Plenty of new hardware as well as software has been announced for synthesizer enthusiasts, so here’s a roundup of the most notable releases. 

Hardware

RADAR & PRO VS MINI

By Behringer

Behringer has announced a few new products, including a contact and pickup microphone module for Eurorack called RADAR. According to Behringer, RADAR can easily provide beats, ambient noises, and otherworldly sound effects and can readily be integrated into any synth setup. It features a pickup microphone that is located underneath the surface of the module. Users can tap or scratch the textured surface to produce signals that can then be patched into any module of their choice. The result will be ambient, echoey sound effects, creepy bangs, or any sound that they can imagine.

 Behringer also stated that the pickup on the RADAR is sensitive enough to capture any surrounding acoustic waves, such as knocks on the modular case, snare hits from a drummer or even sounds coming out of loudspeakers. It can then convert those sounds into gate or envelope signals, which can be tweaked with Gate Sensitivity or Attack and Decay controls respectively. For more information on RADAR, check out the official website (https://www.behringer.com/behringer/product?modelCode=0720-ACP). It is available now for $79.99.

Also new from Behringer is the PRO VS MINI, a powerful, feature-rich, portable, 4-voice hybrid synthesizer. It has 16 vector oscillators featuring wavetable synthesis with 128 waveforms, 27-touch sensitive keys, an analog 24 dB low-pass filter, and a 16-step sequencer. The PRO VS MINI also allows the creative morphing of all four oscillators via a joystick, a high-resolution OLED display for easy parameter editing, and individual envelopes for filter, amplifier, and oscillator mixer. Best of all, it’s portable enough to be tucked away in a backpack or gigbag ready to go any time. The PRO VS MINI is available with a list price of $99. For more information check out the official website (https://www.behringer.com/behringer/product?modelCode=0722-ABF). 

Crumar Spirit 2023

By Crumar 

Crumar has announced the release of the Crumar Spirit 2023, which will mark the first time that this instrument is being put back in production after 40 years. The instrument will be handmade in the Crumar laboratories in Italy as an exclusive object dedicated to true enthusiasts. Crumar has stated that only 100 copies will be produced and each will be numbered, certified, and unrepeated. These will be shipped directly from the factory to buyers anywhere in the world for €3990.00. 

The Crumar Spirit is not only a rare and exotic instrument but also has a reputation for sounding good. It should come as no surprise though as it was designed by Bob Moog, Tom Rhea, and Jim Scott. For the new release, Crumar stated that their goal was to make an instrument with the least number of compromises possible. Of course, some components were either obsolete or unobtainable, but Crumar has made sure to replace these with more modern versions. For fascinating insights about the design process for the new Spirit visit the official website where you can also reserve a copy of the instrument (https://www.crumarspirit.com/). 

Software

ZENOLOGY Pro Collection

By Roland

Roland has announced the ZENOLOGY Pro Collection, which features their flagship plug-in, the ZEN-Core Synthesis System along with JUNO-106, JUPITER-8, JD-800, JX-8P, and SH-101 Model Expansions. The collection contains thousands of tones and drum kits that are easily expandable to over 10,000 selections along with clear, intuitive interfaces for free-flowing production. Some models featured in the collection also boast increased polyphony over the original hardware along with extended parameters, advanced arpeggiators, onboard, effects, and more. The collection works in all compatible ZEN-Core hardware and users can swap model expansions and load sounds instantly. It is VST3, AU, and AAX compatible with native support for Apple silicon. The ZENOLOGY PRO collection is available for $599 and can be found in the “Offers Tab” in Roland Cloud Manager with no paid membership required. For more information visit the official website (https://www.roland.com/ca/products/rc_zenology_pro_collection/).

CAMADA

By Yarra Audio

Yarra Audio has released CAMADA, a versatile polyphonic synthesizer that is powered by the free player HALion Sonic. According to Yarra Audio, it is designed for musicians, sound designers, music producers, and others who are interested in creating rich and complex sounds. CAMDA has dual engines, which allow users to customize their sound with detuning, panning, and mono/poly mode settings for each engine. It also has voice programming containing a unique set of waveforms that can be morphed using the XY pad, sub oscillator with a wide range of waveforms, crossfader, multi-mode filter, and much more. In addition, thanks to four FLOs and a Filter Envelope, users can creature intricate modulations and evolving textures. 

CAMADA can be purchased for an introductory price of $49.00 until the end of August 2023 after which it reverts to its regular price of $79.00. It requires either HALion 7 or the free HALion Sonic 7 to be installed to run. For more information, check out the official website (https://www.yarraaudio.com/camada).