Phew! We’re just about recovered from Machina Bristronica, which capped off a great run of autumn events for us. Thanks to everyone who dropped by our stand to chat, and huge thanks to Marco, Ben, James and the rest of the Elevator Sounds team for organising it. Can’t wait till next year!

Now back to business as usual - there were some exciting new products unveiled at the show, not least the Joranalogue and Hainbach collaboration which you can read about below. The Future Sound Systems Cric pin-matrix synth was also causing a big buzz - we’ve only got one left from our pre-order allocation, so don’t sleep if you want to get in on the first run!

We’ve had a few big restocks in recently, including the Soma Terra (at a very special price), the Play All Day PlayFader in its smart new MNML colour scheme and lots of essential Eurorack accessories like Knurlies and Nest Tamers. Plus the long-awaited Boredbrain OPTX v2 ADAT interface has landed this morning. We’ve also welcomed a few exciting new brands to the store - read on to find out more…

Until next time,

Jason, Aleks, Kyle, Luke, Molly, Rob & Tom

Latest arrivals

Arguably the biggest buzz at Machina was around Collide 4, the new ‘Quadrature Spectral Computer’ (no, us neither) from Belgian boffins Joranalogue and smooth-talking YouTube sensation Hainbach. Based on the kind of lock-in amplifier circuit usually found in nuclear test equipment, this is essentially a pingable complex oscillator that includes a preamp, variable-bandwidth filter, through-zero VCO and ring modulators. The sonic possibilities are vast and what we’ve heard so far is awesome. Our first batch sold out in 24 hours, and the second batch is now up for preorder for delivery in early 2025. Don’t sleep!

We’re delighted to be the exclusive UK retailer for the mighty Time Machine stereo multi-tap delay from Olivia Artz Modular. This is a highly playable stereo unit that you might have seen doing its thing in videos from DivKid and Tom - it’s capable of everything from subtle rhythmic pattern design to ear-shredding feedback and sonic destruction. They landed today, along with OAM’s excellent 2HP gate skipper, Uncertainty.

The original complex oscillator is arriving in Eurorack format at long last! Tiptop Audio’s latest official Buchla reissue is the mighty 259t - the inspiration for heavyweight dual VCOs from the likes of Make Noise, Verbos, Frap Tools and Instruo. This version has the iconic wavefolding and internal modulation buses but also boasts ART compatability for 21st-century tuning and control. Stock due to land in the next few days - we recommend pre-ordering to bag one from this batch.

Denmark’s T-Rex Effects have recreated the legendary Binson Echorec analogue delay as a deluxe desktop device. A bit like a tape echo without the tape, it uses a rotating metal drum and a magnetic recording head and the OG was used by rock legends like David Gilmour, Hank Marvin and John Bonham. It’s built like a tank and sounds like a dream - the connoisseur’s choice!

Another new brand to the store is Portugal’s Teia Synthesizers, who make slick and thoughtfully designed Eurorack modules. We’ve got their whole range in stock, including the all-new OpticShifter, a 20-stage optical phaser inspired by 70s designs. It’s great for smooth and buttery phasing effects as well as glorious woody percussive sounds when pinged.

Bela’s popular touch controller Gliss has earned a devoted following from musicians looking to add a bit of manual expression to their Eurorack setup. Offering CV recording/looping, sequencing, signal processing and more, it’s a multi-functional module that can add something useful to any rack - and now there’s a 1U version for those who like to swipe left and right…

New on YouTube

Stephen McLeod of All My Friends Are Synths dropped by our HQ recently and had an in-depth chat with Jason while getting a look at his frankly ridiculous synth collection and underground studio/lair. Check it out to get a peek behind the scenes and find out a bit more about what makes us tick!

New on our blog

We’ve done a deep dive on field recording this month with two new posts. Luke’s beginner’s guide looks at what it involves, why you might want to do it and what gear you’ll need, while Tom chatted to Ezra Gray of Oaka Instruments to find out more about his boutique field recording microphones. If you’ve been curious about field recording but don’t know where to start, this is for you.

And finally…

Glasgow modular crew, it’s your regular call to assemble at Bloc next Wednesday for Attack Release! Live sets come from two Lancastrian artists, Field Lines Cartographer and Guerrilla Biscuits, plus Toadstool Tech’s inimitable Izaak ‘Ectocore’ Hollander.

Want to get this newsletter in your inbox every fortnight? Sign up here.