For a while now I've been hooked on building my own sounds, and I came across a great article about how modular synthesizers are making a comeback. It turns out that what seemed far too complicated in the 1970s has today become the heart of home studios — all thanks to the Eurorack standard popularized by Doepfer. All you need is a case, a power supply and a few modules to build an instrument nobody else has.
What I love most is the physicality of it. Instead of clicking through presets, I connect an oscillator to a filter with a 3.5 mm jack cable and hear the CV voltage and Gate signal bring the sound to life. Even creators like Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL use entire walls of modules for cinematic sounds that ordinary plugins simply can't fake.
I started modestly myself: a VCO, a VCF filter, a VCA amplifier, an EG envelope and a slow LFO for modulation. That's enough to create basses, leads and organic noise. Only later did I buy digital modules with granular synthesis — combining the warmth of analog with the precision of digital produces truly unique textures.
What drew me in most were probabilistic sequencers and generative music in the style of Caterina Barbieri: the system plays by itself, and I just steer it. A good, free first step is VCV Rack, where you can practice patching before spending any money. Getting started costs a few thousand złoty, but every new module is a new story.
Source: Skaldowie.pl
Doepfer, the classic Eurorack brand, has released its first series in 1U format: 13 products in total, including 1U modules and a dedicated case to hold them. My honest reaction: so Doepfer has finally gone there.
The lineup centres on the "glue" functions of a system: VCA, mixer, envelope/LFO, sequencer and MIDI to CV/Gate. Each also comes in a version with a "V" in the model number.
The ones that caught my eye:
・A-130-3: a 1U version of the A-130-2 dual VCA. Linear/exponential response selectable, and DC-coupled, so it also works for level control of CV such as LFOs and envelopes
・A-138-6: a six-input, two-output mixer. Each input can be routed to output 1, output 2, or both
・A-142-5 / A-142-6: dual decay and AD types that switch between envelope and LFO with a Loop switch. The LEDs showing the signal are a small but welcome touch
・A-155-3: the popular A-155-2 turned into a 1U eight-step analog sequencer, with selectable play direction, gate ratcheting and presets
・A-190-7: a monophonic MIDI-CV/Gate interface with 3.5 mm TRS MIDI input (Type A and B). Three 1V/Oct CV outputs and two gate outputs
The A-100 P7 case is based on the A-100 P6 with space for 1U added in the middle. It takes up to 168 HP of regular modules plus 84 HP of 1U. Power comes from the high-capacity PSU3, which also supplies +5V, and it's a flight case with a cover, so you can carry it as is.
The appeal of 1U is squeezing small utilities into the gaps of a case, so being able to combine it with an existing A-100 system is a big deal, I think. Details on each module are on Doepfer's official site:
https://www.doepfer.de/
Source: Rock oN Line eStore
Synthtopia points to a new Signal Sounds video, an interview with pioneering synthesist Suzanne Ciani. She visited the Glasgow showroom of the shop behind the series before her performance at Sonica 2026, and two of their staff talked with her about her long career.
The conversation starts with what it means to be so closely tied to the Buchla name and then moves through her history, from building synths in California in the 1960s to collaborating with Actress and still touring the world with her 200-series system. The chapter list shows how wide it goes: working in quad and giving life to sound, how audiences have changed, living long enough for people to catch up with your work, and reacting against the male-dominated classical world.
For anyone interested in modular synthesis, there is also a segment comparing Buchla and Serge, followed by a look at her current live setup. That last part is probably the most useful for people who like to see how a performer actually patches on stage.
I enjoy interviews like this because they connect the modular instruments we buy today with the people who shaped the whole idea of playing a voltage-controlled system as an instrument. The video runs a little over half an hour, so it is a nice thing to put on while you tidy up your own patch cables.
Source: Synthtopia
Gearnews takes a look at a practical expansion for the ATOV Faderpunk, one of the most versatile MIDI and CV controllers available today. The new module, Punkbus, bridges the gap between the controller and the Eurorack world.
The Faderpunk itself has 16 channels, each with a fader, a button and a CV output. Thanks to many apps, almost any control task can be handled, from a sequencer to an envelope. The passive expansion module Punkbus has 19 jacks, the same number as the controller: the 16 individual channels plus three extra CV jacks. It connects with a supplied HDMI cable, which is repurposed here to carry CV. That avoids the tangle of cables when linking the controller to a Eurorack system.
What I find interesting is that Punkbus can also be used on its own. With two modules and an HDMI 2.0 cable, you can make a multicore link between two Eurorack cases, so CV signals travel between the systems over a single cable.
Firmware 1.10 has also arrived. It brings three new apps: the acid pattern generator TB-3PO, the generative sequencer GenSeq and the automation looper Automator. The Buchla standard of 1.2 V per octave is now supported too. The update is available on the manufacturer's website.
