Synthmagazine UK | Synth News, Gear & Sound Design

18. June 2026

Pick Yourself’s Drum Hack: How MDD Snake Makes Your Beats Bite Back

Tired of drums that sound like they’re stuck in traffic? Pick Yourself rolls through with a Max for Live trick that’ll have your beats ducking, weaving, and grooving like they just heard payday is early. In this video, the creator drops the traditional MIDI grind and hands you the secret sauce: MDD Snake—a freebie that turns robotic patterns into straight-up street food for your ears. Get ready for a wild ride through custom mappings, velocity madness, and enough groove to break your gridlines. If you’re after that pro feel without the PhD, this video’s got the goods.

Ableton Live, MDD Snake

17. June 2026

SPARKY

Vulture Culture

Vulture Culture vs. the GForce Prophet-5: Vintage Synth, Modern Mayhem

GForce Software have just lobbed the official Prophet-5 plugin into the synth battlefield, and Vulture Culture is here to see if this digital beast can really wear the Prophet crown. We’re talking authentic analog attitude, feature upgrades that would make a hardware snob blush, and a pile of custom patches that drip with grit and cinematic drama. Vulture Culture’s signature style cuts through the fluff—no nostalgia goggles, just sharp ears and sharper opinions. If you want to know whether this plugin slaps or sags, buckle up. Spoiler: this isn’t your dad’s polysynth—and you’ll want to hear it roar.

GForce Prophet-5, Sequential Prophet-5 plugin

17. June 2026

SPARKY

Starsky Carr

Starsky Carr’s Prophet 5 Showdown: The GForce VST Throws Down with Hardware

When Starsky Carr puts the GForce Prophet 5 VST up against his own Sequential hardware, it’s not just another plugin demo—it’s a full-on rave bunker lab test. He slices through vintage mode, filter revisions, and oscillator shapes like a DJ with a grudge. This isn’t your usual “is it analog enough?” hand-wringing. Starsky’s clinical, brutal, and just cheeky enough to call out subtle quirks and proper wins. If you think all Prophet 5 emulations are the same, you’re about to get schooled. Grab your headphones, mind your CPU meter, and prepare for a synth face-off that’s as nerdy as it

GForce Prophet-5, Sequential Prophet-5

17. June 2026

SPARKY

Espen Kraft

Espen Kraft vs The DAW: How the Yamaha QX3 Becomes a Sonic Street Weapon

Feeling like your DAW is just a glorified template factory? Espen Kraft takes the Yamaha QX3—an absolute 80s tank of a sequencer—and uses it to smash right through creative blockades. Forget endless plugin tweaks and let’s get back to banging out tunes the old-school way: melody first, polish later. This isn’t just gear nostalgia—it’s about breaking out of the rut and getting some actual music down. Espen’s style? Fast, practical, a bit nostalgic and loaded with those glorious ‘happy accidents’ you’ll never find in a menu. If your workflow needs a kick in the teeth, this one’s for you.

Kawai K3, KORG DSS-1, Roland D-550, Yamaha QX3, Yamaha TX802

17. June 2026

RILEY

Captain Pikant

Captain Pikant Breaks Down Gorillaz’s Drum Magic – No Ivy League Needed

If you ever thought Gorillaz’s Demon Days was just another alternative record, think again. Captain Pikant dives deep into the album’s wild drum patterns, serving up a streetwise breakdown that’s as tasty as a late-night taco run. He doesn’t just geek out over rare drum machines—he rebuilds the beats from scratch, layering rhythms like a true beat chef. Expect sharp grooves, clever production hacks, and enough quirky sound design to make your MPC blush. You want to know why Demon Days still slaps after all these years? Captain Pikant’s got the sauce. Just don’t expect a dry lecture—this one grooves

acidlab Bassline 3, Akai MPK249, Arturia Keystep, Arturia Rev Spring-636, Beatbunny Cabasa, Dübreq Stylophone 350S, Erica Synths Bassline DB-01, ESI Xkey 37, Fender AM Pro II Jazzmaster Miami Blue, Gamechanger Audio Plasma Pedal, iZotope Ozone Imager 2, Marcus Miller V7 Alder-4 LH AWH 2nd Gen Bass, Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol M32, Neural DSP Archetype Cory Wong X, Nino Nino 597 Botany Shaker Banana, ROLI Seaboard Rise 2, Squarp Hapax, Valhalla FutureVerb, XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2

