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.

28. December 2025

Free Beat’s KOII Loop Mode: Not Your Nan’s Looper

Free Beat’s back in the bunker, this time wrangling the Teenage Engineering KOII’s looping feature—and it’s not the live looper you’re expecting. Instead of the usual pedalboard shenanigans, KOII lets you slice, dice, and remix your patterns in real time, turning a simple groove into a rave-ready monster. Punch-in effects? Still on tap, still wild. If you think you know what looping means, think again—this is a street weapon for the hands-on performer. Dive in for a taste of KOII’s chaos, and maybe keep your old looper on standby for nostalgia’s sake.

Teenage Engineering KOII

28. December 2025

SPARKY

Sweetwater

Sweetwater’s Studio Survival Guide: Colt Capperrune’s No-Nonsense Home Recording Wisdom

If you think a killer studio career starts with racks of shiny gear, think again. Sweetwater brings in Colt Capperrune, a Nashville mix wizard with Billboard Top 40 creds, to drop some hard truths and a few gear bombs. Forget the myth of magic plugins—this is about relationships, room treatment, and a handful of street-tough tools that actually make a difference. Colt’s advice cuts through the fluff, and if you want to know what really matters before you blow your next paycheque, this is the video (and article) for you. Grab a brew, skip the sales pitch, and get ready

Focal Solo 6, Focal Trio 11BE, Lauten Audio Atlantis, Manley Reference Cardioid, Neumann KH120, Oratone 5C, Presonus Eris Pro, Serpent SB4001, SPL PQ, SSL Bus+ (SSL Bus Plus), Tube-Tech LCA-2B, Vintech 273

28. December 2025

TAS

Rapid Flow

Rapid Flow’s Groove Sorcery: Off-Grid EDM That’ll Make Your DAW Sweat

Ever felt your tracks are as stiff as a possum on a cold morning? Rapid Flow’s Erik is here to shake things up like a dust storm at a bush doof. In this wild ride, he spills the beans on how a decade of groove obsession led him to ditch the grid and inject real human swing into EDM. From micro-timing wizardry to the E-RM Multiclock’s rotary magic, Erik’s approach is more about feel than numbers—just the way we like it. If you’re keen to make your beats bounce with life, this one’s a must-watch. Grab your headphones and get

Ableton Live 12, E-RM Multiclock, Waves InPhase LT, Zensphere VSTi

27. December 2025

SPARKY

Molten Music Technology

Molten Music Technology’s Modular Mayhem: December 2025’s Sonic Street Weapons

Molten Music Technology, helmed by the ever-candid Robin Vincent, wraps up 2025 with a modular round-up that’s anything but polite. If you’re after a polite, spreadsheet-driven synth review, jog on. This is a rave bunker of the year’s filthiest modules, wildest synths, and a few curveballs that’ll have your patch cables in a twist. Robin’s got opinions, he’s got regrets, and he’s got a burning desire to bin the menu-diving and get back to basics. Expect sharp takes, a few rants, and enough gear lust to make your wallet cry. Dive in for the highlights, but trust me, you’ll want

Arcane Caress of Stars, Fancy Synthesis K-Accumulator, Knobula Monumatic, Mzourek Diktaak, Native Instruments Absynth 6, Strymon SuperKar+, TinRS Bopp & Steve

27. December 2025

JET

AudioPilz

AudioPilz vs. Behringer Neutron: A Red Rocket Rumble

AudioPilz is back in the Bad Gear ring, this time squaring up to the infamous Behringer Neutron—a synth that’s as controversial as a dodgy kebab after a night out. With his trademark wit and meme-fuelled savagery, AudioPilz tears into the Neutron’s quirks, colours, and questionable choices, but also gives credit where it’s due. If you’ve ever wondered whether this red box is a punk hero or just another synth scene villain, strap in. This review pulls no punches and leaves no patch cable untangled.

