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Universal Audio is renowned for its well-regarded software emulations of vintage studio gear.

Today, Universal Audio is giving the $199 PolyMAX synth plugin away for free – but not for long.

Launched back in 2022, Universal Audio’s PolyMAX synth isn’t based on a single instrument, but instead draws broader inspiration from the “golden age of polysynthesis”, an era that brought us iconic synths like the Jupiter-8, OB-X and Prophet-5. Until now, PolyMAX has been priced at $199, but Universal Audio must be in a particularly generous mood, as they’re giving it away for free until June 30.

Universal Audio says that PolyMAX delivers the “organic, subtle beauty and musicality of classic analogue polyphonic synthesizers”, cherrypicking features, circuits and sounds from the developers’ favourite vintage instruments and “mixing, matching and modelling” these to create a “modern synth with retro roots”.

PolyMAX has a classic subtractive architecture: its dual analogue-modelled oscillators are equipped with continuously variable waveforms spanning triangle, sawtooth, square and pulse waves, and it has linear FM and osc sync, along with a noise oscillator.

PolyMAX’s resonant filter has low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch modes, giving you a choice between 4-pole and 2-pole slopes, while its mod envelope and tempo-syncable LFO can be used to modulate pitch, filter cutoff, FM amount and sync amount.

The synth features a healthy selection of effects: two effects slots provide a choice of phaser, flanger and chorus, along with delay and two types of reverb, including the “Hall B” algorithm from UA’s Lexicon 224 emulation. There’s also a multimode arpeggiator onboard.

It’s a solid, straightforward poly with a pleasantly intuitive interface that makes designing basic patches quick and relatively easy. If there’s space in your digital studio for another vintage-inspired subtractive synth, this one’s worth a download.

Find out more on the Universal Audio website.

The miniKORG 700Sm is a compact variation on the reissue of the classic miniKORG 700.

It has 37 slim keys with aftertouch.  There are enhanced connectivity options: a USB connector (Type B), MIDI In, Sync In/Out, CV/GATE In and Audio In, and includes 1/4-inch stereo outputs and a headphones output.

Join Luke from Korg as he opens up the miniKORG 700Sm for the first time and walks through the essential features to get started.

From unboxing to making sound in seconds, this is all about getting hands-on with Korg’s newly reborn analogue classic.

What’s in the box:

• First impressions of the panel and controls
• Dialling in instant analogue tones
  Playing your first sounds
• Luke’s thoughts as he rediscovers the miniKORG spirit

Regardless, you’re new to synths or a vintage gear enthusiast, this quick-start session shows just how immediate and powerful the miniKORG 700Sm really is.

Features:

• Authentic dual VCO analogue synthesis
• Classic Traveller filter and effects
• Built-in arpeggiator for rhythmic inspiration
• Save and recall sounds with patch memory
• USB and MIDI connectivity for studio integration
• Vintage design with modern enhancements

The Korg miniKORG 700Sm is available now with a street price of about $1,500.

Tame Impala’s ultra-hyped chord-generating synth is back for a second drop – and this time it’s international.

Late last year, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker launched the instrument company Telepathic Instruments and unveiled a debut product: Orchid.

Described as both an “ideas machine” and a “tool for anyone who wants to step outside their musical comfort zone”, it’s a 16-voice digital polysynth that features a unique chord generation system and a slick retro aesthetic.

The first batch of Orchids landed in December as part of its beta release. Telepathic Instruments tells us that this initial U.S.- only run of 1000 instruments sold out in “mere seconds” and that since then, artists such as Fred Again and Gracie Abrams have been spotted using Orchid.

Today, the company has announced Orchid’s second drop, revealing that 3000 more units will be made available to international customers. Two drops will be held for different timezones on May 29: the North, Central, and South America Drop will be open to all countries in the EDT timezone and kicks off at 7pm EDT. The Rest of World Drop will be available to Europe, Australia, Asia and the UK and takes place at 10am CET. Stock is limited to one Orchid per customer.

If you’re hoping to get your hands on an Orchid, you’ll need to sign up to The Garden, Telepathic Instruments’ Patreon community – described by the company as a “digital forum and sandbox for sonic exploration” – and follow the instructions detailed in this post. Don’t delay, as stock will be allocated according to the number of signups in each region.

The Garden provides a space for Orchid users to offer feedback on the instrument. Several improvements in Orchid’s second release were prompted by community engagement, including an updated loop mode and the addition of 10 new sounds.

Orchid will be available exclusively from Telepathic Instruments website and is still priced at $549, though Telepathic Instruments notes that additional duties/tariffs may apply for U.S. customers.