The Oscillator 14
The Not-So-Hidden History Behind Modal ARGON8M’s Lush Digital Soundscapes
One of the best and worst things about revisiting history is rediscovering where things went so wrong. Around a year ago, while reviewing Roland’s JD-08, I made this off-hand comment: “I hate that too many of the electronic instruments out there cater to more atonal or textural Eurorack-inspired musicians.” Before I open up your hate […]
Novation MiniNova Synthesizer: A Legacy of Innovation
Dubstep. I keep staring at those words, sandwiched prominently between “R&B/Hip-Hop” and “Techno/House” on Novation’s MiniNova, and I keep thinking: “What were they thinking?” You see, that Novation MiniNova synthesizer, released in 2012, and bought by yours truly not too many years later, remains a compelling, if not slightly confounding, synth. From above, the MiniNova’s […]
Roland JD-08 Boutique Synthesizer: A Link to Roland’s Past
I’ll be the first to admit, my first impression of Roland’s JD-08 was one of surprise. I thought: How would Roland fit all of its original inspiration into something smaller than your computer’s keyboard? That question drove me to give it a chance — I’d revive my niche of “The Oscillator” and share some thoughts […]
ASM Hydrasynth Explorer: A Film Score at Your Fingertips
Compact synths are becoming more powerful by the day, and what you can do with a desktop hybrid synth today is astounding! The ASM Hydrasynth is one particular specimen that has been proving this rule over the last few years. After that original model’s release, Ashun Sound Machines had an epiphany: they thought “this…but smaller!” […]
Serato Studio Review
What exactly is a DJ company doing making a DAW? I wager, just like me, you had this same thought running in your head when word of Serato Studio software came out. It’s the elephant in the room anyone reviewing this software (as we’re wont to do today) must address. The Road to Serato Studio […]
Monophonic vs. Polyphonic vs. Paraphonic Synths
Monophonic, polyphonic, paraphonic, what do these confusing and occasionally overlapping terms really mean? There’s no need to be scared of all the jargon — we’re here to give you the lowdown on all that noise! The components inside synthesizers that generate sound are called oscillators. Synths assign oscillators to different notes depending on what keys […]
PreSonus Atom SQ Review
From trackers like Renoise to DAWs like Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Logic and more, I believe I’ve seen/used enough tools to understand how most work. So, truth be told, I both admit to: A: Never using PreSonus’s entry into the digital audio workstation world, the Atom, three years ago, and B: Jumping at the chance […]
Bustin’ Out the Korg Volca Keys
The Volca Keys was one of the first synths released in Korg’s Volca series in 2013, and it’s also one of the most versatile. The Volca series offers a few options for monophonic sounds and drums/rhythm, but the Volca Keys is the only polyphonic, analog synth in the lineup (at the time of this writing). […]
Exploring the Korg volca modular
It’s a “West Coast style” modular synthesizer! It has 50 patch points! It’s… perhaps a little intimidating at first glance. The Korg volca modular is a “micro modular synthesizer.” This means that it’s made up of individual modules: the sections of a synthesizer that perform different functions, such as selecting the sound source, adjusting the […]
