Why I like hardware synths

Look and Feel They look good and they feel good. Feel a real knob and a real switch. Oh yes. That feels right. The playability You can play a hardware synthesizer by twisting knobs. Of course, you can use a Midi Keyboard to play a soft synth. And, yes, you can assign MIDI-Buttons. But come … Read more

How I sabotage my Creativity

Trying new equipment New software and hardware are so interesting. And so distracting. I understand that. I made my money as editor for computer magazines and my job was to test new software (and sometimes hardware). I made a job from my passion, and I was quite happy with it. This behavior sticks and I … Read more

Why I like Software Synthesizers

So, why do people love those soft synths? I collected some pros for softsynths from comments to my GAS problem video and added a few of my own points of view. Why do I like Software Synths Software synths do not need space. All you need is a computer, a pair of speakers, and – maybe … Read more

5 Things to do when you are sick of your synths

Yes, it can happen: You get up in the morning and don’t switch your synths on before grabbing your first cup of coffee. It is because you are sick, frustrated, fed up with your synths or you just don’t feel that creative vibe. This is normal. Here are five things you can do. Accept it … Read more

Teenage Engineering OP-1 – Would I buy it again?

At the end of 2019, I was looking for a nice mobile synth. Back then I used to travel a lot, mostly by train. My thought was, it would be nice to have a nice, little machine to noodle around with while sitting in the ICE. And so I bought an OP-1. It was expensive. But it was perfect for traveling and I cannot blame a synth for a global pandemic grounding all travel for 18 months.

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Am I a musician?

When I was in my early twenties I was playing around with a tracker software on my Amiga 500. I was stunned by the possibility to create music with the computer. And I built a little piece with some kind of melody and rhythm. When I played it to my colleagues I didn’t receive the … Read more