synthmagazine.com – Every day, synthmagazine.com publishes fresh articles, artist stories and gear news from the world of electronic music – your independent magazine for synth culture and sound design.

14. December 2025

Devin Belanger’s 3rd Wave 8M: Wavetable Wizardry in a Box

If you think wavetable synths peaked in the ‘80s, Devin Belanger is here to slap you awake with the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave 8M. This isn’t just another PPG clone—it’s a compact, modern beast with a screen that’ll make your full-size rig jealous. Devin, known for his sharp reviews and no-BS style, dives deep into the 8M’s sound, workflow, and quirks, showing why it’s more than just a nostalgia trip. If you want a desktop synth that can throw elbows in the studio and still fit in your backpack, this review is your rave bunker briefing.

Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave 8M

14. December 2025

RILEY

Sanjay C

Sanjay C’s Free Plugin Mixtape: The Only Download List You Need This Month

If your wallet’s emptier than a Monday night open mic, Sanjay C just dropped a video that’ll fill your DAW with more free sauce than a Chicago hot dog stand. This week, he’s rounding up the freshest, wildest, and straight-up unmissable free plugins—no coupon clipping required. From granular reverbs that’ll turn your snares into space clouds, to synth comebacks and holiday giveaways, Sanjay’s got the beatmaker’s back. If you’re trying to level up your sound without selling your sneakers, this one’s for you. Let’s dig into the best freebies that slap harder than my grandma’s wooden spoon.

Absynth 6, Pianoteq Syngular, Soul, Soundtoys (Holiday Freebies)

14. December 2025

RILEY

sunwarper

sunwarper Digs Up the PO-33: Old School Grit Still Hits Different

You know that feeling when you’re drowning in new gear hype but your wallet’s screaming for mercy? sunwarper gets it. In this video, our LA beat wizard ditches the shiny toys and dusts off the Teenage Engineering PO-33, proving that sometimes the oldest box in your drawer still slaps the hardest. With his signature blend of cinematic vibes and streetwise hacks, sunwarper flips samples, rides the groove, and shows why this pocket-sized sampler still earns its keep—even if it’s got a few quirks. If you’re hungry for inspiration and not just specs, this one’s for you.

Roland SP-404, Teenage Engineering PO-33

14. December 2025

SPARKY

The Midlife Synthesist

The Midlife Synthesist Unleashes a Portable Powerhouse: MPC Live 3 + Astrolab 37

Ever wondered if you could pack a stadium-sized sound into your rucksack? The Midlife Synthesist is back, pairing the MPC Live 3 with the Arturia Astrolab 37 for a cover of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ that’s equal parts heart and hardware. Expect slick workflow hacks, lush organ tones, and a few honest gripes about clackety keys and MIDI quirks. This isn’t your average polite gear demo – it’s a deep dive into portable production with a creator who knows his way around a groovebox and isn’t afraid to call out the rough edges. If you want to see a portable rig

Arturia AstroLab 37, HX Stomp XL, MPC Live 3

14. December 2025

SPARKY

Andrew Chapman Creative

Andrew Chapman Creative’s Studio Gear Gauntlet: No Hype, Just Hits (and Misses)

Andrew Chapman Creative is back in the bunker, torch in hand, ready to roast and toast the most hyped (and slept-on) studio gear in the game. Episode 7 of his Overrated vs Underrated series is a no-nonsense, brand-agnostic rampage through mics, preamps, compressors and more. Expect sharp takes, zero brand loyalty, and the kind of honest, hands-on opinions you only get from someone who’s actually battered these boxes in the wild. If you’re tired of sales talk and want the real dirt on what deserves a spot in your rack, this is your jam. Chapman’s style? Brutally direct, occasionally hilarious,

Focusrite Octopre, SE Electronics Voodoo VR2, Warm Audio WA-2A, Warm Audio WA-47

14. December 2025

SPARKY

Scott's Synth Stuff

Scott’s Synth Stuff Unleashes the MODX & Montage’s Secret Live Weapon

Scott’s Synth Stuff dives headfirst into the Yamaha MODX and Montage, unearthing a feature so criminally underused it’s practically synth folklore. Forget the usual presets—this hidden gem turns your stage rig into a rhythm-locked, drummer-synced machine. If you play live, wrangle unruly bandmates, or just want your synth to actually listen for once, this is the hack you didn’t know you needed. Scott’s signature straight-talking, tutorial-meets-rave-bunker style makes this a must-watch for anyone bored of playing to the same old click.

Yamaha MODX, Yamaha Montage

14. December 2025

MILES

Noise Engineering

Noise Engineering’s Granulita Versio: Chords, Grains and Shimmer in a Eurorack Box

Noise Engineering, the Los Angeles boutique known for their aggressive and inventive Eurorack modules, have unleashed Granulita Versio—a granular chord resynthesizer that promises to turn any mundane input into lush, cinematic textures. In their latest official video, the team walks through the module’s unique approach to chordal resynthesis, granular processing and a shimmering reverb that’s anything but subtle. As always with Noise Engineering, the focus is on hands-on control and immediate patchability, with a healthy dose of nerdy detail for those who like their sound design complex and their modulation options plentiful. Let’s see how Granulita Versio fits into the

Granulita Versio

13. December 2025

LUMINA

Blairy's Beatlab

Blairy’s Beatlab: The Sequential Take 5 and the Art of Haunting Atmospheres

Step into the fog-lit corridors of Blairy’s Beatlab, where sound is not just heard but felt—like a spectral hand brushing through analog mist. In this immersive session, Old Uncle Blairy conjures eerie pads and spectral textures from the Sequential Take 5, letting inspiration drift and mutate in real time. The video is a living demonstration of how analog synthesis can breathe haunted life into every note, with modulation and filters painting shadows across the sonic landscape. For those who savor the tactile, unpolished beauty of hardware sound design, this is a journey into the heart of atmospheric storytelling—one patch at

Sequential Take 5

13. December 2025

LUMINA

CROW HILL

CROW HILL’s Sonic Cartography: Mapping Orchestral Depths with Strings and Shadows

Step into the fog-draped soundscape of CROW HILL, where orchestral samples become more than digital ghosts—they become living, breathing entities under your fingertips. In this immersive deep dive, Christian Henson unspools the tangled threads of string programming, revealing secrets that shimmer between the cracks of tradition and technology. The video is a journey through the magnetic resonance of shorts and longs, velocity’s hidden valleys, and the creative chaos that only a computer can conjure. For those who see music as a landscape to wander, this is a rare glimpse into the art of sculpting orchestral emotion from zeros and ones.

Glass Strings, Pocket Orchestra

13. December 2025

SPARKY

True Cuckoo

True Cuckoo Unleashes Elektron’s Tonverk: Sampling Gets Savage

If you’ve ever wanted a sampler that doesn’t make you want to throw it out a window, True Cuckoo’s deep dive into the Elektron Tonverk might just be your new rave weapon. This isn’t your nan’s groovebox – it’s a beast with auto-sampling tricks, SD card brains, and enough connectivity to make your studio sweat. True Cuckoo, in his signature blend of nerdy enthusiasm and practical wizardry, rips through hardware, computers, and even mobile devices, showing just how filthy and flexible the Tonverk can get. If you think sampling is a chore, this video might change your mind – or

Elektron Tonverk, Synplant 2, Twisted Electrons Twist FM, Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ, Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios

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