Yamaha VL1 - "Still Unsurpassed"
Even though this synth is over 20 years old, I haven't found any hardware or software synths that can duplicate its quality of sound. From breath-takingly accurate reproductions of wind instruments t…
Crumar DS2 - "Adendums, corrections and my impressions"
First of all this is one of the machines I'd delved deeply into. I paid 100 because this one was a rust bucket :-). I paid 400 for another that was an easier repair and sold it for over 1000 as I r…
Roland SYSTEM-8 - "Roland's big sound in a 4-in-1 synth"
As a happy System 8 owner (I bought it soon after its release), here’s a first review after a few months using it. First, some specs : - 4-octave keyboard with normal-sized keys and a very good f…
Roland TB-03 - "Roland TB-3 vs TB-03 - Friend or Foe?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8iuIZb8lo Is the new Roland TB-03 from their Boutique range any different from the TB-3 from their AIRA range? Watch the video to see. An in-depth look at the …
Waldorf Pulse 2 - "Amazing versatility for the $$"
I wanted to extend my digital oriented keyboards (Yamaha MOTIF, TX81Z) with a truly analog synth. Some key reasons to go for Pulse 2: 3 oscillators; Synch; Paraphonic Pulse; Pulse modulation; Feedba…
Arturia MatrixBrute - "A monstrous sound that goes to the bottom of things"
Hi, I've been using the matrixbrute in my studio for the past 3 weeks. It's an exceptional gearn just as I expected. Look at it from far and this beast is impressive: knobs everywhere, many button…
Roland TB-03 - "Finally, a renewal"
For which kind of music and specific applications or uses (studio, shows...) have you chosen this synth? No introduction needed for Roland's TB synths, I use it for experimental, techno and other …
Mindflood Patchblocks - "Nice, tiny Swiss army knives - to assemble yourself"
Patchblocks are very tiny "multifunctional" modules. Actually, each patchblock (I own four, plus two midiblocks) features a minijack in and out, plus a 5-pin digital input (not MIDI – but I’ll get ba…
Audiothingies Micromonsta - "An astounding synth"
What I like about this piece of gear : - First, you feel how clever its conception is, with the sound quality (passion) and the concept of making a low-budget synth. When you play with it you’d ne…
Moog Music Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Minimoog Vo… - "A Thing of Beauty!"
What can I say? I'm a collector and when this came out, I just had to friggin get it! #26 0f 30. I love throwing it through effects and different distortions... then combining them with my 808 bass, …
Roland JU-06 - "Get the Juno-106 vintage spirit"
The JU-06 is an expander-format synth that adapts to a dedicated mini-keyboard. It is well-designed and built, with a metal-made upper casing and faders well into their rail that respond very well…
Roland JUNO-106 - "Classic 80s polysynth"
Just a classic polysynth that does what it says on the box. Beautifully easy synthesize makes it a great device for anyone, though it's more than capable of satisfying the pro. Great sounds all aroun…
Moog Music Werkstatt-Ø1: Moogfest 2014 Kit - "A cherry on the cake"
I use it in an amateur, recreative context. I like: - its punch, direct controls, modulation capacities, continuous signal VCA and mini-keyboard - really compact - the metal box (in this range mo…
Roland JD-XA - "Inspiring! Very good sounds, but some notable flaws in design & ergonomics."
Here’s my user review after a few weeks spent testing and using it. I hesitated between rating it 3 ½ or 4 stars, but still opted for 4. Unboxing: Once the synth out of its box and protective pa…
Yamaha AN200 - "A maintenance review of the Yamaha AN200"
A lot of great reviews with regard to functionality, however, now these are starting to age - I thought it was a good time to show how to repair one the most common problems - a failing data encoder!…
