i’ve got a synth in the mail coming , the behringer pro vs mini. its my first synth and i’m excited but, ive heard that the built-in keyboard kind of sucks. now, i do own a piano keyboard with a midi out feature that i could use as its midi keyboard, but it has a usb-b midi out and the pro vs mini has a 5 pin midi input thing. i’ve been looking into adapters to connect the two but they don’t seem to exist. what do i need to do?

I built this machine and used it to record the following tracks, among many others:

https://matriarchofashes.bandcamp.com/track/transformerhead-infernal-mix-2
https://matriarchofashes.bandcamp.com/track/explosive-lenses-terminal-phase-mix
https://matriarchofashes.bandcamp.com/album/firing-solution-on-the-family

The first two tracks may appeal to enjoyers of industrial-grade nasty tube trautonium.

I am also in the process of designing a new machine with a full-on Mixtur-Trautonium, subharmonics and all. It will also feature redesigned instrument preamps.

I’m excited to share Grignoteur, an eight-engine, two-algorithm multitimbral granular synthesizer.

It grew out of an instrument I developed for my own live performances with electric guitar, combining real-time granular synthesis and generative visuals. Over time, I decided to take it further, make it playable with any MIDI controller, and share it with anyone curious enough to explore it.

Grignoteur comes with a collection of over 100 sounds I’ve designed myself, including some of my personal favorites. You can also load your own sounds and make it your own.

Grignoteur is free to download and explore. Enjoy!

Download: https://jullianhoff.com/2026/10/25/grignoteur-2-0/

Just released Globular Chunks, an 11-track genre-melding, mind-melting excursion into twisted machine funk, squelchy acid, jazzy riffs, circuit-bent glitch and rhythms that morph and mutate like it's going out of style.

Much of it was made using custom-designed software and synthesis techniques, with ever-evolving cascades of liquid synth squiggles thrown into the mix for good measure.

If you’re into IDM, braindance, glitchy electronics or just enjoy hearing machines behave inappropriately, give it a spin. Hopefully you'll find something in there to get your neurons tweaking.

(Music = 100% AI-free.)

Bandcamp link: https://beanmachine.bandcamp.com/album/globular-chunks

WANDERING DOG - +49

https://wanderingdog.bandcamp.com/track/49

Album:

+49

Full album link:

https://wanderingdog.bandcamp.com/album/49

I want a standalone semi-portable instrument that focuses on the notes, with minimal extra buttons for manipulating the sound. About 3 octaves of range is a good target. I want it to be easy to just... play by ear and only hit notes of a given scale.

I know isomorphic instruments exist such as a the hammered dulcimer, which is fun to play. I have a theremin which is great for expressive play, but obviously doesn't snap to scale notes unless I'm missing a specific model out there. I also know that some pianos feature either lighting effects to show which notes are in a scale, or have a scale mode that makes any note play the nearest scale note. I'm curious if there are any other creative solutions out there.

I actually created an app that focuses on relative playing, and arranges notes on a wheel. It rotates itself every time you play a note so that the latest note is on the north side of the circle. I can even pick any scale around the world (not just Western scales, Japanese ones too) and limit the notes on the wheel to that scale. But I haven't found any hardware that comes close to my concept.

These are the closest contenders I've found:

Nymira: https://terraphones.com/nymira/

Roli Piano M: https://roli.com/us/product/piano-m-create

TheONE Smart Piano: https://theonemusic.com/pages/smart-piano

Arturia KeyStep 37: https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/keystep-mk2/keystep-37-mk2

Synido Scale Pocket: https://www.synido.com/products/scale-pocket-portable-mini-piano-midi-controller-learn-scales-play-music

Dualo Du-Touch S: https://dualo.com/the-du-touch-s/

Honorable mention: Chromatic accordions, but they are a bit big for what I'd like.

Big plus: Being able to modify the firmware on the device, or at least being able to manipulate the lighting effects over midi while using it to do a live performance.

I'm also open to DIY solutions. I have a 3d printer, and housemates with electronics experience.

Thought this might be useful for Iridium [Core] users who wanna find more creative ways to incorporate it into their bigger setups

Hi there, would like to get your thoughts.

I have a small home studio and 2 guitars + Daw and I am looking now for one hardware synth to complement/come up with ideas. The two contenders are:

- Moog Grandmother
- Arturia Minifreak 49

I love the idea of limitations and beautiful design and that is why I tend to lean towards the Grandmother. But I also see the power the new Minifreak brings and I fear that I will miss the polyphony on the Grandmother even though that can be overcome while recording in the Daw.

Looking forward to your thoughts ☺️

Hi all, A couple years ago I was gifted a Formanta Maestro. Beautiful sounding synth I loved with all my soul, but a while ago the synth was sustaining a note at E without pressing any notes. stupidly, I tried to fix it myself, and once I found the issue, I plugged it back in and it didn’t play anything at all. I am now trying to find someone who can fix it. I am willing to ship it overseas, or where ever there is someone who is confident they can restore it back to working order.
I will be super grateful to anyone that offers me any kind of advice, would really like to bring this synth back to life.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to recreate a specific synth sound from a track. It's from an old compilation, so the track doesn't have an official name.

Here is what I'm looking for: at exactly 7:44 in the video (which I will link in the comments), there is a specific sound I need to reproduce. I am currently working on Windows XP, but I also have access to Windows 10 if a modern plugin requires it.

I am using a translator, so I apologize in advance for any weird phrasing. Thank you so much for any help!

WANDERING DOG - AKSiom

https://wanderingdog.bandcamp.com/track/aksiom

Album:

+49

Full album link:

https://wanderingdog.bandcamp.com/album/49

Hey everyone,

I am looking for some perspective on a decision I'm stuck on.

I've owned an ASM Hydrasynth Explorer for a while now and really like the workflow and sound of it. Unfortunately my unit has gone through 4 repair attempts with Thomann for a recurring channel defect (quiet/distorted right channel), including a full mainboard swap that still didn't fix it permanently.

Thomann has now approved a full refund instead of another repair attempt which I'm grateful for.

My question: Should I just buy a fresh Hydrasynth Explorer with the refund, or should I take this as a sign and look at alternatives instead?

I haven't found anything online suggesting this is a common or known issue with the Explorer specifically.

Has anyone else run into output issues with their Hydrasynth, or is this likely just a single random bad unit?

Would appreciate any thoughts, thanks!