Synths. Drum Machines. Samplers. 2024 had it all—and had it all in droves. This year, we saw the introduction of several high-end analog polysynths; we saw standalone, self-contained modular synthesizer systems; we saw affordable new semi-modular synths; heck, we even witnessed the release of (perhaps) the world's first medieval-themed sampler.
No doubt it was an interesting year for fun new gear: so we're taking a look back at some of our favorite new releases. This is not an exhaustive list—but one thing is for sure: it's full of weird, unique, and downright fun new gear. Scope it out below!
Arturia Polybrute 12
We've continued to see a number of bigger, "deluxe" versions of existing synthesizers released over the past few years. And this trend makes sense—rather than pushing the feature-packed, high polyphony count instrument right out of the gate, ensuring that the core concepts in such an instrument can actually hold up in an increasingly crowded market affords both time and viability to pursue further development.
Arturia unveiled their flagship, high-end keyboard synthesizer earlier this year in the form of Polybrute 12. The original Polybrute wasn't exactly lacking in features—it is a feature-filled instrument in its own right with dual oscillators and filters per voice, powerful modulation routing options, and abundant control with the ribbon and unique Morphée controller. You can even blendbetween two patches in a way that's not often seen outside of select digital instruments and plugins. Polybrute 2 retains all of those features while doubling the voice count to provide more heft and flexibility to pads, unisons, and more.
In our eyes, Polybrute 12's most exciting feature is, ironically enough, something that may not be apparent by looking at it. Arturia took the time to develop a completely proprietary keybed for Polybrute 12, rather than using an off-the-shelf set of black and white piano-style keys. In doing so, they managed to unlock a deeper level of access to the mechanisms behind tracking the movement and activation of individual keys. One benefit of doing so is achieving polyphonic aftertouch, however, the fun doesn't stop there.
Arturia's Full Touch keybed technology enables a variety of unique interactions with the sounds that Polybrute 12 can produce. Notes can be triggered as soon as movement is detected on the key, including glacially slow movements which would otherwise be delayed until actuating a spring or contact on a typical keybed. MPE-like degrees of expression can be found within different key position ranges, or directly control the amplitude of envelopes underneath each voice. Playing Polybrute 12 simply feels different than any other synthesizer, and packs so much power in its ability to elevate sounds to an entirely new level.
Body Synths Metal Fetishist
Proper desktop drum synthesizers are a comparatively rare category of hardware devices in the contemporary moment, with sample-based workflows and the continued ubiquity of Roland drum sounds (typically also in sample form) largely winning out over scratch-kitchen style percussion in popular electronic genres. While notable breakthroughs like the Elektron Machinedrum, the ineffable Landscape Noon, or Neutral Labs Scrooge offer fairly fresh approaches to designing unique percussion sounds, I'd wager a larger amount of the percussive output from the last 20 years has been sample-based.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and of course, there are literally endless amounts of fantastic samples available for free, so using samples makes sense. Interestingly however, this oversaturation of good drum sounds poses the problem of analysis-paralysis when flipping through the towering stacks of kicks and snares at the modern musician's disposal. With so many samples to choose from, a device which leads the user towards inspiring sounds through embodied interactions, rather than merely providing the tools with which to audibly represent one's own preconceived mental forms, is quite appealing.
Enter: the Body Synths Metal Fetishist. This friendly little rectangle is a digital drum synth with clocked random modulation and envelopes you can use to create sequences of linear percussion sounds. Rather than giving you a few types of simple synths and a step sequencer as in the Roland paradigm, Metal Fetishist is a monosynth at heart. Using a simple digital oscillator, noise source, and two flavors of gnarly digital distortion and sample rate manipulation, you can have the clocked modulations create random and rhythmic changes in drum timbre. Shift between punishing kicks, sizzling snares, and clangorous toms as you route and attenuate these modulations, either with the panel's trigger button, onboard transport control, or MIDI connectivity. Adding even more sonic potential, you can replace the noise generator with an external source, creating unique percussion from any drone signal.
If you're feeling uninspired by your stack of samples, or just can't bring yourself to fire-up Serum to make another rack of drums, the Metal Fetishist may just be your answer to creating some wonderfully rich and typically aggressive drums. In only a few short moments of even random knob tweaking, you're sure to find some cool sounds and patterns which fit well into your project. Beyond strictly percussion, the Metal Fetishist is also great for creating drones of its own at high tempo settings, and would be great as the beating heart of a harsh noise set up. One of my favorite sounds with the device is having its output compete with a gnarled feedback drone, with a no-input mixer or other ouroboric device, creating wails and screeches that respond to Metal Fetishist's digitally crushed drums.
