Nu-Trix The Synth Guy Unleashes the SH-Max: Roland DNA with a Cherry on Top

SH-Max isn’t just another retro cash-in; it’s a proper mashup of Roland’s SH-3, SH-3A, SH-5, SH-8, SH-2000, and the 104 step-sequencer module. Cherry Audio have basically built the synth Roland never dared to, and Nu-Trix The Synth Guy wastes no time pointing out how this mutant hybrid brings early analog grit to the digital age. The interface is modern, but the soul is pure vintage—think raw, unpolished, and ready to rumble.

This isn’t a slavish recreation. SH-Max takes the best bits from each classic and bolts on extra features that make hardware purists weep (in a good way). You get a layout that’s all about hands-on control, with a keyboard section that does more than just look pretty. If you’re after that classic Roland vibe but want something that actually moves with the times, this is your new playground.

The step sequencer in SH-Max is a proper beast—four channels (A, B, C, D), each with 16 steps, and every lane can target different destinations. Nu-Trix shows off how you can assign pitch, filter, bandpass, or volume to each lane, then activate or mute them as you please. It’s all about flexibility: run them as independent 16-step grooves, chain them for 32 or 64-step monster patterns, or loop them at weird lengths for polyrhythmic chaos.

You’re not stuck with boring 16-step monotony either. Each channel’s length is adjustable, so you can dial in oddball sequences that never quite repeat. The playback modes—once, ping pong, rhythm—let you break out of the grid and get unpredictable. If you want your synth lines to sound like a toaster-fight in a modular bunker, this sequencer’s got you covered.

Forget what you know about classic Roland effects—SH-Max throws in four groups of five effects, mapped to VCF, bandpass, VCA, and global outputs. Nu-Trix is quick to point out that none of this was in the original hardware, but who cares? Now you can slap a digital delay on your filter, drown your bandpass in lush verb, or compress the living daylights out of your VCA. Each section gets its own flavour, and you can modulate effects parameters for even more movement.

The routing is flexible, letting you send different signals through different effect chains. Want to modulate your delay with an LFO? Easy. Want to keep things dry and gritty? Just turn the effects off and go back to basics. It’s a studio in a box, but with enough rawness to keep the analog heads happy.

SH-Max doesn’t mess about when it comes to modulation. Two LFOs, each with their own waveforms, sync, one-shot, and key trigger options, give you all the wobbly goodness you could want. LFO1 is all about ramp shapes, while LFO2 brings in square, sine, and triangle—plus you can run them in parallel for extra weirdness. Nu-Trix highlights how you can send these LFOs pretty much anywhere: VCOs, filters, amps, you name it.

Sample & hold, looping envelopes, aftertouch control, and even modular-style routing—this synth is dangerously close to full-on modular territory. You can loop envelopes at LFO speed, use aftertouch to mangle filter cutoffs, and stack VCOs and ring mod for thick, gnarly textures. If you want a synth that can go from classic bass to experimental noise in a heartbeat, SH-Max is your new sonic street weapon.