If you grew up playing computer games during the nineties, the chances are good that you were very familiar with the YMF-262 chip, which was also known as the OPL3 FM chip. Despite being notoriously hard to program, it was a common component for computer sound cards of that era. Unfortunately, this also meant that they were rarely used to their full potential, which is something Twisted Electrons seek to rectify with their new BlastBeats Groove Box.

It's been about seven years since the release of the RK-100S keytar, but Korg recently announced its return in the form of the RK-100S 2. It features the same wooden body that is strongly influenced by guitars, but this time with a clear finish that lets the wood grain show.

Anyone who fondly remembers the early days of PC gaming will be glad to hear that SOMA Labs plans to release an 8-bit noise synthesizer and sequencer called Rumble of Ancient Times (RoAT). According to them, it was inspired by the clever programming of that era when an entire video game could fit on a floppy disk. RoAT is a compact and portable instrument, but SOMA Labs have stated that it contains enough elements that can be combined to create surprising musical results.

Cherry Audio is back with another software synthesizer in the form of Quadra, which is a "super-accurate" emulation of the ARP Quadra synth. This is the first time this rare and coveted synthesizer is being reproduced as a virtual instrument since its original release in 1978.

IK Multimedia's Syntronik already impressed many fans of vintage synths with its recreation of 22 classics, and thanks to the recent release of Syntronik 2, it has gotten even better.

After teasing the Vectra earlier this year, Future Retro has opened up pre-orders for their hybrid synthesizer. After a lot of speculation about what it would offer, the full details reveal quite an interesting synth.

There are plenty of weird, wonderful, and even impractical controllers available for synthesizers. Suonobuono from Sweden is adding one more to the list with their laser-based standalone music controller, LAZER.

It's hard to believe, but 2022 is already just around the corner, and The Bob Moog Foundation is ready to welcome the new year with a brand new calendar. Quantities for this calendar are limited, and it is currently available for pre-order, with shipping expected to occur in mid to late November. The Bob Moog Foundation is also offering discounts when you order bundles of five or ten calendars. The calendar is printed on #80 stock paper, making the images suitable for framing once the year is over.

Roland recently announced two new additions to their lineup of Boutique synths in the form of the JX-08 and JD-08. These synths were inspired by some of their classic synths from the eighties and nineties, namely the JX-8P and JD-800.