While your friend might be able to send you samples of the unique sounds Metal Fetishist creates, its workflow of implementing randomness and discovery make it a device you won't be able to replace with samples so easily. If you love working with machines to create crushing drums and drones, don't sleep on the Metal Fetishist from Body Synths.
Elektron Digitakt II
The Elektron Digitakt II is the eagerly awaited upgrade to the original Digitakt, enhancing the renowned sampling workstation with substantial improvements. By significantly expanding on its predecessor's capabilities, Digitakt II offers sixteen stereo tracks—doubling the original's eight mono tracks. Each track can function as an audio sampler or a MIDI channel, granting musicians exceptional flexibility for crafting complex, multi-layered arrangements. With a major increase in storage—20GB of internal memory and 400MB of sample RAM—the Digitakt II enables artists to work with larger sample libraries and create more intricate projects.
Digitakt II introduces an array of new "machines" that provide varied methods for sampling and sound manipulation. The Oneshot machine handles linear sample playback, while the Werp, Stretch, and Repitch machines offer advanced time-stretching and pitch-shifting capabilities. The Grid machine enables sample slicing, ideal for dividing breaks or larger samples into playable components. Additionally, a selection of filter machines—including the Multimode filter, Lowpass 4, and Comb filter—broadens its sound-shaping capabilities. Enhanced signal routing and global effects—such as chorus, delay, reverb, and compression—expand the instrument's potential for creative sound design.
With expanded modulation and sequencing features—including additional LFOs, built-in Euclidean sequencing, and new trig modes—Digitakt II is a powerful instrument for creating evolving, polyrhythmic sequences and dynamic performances. Whether you're composing full albums, designing intricate soundscapes, or performing live, this upgraded groovebox enhances workflow and musical expression in nearly every possible direction. Moreso, as perhaps the most approachable of Elektron's mid-tier instruments, Digitakt II offers newcomers an excellent entry point into sophisticated sampling and sequencing.
Elektron Digitone II
In the final months of 2024 Elektron, to a widespread appeal of the company's fans, and perhaps even catching an eye of newcomers, unveiled a successor to its revered FM-synthesizer/groovebox Digitone originally released in 2018. Building upon its predecessor's innovative approach to frequency modulation synthesis, the Digitone II exponentially enhances its capabilities while retaining the intuitive workflow that made the original a favorite among electronic musicians. With sixteen tracks that can function as either audio or MIDI channels, and an expanded sound engine, the Digitone II is capable more than ever of harvesting complex, multi-layered arrangements, furthermore interactive and dynamic under the comprehensive and well-tuned control workflow.
As mentioned, one of the standout features of the Digitone II is its expanded synth engine, which now includes four distinct synth machines: FM Tone, FM Drum, Wavetone, and Swarmer. The FM Tone machine offers classic four-operator FM synthesis with a streamlined interface for crafting harmonically rich sounds. FM Drum is optimized for percussive sounds, providing quick access to inharmonic ratios and a powerful transient and noise section for adding punch and texture to drum hits. Wavetone introduces wavetable synthesis with two oscillators per voice, offering a broad sonic palette from traditional analog shapes to complex harmonic structures. Finally, Swarmer delivers lush, detuned textures using a primary oscillator and six "swarm" oscillators—perfect for creating trance-like leads and thick, evolving pads.
With sixteen voices of polyphony dynamically allocated across tracks, the Digitone II allows for expressive performances and intricate sequencing. New features like per-track selectable filter machines, Euclidean sequencing, and enhanced modulation options further expand its sound design potential. Despite these advancements, Elektron has maintained the user-friendly interface and renowned sequencing workflow that fans have come to love, ensuring that both newcomers and seasoned users can dive into the vast depths of the instrument's capabilities without feeling overwhelmed.
Perfect for a wide spectrum of artistic inclinations, the Digitone II renders a powerful and versatile tool for those seeking to explore the complex realms of FM synthesis and beyond. Its ability to serve as a comprehensive groovebox, synthesizer, and MIDI sequencer makes it an attractive choice for anyone looking to expand their sonic palette with a device that is both innovative and deeply musical.
Elta Music Solar 42F
Due to the relatively open landscape encompassing what may be considered "ambient music", creating a singular instrument that can achieve all the techniques explored in its many subgenres and scenes is a tall order. The cranium-vibrating drones of La Monte Young or Phil Niblock are ambient, assuredly, as are the near-inaudible utterances of lowercase music, the ghastly reverberations of Grouper, and for some, even the brutalistic wall noise of The Rita or Vomir. It is no surprise that each of these diverse acts utilizes a bespoke set up to achieve their ambient ends, as very rarely does a purpose built instrument arrive that offers an integrated ambient solution.
