Oberheim TEO-5: Tom’s legacy, now on desktop, $1399

They’re built on the same platform, the development of which was overseen by the late Dave Smith. They cost roughly the same price and take up the same amount of space. But TEO-5 is not Take 5. Look to the Oberheim desktop instrument for the SEM multimode filter, linear through-zero FM, and its own unique effects. Here’s the synth Tom and team built.

Free deals: UA PolyMAX synth, iZotope Ozone Imager, Tonal Balance Control

Arriving with this weekend’s giveaways are some big freebies from Universal Audio and Native Instruments (now parent of iZotope). If you act fast, that includes iZotope’s Tonal Balance Control for free, through the US holiday weekend ending late Monday. Let’s break down the offers and tools.

Peter Kirn - May 25, 2025

Artemis illustration, a ghostly white face with white flowing hair against a black starscape, as pictured by creative director Afroditi Bitzouni.

Artemis combines Dreadbox analog, Sinevibes FX – and the result is lush

Getting hands-on with Dreadbox’s new 6-voice synth was a clear Superbooth highlight. Artemis is one instrument that combines 6-voice polyphonic analog with Sinevibes digital effects. But it wasn’t just my hands on it; we’ve got Sinevibes’ Artemiy playing this for us, too. And there’s more to this one than just the sum of its parts.

Peter Kirn - May 19, 2025

Dirty, punchy, free: this plug-in rendition of the Korg Poly-61 is raw and perfect

Peter Kirn - May 6, 2025

KORG multi/poly native is as satisfying as a desktop plug-in as it in hardware

Peter Kirn - March 6, 2025

Moog just posted an all-star art and tech panel; all that and an Oberheim

Peter Kirn - February 28, 2025

Pigments 6: modal engine, vocoder, more expand this synth playground

Peter Kirn - January 28, 2025

Arturia’s take on Elka Synthex puts buttery layers, hypnotic arps in reach

Peter Kirn - October 28, 2024

Chicago’s KnobCon, wrapped: DivKid walkthrough, more highlights

Peter Kirn - September 18, 2024

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