Synth Geekery 286

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In episode 286 we talked about synths, eurorack, sequencers, drum machines, samplers, effects and software! Plus all the usual segments! Funny Side, News from the Geekery, Price Watch, Name that Synth …

Show contents:

About the Synth Geekery Show

Synth Geekery is a weekly podcast/live stream (YouTube) show about everything synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, sequencers, eurorack and music technology. We take the “one of the masses” viewpoint, where we are also users of gear just like you (read: we’re not influenced by commercial product placement).

The show relies on the generous contributions of the synth community. You can contribute in many ways including supporting us via our YouTube Channel Membership or Patreon. We also have regular and special video guests: if you would like to take part in future shows – please contact me via email on the about page here.

Your Host

Ranzee (Ranz Adamson) is your show host. He’s based in Perth, Western Australia and has been a hobbyist musician and technologist for most of his life. More information can be found about him here.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ranzee

BandCamp: https://ranzee.bandcamp.com

Guests

This week’s video guests are:

Daren T. Housse

Bandcamp Link: https://darenthousse.bandcamp.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLPHxpZgFKKE1wkG9ndto3A

Daren resides in the UK and is one of the first video guests on the show since 2019. He has a large amount of tracks on his youtube channel plus a great album collection over on BandCamp.

SynthAddict

Andy is a musician and technologist from the bay area in California. He has an amazing collection of music tech gadgets and a large knowledge of synthesizers.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUtABvP7q29uvLKi73zIjFQ

Ian J. Cole

Ian is a musician, composer, sound designer and producer currently producing solo ambient electronic music. He also runs Sinners Music which is a Record Company and Online Music Retailer in East Yorkshire, England

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IanJCole

Chris – Maikshifter

Chris is a musician and technologist from Perth, Western Australia. He’s always had a love for creating and tinkering with music electronics and has recently embarked on a new journey creating eurorack modules.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Maikshifter

Video replay

Funny Side

The funny side segment is a collection of memes that are somewhat relevant to the synth geekery community. Some of these images are taken from Facebook, Instagram and other social media sources. Please respect the creators. Hope you enjoy this week’s selection:

News

Synthernet micro HYP3

The micro HYP3 core engine is a bass synthesizer developed by Synthernet in Japan. It is modelled after the TB-303 and uses design concepts from other product offerings. The micro HYP3 runs on an overclocked STM32F411 ARM Cortex-M4 at 120MHz.

It’s a compact sized hardware device with a familiar layout. The oscillators (VCO) offers knob controls for tune and waveform (saw/square). The filter (VCF) offers knob controls for cutoff, resonance and envelope mod. There’s an envelope generator (EG) which offers a knob control for decay. The VCA offers a knob control for accent level. There’s an FX section with 2 assignable control knobs which seem to be for distortion control. There’s also a main volume knob. At the back there’s a USB connection which is assumed provides power and an audio out via what looks to be a 3.5mm jack.

The section below the knobs contains the sequencer and transport controls with push buttons and indicator LEDs. There seems to be quite a lot of functionality in there, so we await the full details in anticipation!

There’s also been a few different versions of this shown on the @Synthernet and @tekitounix Twitter accounts. The following looks a lot larger:

Price: TBA – although there’s a hint it will be around the ¥35,000 (Japanese Yen) // $320 USD mark.

Link: https://www.synther.net/

Seiki Kato

Today we tribute Seiki Kato from Korg – who sadly passed away recently.

Seiki Kato, born on March 28, 1957, in Tokyo, was the eldest son of Tsutomu Kato, the founder of Korg Inc. After graduating from Tokai University’s Department of Marine Science and Aquaculture, he joined Keio Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. (now Korg Inc.) in 1980.

Early in his career, Kato worked in domestic sales, handling Korg products. By 1985, he became Head of Product Planning, playing a pivotal role in the development of innovative instruments such as the M1, a groundbreaking music workstation.

In 1988, Kato moved to KORG USA Inc., and in October 1989, he was appointed President of KORG USA, where he played a key role in expanding Korg’s presence in the U.S. market. In 1995, he became Executive Vice President of Korg Inc., and in October 2003, he assumed the position of President and CEO.

Kato passed away peacefully at 8:00 PM on February 21, 2025, at the age of 67, following an illness. He is survived by his family, including his daughter.

Link: https://www.korg.com/us/news/2025/0228/

Cutlasses Instruments Gloop

Gloop is a 16HP Eurorack performance looper module developed by Cutlasses Instruments. It allows for real-time looping with four simultaneous playheads, each capable of independent control over loop position, speed/pitch, direction, and volume. Users can define sub-loops within the main loop, facilitating complex layered textures and granular-style loops. The module also features a grid mode that slices loops into regions, quantizing positions and sizes to grids of 4, 8, or 16 regions, enhancing rhythmic looping capabilities.