In 2024, we saw not one but two (!) wonderful additions to this category, with Elta Music's Solar 42F taking the cake for me personally. Most likely, the exploratory musical motionlessness of ambient music will continue to extend beyond any hardware instrument's capabilities. Yet, the Solar 42F marks a particularly exciting turn towards the emergence of large-scale electronic instruments made with ambient and other experimental forms in mind, offering a sonic palette that would likely suit the tastes of the aforementioned musicians.
Billed as an "ambient machine" and "drone synthesizer", the Solar 42F is essentially a large semimodular synth with eight diverse voices, modulation sources, controllers, and swappable DSP effects. Its many voices are all playable from the touch keyboard and keycap switches, capable of quickly amassing massive drone timbres from gloriously consonant to chaotically dissonant. With nothing patched, the Solar 42F offers a deep platform for improvising with its many sound sources, and while capable of rhythmic material, it is admittedly tempting to fall back into the lush and enveloping sound mass it can create.
Get a few patch cables going, explore the many configurations of its touch keyboard, and you'll soon find that the Solar 42F is remarkably flexible as a modular instrument, and while it may not be the best choice for many conventional applications, is assuredly capable of much more than ambient and drone textures. Support for microtonal tunings, extensive cross modulation capabilities, unique control sources, and more make this a veritable playground for the electronic experimentalist. Going even further, Elta's cartridge-based DSP system adds a host of voltage controllable effects which can be swapped at will, offering captivating processing for the Solar 42F's rich sound generators.
For folks considering a Eurorack modular set-up for such experimental goals, it may be worth considering whether you'd be better served by the Solar 42F, as its capabilities extend beyond many similarly priced bespoke rack set-ups. Likewise, the Solar 42F is a dream machine for cinematic composers, with Elta even claiming to have been inspired specifically by sci-fi soundtracks in its design. Ambient music itself may yet remain undefinable, but one thing is clear: the Elta Music Solar 42F is a wonderful and unique synthesizer, sure to offer a ton of creative possibilities to experimentalists of all stripes.
Moog Labyrinth
The Moog Labyrinth is a highly innovative desktop semi-modular synthesizer, combining generative and probabilistic sequencing with "West Coast" synthesis techniques. You can use it with external MIDI or CV controllers, or you can rely on the built-in random sequencers to create unexpected, gradually evolving tapestries of sound.
Labyrinth's audio path is quite unlike Moog instruments of the past—relying on waveshaping and inter-oscillator modulation for creating sonic interest. Labyrinth uses sine and triangle wave oscillators and a noise source, while omitting the classic saw and pulse waves. The instrument's primary oscillator and modulation oscillator interact through thru-zero frequency modulation (FM) and ring modulation, allowing for unique textures ranging from evolving timbres to clangorous, inharmonic textures.
Labyrinth also introduces a new voltage-controllable wavefolder—the first in any Moog instrument—and a 12dB/oct state-variable filter, both of which can be routed in various ways to shape sound further. The wavefolder adds complexity by folding waveforms onto themselves, creating rich harmonic content, while the filter offers continuous blending between lowpass and bandpass responses. This particular filter is snarly, gritty, and brutal—especially nice when paired with complex oscillator tones or the internal noise source.
The real magic of Labyrinth lies in its sequencers. Equipped with two probabilistic sequencers, Labyrinth enables the creation of unpredictable, evolving passages. The "Corrupt" parameter introduces chance-based variation, allowing for sequences that evolve with each repetition, making Labyrinth ideal for generative music. The sequencers can be programmed to produce both melodic lines and rhythmically complex patterns, with the option to chain or offset them for even more variation. Naturally, there are provisions for internally quantizing the random sequences...keeping your random sequences within the desired scale and melodic range.
Despite its complexity, Labyrinth is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, making it an excellent entry point for those new to modular synthesis while offering ample depth for seasoned musicians. Whether you're looking to create evolving soundscapes, experimental rhythms, or even chaotic bursts of noise, Labyrinth provides a playful yet powerful tool for sonic exploration. If you're curious to learn more, be sure to check out our dedicated review article.
Moog Muse
In 2024, Moog discontinued the One—its most complex and ambitious instrument to date, and the only truly polyphonic instrument in its entire lineup. Happily, we weren't left monophonic and paraphonic for long: they soon after introduced Muse, their latest polyphonic analog synthesizer. In some ways, Muse represents a conceptual refinement of ideas first presented in One; and indeed, it is a much more affordable take on the polyphonic synth concept, but one which still pushes forward some truly exciting new ideas about synthesis and sound design.
Muse offers eight voices, bi-timbral capabilities, a stereo signal path, and an intuitive interface designed for both classic and modern sound creation. With two discrete ladder filters and a stereo VCA, it excels in creating rich, wide stereo images, while a saturating mixer adds harmonic depth and natural break-up to the sound.
