Big news from Superbooth 2017
Among a tangled forest of patch cables, we unearthed new software in Berlin
Only in its second year, the Berlin Superbooth event is already stealing much of the thunder – and practically all the cool – from the long-running Frankfurt Musikmesse. Now, we’ve been to a lot of trade shows, but we’ve never experienced anything like Superbooth’s sheer quantity – and cacophony – of wallto-wall modular synths. So what was there to thrill in-the-box computer musos? Read on and we’ll tell ya…
u-he Repro-5 & Zebra 2.8
A double whammy of announcements came from the Berlin synthmeisters’ popular stand. Repro-5 (£TBC) builds on Repro-1, bulking it out into a polyphonic beast. Yep, it’s a modelled Sequential Circuits Prophet-5! It lacks Repro-1’s sequencer but offers per-voice distortion, a different modulation system, and unison. Zebra 2.8, meanwhile, is a free update featuring a cleaner interface, editing improvements, and wave-folding distortion. Both out soon.
URL www.uhe.com
NI Reaktor Blocks 1.3
The virtual synth modules of Reaktor Blocks are a perfect fit for Superbooth, and Native Instruments were showing off the free, upcoming Blocks 1.3 update. This adds a five-module collection named Kodiak. Duality Osc combines and cross-modulates twin oscillators. Shift Sequencer is an “unconventional” step sequencer that “makes polyrhythmic sequencing easier”. Curve Sequencer is basically Massive’s Performer modulator. Morph Filter is a filter bank capable of vowel sounds. And Flip Gen creates tones and noise.
URL www.native-instruments.com
Bitwig Studio 2.1
Superbooth is clearly a no-brainer for Berliners, with Bitwig also in attendance. They showcased Bitwig Studio 2.1, which has three additions: MIDI Clock Slave, for syncing to software or hardware clocks; an amp sim entitled Amp; and Irrupt Eurorack, a soundset. It’s a free update, out now.
URL www.bitwig.com
Accsone Crusher-X 6
At Accsone’s booth, things sounded… grainy. And in the best way possible, as they were showcasing their Crusher-X (€199) granular synth/effect. New for v6 is a Diffuse processor to “generate up to ten independent reverbs inside the grains”; Spread parameter; three new modulators; a step editor; autotune; an overhauled GUI and more.
URL www.accsone.com
Best of the rest
That was about it for software, but there was plenty more to tempt tech-hungry producers. PreSonus pushed Quantum ($1000), a Thunderbolt audio interface seemingly out of place amongst Superbooth’s modular mayhem – until you realise its DC-coupled outputs can drive CV-based analogue gear! Novation unveiled Peak, an impressive eight-voice hybrid hardware synth (£1250, out May), and the analogue paraphonic Circuit Mono Station (£480, June). Behringer had a desktop edition of their DeepMind 12 power-synth ($899), a dinkier DeepMind 6 ($699), and – ta-da! – a Minimoog Model D clone ($399). There was even a tracker-driven Eurorack module from XOR Electronics, the Nerdseq! Amazing stuff – hold us a ticket for Superbooth 2018.