Sam Gutman’s Superbooth 2026: Synth Oddities and Sonic Mayhem

Superbooth 2026 wasn’t your average gear expo—it was more like a hippie camping festival for synth nerds, with the woods of Berlin serving as the perfect backdrop for a parade of strange and wonderful machines. Sam Gutman, ever the educator and explorer, dove headfirst into this sonic wonderland to uncover the quirkiest, most innovative gear on offer. Forget stuffy trade shows; this was a playground for anyone who loves their synths a bit left of centre. If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when creativity runs wild and the only rule is to make noise, this was the place to be.

The SOMA Laboratory Terra is the kind of synth that makes you want to ditch your shoes and play barefoot. With its tactile wooden surface and those so-called golden bubbles (sensors), Terra is all about customisation and intimate play—no two set-ups are ever the same. You can dial in any pitch, go microtonal, and basically make your own rules. It’s as personal as scribbling your name on your school desk, but a lot more musical.

Sam’s take? Even if you’re not a drummer, the Terra’s percussive vibe just begs you to tap, slap, and experiment. There’s a real sense of discovery here, and the instrument quickly becomes an extension of your hands. It’s not about learning scales or following the rules; it’s about finding your own groove in the wood grain. For anyone who wants their synth experience to feel as organic as an outback jam session, Terra’s a winner.

The Buchla Ziggy is what happens when you take the legendary Buchla sound and make it as approachable as a snag at a footy match. Ziggy starts with a complex oscillator and modulation oscillator, letting you shape sounds with wave folding, FM, and all the crunchy, characterful tones you’d expect. But here’s the kicker: it’s designed to be user-friendly, so you don’t need a PhD in modular to get wild results.

Sam highlights how Ziggy keeps things analog right up until the digital stereo effects, and even then, the dry/wet is handled with an analog voltage divider. It’s a clever bit of engineering that keeps the signal path pure. Whether you’re after gnarly FM or lush arpeggiations, Ziggy delivers the goods without making you feel like you’re wrestling a croc. For synth heads who want Buchla magic without the usual learning curve, this one’s a ripper.

Rounding out Sam’s highlights are two absolute standouts: the Atrium by Whimsical Raps and the Relic by Shear Electronics. Atrium is a polyphonic synth that’s all about gesture and touch—think of it as finger painting for your ears. With both analog and digital oscillators, it covers everything from lush Juno-like pads to raspy, formant weirdness. The tactile interface means you’re not just playing notes; you’re sculpting sound in real time, perfect for anyone who likes their synths as hands-on as a backyard BBQ.

Then there’s Relic, a discrete analog polysynth that started life as an Oberheim OBX clone but quickly found its own voice. With eight voices, dual VCOs per voice, and a filter that sweeps from low-pass to high-pass, it’s a beast built for serious sonic exploration. The filter is a standout, offering a range of tones you won’t find on your average poly. Both Atrium and Relic show that innovation isn’t just about new tech—it’s about reimagining how we interact with sound. If you want the full flavour of these tactile marvels, you’ll have to check out Sam’s video—some things just can’t be bottled in words.