The Muse is powered by Moog’s signature oscillators, offering a mix of triangle, sawtooth, and variable pulse waves with blending options between the two VCOs. A third Modulation Oscillator, which can reach audio rates, provides even more flexibility, offering sine, sawtooth, reverse saw, square, and noise waveforms. The dual Moog transistor ladder filters allow for precise sound shaping, with lowpass and highpass filters available in both series and parallel configurations.
The modulation system includes a modulation oscillator, two envelopes, and two LFOs, all routable via the Mod Map, which features 16 modulation slots per timbre. The LFOs are one of the most interesting features—with a wide variety of unconventional waveshapes for creating complex modulation with ease. You'll get irregular sweeps, bouncing ball textures, and seemingly chaotically evolving textures in no time—plus, the Moog One's modulation transform features are maintained, allowing a variety of ways of altering modulation shapes and depths within the modulation matrix itself.
Another outstanding feature is the Diffusion Delay, inspired by vintage digital multi-tap delays, which takes full advantage of the stereo layout, offering independent delay times for the left and right channels, along with adjustable character, feedback, and mix controls for creating otherworldly sounds. This can range from standard repeats to almost reverb-like tones, reverse delay-like sounds, and much more—it's easily one of our favorite parts of the instrument.
The Muse’s knob-per-function layout ensures ease of use, eliminating menu diving and making it quick to dial in patches. It also includes a 64-step sequencer, arpeggiator, chord memory, glide, independent pitch LFO, and voice control for polyphonic, monophonic, detuned, or per-timbre adjustments. This combination of flexibility and hands-on control makes the Muse a versatile instrument for stage, studio, and everything in between. In essence, the Moog Muse brings Moog’s legendary analog sound into the modern age with enhanced features, making it perfect for musicians seeking rich, dynamic sounds with deep modulation possibilities, all within a portable and intuitive design.
Oberheim TEO-5
Sequential and Oberheim have been synonymous with premium synthesizer design for virtually all of both brand's histories, so it should come as no surprise that the 2024 release of the Oberheim TEO-5 has made our best-of list this year. While the legendary synthesizer designer's initials being in the product name is enough to convince me towards at least a few minutes plunking around, the TEO-5 has plenty more going for it. For starters, it follows in the footsteps of the highly successful Take 5 polysynth from Sequential, which offered a more accessible price point and compact form factor compared to larger models, drawing in newcomers to get a piece of the legendarily rich and reliable Prophet series. The TEO-5 comes in the same 44-key arrangement, promising a distinct set of tools that infuses the Take 5 platform with authentic Oberheim design and sonic character.
While the warmth and punch you'd expect from an Oberheim is here in all its vintage glory, the TEO-5 sports a number of modern enhancements to inspire a new generation of synthesists. To satisfy those analog cravings, the VCOs and VCFs in the TEO-5 are authentic SEM-style designs, boasting an incredibly rich timbral palette, flexible filtering with nostalgic resonance, but the stability and reliability of modern hardware. Of course, you can always turn up the Vintage knob to rekindle some voice-to-voice differences to perfect the old-school sound. Get complex tones out of the hard sync and thru-zero FM capabilities, with an X-mod amount control for precise control of modulation depth. Adding the final dollop of secret sauce to all your sounds, the TEO-5 features stereo distortion, dedicated reverb, and an effects engine including carefully modeled Oberheim phase shifter and ring mod effects.
For most people, choosing between the Take 5 and TEO-5 will come down to the differences in their oscillator and filter sections, with TEO-5 having less oscillator control without a dedicated mixer and more flexible filtering thanks to its state-variable design. In practice, both synths feature incredibly deep modulation and internal routing options which take them far beyond stereotypical sound characteristics of either brand. The dual LFOs and ADSRs in each, while carrying some distinctions between the two, in both cases offer great ways to get sounds moving and changing, as do their polyphonic sequencers, multimode arpeggiators, and channel aftertouch. With up to 64 modulation destinations in the TEO-5, its capabilities for sound design beyond conventional musical tones is vast, likely adding a fantastic suite of tools for the cinematic composer or SFX artist. Aside from the premium sound and build in the TEO-5, and perhaps more importantly, its price point means that more people will now have access to using these classic SEM sounds in their musical lives, which is a development definitely worth getting excited about.
Pittsburgh Modular Voltage Lab 2
If you want a sense of our true feelings about the Pittsburgh Voltage Lab 2, go check out our in-depth review. Sadly, we can't take the time to do in-depth product reviews of every new thing that comes along—but when something truly special comes along, we do everything we can to make the time. Voltage Lab 2 was one of only a few such occurrences this year, and indeed, it is a deep and very special instrument.
