Starsky Carr Unleashes the Retroaktiv PatchGen: Instant Bangers for Your MKS-70

Starsky Carr wastes no time showing how the Retroaktiv MPG7X controller completely changes the game for Roland MKS-70 owners. Instead of wrestling with cryptic menus, you get hands-on control and instant feedback—exactly what you want when you’re deep in the creative zone. The MPG7X isn’t just another MIDI box; it’s a proper interface that makes the MKS-70 feel like a modern synth, not a relic.

What’s even better? The workflow is so fast, Starsky claims it took him longer to name his patches than to actually make them. That’s the sort of time-saving magic we like to see. If you’re tired of vintage gear slowing you down, this combo is a breath of fresh, slightly dusty air.

Patch Gen isn’t just random—it’s clever. Hit the button and you’re rewarded with usable, sometimes shockingly good sounds: basses that punch, pads that float, and organs that sound like they’ve been dragged through a VHS tape. Starsky cycles through a bunch of fresh patches, and nearly all of them are instant keepers. This isn’t your average randomiser; it’s more like a synth chef who actually knows what tastes good.

You get categories for days—bass, pads, organs, and more—with each one spitting out tones that don’t sound like a broken toaster. Sure, you’ll get the odd weird one, but most patches are ready to drop straight into a track. The real kicker: Starsky admits he doesn’t even feel right selling these patches, because Patch Gen did most of the heavy lifting. That’s how good the results are.

Starsky gives us a rapid-fire walkthrough of how he built a 25-patch bank in less time than it takes to make a cuppa. He demos the categories—basses with snappy envelopes, pads with steam and air, organs with lo-fi grit—and shows how each one can be generated and auditioned in seconds. The process is so quick, you almost feel guilty. Almost.

He doesn’t bother curating or editing much; what you hear is what Patch Gen spits out. There’s a bit of chaos, but it’s the good kind. Even when a patch misses, you’re only one click away from something better. If you want to see the full madness, you’ll have to watch the video—words can’t do justice to the speed and variety on display.

Here’s where things get spicy. Patch Gen lets you lock parameters—say, you want DCO2 to always play a fifth, or keep a certain waveform locked in. Starsky shows how you can freeze those bits while letting everything else randomise, so you get consistency where you want it and chaos everywhere else. It’s like having a safety net in a synth trapeze act.

This feature is a godsend for anyone who’s ever stumbled on a killer sound but wished just one part would stay put. With a couple of clicks, you can generate endless variations on your favourite trick. It’s the sort of smart design that makes you wonder why every synth doesn’t do this.