synthmagazine.co.uk – Every day, synthmagazine.co.uk publishes fresh articles, artist stories and gear news from the world of electronic music – your independent magazine for synth culture and sound design.

30. January 2026

Vulture Culture Gets Hands-On: Yamaha URX44 – Touchscreens, Tank Build, and Studio Mayhem

Choosing an audio interface shouldn’t feel like picking a toaster in a blackout, but here we are. Vulture Culture dives headfirst into the Yamaha URX44—a touchscreen beast with the build of a rave bunker and the brains to match. Forget plastic tat: this thing’s metal, heavy, and unapologetically pro. If you’re after instant workflow, deep DSP, and enough I/O to run a small synth cult, this review is your backstage pass. Vulture Culture’s no-nonsense style slices through the hype, so expect sharp takes, real-world tests, and a few jabs at fiddly menus. Ready for a street weapon in interface form?

Korg Mono/Poly, Yamaha URX44

30. January 2026

SPARKY

DivKid

DivKid Unleashes Opalina: A Stereo Filter Network That Slaps

DivKid’s back in the rave bunker, this time with Hieroglyphic’s Opalina – a stereo triple filter network that’s part spectral playground, part modular street weapon. Forget polite EQs: this beast slices, dices, and pings your audio into multiband mayhem, with a resonator mode that’ll have your oscillators begging for mercy. In classic DivKid style, we get three punchy patches, a heap of practical tricks, and enough modulation to make your patch cables sweat. If you want to see a filter network do things most mixers only dream of, keep reading – but trust me, the real magic’s in the video

Hieroglyphic Opalina, OpEx Expander

30. January 2026

SPARKY

The Midlife Synthesist

The Midlife Synthesist Unleashes the Launch Control XL3: MIDI Mayhem on a Budget

The Midlife Synthesist is back, and this time he’s got his hands on the Novation Launch Control XL3—freshly updated and ready to throw down in your hardware or DAW setup. Forget the endless menu-diving and USB-only headaches of the past; this box now packs dual 5-pin MIDI outs and a firmware update that actually matters. Expect sharp takes, quick demos, and a wishlist for the next round of upgrades. If you want to see a MIDI controller get put through its paces by someone who actually knows their way around a groovebox, this is the one to watch. Spoiler: it’s

Novation Launch Control XL3

30. January 2026

TAS

Free Beat

Free Beat Unleashes KOII’s Live Sampling: A Kangaroo in the Sequencer Pit

Ever wondered if your sampler could keep up with your wildest live antics? Free Beat’s latest KOII trick is as wild as a kangaroo on a Red Bull bender—sampling on the fly while the sequencer’s still running! This isn’t just another gear demo; it’s a full-blown jam session with the KOII and Korg Volca Drum, showing off workflow hacks that’ll have your next rave set sounding like an outback storm. If you’re keen to see how fixed-length sampling can supercharge your live rig, grab a cold one and dive in. Just don’t expect a dry technical manual—this is Free Beat,

Korg Volca Drum, Teenage Engineering KOII

30. January 2026

SPARKY

Liam Killen

Liam Killen’s TR-1000: Three Months in the Drum Matrix

Liam Killen’s spent three months locked in a groove bunker with the Roland TR-1000, and he’s finally surfacing to spill the beans. This isn’t your average drum machine review – it’s a deep dive into the twisted, tweakable world of the TR-1000, with all the knob-fiddling, macro-mangling, and workflow head-scratching you’d expect from a box this complex. Liam’s signature clarity meets a machine that’s anything but straightforward, and the result is a tour for producers who want more than just another 4/4 banger. If you think you know drum machines, think again – this one’s got more directions than a

Roland TR-1000

30. January 2026

RILEY

Nu-Trix The Synth Guy

Nu-Trix The Synth Guy Gets Fast and Dirty with Polaris for iPad

If you’re on the hunt for a groovebox that lets you bang out beats on your iPad faster than you can order a slice of deep-dish, Nu-Trix The Synth Guy just served up a hot one. In his latest video, he dives into Polaris—a drum machine app that’s all about speed, flexibility, and keeping your workflow smoother than a fresh pair of sneakers. Expect quick tips, real talk, and enough hands-on action to make your sampler jealous. Nu-Trix’s laid-back, teacher-meets-beatmaker style makes this walkthrough a must-watch for anyone who wants to make music without getting lost in menus. Grab your

Polaris for iPad

29. January 2026

MILES

OXI Instruments

OXI Instruments OXI One MKII: Accumulators Unleashed

OXI Instruments returns with a deep dive into the Accumulator function of their OXI One MKII sequencer—a feature designed for those who crave evolving sequences and hands-on control. In this official walkthrough, the Spanish innovators demonstrate how accumulators can transform both mono and polyphonic patterns, offering a playground for pitch offsets, logic conditions, and musical randomness. As always with OXI, the focus is on immediate, performable results rather than menu-diving. If you’re curious about how a sequencer can become a true compositional partner, this episode is well worth a patch cable’s attention.

OXI ONE MKII

28. January 2026

SPARKY

Free Beat

Free Beat vs. Octatrack: The Looping Labyrinth Revisited

The Elektron Octatrack: legendary, intimidating, and responsible for more existential crises than a broken kettle at a warehouse rave. Free Beat, known for his practical, hands-on approach and a knack for squeezing creativity out of any box, dives back into the Octatrack’s maze after a firmware-induced resurrection. Will he conquer the looping beast or get lost in menu hell again? Expect honest fumbles, real-time wins, and a few classic Octatrack headaches—served up with Free Beat’s signature blend of optimism and self-deprecation. If you think you’ve tamed the Octatrack, this one’s for you.

Behringer UMC1820, Elektron Octatrack, Teenage Engineering PO-128 Megaman

28. January 2026

JET

Monotrail Tech Talk

Monotrail Tech Talk Throws Down: Five Days, One Modular Track, No Nonsense

Ever wondered if you can actually bash out a proper tune on a modular rig, or is it all just cable spaghetti and existential dread? Monotrail Tech Talk, usually the king of modular tutorials, dives headfirst into the chaos with a new series: making a full track from scratch in just five days. No safety net, no endless tweaking—just raw patching, quick decisions, and a fair bit of self-critique. If you’re sick of modular chin-stroking and want to see someone actually finish a tune (warts and all), this one’s for you. Grab a pint, brace yourself, and let’s see if

Ableton, HydraSynth

28. January 2026

RAUMKLANG

Audio Tutorial Experts

Audio Tutorial Experts unleash Absynth 6: Rhythm meets machine ethics

Absynth 6 as an effect processor? Audio Tutorial Experts demonstrate how, with a bit of patch geometry and DAW trickery, you can open up rhythmic sound spaces far beyond standard presets. If you thought Absynth was just a synthesizer, think again: envelopes become groove architects, MIDI notes act as timekeepers for pulsating textures. The tutorial remains pleasantly analytical and invites you to experiment for yourself—definitely not for workflow fetishists, but a feast for those who love to bend sound. If you want to know how machine ethics and groove unite in Absynth, don’t miss the video.

Native Instruments Absynth 6

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