Voltage Lab 2 is a significant expansion on Pittsburgh's original Voltage Research Laboratory synthesizer. This all-in-one system straddles the line between what we'd usually call "modular" and "semi-modular"; while it comes with all of its modules installed behind a single faceplate, it for the most part eschews normalled signal connections in favor of letting the musician define their own signal path. This alone is a bold choice, and one that we truly respect—especially considering the unique and largely unprecedented nature of many of its internal circuits. Voltage Lab 2 pairs a unique set of sonic and modulation resources with an advanced touch keyboard/sequencer: evoking instruments like the Buchla Music Easel and late 1970s Serge configurations while presenting its own take on synthesis and performance.
For me, the star of the show are the Laboratory Oscillators. The Voltage Lab 2 features two such oscillators, each with their own distinct approaches to waveshaping—taking you well beyond the realm of standard saw and sine waves and into a universe of continuously evolving, growling, and gurgling tones. They offer options for voltage-controlled waveshaping, deep frequency modulation, bidirectional sync, ring modulation, downsampling, and much more: truly a huge range of sounds are immediately at your fingertips.
Pair these oscillators with the two Dynamics Controllers—Pittsburgh's unique take on the low pass gate concept—and you've got all manner of tones from classic analog synth sounds to West Coast plonks and well beyond. The Florist effect offers Karplus-Strong like resonances, flanging, and chorus, while the Echo effect turns your sound into a churning, warm soup of repeats.
The Touch Controller is a multi-lane sequencer, pressure-sensitive keyboard, and algorithmic control generator all rolled into one. Create conditional sequences, ratcheting effects, evolving sequences, voltage addressed sweeps, and more—it is truly a well-equipped laboratory for experimenting with gesture, automation, and interaction.
I simply can't summarize this wonderful instrument in a few short paragraphs, so I urge you: find one to try out, or just go ahead and buy it. If you want to experiment with the concepts of modular synthesizers while sticking with a self-contained, well-thought-out instrument with a deep and singular design philosophy, it's one of the best options I have ever seen.
Polyend Synth
Polyend's Synth is a grid-based instrument designed for music production, performance, and sound design, offering three simultaneous synth engines. It features a versatile grid layout with eight different synth engines, allowing for extensive sonic exploration. The engines include both vintage-inspired and modern digital synth types, each with unique controls and capabilities.
The ACD and FAT engines provide warm, analog-style sounds, with the ACD drawing inspiration from a classic 80s Japanese synth. The FAT engine offers three virtual analog voices that can be richly detuned and shaped with analog-inspired ladder filters. The VAP engine is a virtual analog polysynth, offering two blendable waveforms with extensive wave shaping possibilities via the Mix control. For those who love digital synthesis, the WTFM engine delivers a two-operator FM synth voice, perfect for harsh, glassy tones, as well as rich bass sounds similar to a DX7. The WAVS engine is a wavetable synth that lets you blend two wavetables, each with independent position and warping controls. The PHZ engine is a phase distortion synth with two oscillator shapes, modulated by X and Y parameters.
The GRAINS engine introduces granular synthesis, allowing you to load your own samples or choose from a variety of sound objects to create delicate textures. The PMD engine is based on Mutable Instruments' Elements, offering classic physical modeling synthesis with intuitive controls for easily shaping its distinctive sound. These eight synth engines ensure that whatever sound you're looking for, Polyend's Synth can provide it.
The instrument features a capacitive clickable encoder and mechanical keyboard interface, designed for hands-on interaction. Each synth engine includes its own arpeggiator, sequence, and modulation matrix. The 5x12 grid playing surface can be customized in various layouts, allowing for flexible performance and sound design. A built-in tonal quantization system ensures you always play in key, and a Chord mode automatically generates chords based on the selected scale, with a Follow option that adjusts the grid layout to match the played chord.
Polyend's Synth is a highly interactive and playable device that combines sound design, composition, and performance in a single, intuitive package. It's a perfect standalone instrument or a great addition to Polyend's full range of devices. Be sure to check out our full interview with Polyend CEO Piotr Raczyński about the conceptualization and design of Synth.
Roland AIRA Compact P-6 Creative Sampler
Roland's Aira compact series has offered us countless instruments that punch well above their price tag and form factor, with this year's addition of the Aira P-6 Creative Sampler likely to remain a favorite among the bunch for the foreseeable future. In many ways, the emergence of a sampler into the Aira compact line was predestined - the series is known for bringing the sound of one or more Roland classics to a portable and financially accessible product, Roland's SP-404 et al are among the most beloved samplers in music history, and well, there wasn't an Aira compact sampler yet. What wasn't so easy to predict was just how feature packed the P-6 would be, offering not only a fantastically capable musical tool for electronic music beginners, but an equally useful addition even to established electronic arsenals.
