Superbooth 2017. What Schneider’s Laden started as an experiment in 2016 is already a fixed entity in the synth universe. Although nuts and screws seem to dominate, some exhibitors were more keyed to the main stream of the music business (such as Yamaha, Roland, Korg, Akai, etc.). First the big surprise: Superbooth has moved! Although it’s premiere in the Funkhaus Berlin last year was marked by a great atmosphere, those huge crowds in the aisles just got in each others way. They needed something roomier.
Which is why the new location at the FEZ (leisure- and recreation-centre in Berlin) is the much better place for Superbooth.
Part 1 of our report concentrates on real synthesizers (plus drum machines) and, of course, on the software synth producers.
Let’s start with the smallest synth, the Pi L Squared. A little plastic cube with a very charming sound architecture.
The good old Yamaha DX-1 served as masterkeyboard for this little dwarf.
Here we have the Pocket Operator from Teenage Engineering.
Catch these jute-bags and you’re on your way to Ableton.
Magic hands: we can do Theremin without Theremin …
Off we go to Waldorf …
These Akai workstations MPC-Live and MPC-X wil be available soon.
On the next floor the world premiere of the new Jomox drumcomputer: the Alpha-Base. A drumcomputer with extras.
Ken MacBeth and Mr. Superbooth, Andreas Schneider …
… on a visit to Jürgen Michaelis at the Jomox booth.
Again and again, old acquaintances, such as Roland JX-3P and Juno 6 at the Doepfer booth (more about this in part 2).
Nothing new under the sun at Korg, whose motto seems to be: “Just being there has to be enough!”
Next we meet GRP and Paolo Groppioni.
Paolo in front of the GRP A4 and GRP A2 …
I was really looking forward to the Behringer synth. The dim lighting took a little getting used to.
It was a little disappointing that the Model D we have been all waiting for (the Behrinhger Minimoog clone) wasn’t there, it apparently didn’t make it through the customs. So much for bureaucracy …
Digitana showed their AKS/VCS3-interfaces and their new SX-1 synth …
Two luxury synths: the showcase Andromeda from Amazona …
… and the Hartmann 20.
Elektron booth with the tried-and-true instruments: Octatrack, Rytm, Analog Four, Analog Heat and the new Digitakt.
We finally ended up at Novation and their Bass Station II …
… and their new PEAK synth. Novation’s answer to the Acid Boom is the Circuit Mono Station.
Let’s stay in Great Britain. Modal-Electronics’ low cost Do-it-yourself Craft Synth …
… and its famous grown-up synth relatives.
We passed by u-he …
… on the way to Yamaha.
MFB (famous for their Dominion-X/X SED and Dominion 1 synths) presented a new 2-VCO synth (with sequencer and arpeggiator) …
Animal Factory Amplification, something unique from India, was in the guitar pedal business up to now. Here their first analog synthesizer.
Last but not least: another Roland TB-303 clone by Paul Barker and his Din Sync company (generally known for its modules).
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