Key Features:

  • Four independent playheads with individual control over position, speed/pitch, direction, and volume.
  • Sub-looping capabilities within the main loop for intricate layering.
  • Grid mode for slicing loops into quantized regions of 4, 8, or 16 segments.
  • Built-in effects including delay, reverb, bit-crush, tape saturation, and degrader.
  • Four assignable CV inputs for modulating playhead parameters.
  • Dual mono outputs with flexible playhead routing for creative effects processing or stereo control.
  • Width: 16 HP
  • Depth: 25mm (inc. power cable)
  • Current draw – +12V 165mA, -12V 35mA Max
  • CV inputs – -5V to 5V (larger signals will be clamped)
  • Trigger input – >3V required to trigger
  • Audio: 48Khz 24-bit digital audio, 2 minute maximum loop length

Price: £325 fully assembled or £185 KIT (thru Thonk)

Link: https://www.cutlasses.co.uk/product/gloop/

Ellitone NotePad

The Ellitone NotePad is a compact MIDI controller keyboard featuring record and loop functionalities. As the second entry in the fn_block series of modular musical devices, it offers a user-friendly interface suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians. Its design ensures compatibility with a wide range of external gear and digital audio workstations (DAWs).

Features

  • TRS MIDI Output: Ensures seamless connectivity with various MIDI-compatible devices.
  • 12 Touch-Activated Note Keys: Allows for expressive playability and dynamic performance.
  • 12 Selectable Musical Scales: Provides versatility in musical expression across different genres.
  • 5-Octave Range: Offers a broad spectrum of notes for comprehensive musical compositions.
  • Transpose Function: Enables shifting of the entire keyboard to any root note, facilitating easy key changes.
  • MIDI Channel Selection: Allows selection of output MIDI channels from 1 to 12 for flexible routing.
  • Record and Loop Functionality: Supports recording and looping of musical phrases up to 50 notes in length, enhancing creative possibilities.
  • USB-C Powered: Ensures easy and reliable power connectivity.
  • Fully Assembled: Ready to use straight out of the box, eliminating the need for assembly.

Release Date: 27th February 2025

Price: $65 USD

Link: https://ellitone.com/products/notepad-midi-controller-with-record-and-loop-function-fn_block-02

Bradshaw Drumkid

Drumkid is essentially a standard drum machine but with the ability to add (or subtract) hits from a rhythm using probability. Imagine starting with a basic drum beat, then flipping a coin on each beat to decide whether to add an extra snare hit. Drumkid does this, but with fine control over, for instance, how often to flip the coin, which channels the coin flip will apply to, how likely the coin flip is to result in “heads”, etc. In practice, this gives you several knobs (and CV input signals) which can affect the flow of randomness in a way that feels intuitive and musical, producing a sort of hybrid between programmed and live drums. It’s also possible to push Drumkid outside the realm of human-playable rhythms and into weirder, glitchier beats that operate at high frequencies, creating oscillator-like sounds.

Features/specs

  • Current draw: 55mA +12V, 20mA -12V
  • 2 x audio outputs (CD-quality, 44.1kHz, 16-bit)
  • 4 x trigger outputs
  • 4 x CV inputs
  • Clock input/output (adjustable)
  • 12 x parameter knobs
  • SD card slot for loading samples
  • Tap tempo
  • Live edit and step edit
  • Tuplet modes (triplet, quintuplet, septuplet)
  • 4-digit LED display
  • Open source design with editable firmware
  • 24HP, 55mm deep

Video:

Release Date: March 2025

Price: £250

Link: https://bradshawinstruments.myshopify.com/products/drumkid-eurorack-module

Error Instruments Data Synth Mk2

The Data Synth Mk2 by Error Instruments is a digital synthesizer inspired by game sounds and circuit bending techniques. It offers 70 algorithms for creating a wide range of noisy, crunchy, and lo-fi digital sounds. Designed for experimental musicians, it can function as both a Eurorack module and a standalone tabletop device, powered via mini USB (5V). The Mk2 features a redesigned polished aluminum back panel, enhancing its solid build quality.

Release date: March 2025

Price: ~$115 USD (135€)

Link: Error Instruments Data Synth Mk2 Product Page

Price Watch

Find below images and links to the items we showed for the price watch segment.

Elka Wilgamathttps://tidd.ly/43qCYda
ARP Odyssey Mk1 Whitehttps://tidd.ly/41Iik6L
Elka Synthexhttps://tidd.ly/41Jxb0U
Moog Cordovox CDX-0652https://tidd.ly/3F6TzbD

Name That Synth

No name that synth this week – send one in!

If you are after more information about Name that Synth – please check out this page here.

Saturday Sonority

This week’s Saturday Sonority we might talking about …..