Behringer Neutron

27. December 2025

JET

Tonepusher

Tonepusher Unleashes the AKAI XR10: The Drum Machine That Refuses to Die

If you think you’ve heard every industrial drum machine worth its salt, think again. Tonepusher drags the AKAI XR10 out of the bargain bin and straight into the mosh pit, showing us why this forgotten box of PCM grit deserves a second (or first) chance. Expect crunchy samples, a whiff of EBM nostalgia, and a healthy disrespect for workflow snobs. This isn’t about pristine menus or ergonomic bliss—it’s about raw, punchy sounds that’ll make your speakers sweat. If you’re after the spirit of Ministry or KMFDM without remortgaging your flat, this one’s for you.

AKAI XR10, Polyend Tracker Plus

26. December 2025

LUMINA

CROW HILL

A Sonic Pilgrimage: Inside BT’s Cave with CROW HILL

Step through the threshold of the BT Cave, where every synth hums with memory and every knob is a tactile echo of the past. In this immersive studio tour, CROW HILL guides us through the labyrinth of BT’s creative sanctuary—a place where relics of analog glory and digital dreams coexist in magnetic resonance. Here, instruments are not just tools but living chapters in a lifelong sonic narrative. Prepare to drift between nebula drones and tactile ghosts, as BT reveals how each machine shapes not only sound, but the very soul of music-making.

Behringer Prophet 600 clone, Chroma Polaris, Clark Technic reverb, IBM 5150, Jupiter-6, Jupiter-8, Kawai K3, Kiwi 106, Korg 707, Kurzweil K250 XP, Lexicon 200, Lexicon 224, Mini Doc, Moog Minimoog Model D, Oberheim Matrix 12, Polivoks, Roland AC-30, Roland D-5, Roland D-50, Roland DX5, Roland DX7, Roland JP-8000, Roland Juno-106, Roland Juno-60, Roland JX-3P, Roland JX-8P, Roland MKS-50, Sequential Pro-One, Sequential Prophet 600, Sequential Prophet T8, Voyetra Sequencer Plus Gold, Waldorf Quantum, Yamaha CS-80

25. December 2025

SPARKY

The Midlife Synthesist

The Midlife Synthesist Unleashes the Oxi E16: MIDI Mayhem for the Masses

The Midlife Synthesist is back in the bunker, this time with Oxi Instruments’ E16—a MIDI controller that’s here to slap your DAW and hardware rig into submission. Forget plastic toys and overpriced knob farms: the E16 lands right in the sweet spot between budget and bloat, promising hands-on control without the faff. The Midlife Synthesist’s signature blend of sharp wit and practical insight slices through the hype, giving us a no-nonsense look at a controller that’s all about performance, customisation, and road-ready build. If you’re after a controller that actually keeps up with your live jams, this one’s worth a

Oxi Instruments E16

24. December 2025

SPARKY

Free Beat

Free Beat’s 2025 Gear of the Year: Woovebox and Polyend Mess Go Head-to-Head

It’s that time again: Free Beat’s annual Gear of the Year throwdown, and this year, things get messy—in the best way. Our favourite groovebox enthusiast can’t pick just one, so we get a double dose of hardware hype. From firmware-fuelled transformations to sequencer-fuelled chaos, Free Beat spotlights two machines that turned his studio upside down in 2025. If you want to know which boxes are worth your sweat and which updates actually matter, this is the video (and article) for you. Get ready for a no-nonsense, hands-on rundown with plenty of sonic mayhem.

Polyend MESS, Woovebox, Woovebox Pro

24. December 2025

LUMINA

Signal Sounds

Signal Sounds: One Year Inside the Cric’s Sonic Labyrinth

Signal Sounds invites us to drift through the afterglow of a year spent with the Future Sound Systems Cric—a synthesizer that doesn’t just make sound, but sculpts entire weather systems of tone. Guided by Michael Manning’s reflective touch, this video is less a product demo and more an ambient travelogue through the Cric’s patchable wilderness. Here, the Cric is revealed as both instrument and muse, a matrix of possibility where every connection births new sonic ghosts. For those who see synthesis as storytelling, this is a journey not to be missed.

Future Sound Systems Cric, Make Noise Rene, Moog Matriarch, Music Thing Modular Workshop

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