Arturia has been busy recently with the release of both V Collection X as well as a free firmware update for the MiniFreak. 

A new year means having to change calendars, but thanks to The Bob Moog Foundation, there’s an easy choice for synth enthusiasts. The foundation announced that they are releasing a 2024 calendar commemorating Moog’s 90th birthday. It is titled “Bob Moog, His Life, and Work,” which uses professional and personal photos, letters, and other historical documents to trace the first 50 years of his life. 

Time is running out for some last-minute Christmas shopping, but fortunately, there have been plenty of new software and hardware releases recently. Here’s a quick round-up of the most notable new releases that might be of interest to synth enthusiasts. 

Max Richter Piano
By SRM Sounds

Link: https://srmsounds.com/products/max-richter-piano
 

Price: $150 (Introductory Price Until 31st January, 2024) / $185 (Regular Price)

With the festive season almost in full swing and the temptations of black Friday in the mirror, it would be an understatement to say that many synth enthusiasts feel the pinch in their wallets. Thankfully, even if you have no cash to spare to buy new synths, it is still possible to breathe new life into your older synths thanks to free firmware updates. Here’s a roundup of all the latest synth updates that can be downloaded for free if you own the hardware. 

Pērkons 1.1 update

By Erica Synths

A few more virtual instruments and plug-ins have recently been released that synth enthusiasts might find useful. Here’s a quick round-up of the most notable ones. 

Pro Soloist
By Cherry Audio

Website: https://cherryaudio.com/products/pro-soloist

Mexico City based Oficina de Sonido, created by Daniel Llermaly, has launched a Kickstarter for a gateway to the Euroracksystem, named My First Modular. Oficina de Sonido is centered on designing music-making tools with Open source in mind, and My First Modular aims to be a modular system that is affordable without compromising on quality.

Whether you want to spoil yourself or a fellow synth enthusiast for Christmas, invest in some new hardware or software, or simply want something free to try out there’s been a number of new releases lately. Here are just a few of the highlights that might be of interest. 

FANTOM EX System Upgrade
By Roland

Website: https://www.roland.com/ca/products/rc_fantom_ex_upgrade/

Price: $199

There have been several synth-related projects on Kickstarter recently and all of them were successfully backed very quickly. These include projects by Muro Box Global, SONICWARE, and Lambda Synthetics.

Muro Box-N40
By Muro Box Global

Zeppelin Design Labs, the company that specializes in offering customers the gratifying experience of building their own gear, has released the Noisette Optical Theremin.

Synthesizer hardware is not cheap, but a few lucky people might be able to get their hands on some new goodies thanks to a few giveaways and raffles that are currently active. First up are Sequential, Novation, and Focusrite which are offering people the opportunity to win a synth recording bundle. All people have to do to enter is visit the following website and enter their details (https://www.sequential.com/win-a-synth-recording-bundle/).