Synthmagazine UK | Synth News, Gear & Sound Design

2. May 2026

Intellijel Multigrain 1.4: Firmware Tweaks, Choke Tricks and Modular Mayhem

Granular synthesis in Eurorack just got a fresh injection of cleverness with Intellijel’s Multigrain firmware 1.4. This official walkthrough from Intellijel dives into the latest sound options—choke and gate modes—plus a pair of new mod outputs and a flexible approach to grain size scaling. As ever, Intellijel’s presentation is practical and patch-focused, showing how these additions let you sculpt sharper textures, trigger other modules, and wrangle overlapping grains with precision. For modular heads who want their granular to be both experimental and controllable, this update is well worth a look.

Intellijel MultiGrain

2. May 2026

SPARKY

The Unperson

The Unperson Unleashes NINA’s Braids: Firmware That Turns a Synth into a Sonic Street Weapon

Melbourne Instruments just dropped a firmware bomb on the NINA, and The Unperson is here to show us why it matters. With 45 Mutable Instruments Braids engines now baked in, this synth just went from tasty to absolutely unhinged. If you thought NINA was just another hybrid, think again—this update turns it into a rave bunker in a box. Expect digital chaos, analog muscle, and a tour through presets that’ll make your DAW blush. The Unperson’s no-nonsense style slices through the hype, so you know exactly what slaps and what’s just firmware fluff.

Melbourne Instruments Nina, Mutable Instruments Braids

2. May 2026

TAS

Bthelick

Bthelick’s Microtonal Techno Mashup: Jeff Mills Meets Angine de Poitrine

Ever wondered what happens when you smash microtonal math rock riffs into a 90s techno blender? Bthelick, the chord-melody wizard of dance music, takes us on a wild ride through the outback of sound design, wrangling Angine de Poitrine’s microtonal madness into a Jeff Mills-inspired techno groove. This isn’t your average four-to-the-floor tutorial—think more kangaroo on a Red Bull bender than polite music theory lesson. If you’re keen on bending rules, breaking scales, and making your synths sing in ways they probably weren’t meant to, this one’s for you. Grab a cold one, mate, and let’s see how far down

909 Drum Machine, Ableton Live

2. May 2026

JET

AudioPilz

AudioPilz vs. Digitone Keys: Synth Joke or Secret Weapon?

AudioPilz is back at it, dragging the Elektron Digitone Keys into the Bad Gear ring for a proper roasting. This isn’t your average FM synth review—think more punk gig than polite product demo. With a design that looks like it’s been stitched together after a night out and specs that raise more eyebrows than excitement, Digitone Keys gets the full meme treatment. But is it all just a laugh, or does this Franken-synth have some real bite? If you like your gear weird, your jokes sharp, and your synths with a side of chaos, you’ll want to see what AudioPilz

Elektron Digitone Keys

2. May 2026

LUMINA

Tonepusher

Tonepusher Illuminates the Sonic Ghosts of Nine Inch Nails’ Moog Universe

Step into a world where basslines crawl like shadows and synths breathe with analog heat. In this immersive exploration, Tonepusher unravels the spectral Moog-style sounds that haunt Nine Inch Nails’ most iconic tracks. Each patch is a portal—inviting us to drift through industrial fog, dissecting the magnetic resonance that defined a generation of dark, electronic music. With poetic precision, Tonepusher guides us through the labyrinth of Trent Reznor’s sound design, revealing textures that shimmer, snarl, and dissolve into memory. For those who seek the soul of industrial synthesis, this journey is a must.

Adam A7V, Behringer Model D, E-mu Emax, Moog Minimoog, Moog Poly D, Oberheim Expander, Oberheim OB-Mx, Sequential Prophet VS

1. May 2026

MILES

chase bliss

Chase Bliss Big Time: Delay, Character, and Creative Control in One Box

Chase Bliss, known for their playful yet deeply technical approach to effects, present Big Time—a delay pedal that’s more than just repeats. In this official walkthrough, the team dives into the pedal’s multi-layered architecture, blending 80s rack-inspired digital delay with analog-style preamps, matrix mixing, and a host of modulation and sequencing tricks. The video walks through Big Time’s unique sound-shaping tools, from voltage-controlled mixing to bias-driven crunch, and explores how these features interact in a real-world signal chain. If you’re after a delay that morphs from pristine to broken and everything in between, this is a pedal worth a closer

Chase Bliss Big Time

1. May 2026

LYRA

HakenAudio

HakenAudio and WARBL: MPE Winds Meet the EaganMatrix Micro

In this deep-dive video, HakenAudio teams up with the WARBL Wind Controller to showcase a set of custom EaganMatrix presets, specifically crafted for this expressive MPE instrument. Ed Eagan, architect of the EaganMatrix, demonstrates how the WARBL’s multidimensional sensors and the compact Haken Micro sound engine can unlock a new level of nuanced performance. The video is a masterclass in digital instrument integration, revealing how firmware updates, preset design, and clever controller mapping can blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic sound worlds. For anyone curious about the architecture and workflow of modern hybrid rigs, this is a revealing look

EaganMatrix, Haken Micro, WARBL Wind Controller, Yamaha FC7

1. May 2026

SPARKY

Oscillator Sink

Oscillator Sink Unleashes the Mad Sound Factory Drop: Groovebox Mayhem for the Modular Masses

Oscillator Sink, the undisputed king of whispery synth deep-dives, takes a sledgehammer to the groovebox cliché with the Mad Sound Factory Drop. Forget polite drum machines – this thing spits out gabber kicks and noise like a rave bunker on fire. In his signature calm-but-obsessive style, Oscillator Sink patches, tweaks, and pushes the Drop to its limits, showing off its gnarly sound design, modular integration, and a sequencing approach that’s more chaos engine than polite stepper. If you think you know grooveboxes, think again – this one’s for the heads who like their beats raw, their noise unpredictable, and their

Korg SQ-1, Mad Sound Factory Drop

1. May 2026

LUMINA

Nu-Trix The Synth Guy

Nu-Trix The Synth Guy: Sculpting Sonic Mass with the Polyend FAT Engine

Step into the resonant fog of the Polyend Play+ as Nu-Trix The Synth Guy guides us through the FAT engine—a synth voice that swells with magnetic overtones and tactile simplicity. In this immersive walkthrough, we drift through the core parameters that shape the FAT engine’s character, discovering how a handful of controls can conjure nebula basses, spectral leads, and pads that shimmer like morning dew. Nu-Trix’s approach is both methodical and exploratory, inviting us to feel the weight and warmth of each sound. For those who crave hands-on sonic storytelling, this video is a portal into the emotional architecture of

Polyend Play+

30. April 2026

LYRA

Expressive E

Expressive E’s Osmose CE: A New Blueprint for Expressive MIDI Control

Expressive E returns with the Osmose CE, a MIDI controller that promises to bridge the gap between traditional keyboard familiarity and next-level expressive control. Built on the same gestural keybed as the original Osmose, this instrument is designed to fit seamlessly into modern hybrid workflows, offering per-note expression, deep DAW integration, and a companion software platform with over 900 MPE-ready sounds. In this official overview, Expressive E demonstrates how the Osmose CE can transform both MPE and classic MIDI setups, making nuanced, dynamic performance accessible without menu-diving or complex configuration. We take a closer look at the architecture, workflow, and

Ctrl-e, Osmose CE

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