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.

ALM Dual 12-bit Digital Wavetable Drum Voice, Batumi LFO, Erica Synths Black Hole DSP2, Erica Synths Sample Drum, Frap Tools Brenso, Mutable Instruments Plaits, MUX Slicer, Pamela's Workout

Frap Tools

Frap Tools: Interaction, Free Will, and Modular Awareness with Isabella Forciniti

In this episode from Frap Tools, Italian sound artist and researcher Isabella Forciniti takes centre stage, delving into the crossroads of digital networking, environmental data, and modular synthesis. Frap Tools, renowned for their design-forward Eurorack modules, host a conversation that moves from Isabella’s rural Italian roots to her explorations of interaction and improvisation in electronic music. The discussion is a deep dive into how boundaries, silence, and tactile engagement shape her approach to modular performance. Along the way, Isabella unpacks her patching philosophy, the role of silence and effects, and the ongoing importance of visibility for women and non-binary artists

3. May 2024

Arturia Augmented YANGTZE

Arturia’s Augmented YANGTZE: Morphing Acoustic Heritage with Digital Innovation

Arturia’s Augmented YANGTZE is not your average sample library or synth plugin—it’s a software instrument that fuses the evocative timbres of traditional Chinese instruments with the malleability of modern synthesis. In this official Arturia tutorial, Lena unpacks the instrument’s morphing architecture, showing how users can blend, modulate, and sculpt sound layers for evolving sonic landscapes. The focus is on workflow: from the advanced panel’s dual-layer setup to hands-on morph knob assignments and practical sound design using the haunting ‘Windy Day’ preset. If you’re curious about hybrid sound engines and dynamic modulation, this deep dive is for you.

3. May 2024

Arturia AstroLab: Streamlining Sonic Alchemy for Marina Herlop’s Avant-Folk Performance

Arturia’s AstroLab takes center stage in this artist feature, where Barcelona’s Marina Herlop explores the boundaries of experimental and neoclassical music. The video, produced by Arturia, dives into how AstroLab’s streamlined workflow and physical modeling technology empower Herlop’s unique blend of piano, vocals, and avant-garde electronics. With a focus on performance-ready features like playlist mode and deep sound manipulation, the piece offers a glimpse into the emotional and technical journey of a modern artist using cutting-edge digital instruments. If you’re curious about how digital architecture meets raw musical expression, this is a revealing look at AstroLab in the wild.

Arturia Astrolab

3. May 2024

Bastl Instruments

Bastl Instruments Neo Trinity: Taming Oscillators with Calibration Precision

Bastl Instruments, the Czech modular mavericks, take us through the essential process of calibrating their Neo Trinity module—a device designed to keep your oscillators in check and your pitches spot on. In this video, Bastl’s signature hands-on approach is on full display as they demystify the steps needed to ensure your rack sings in tune, octave after octave. Whether you’re wrangling unruly VCOs or just want to avoid the embarrassment of a wobbly C, this walkthrough is all about getting your modular system properly dialled in. Expect practical advice, a focus on workflow, and a reminder that even the most

Neo Trinity

1. May 2024

Arturia Augmented YANGTZE

Arturia Augmented YANGTZE: Hybrid Heritage Meets Digital Depth

Arturia’s Augmented YANGTZE is not your average sample library—this is a hybrid software instrument that fuses meticulously sampled Chinese instruments with a robust synthesis engine, all wrapped in a workflow-centric interface. In this official Arturia walkthrough, Lena demonstrates how the instrument’s morphing architecture, macro controls, and advanced layering system deliver evocative textures and performance-ready sounds for modern producers. We get a close look at the UI, modulation matrix, arpeggiator, and effects, revealing how tradition and technology intertwine for cinematic and contemporary music creation. If you’re curious about how digital sound design can respectfully channel centuries of musical heritage, this is

1. May 2024

Joranalogue Audio Design

Joranalogue Audio Design: Random Steps the Lab-Grade Way with STEP 8 & SELECT 2

Ever fancied a Eurorack sequence that’s mostly predictable, but with a dash of chaos in just the right spot? Joranalogue Audio Design, the Belgian masters of precision analogue, deliver a tutorial that walks through exactly that—using STEP 8, SELECT 2, and a bit of clever patching to randomise only specific steps in your sequence. The video, hosted by Simon, is a patcher’s delight, showing how to wrangle randomness without losing harmonic control. If you’re after new ways to spice up your modular grooves without descending into total anarchy, this one’s for you.

COMPARE 2, Contour 1, Delay 1, Filter 8, Fold 6, Generate 3, Mix 3, Orbit 3, SELECT 2, STEP 8

1. May 2024

Arturia Augmented YANGTZE

Arturia Augmented YANGTZE: Where Tradition Meets Synthesis in a Modern Trap Breakdown

Arturia’s Augmented YANGTZE isn’t just another sample library—it’s a software instrument that fuses the nuanced timbres of traditional Chinese instruments with the power and flexibility of modern synthesis. In this official track breakdown, Lena walks us through a Raven Bush production, dissecting how evocative presets, layered engines, and expressive patterns come together to form a contemporary trap arrangement. As is typical for Arturia’s presentation style, the focus is on workflow: how each layer, from airy melodies to rhythmic plucks, is constructed using a blend of acoustic samples and digital engines. This video is a deep dive into the architecture and

1. May 2024

ALM Dual 12-bit Digital Wavetable Drum Voice, Batumi LFO, Erica Synths Blackhole DSP 2, Erica Synths Sample Drum, Frap Tools Brenso, Frap Tools Falistri, Frap Tools Kunsa, Mutable Instruments Plaits, MUX Slicer, Pamela's Workout

Frap Tools

Frap Tools: Tactile Dialogues and Modular Free Will – An Interview with Isabella Forciniti

In this deep-dive episode from Frap Tools, Italian sound artist Isabella Forciniti takes centre stage, exploring the fertile intersection of modular synthesis, environmental data, and interactive performance. Known for her hybrid setups and a penchant for tactile control, Isabella discusses her artistic journey from southern Italy to Vienna’s experimental scene, her patching philosophy, and the societal themes woven through her work. The conversation, true to Frap Tools’ detailed and design-driven style, offers a rare glimpse into the mindset of a performer who treats limitations as creative fuel and views modular synths as instruments for both sonic and social exploration. If

27. April 2024