All items tagged with synthesizers (21)

Waves Audio Is Giving Away a Full Plugin Pack

April 21, 2025 by audioXpress Staff

Waves Audio Is Giving Away a Full Plugin Pack

Waves Audio, one of the world's leading developers of professional audio signal processing technologies and certainly the most recognized name in studio and live processing plugins, has announced a Free Plugin Pack, including free ongoing updates. Normally, no one gives anything for free, but in this case, Waves just wants to know if there's anyone out there that still doesn't use its plugins. They want to know you. The Waves Free Plugin Pack is the way to get you registered.

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: VCA & VCF

November 8, 2022 by Ethan Winer

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: VCA & VCF

Ethan Winer offers his fifth Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer article where he describes how to make two key modules needed by every analog synthesizer: the Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) and Voltage Controlled Filter (VFC). This article explains two different VCA circuits, with a simpler one that works fine for one-off projects where precise unit-to-unit repeatability isn’t needed, and a second circuit similar to the VCA in the original Moog synthesizers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2022.

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: Input Section & Pick Detector

October 19, 2022 by Ethan Winer

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: Input Section & Pick Detector

The three previous articles described circuits that Ethan Winer developed for his current project that uses an electric guitar instead of a keyboard to control an analog synthesizer. This article continues with two pieces needed to process input from an electric guitar: the input section’s preamplifier and noise gate, and the pick detector. The preamp amplifies the weak signal from an electric guitar’s pickup and brings it up to line level for further processing. The noise gate detects when a note is currently playing and when it stops. Of course, the pick detector signals each time a new note is picked.

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: LFO and ADSR

October 12, 2022 by Ethan Winer

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer: LFO and ADSR

This third article continues to follow Ethan Winer's fascinating journey of building modules for a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer. The two previous articles described the core circuits he developed for this project that uses an electric guitar instead of a keyboard to control an analog synthesizer. This article continues with two components that are essential for all analog synthesizers: The Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) and the Attack Decay Sustain Release (ADSR) envelope generator. Both of these circuits generate voltages that control other modules in the synthesizer. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022

The Bob Moog Foundation Announces Definitive Bob Moog Biography

July 25, 2022 by audioXpress Staff

The Bob Moog Foundation Announces Definitive Bob Moog Biography

The Bob Moog Foundation is promoting Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution by Albert Glinsky, the first complete biography of the synthesizer pioneer’s storied life and career. The 496-page hardcover book, with 58 black-and-white and color illustrations and a Foreword by Francis Ford Coppola, published by Oxford University Press, was directly supported by The Bob Moog Foundation by facilitating interviews and providing access to hundreds of rare historical documents and photos.

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer - Frequency to Volts and Back

June 2, 2022 by Ethan Winer

You Can DIY! Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer - Frequency to Volts and Back

This is the second article in a fascinating DIY journey of a guitar-controlled, all-analog synthesizer project that will include multiple stages and modules. Following a Sample & Hold circuit designed to retrieve previous voltages that no longer exist, this article details voltage control and how the playing is converted to voltages and back to frequency.

It's Tube Time! audioXpress May 2022 Glass Audio Special!

April 11, 2022 by audioXpress Staff

It's Tube Time! audioXpress May 2022 Glass Audio Special!

It's time for the Glass Audio/Tube Focus edition of audioXpress. In this issue, Michael Boele shares his long-term review of a pair of 2021 new production Western Electric 300Bs, Merlin Blencowe explains how to add Bluetooth to a Tube Amp, and Alan Kimmel introduces us to the possibilities of the Pentriode. There's also a Market Update report on vinyl sales and the latest trends in turntables and cartridges, as well as a review by Stuart Yaniger of the latest Orchard Audio Starkrimson Stereo Ultra GaN-based amplifier.

Voice for True Wireless Earbuds, GaN, and More Exciting Audio Frontiers in audioXpress April 2022

March 11, 2022 by audioXpress Staff

Voice for True Wireless Earbuds, GaN, and More Exciting Audio Frontiers in audioXpress April 2022

The April 2022 issue of audioXpress offers an overview of voice for true wireless stereo earbuds with contributed articles from Knowles and Fluent.ai. Stuart Yaniger reviews the possibilities with GaN amplifiers, and Steve Temme explains the evolution of Rub & Buzz measurements and the latest perceptual algorithms. Ethan Winer designs a sample & hold circuit for a guitar-controlled, all-analog synthesizer project, Richard Honeycutt explores the meaning of “frequency response” as applied to rooms, and Mark Driedger explains why and how to test tubes.

Focusrite Group Acquires American Synthesizer Company Sequential

April 27, 2021 by Joao Martins

Focusrite Group Acquires American Synthesizer Company Sequential

In a joint statement, Focusrite Group and Sequential LLC announced that British holding company Focusrite plc has acquired Sequential LLC, the respected American synthesizer manufacturer led by legendary electronic instrument designer and Grammy winner Dave Smith. A surprising development given that it was only in 2015 that Dave Smith regained the rights to the Sequential name from Yamaha, allowing Dave Smith Instruments to be rebranded as Sequential in 2018.

Native Instruments Receives Major Investment From Francisco Partners

January 21, 2021 by audioXpress Staff

Native Instruments Receives Major Investment From Francisco Partners

Native Instruments, EMH Partners, and Francisco Partners announced an agreement where the Berlin-based music creation company will sell the majority of its shares to leading technology-specialized investment firm, Francisco Partners. Both EMH Partners and the founding shareholders will remain involved with NI as significant minority shareholders. The agreement was described as necessary to support a new expansion strategy for Native Instruments.

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