I took the day off work today to visit Superbooth and go on a day that wasn’t as busy and full as the Saturday was last year. It was a successful tactic – I got to try out many more devices and synthesizers and could talk and ask questions to more exhibitors compared to last time.
The hardware I got my hands on:
- Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth – desktop synth
- Modal Electronics Argon8, Carbon8 (prototype) – synths
- Intuitive Instruments Exquis – MIDI controller
- Melbourne Instruments NINA – synth
- Dreadbox murmux – synth
- Polyend Tracker+ and Tracker Mini – devices
- Arturia Astrolab – keyboard (V Collection in hardware form)
- beetlecrab.audio Tempera – granular synth
- Waldorf Iridium Core – desktop synth
- 1010music Fireball – mini synth
- Expressive E Osmose – MPE synth and keyboard controller
- Moog DFAM (and Spectravox) – semi-modular drum synth
- Sequential synths Prophet Rev 2, Take 5, and I was waiting in line but had to leave before trying the new Oberheim TEO-5 – time was running out and I wanted to look at the Pittsburgh Modular stand
I missed the Yamaha (wanted to check out SeqTrack groovebox) and Elektron stands somehow, even though I went around the upstairs route, and I couldn’t find the UDO Audio bungalow (would have loved to experience Super Gemini in person) on my way out a few minutes before the stands were closing.
All of the instruments were fun and inspiring, the Modal Carbon8 synth made quite impressive sounds, and the Sequential Prophet Rev 2 was the most rewarding to play. I wish I knew how to try out the experimental synth Voltage Lab 2 by Pittsburgh Modular – but watching and listening was plenty to get a good idea of what it can do.
After I got home I looked into a few of the things I saw, but I ended up on the Elektron website looking at Digitakt II wishing for that as the next piece of equipment for me to get some time in the future…