Sampling in the P-6 is fast and efficient, with an onboard microphone that does a commendable job of capturing the sounds around you for immediate arrangement and processing. You can also sample via the line input, or using the P-6's extensive USB audio implementation, making it very easy to fill the device with your own sounds and start creating. Working with samples is similarly powerful, allowing live input with the six playable pads, chromatic playing using the keyboard mode, and even a convenient chopping feature for large samples like breaks and pads. Adjust the pitch, playback window, and level of your sounds, and add dedicated delay and reverb effects per-sound. Once these samples are sounding how you like, you can sequence your sounds to create full ensemble patterns, both with step input and live record modes, and move between these patterns to assemble full tracks.
In addition to these comprehensive sampling and sequencing features, the vast multi-effects engine and powerful granular synthesizer features of the P-6 take it above and beyond most units in its price and size range. The effects section includes a wide variety of useful effects, including practical shapers like filters and drives, alongside captivating and creative effects like ring modulation, DJFX looper, and the infamously glitchy and great Scatter effect. Using the internal audio bus system, you can selectively route samples to these effects, making for a highly flexible music arranger and workstation considering the P-6's portable form factor.
Last but not least, the Granular engine in the P-6 is likely worth the cost of admission alone. You can sample in your own sounds, and quickly start creating polyphonic granular textures using the onboard pads or external controller. While its screenless interface doesn't enable precise granular positioning quite like some larger units, simply following your ear as you tweak the engine's parameters and add effects will quickly lead to creating wild and exciting granular textures. Some may be turned off by the P-6's density of multi-function controls, but its expansive feature set and accessible price point imply the potential for inspired users to get a huge amount of creative mileage out of this instant-classic Roland device.
Sonicware Liven Ambient Ø
Sonicware's Liven series is a fantastic, affordable lineup of synths that all serve a fairly specific purpose and the Ambient Ø synth is no exception. While this synth is focused on creating lush ambient soundscapes, it's also a great synth for plucky plucks, field recordings, and harmonically rich lead lines. Using the 4 available tracks you're able to dial in a wide variety of sounds courtesy of 6 different synth algorithms that use their Blendwave synthesis technique. This type of synthesis uses 2 different oscillators for each algorithm that can be blended together. Choose from 32 different waveforms and reference the printed diagram on the housing to see how each algorithm functions. The Harmonic, Balance, Modulation, Pitch and Detune parameters have similar functions in each algorithm, but where they exist in the signal flow changes. These small changes create a big difference and with assignable LFO destinations, evolving sounds with plenty of movement are easy to generate.
You get access to three different tracks for the Blendwave synth algorithms, and the fourth track is dedicated to samples. Included are natural sounds that can take advantage of the gorgeous reverb, but you're also able to record up to 8 seconds of your own sounds in full stereo. Each of the tracks has an independent 64 step sequencer with parameter locking. There's also a probability setting for each step and an option for random playback of the sequence to add an extra layer of chance and serendipity. Of course an ambient synth wouldn't be complete without a reverb section and the aforementioned gorgeous reverb comes in 9 different varietals: Small L, M, & H, Large L, M, & H, and Infinite L, M,& H. The Ambient Ø also has 6 types of master effects: Tape Delay, Reverse Delay, Overdrive, Bitcrush, Tilt EQ, and Stereo Chorus.
Sonicware takes great care with the Liven series to make sure each one has a similar setup and interface so when you know how one works, you can easily get another and be up and running in no time. Regardless of whether or not you have a Liven series device, simplicity and fun is always the key. The Liven Ambient Ø is a satisfying synth that offers very few hidden controls and has a wide array of sound design possibilities. It also comes in at a great price point that is the perfect gift that is sure to surprise.
Be sure to check out our interview with Dr. Yu Endo, Sonicware's founder and lead designer: we discuss Sonicware's company history, and the process of conceptualizing/designing the Liven Ambient Ø.
Sonicware Lofi-12 XT
The Lofi-12XT is a compact sampling powerhouse that takes the same form factor as the SmplTrek with a similar interface, but focuses on sampling and live performance. While the SmplTrek is a robust piece of equipment that is perfect for composing and sequencing, the Lofi-12XT takes a more focused approach making it quick and easy to start diving into. As the name implies, the sampling is designed to impart a Lofi aesthetic, and it does this by limiting the sampling rate to either 24kHz or 12kHz. This is not a device or pristine high-quality sounds, and it doesn't want to be—this is for getting that crunchy, dusty sound that feels—and some would say sounds—better.
