Zebra 3 is here, a sprawling semi-modular plug-in that runs deep

What if an integrated plug-in instrument could rival even full-blown modulars? That’s the question posed by u-he’s Zebra 3, out now at long last for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It’s unlikely any other soft synth takes on just this much synthesis territory, or with this much depth. From spline-based morphing oscillators to physical modeling and […]

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.

Peter Kirn - July 1, 2025

Intellijel’s new Atlantix is a dual-oscillator voice in 42HP with all the extras

Intellijel just dropped their new all-in-one synth voice for modular. The successor to their one-voice, SH-101-inspired Atlantis is the expanded Atlantix – and it packs a whole lot of fixins’ in that 42HP.

Peter Kirn - June 21, 2024

Enter the through-zero flange: Sinevibes Dipole v2 for KORG

Peter Kirn - November 15, 2022