For anyone who would rather mount their faders neatly in a rack than plug in dozens of cables, this sounds like a very sensible addition.
Source: gearnews.de
Roma Modulare 2026, the International Synthesizers and Music Production Expo, confirmed the positive trend of the previous editions. Audiofader's report mentions 85 brands on display, 19 workshops, 14 hours of live music and around 1,500 visitors over the two days.
The venue is the Opificio Italiacamp, about ten minutes by taxi from Termini station: worked marble on the walls, an exposed roof, decorated floors and an open space with a stage in the middle. Amid all of that, there is a remarkable amount of electronics, both in number and in variety.
What strikes me most is why a fair like this still works. Listening to audio examples and watching videos helps, but when you put your hands on keyboards and panels, headphones on, your relationship with the instrument becomes immediate, and within a few minutes you get a precise sense of sound, interface and performance. According to the author, it was almost impossible to try something right away, because someone was always already working on the instrument, many of them women musicians.
The workshops were well attended too, often with people standing even in the large room, a sign of an organization that cares about content. Alongside the synths there was room for professional audio, with headphones, monitors, ribbon microphones and outboard gear to try on the spot.
For someone like me who follows modular from a distance, it's good to know that Italy has an event where you can meet designers, programmers and musicians: a technical face-to-face conversation, as the report reminds us, still can't be replaced by the Internet.
Source: Audiofader
MATRIXSYNTH shows a demo video of the Sonoclast Heartbeat, formerly called Pulse. The name changed because there are so many other things called Pulse in the synth and Eurorack world.
The idea is simple and fun: the module is designed around a high quality arcade button. You can use the button to finger drum or to program a rhythmic loop. Then you use the Duration CV, voltages that correspond to the durations between beats, to modulate parameters in other modules according to that rhythm. So a drum pattern you tap by hand can also move a filter or an envelope.
Details from the description: it records and plays back a rhythmic gate loop of up to 250 gates at a resolution of 10 microseconds. The tempo of the loop can be set from half as fast to twice as fast. You can mute the loop and play the button as a live gate source. The module is 6 HP wide and 30 mm deep, needs 60 mA on the +12 V rail and 30 mA on the -12 V rail, and is powered with a standard 10-pin cable.
The demo from Sonoclast Music starts with some finger drumming, and the funky feel makes it clear what the module is for.
I like modules that bring a physical, human gesture into a patch. A loop of your own timing mistakes, turned into stepped CV, can give a patch a feeling that a clock divider cannot.
Source: MATRIXSYNTH
CubuSynth has officially launched the Arkarion, a Eurorack module that contains a complete synthesizer voice on its own. When this announcement came out at the end of September 2025, it caught my attention, because it combines an analog sound section with fully digital control.
On the sound side there are two analog VCOs with selectable waveforms, two VCAs and a very complete multimode filter (low-pass, band-pass, high-pass and all-pass). The envelope generator, inspired by west-coast synthesis, offers two segments, attack and release, with a loop mode. Two voltage-controlled LFOs and a voltage-controllable tape delay simulation complete the modulation section.
For playing, there is a MIDI input and the corresponding CV and gate outputs, so it can be used as a standalone voice from a keyboard or a sequencer.
The distinctive feature is the fully digital interface: 64 memory slots arranged in 8 banks of 8, and above all a 'DNA' potentiometer, decorated with a mandala with LED display, that generates random voltages among more than 65,000 combinations. A playful way to find unexpected sounds.
The module measures 42 HP, draws 200 mA on the +12 V rail and 110 mA on the −12 V rail, and is announced at 690 euros. I haven't heard it, but the idea of a compact voice with memories and controlled randomness seems very tempting to me for a small system.
Source: gearnews.fr
The synth journal from gearnews (Moogulator) this time covers two things that sit off the beaten path of the usual 808/909 clones. That got me curious.
The Eurorack module is Shakmat Lancer's Lash, a snare drum module. Rather than trying to do everything, it packs several snare engines into one module. There is a classic 808-style analogue voice, but also physical modelling and FM. Three CV inputs are dedicated to deliberately generic parameter names, Timbre, Decay and Color. Trigger and Pitch allow tonal control, and there is also an input for dynamics. Internally, deviation modulation makes every hit sound a little different, a kind of randomness. The author found the result more reminiscent of the Nord Drums 3 than of a pure old-school module. The price is 285 euros.
Then there is the Kurare from Vald Labs, a synth that generates a Kuramoto swarm of up to 32 oscillators. You can set the number of oscillators, how loosely they are coupled as a swarm, and their pitches. The filters are inspired by the Oberheim SEM and the Polivoks, and three LFOs and two modulation curves complete the picture. There are five methods for the basic oscillator material, including additive, morphing classic waveforms, formant frames and physical models. For now Kurare is available as a Beta 0.5 for Mac and Windows.
