Matt Johnson’s Keyspace vs. The DSI Tempest: Analog Mayhem or Menu Madness?

Matt Johnson’s Keyspace doesn’t waste time with pleasantries – straight into the ring with the DSI Tempest, a machine that fuses analog and digital synthesis like a rave in a scrapyard. Two analog oscillators, two digital, and a filter setup that’ll make your modular jealous. You get saws, triangles, pulses, and a sub, all ready to be mangled.

The digital side throws in a heap of drum and keyboard samples, but don’t expect hi-fi luxury – these are gritty, low-memory sounds that ooze character. Sure, you can’t load your own samples (boo), but the blend of analog warmth and digital filth means you’re never short of weirdness. It’s a playground for anyone who likes their beats a bit mutant.

Here’s where the Tempest shows its teeth. The sample quality? Let’s just say it’s more street food than fine dining – lo-fi, crusty, and unapologetically raw. Push those digital oscillators high and you’ll get artifacts that could start a toaster-fight. But that’s part of the charm, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Usability? Well, hope you like menus. There’s depth, but you’ll be clicking and scrolling more than you’d like. Modulation options are solid – two LFOs, four envelopes, a mod matrix – but getting there is a bit of a faff. The Tempest rewards patience and punishes the lazy. If you want instant gratification, look elsewhere.

Throughout the video, Matt drops a barrage of sound demos – from warm analog grooves to glitchy, experimental textures. The Tempest shines brightest when pushed into weird territory: tiny clicks, distorted rolls, and hybrid tones that you won’t get from your average drum box. Honestly, words don’t do it justice – you’ll want to hear the madness for yourself.