17. June 2026

SPARKY

Andertons Synths, Keys and Tech

Andertons Synths, Keys and Tech Unleash the Arturia Keystep 37 MKII: It’s More Than MIDI, Mate

The crew at Andertons Synths, Keys and Tech have locked Tom Lewis from Arturia in a room with Jack Duxbury for a hands-on thrash with the Keystep 37 MKII. This isn’t just another MIDI plank – it’s a control hub tricked out with macro magic, CV sorcery, and enough tweakability to power a bunker party. If you thought you knew the Keystep line, think again: this one’s got more keys, more knobs, and a bag of modulation stunts. And trust me, it’s not just for the preset pushers; this slab wants to take over your synth cave. Read on for

Arturia KeyStep 37 MkII, Arturia Microbrute, Arturia Pigments 7

16. June 2026

SPARKY

Starsky Carr

Starsky Carr Unleashes the ASM Leviasynth: Rave Bunker in a Box

If you thought the Hydrasynth was wild, the ASM Leviasynth is an absolute sonic street weapon. Starsky Carr, the king of deep dives, drags this beast out of the lab and into the spotlight, showing off why it’s already scaring other synths into submission. We’re talking 16 voices, 8 oscillators per voice, and a filter that oozes character. Forget preset surfing – this is hands-on, patch-from-scratch territory, with FM, wavetables, and classic analogue warmth all under your fingertips. If your studio needs a new centrepiece (or you just want to watch a synth pro do things you’ll never dare), this

ASM Leviasynth

16. June 2026

RILEY

TAETRO

TAETRO vs. UVI Rumble: When a Bass Plugin Turns a Lofi Cat Into a Dubstep Animal

Ever seen a lofi beatmaker try to throw down in the dubstep ring? TAETRO’s latest video is a wild detour from chilled-out grooves into face-melting basslines, all thanks to UVI’s new Rumble plugin. This isn’t just another plugin demo—it’s a Chicago street food remix of genres, where the sub hits heavy and the genre rules get tossed out like yesterday’s pizza box. TAETRO’s style is friendly, hyper-practical, and just a little self-deprecating, making this journey into bass music both hilarious and surprisingly educational. If you dig gear that inspires you to flip your workflow, this one’s for you.

Novation Launchkey Mini, UVI Rumble

16. June 2026

SPARKY

Meska

Meska’s Resonant FB Firmware Update: Clock Mods That Actually Matter

Meska storms back less than a fortnight after his last outing on the Resonant Filter Blank, thanks to a firmware update that drops harder than a rave at 3am. Forget tepid bug fixes—this update delivers real fire, especially if you live in clock mod territory. Morphing, new modulation directions, and preset saves all land with a punch, and Meska wastes no time putting them to the test in his signature dark techno style. If you think firmware updates are usually snooze material, think again—this one’s got teeth, and Meska’s demo is proof.

Erica Synths Resonant Filter Blank

16. June 2026

SPARKY

DivKid

DivKid Throws Down with Random8: Three Patches, Infinite Chaos

DivKid’s back in the bunker, and this time he’s got his twitchy mitts on the new Random8 from Mylar Melodies and Befaco. If you think random voltages are just for the spaced-out modular heads, think again. Across three patches, DivKid shows how Random8 turns polite synth lines into untamed street weapons—whether you want subtle movement, glitched-out techno, or full-on ambient weirdness. It’s a hands-on, no-fluff tour with plenty of button mashing, patch cable tangles, and a healthy disrespect for predictable sequences. Miss this episode and you’ll never know how good random can sound when it’s locked, looped, or let off

Befaco Random8, Cosmic Debris, Mutable Instruments Tides, Mylar Melodies Random8

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