Finally, there is the Windang LFSR from Gen Thalz, a wild noise generator. I like that you can still find fresh ideas here that avoid clichés.
Source: gearnews.de
Gearnews.fr introduces Umbra, the latest module from Isobar Industries, and I find the idea very appealing for anyone who enjoys experimental patching: a stereo or dual-mono feedback accumulator.
The module has three pairs of VCAs (Input L/R, Send-Return L/R and Feedback L/R) and an output clipping stage with asymmetric soft clipping. The L output is normalled to the R input, so if you want to process a single mono signal you get six aligned VCAs. It is built entirely from discrete components.
The idea is to create feedback loops with the module of your choice: filters, delays, reverbs, waveshapers and so on. Each VCA pair is voltage controlled through three dedicated attenuators named Imbue, Drain and Feed. It takes up 10 HP in the rack and draws 102 mA from +12 V and 44 mA from -12 V, with nothing on the 5 V rail.
It is announced at a manufacturer's list price of 250 euros.
Personally, I like this kind of utility module. A module that makes no sound on its own but changes how you use all the others is very interesting to me, especially for working with loops that run away in a controlled way.
The article is from September 2025. I am sharing it anyway, because the principle still applies to anyone building their own system.
Source: gearnews.fr
Time stretching usually lives in a plugin or a sampler, so a Eurorack module that does it live on stereo audio caught my eye. Hermetic Modular's Capicola is a 12HP module built around what the maker calls Extrema Sampling: instead of working on plain samples, it turns 48kHz audio into a non-uniform stream of keyframes that mark local peaks and valleys of the waveform.
That keyframe representation is then used for stretching, pitch-shifting, slicing and nonlinear distortion. Pitch and time are controlled independently, so you can freeze a sound in place with the Stretch control or move it up and down by as much as twelve semitones without changing its length. A grain size control and a quality control (which sets how dense the keyframes are) let you trade cleanliness for grit.
What I like on paper is how patchable it is. There are two envelope followers, two trigger outputs that fire when transients are detected, external plus-minus 5V CV with attenuverters, and a feedback loop with saturation and filtering. Feed its own followers back into its modulation and you get self-modulating patches. Every knob has a parameter lock and there are 16 preset slots, which is welcome in a module this small.
Capicola is available now for $389.99, and it is also published as an open source project, so curious builders can read how it works. I haven't heard it myself, but a skiff-friendly 12HP time-stretcher with transient slicing sounds like a fun tool for rhythmic and ambient patches alike.
Source: Synthtopia
It took a while: u-he had already shown the then still unnamed prototype of its Eurorack filter at Superbooth 22, and now the module is finally available as MELT. I'm happy about it, because a filter with its own character is always an exciting addition to a modular system.
MELT is an analog cascade low-pass filter with an extra band-pass output. The slope can be chosen in three steps (12, 18 or 24 dB per octave), and if you like, you can enable bass compensation, which keeps the low frequencies from collapsing when the resonance is high.
The real highlight is the 'Core Temperature' knob. At a low core temperature, according to u-he, the filter behaves fairly civilized. Turn the temperature up and the internal headroom shrinks, the input signal and the resonance affect each other more strongly, and the filter becomes increasingly wild. At high values the input itself starts to distort, which is literally a meltdown in Eurorack.
Patching offers plenty of room too: three inputs with a mixer (input 1 with a modulatable VCA), a VCA each on the low-pass and band-pass outputs, an Aux input that runs straight to the outputs, and two FM inputs with attenuators, where FM1 additionally has an inverter and a VCA. According to the report, you need only a few more modules to build a complete synth voice.
The price is 299 euros and the module is available right away. Personally, I find the idea of shaping a filter's character with a single temperature knob quite charming.
Source: gearnews.de
One item in gearnews' latest Synth Journal is good news for Eurorack players who like swappable firmware: Noise Engineering has released sixteen new firmwares for its Legio series, bringing the total up to 23.
Noise Engineering helped pioneer modules with swappable firmware. The Versio, Alia and Legio series all follow the same idea: buy one module and you can use them all, because you can turn a module into any other from the same platform just by swapping the firmware in your web browser. The company also offers printable panel overlays so the front panel can match whatever you load.
At 6 HP, Legio is the most compact of the three. It covers oscillators, filters and effects with stereo inputs and outputs. All Legio modules share the same hardware: three knobs with matching CV inputs, a gate or trigger input, two switches and stereo ins and outs.
For me, this is a great example of how a small module can grow over time instead of becoming obsolete. If you already own a Legio, you get a lot of new things to try without spending anything, and if you were thinking about buying one, the choice just got bigger.
The same Synth Journal also looks at the alpha of the 88emu Sound Canvas emulator and at Botanica, a prototype hardware sequencer from Human Motives that grows simple melodies with controls like Prune and Blossom. They are fun to read about, but the Legio news is what stayed with me.
Source: gearnews
