements seemed to come out of Superbooth 17 compared to its older cousin.

Novation’s new Peak polysynth looks to be a winner. Image copyright Novation.

In some respects, Novation stole the show with the announcement of its Peak desktop polysynth. Each of the Peak’s eight voices features three oscillators and a resonant analog filter. The “numerically controlled” oscillators combine the best of the analog and digital domains, with warm sound as well as the sonic flexibility provided by 17 wavetables.

The Circuit Mono Station was Novation’s other big reveal. A mashup of an analog monosynth with the sequencing functionality from the original Circuit, this looks to be a product of interest to the DJ and beatmaking communities. A paraphonic mode and CV I/O are two of its other attractive features.

Behringer introduced a desktop version of its DeepMind 12 analog synth as well as a six-voice keyboard model, imaginatively known as the DeepMind 6. They also caused a measure of buzz with a demo of their Eurorack Minimoog clone. The audio demos I heard were definitely enticing, but I’m not in the Eurorack market… yet.

Uli Behringer’s company receives a lot of flack in the music technology community for subpar quality. As an owner of a MX3282 32-channel 8-bus mixing board for nearly 20 years, I can say I’ve never had an issue with the unit. Your mileage may differ. We’ll see how Behringer’s entry into synthesizer manufacturing changes the perception of the organization over time.

Many other alluring synth announcements happened at Superbooth 17. Check out Synthtopia’s thorough coverage for more details.

Propellerhead Reason finally adds Support for the VST Standard

Propellerhead’s recent announcement that version 9.5 of its venerable Reason music production studio app finally supports the VST plugin standard almost seems like a case of “too little, too late.” Way back at the turn of the century, I considered Reason as a natural upgrade to my beloved Rebirth. Instead, the lack of VST support made me head down the FL Studio path for my beatmaking needs.

Long-time Reason fans used to its workflow and skeuomorphic interface will now enjoy a veritable cornucopia of new synths and effects. Reason 9.5 hits the market on May 29 and current owners are able to upgrade to the new version for free when available. I may need to reconsider Reason, as one can’t have too many audio workstation applications.

Plugin Alliance 354e Multiband Compressor Plugin

The Plugin Alliance is a consortium of different audio companies under a “virtual roof.” One partner, Lindell Audio, recently announced the 354e – a mastering plugin modeling the venerable Neve 2254ETM diode bridge compressor. 354e supports most of the popular plugin formats and looks to be something of interest to anyone looking for great sounding masters without spending thousands on vintage hardware.

For more information, check out the following Plugin Alliance web page.

Wide Blue Sound Orbit and Eclipse

KONTAKT and MASCHINE users searching for a great new virtual synth need to check out Orbit and Eclipse from Wide Blue Sound. The company states “ORBIT and ECLIPSE are the perfect powerhouses for creating stunning synth sounds, driving pulses, and atmospheric worlds, thanks to their critically-acclaimed interface and world-class sound design.” Both synths include seamless integration with KOMPLETE KONTROL S-series keyboards as well as MASCHINE models. In short, anything supporting Native Instruments’ NKS standard.

The otherworldly sounds revealed in the video demos of the synths make me want to get my own KONTROL S-series unit. Of course, all major plugin formats are supported, so those without a NKS-ready controller can still travel the outer reaches.

Audified Studio Bundle

Plugin maker, Audified, recently released Studio Bundle, a convenient package including a variety of the company’s latest products in most popular plugin formats. The bundle includes Mix Checker, the U73b Compressor, the U78 Saturator, and the TNT Voice Executor. All in all a great deal for those interested in checking out some of Audified more popular virtual effects.

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May 5, 2017