The electronic musical instruments market is very large nowadays, so the device selection can become a problem for beginner musicians who decided to give up virtual plugins and get a hardware setup, as it is difficult not to drown in the variety of options and find affordable instruments with wide functionality. We have analyzed the market and are ready to provide you with our view on the ideal inexpensive digital setup, which is suitable both for live performances and for the studio.

Bastl Instruments features the Thyme effects processor, Erica Synths introduces the Erica Black VCF module, Dreadbox Hades ands Elektron Octatrack MkII are shipping. Two new Kickstarter projects launched by Kvgear and KOMA Elektronik.

The author of the starshipfive channel makes covers of famous, favorite tunes performed originally with the help of synthesizers. The skills of the Portuguese musician as much as the right choice of the instruments help achieve that stunning sound and even bring on some nostalgia. The channel has been available since August, 2011 and has attracted many fans. Starshipfive will not only give you familiar tracks but also introduce you to the sound and all the sonic techniques of the cult electronic musical instruments of the 90s.

Analog generator waveform is far from being perfect – it’s unstable and suffers from inevitable voltage-brought deformation. Many of the analog filters are unsteady – you might hear some noises, phase shift or self-oscillation. But these very drawbacks make the signal so brisk, lively – well, actually, alive indeed. Digital developments helped to tame analog sound, cut it into samples, increase polyphony, give you a synthesizer equipped with the functions which were simply unobtainable in analog instruments. In 1990s instrument manufacturing companies got highly interested in analog modeling technologies development – they were eager to re-create those smallest details of electric musical instrument circuit behavior.

The new microKORG is very attractive. White housing, light wooden sides. And the same technical basics microKORG used to feature back in 2002 – 4 virtual analog voices and a standard set of functions.

Meanwhile volca series keeps on growing and announcing new “family” members. This time it’s a kick drum generator called volca kick which sports the MS-20 resonant filter copy onboard as well as the new Touch FX function.