The device comes loaded up with internal sounds, but you can easily record and add your own samples or one-shots. When working with samples you have a few different options for setting up your 8 tracks. Grab a tasty break or passage and chop it up with the Slice option either automatically or manually. You can add chop markers using the interface or lazy chop by hitting the pads when you want. You only get 15 pads and are limited to 15 chops, but that's plenty when combined with other tracks. This mode is also great for setting up drum kits, included are a few premade audio files, but to make your own you just print a single audio file with all the drum hits, use the Auto Slice option, and you're good to go. Tonal one-shots have their own polyphonic and monophonic modes that let you play a melody or chord with ease using the built-in pads or by attaching a MIDI controller.
All the samples have the editing modes you'd expect and each track has an independent sequencer that can go up to 128 steps. The sequencer also features parameter locking, so you can get lovely variety from just a few samples. The built-in effects are also quite impressive with 26 to choose from. Each track can have its own effect, you can set up 2 send effects that are shared, and a master effect that adds glue or sauce to the entire piece. We could list all sorts of features that this device has, but the most important thing is that the Lofi-12XT is just fun to use. For that crunchy sound this is great and it can run on batteries, is easily navigated with your thumbs, and allows for quick playability. A perfect pairing with an MPC, 404, or even the original Lofi-12.
Teenage Engineering EP-1320
A tricky thing about doing these Staff Picks articles is including notable gear that comes out at or just after the time of writing. In the case of 2023, our article came out just before the release of teenage engineering's EP-133 K.O. II—a product we can now decidedly look back on as being quite a significant release. Happily, we are able to offer a bit of retribution for the K.O. II by featuring its Middle Ages counterpart, the EP-1320 Medieval.
Out of the box, the EP-1320 Medieval looks and sounds like it's from a strange parallel universe—one where European feudalism remained the predominant socio-economic structure despite the advancement of technology to create samplers and electronic musical instruments. There's a selection of timely samples baked into the EP-1320's memory, while another set of sound banks is available to record and upload your own sounds. Who wouldn't want to buy a sampler that comes with the clangorous sounds of battle, bleating goats, and Gregorian chants?
Like the K.O. II before it, the Medieval is a supercharged extension of the workflows established by teenage engineering's Pocket Operator line. An expanded sequencer allows you to not only arrange the EP-1320's internal sounds with ease but also get your other instruments in on the fun thanks to the inclusion of MIDI and Sync I/O. Specially designed keys with velocity sensitivity also make it possible to craft sequences with nuanced dynamics, and pressure-based punch-in effects offer a whole new spin on processing and triggering sounds.
Teenage Engineering OP-XY
Remember a few paragraphs ago when we mentioned the tricky nature of timing these Staff Picks articles with year-end product releases? Here's one that's hot off the presses for you: teenage engineering's OP-XY was announced just days before the publication of this article, but we're certain it's worth your attention this year, not next.
The OP-XY is the spiritual successor to the OP-Z, but presented in an OP-1 Field-like package. Like the OP-Z, and unlike the OP-1, OP-XY builds layers through step sequencing rather than multiple tracks of virtual tape. However, the OP-XY borrows and expands upon elements from both instruments, resulting in an identity that's all its own.
The OP-XY features eight instrument tracks which can be assigned to one of ten different synthesis engines or a handful of sampler modes,. Eight additional auxiliary tracks offer everything from audio send effects, external MIDI sequencing, and even on-the-fly transposition and musical reharmonization with the brain track. Once sequences are built up how you like them, arrange sequences into scenes and scenes into songs, then mix your tracks together to complete your songs right in the OP-XY. This start-to-finish process is certainly inspired by the OP-1, but completes the sequencer workflow and experience that was first explored on the OP-Z.
On that note, perhaps greater than OP-XY's sonic power is its sequencing capabilities—supercharging ideas that were first introduced on the OP-Z. Starting a sequence is easy, either by selecting a note and punching it into the 16 sequencer buttons, recording notes live, or sequentially entering notes step by step. From there, OP-Z-style step components offer abundant ways to manipulate notes in your sequence, punch-in fx from the auxiliary tracks shift things around on the fly, and optional players add arpeggios and more.
Of course, there's way more to the OP-XY picture than we can possibly explain here. But if you're interested in a teenage engineering spin on the multi-track sequencer/groovebox package, OP-XY is certainly a unique take on the concept. If you're a fan of the OP-1 but don't jive with the tape-esque workflow, the OP-XY may be better aligned with your interests.
Torso S-4
Torso's S-4 is a 4-track sampling powerhouse that is built around samples, loops, and granular synthesis with layers of effects and audio manipulation in a minimal and clean housing.
