When it comes to iconic instruments in music electronics, Roland’s VP-330 has to be at the forefront. Its design is aesthetically pleasing, its sound memorable and timeless. Although only in… Read More
All posts by Theo Bloderer
Swiss Synthesizer Meeting 2023 (Gran Rex / Locarno)
A grandiose synthesiser meeting took place in Autumn 2023. Location: Locarno, southern Switzerland, directly on Lake Maggiore and close to Italy. Strictly speaking, the Synthesiser Meeting Switzerland (STS) already has… Read More
Roland GAIA 2 – dynamic sounds and solid hardware
The GAIA 2 hit us unprepared. Recent Roland synthesizers were boringly stuck to their never-ending Jupiter and Juno heritage, the New Sound Engine hymns of praise made us rather smile… Read More
Crumar SPIRIT Reissue (Soundfiles & SoundSheet)
It’s been 40 years since a latecomer entered the stage of the mono synthesizer world. Of course 1983 was not the very best year to launch a “monophonic analog”! And… Read More
Crumar BIT ONE, BIT 99, BIT 01: Little gems of expressivity
These Crumars are not among the poly-analog synthesizers that have found a permanent place in the Valhalla of vintage instruments. They are unspectacular in appearance, their characteristic acoustic is rarely… Read More
GRP A1 – name it Dr. BASSSSSSSSssssssss
… or Dr. Elegiac-Solo-Voice, come to think of it. The magic words: sub-oscillator and triangle wave. Besides great basses and elegiac voices, the GRP A1 also brings FX sounds (moderately,… Read More
Waldorf Pulse 2 (2013 – 2023): time to say goodbye …
After 10 years of production, the time has come: The Waldorf Pulse 2 is discontinued. Launched as a reissue of the legendary Pulse from 1995, the handy desktop synth enjoyed… Read More
SYNTHFEST FRANCE (10 Years) – April 21st to 23nd 2023
The 10th edition of SynthFest France is just around the corner. Many instruments, many acts, many celebrities. Joachim Garraud, for example, will perform on Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at… Read More
Book Recommendation: PATCH & TWEAK with MOOG (by Kim Bjørn)
Another piece of synthesizer history, this time with a foreword by Hans Zimmer. “PATCH & TWEAK with MOOG” is a remarkable summary of historical as well as modern Moog instruments.… Read More
Roland Jupiter-6 – of harmonics, pads and polyrhythms
Roland Jupiter-6. Cult status? Nope! Sales success? So-so. Since its release in 1983, the Jupiter-6 has been traded as a niche product between the Juno-60 and the Jupiter-8. So …… Read More