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Japanese synth brand Sonicware has launched a new desktop module version of its ELZ_1 synth, ELZ_1 core.

Sonicware’s ELZ_1 core puts a powerful, multi-synthesis engine in a compact desktop box.

The new module is based on the same digital synthesis engine as Sonicware ELZ_1 play, but trims down that instrument’s already somewhat compact form factor to fit into a pint-sized hardware box, ditching the original’s button keyboard in the process.

The ELZ_1 engine has three oscillators, each of which can make use of 18 different synthesis approaches ranging from wavetable synthesis through virtual analogue, FM, physical modelling and more. The instrument’s selection of stock wavetables include 16 officially licensed from Waldorf’s classic PPG and Microwave synths and it can also import wavetables created in Xfer Serum.

Beyond the oscillators, the ELZ_1 features nine varieties of filter and EQ, four types of envelope generator and 49 effect types, the latter of which can be used across four effect slots covering both inserts and sends. The synth also has a 128-step sequencer and 12-mode arpeggiator.

The new ELZ_1 core hardware is designed to be used alongside your existing MIDI controller, sequencer or DAW. It can connect to external gear via its MIDI input and output ports. There are also USB-C and USB-A ports, the first of which can be used for MIDI and audio streaming, the latter as a MIDI host that can also provide bus power.

The new synth has a 2.4-inch colour LCD screen that displays the redesigned Edit UI, which can be manipulated using a bank of five rotaries. Three of these can also be used as macro controls, configurable to adjust up-to three parameters simultaneously across the ELZ_1’s oscillators, synth engine and effects.

Alongside the launch of ELZ_1 core, Sonicware has updated the firmware for all versions of the synth adding a new system of preset tagging and favourites.

If you’re tempted by the look of the ELZ_1 core, you probably don’t want to hang around. Like the ELZ_1 play before it, the synth is being sold in limited, made-to-order batches. According to Sonicware, this decision comes down to the impact of, “Rising component costs and ongoing supply instability, [meaning that] it has be1come difficult for us to secure the quantities required for mass production.”

ELZ_1 core is available to order for £449/ €539/$499, with the first batch of 50 due to ship mid-October. Visit the Sonicware site for more information.

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Universal Audio launches major update to the free Luna DAW that the company is calling its “biggest software release to date”

Universal Audio has announced the launch of Luna 3.0, a major update to the company’s DAW that introduces a raft of enhancements and new features, including AI-powered stem separation, lyric transcription and chord extraction, alongside Luna Play, a simplified recording mode designed to help you get ideas down fast.

Originally released in 2020 as a low-latency recording environment for owners of UA hardware, Luna was made available free to all Mac users in 2023 before a Windows version was launched in 2024. The software has a number of UA’s analogue emulations embedded into its mixing workflow, integrating the sound of classic channel strips, mixing consoles and tape machines directly into the recording environment.

The new Luna 3.0 is available in both free and paid tiers; the paid-for version has now been renamed Luna Studio (formerly known as Luna Pro) and includes some of the more advanced features unveiled in the update. Luna Free has also received a significant overhaul, though – let’s dig into what’s new.

Available across both tiers, Luna Play is a new recording mode within the software that strips back the complexity of a regular DAW to offer a simpler and more streamlined workflow. Described as something like a “voice memo app” designed for “easy, immediate and focused creativity”, Play can automatically detect the instrument you’re recording and the tempo you’re playing, set appropriate levels and suggest presets from UA plugins – all you have to do is play. (Check out the video below for a demo.)

Luna Play is also equipped with the new stem separation functionality that you’ll find in both Luna Free and Luna Studio. The free tier gets 4-track separation covering Drums, Vocals, Bass and Other, while the paid-for version gives you two extra tracks: Guitar and Piano.

Also new in Luna Free are welcome improvements to a number of the DAW’s more bread-and-butter features. You get an overhauled Piano Roll that provides a dedicated MIDI editing workspace alongside the main timeline, Folder Tracks that organise tracks and route audio to folders, an Adaptive Grid on the timeline that adjusts to your zoom level, and more nice-to-haves like a Strip Silence tool, automation for clip gain and the click track, alongside rulers for chords, keys and time signatures.

Another addition is Record FX, a workflow previously only available to Apollo owners that allows you to record directly through native plugins. Overall, that’s an impressive amount of firepower for a free piece of software, especially considering that Luna Free was already one of the more capable free DAWs available to budget-conscious music-makers.

The updates exclusive to Luna Studio include audio-to-MIDI functionality and new AI-powered lyric transcription and chord extraction tools developed by Moises. The paid-for version now comes with several plugins you won’t find in Luna Free: Topline Vocal Tune, UA’s simplified vocal pitch correction plugin, along with two third-party instruments, Celemony Tonalic Essential and Dreamtonics Synthesizer V 2 Core. Luna Studio is priced at $199.

Universal Audio has also unveiled a new subscription plan, UAD Spark Studio, priced at $149.99/year. A subscription will give you access to Luna Studio and a collection of 70 native UAD plugins, including some of the company’s most popular analogue emulations – covering classic compressors, channel trips, preamps, EQs, tape machines, delays, reverbs and amps – and seven instrument plugins.

Visit the Universal Audio website to find out more.

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Coffeeshopped has released Patch Base 4 for Mac – an update that they say is “more polished, more stable, and has a couple of new features as well.”

Patch Base is a collection of editors and librarians for 85 hardware synthesizers.

New features include:

• MIDI Controller Support – you can now map knobs and faders from your external MIDI controllers onto the on-screen controls of Patch Base.
• Light Mode – Patch Base now has the light mode / dark mode settings that you would expect from a Mac desktop app. You can set the app to automatically track the mode that your computer is in, or set Patch Base permanently to either Light or Dark mode.
• External Keyboard Support – this version adds is an easy way to use an external MIDI keyboard to play your synths while editing them in Patch Base. Just tell Patch Base which keyboard(s) you want to use to play notes on, and Patch Base will route the MIDI from that keyboard to whichever patch editor window is currently active.

Patch Base 4 is available now for $49.99 with one editor, with additional editors available for $24.99 each. An all-access subscription option is also available.

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