AutomaticGainsay’s MS-5 Sample & Hold: Voltage Mayhem in a Plastic Shell

28. July 2026

SPARKY

AutomaticGainsay’s MS-5 Sample & Hold: Voltage Mayhem in a Plastic Shell

If you think Sample and Hold is just a sprinkle of random burbles, AutomaticGainsay is here to slap you with some voltage truth, straight from Behringer’s MS-5. In this no-prisoners demo, Marc Doty wrangles the S&H for weird modulations, creamy lag, and the sort of pitch wobbles that’d make a 70s ARP jealous. Forget polite filter squiggles—this is about wringing every drop of chaos from a budget synth and making it sound like pure synth gold. Buckle up, because things get slippery, steppy, and gloriously unpredictable.

Voltage Roulette: S&H on the MS-5

AutomaticGainsay kicks off by diving straight into the sample and hold feature on the Behringer MS-5, treating it less like a polite modulation source and more like a rowdy voltage casino. This isn’t about tastefully nudging a filter cutoff—this is about snatching voltages from the ether and letting them run riot.

He makes it clear: the MS-5’s sample and hold isn’t just a nod to the original SH-5, it’s a creative tool for anyone who wants their modulations unpredictable and their patches teetering on the edge of collapse. If you came for random, you’re in the right bunker.

This shouldn't be this slow, I would say, but if it was like that on the Roland, then okay.

"This shouldn't be this slow, I would say, but if it was like that on the Roland, then okay."

© Screenshot/Quote: Automaticgainsay (YouTube)

Chaos from Noise: Random Sampling Unleashed

Set the S&H to random and let the MS-5’s noise generator do its thing—what you get is pure, unfiltered unpredictability. Every blip and step is a fresh voltage, sampled from the noise source, giving your synth lines that unstable wobble that’s impossible to fake with a boring old LFO.

If you want your modulation to sound like it’s coming from a wonky streetlamp in a rainstorm, this is how you do it.


Lag Time: Portamento for the Brave

It puts a sort of portamento on the voltages.

"It puts a sort of portamento on the voltages."

© Screenshot/Quote: Automaticgainsay (YouTube)

Now comes the twist: lag time. AutomaticGainsay admits he expected a boring old delay, but instead finds himself with something way more powerful—a portamento for voltages. By dialling in lag, those jumpy steps morph into smooth, gliding transitions, adding an organic scoop to modulation that’s usually all elbows and knees.

This isn’t just about making it sound pretty; it’s about taking control of chaos. Lag lets you create evolving, unpredictable waveforms that are as alive as a rabid squirrel in a rave bunker. Suddenly, your S&H isn’t just random—it’s got swagger.

Oscillators, Filters, and the S&H Playground

Here’s where things go from clever to genuinely useful. AutomaticGainsay demonstrates S&H on both oscillator pitch and filter cutoff, showing how stepwise voltages give you instant bleepy sequences, while lag time turns those steps into slinky, unpredictable glides. It’s a masterclass in sonic shape-shifting, letting you switch from metric, clocked modulations to wild, evolving waves with a flick of a knob.

Don’t expect a full manual in this section—what really matters is how the MS-5 mutates its sound in real time, and you’ll have to watch the video to catch the full glory of those filter freakouts and oscillator swoops. This is hands-on synthesis, not a science lesson.

Now you just have a random variable waveform, which is a great modulation source because it doesn't repeat.

"Now you just have a random variable waveform, which is a great modulation source because it doesn't repeat."

© Screenshot/Quote: Automaticgainsay (YouTube)

Swiss Army Synth: The MS-5’s Modulation Mojo

It's a really powerful modulation source that can generate a wide variety of outcomes.

"It's a really powerful modulation source that can generate a wide variety of outcomes."

© Screenshot/Quote: Automaticgainsay (YouTube)

Wrapping it up, AutomaticGainsay hypes the MS-5 as a surprisingly flexible modulation beast. Whether you’re in the studio plotting sonic sabotage or live on stage needing unpredictable movement, this sample and hold can deliver. Sure, there are limits (sorry, only one oscillator gets the S&H love), but what you get is a voltage playground that can flip from random chaos to tight, stepped patterns in a heartbeat.

For the price of a dodgy night out, you get a modulation source that’ll keep your tracks weird and your audience guessing.

This article is also available in German. Read it here: https://synthmagazin.at/automaticgainsays-ms-5-sample-hold-spannungslotterie-im-plastikgehaeuse/
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