Each of the four tracks has 5 different levels of sonic spelunking available. Starting with the Material level, this is where you bring in the sound you want to use—load in samples you've pre-recorded, or record right on the device with the stereo line in or the built-in mic. Anything with a built-in microphone can be a fantastic device for quick sound designing and immediate inspiration, so the addition of one on the S-4 is something we personally love. Once you have your sound in place, there are several parameters you can adjust, including pitch/speed, tempo, start point and length. You can even use a unique rotate parameter that will shift your loop forward or back—no matter how you decide to loop your material, the Xfade will make sure you're smoothly fading in and out. That's just with the default material called Tape, which might be the one most used, but there is also a Poly mode, which allows you to bring in one-shots and treat the track as more of a sample-based synth for use with a MIDI controller, along with a Bypass option that turns the track into a live audio effects track.
Speaking of effects, this is where the S-4 really shines: starting with the Mosaic, a granular engine that does the beloved polyphonic granular sounds made famous by devices like the Mutable Instruments Clouds, but so much more. You get direct control over the pitch—which can quantize to semitones, octaves, fifths, or free—along with the rate and size of the grains which each have a dedicated fluctuating random amount that can be adjusted to taste. Use the internal modulation to adjust even more flavors of randomness with a Warp control that will modulate the playhead and a Pattern which will pitchshift the gran playback based on the scale selected. This feeds a filter section called Ring, which is an enormous filterbank parameterized like a state variable filter. Ring can smoothly flow from low to band to high pass filter, with a dedicated Waves modulator that makes the filter cutoff undulate in a gentle, maritime way—or use "noise" modulation to randomize the level of all of the individual bands. This section can also function as a nice resonator with the frequency bands capable of being quantized to different scales. It's quite possibly worth the price of entry alone.
The last two tracks are Color and Space, which add more textures. Color is an all-purpose grit maker with Drive, Crush, and Noise options to add some rough edges. It also has a Compress and Tilt option to hug and squeeze the signal respectively. Space is where our delay and reverb lives and they sound really quite incredible. All of these 5 layers, it's worth repeating, are independent of each other, which makes the levels of customization quite dense. Add on top of that the modulation options—of which there are 4 dedicated modulators per track. You can assign some, all, or none of them to any parameter by simply pressing the mod button at any time. Finally, mix everything together with the, well, Mix, section that has a DJ-style low/high pass filter on each section and an overall Compressor for everything.
Now, the elephant in the room is the firmware: as of writing this in November 2024 there are still some parts of the device that are inaccessible, including the Scene, Perform and Temp buttons. We don't view these as hurting the overall functionality of the device and still feel like this is an incredibly solid piece of equipment that can open up tons of options for you to explore. However, it is only fair that we mention this…but even with those temporary shortcomings, the S-4 is an incredible device that will only mature with time.
UDO Super 8
If you were to take a poll among the Perfect Circuit staff and ask them about their favorite keyboard synthesizers, a lot of us would probably respond with the instruments from UDO. Ever since the unveiling of the Super 6 a few years ago, we can't get enough of its unique FPGA/analog hybrid architecture and binaural signal flow. The deluxe Super Gemini properly upped the ante and remains a consistent recommendation for anyone looking to invest in a high-end keyboard synthesizer.
While it may initially seem somewhat of a strange entry in the UDO catalog, the Super 8 actually excels in its unique position between the smaller, more immediate Super 6 and the expanse in size and sound of the Super Gemini. Arguably, the Super 8 sits closer to the Super Gemini in several ways, including its price. However, it strikes a balance in form and function as well as capability and character.
Technically speaking, the Super 8 is a 16-voice polyphonic synthesizer—but these voices are grouped into pairs when engaging the binaural mode. The result is a more immersive stereo image, thanks to a fully stereo path from the FPGA oscillators all the way through the analog filters and VCAs. Once modulation gets involved, swirling masses of sounds are easily possible. And considering that the Super 8 is bi-timbral, meaning that you can run two patches or presets simultaneously, richly layered timbres are well within this instrument's wheelhouse.
Physically speaking, the Super 8 is closer to the Super 6 in size and control layout. You don't get independent controls for both layers, however, we think the slightly smaller size will appeal to synthesists living or working in locations with limited space. It also lacks the ribbon of the Super Gemini (though UDO has announced the availability of a standalone ribbon coming soon), but it does come with a keybed that supports polyphonic aftertouch—affording the option for per-note expressivity by pressing further into the keys.
There's a lot to be explored within the Super 8—it comes loaded up with tons of convincing presets in the territory of electric pianos and organs, but it can certainly go much further. Should you feel brave enough to dive into its expansive modulation matrix, binaural magic, and bi-timbral power, you'll be treated to boundless sonic possibilities.