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Sonicware’s Lofi-12 XT first landed in 2023.

Crunchy ‘90s-style sampling meets glitchy looper effects in Sonicware’s newly-enhanced hardware instrument.

The Lofi-12 XT expanded on the concept with longer sample times, increased connectivity and more hands-on performance features, all while keeping the price around the relatively-affordable £/$400 mark. Now the capabilities of the XT model have been expanded further via a substantial v1.5 firmware update.

The most interesting new features come to the device’s Sound Page. Here the machine gains new reverse playback sample modes, which allow it to play samples back-to-front, either as one-shots, loops or slices. The sampler’s slice mode has been improved too, making it possible to chop a loop into up-to 16 slices, as well as making it easier to edit all slices simultaneously.

In addition, the machine’s sequencing workflow gets an upgrade, allowing users to start playback of a sequence from a specific step, as well as preview the sound of a specific step in a sequence – all of which promises to make editing and adjusting patterns easier.

And, Lofi-12 XT gains four new master effects. These are Snip Loop, which will capture and repeat a chunk of the current loop, an Isolator EQ and a new beat repeat-style Remix effect. There are also newly separated Sidechain and standard Compressor modes.

The most useful of the new features is audio exporting, which allows users to export the audio of their loops directly as a .wav file that can easily be imported directly into a DAW or another device. The Lofi-12 XT can export a full mixdown of a complete loop or individual stems of each track.

Lofi-12 XT still has a 16-bit/12kHz/24kHz engine at its core, equipped with a 12-bit sampler mode. Each sample has a maximum length of 300 seconds and, depending on your SD card, you can store as many samples as you like and load up 256 of these into a single project.

The onboard eight-track sequencer allows for both real and step-time recording plus it can record automation. The new effects are added to an existing lineup of 20 master processors.

Beyond the headline features, v1.5 also adds a variety of improvements to the interface, MIDI functionality and bug fixes. The XT now also comes with samples created by hip-hop producers Dibiase and Ski Beatz.

The v1.5 firmware is available now for existing users. New users can currently pick up the sampler for a discounted price of $399. Visit the Sonicware site for more info.

The Doppler is a desktop FM synth designed for ‘ultra-tweakability’

Artium Instruments has announced the availability of The Doppler, a synthesizer that they say offers ‘a bold take on FM synthesis’.

Housed in a stompbox-like chassis, The Doppler is a two-operator, 8-voice FM instrument designed with a knob-per-function interface. The synth engine makes use of two sine wave generators arranged in a carrier-modulator relationship.

The modulator’s frequency is quantised and can modulate both the frequency of the carrier and the carrier’s phase, either individually or simultaneously. The synth also has a pink noise generator that can be used to modulate the carrier for additional grit.

According to Artium Instruments, The Doppler is a simple synth designed to be ‘ultra-tweakable’: “It features a single, powerful algorithm, but the magic happens when you start adjusting its parameters. Even the subtlest tweaks lead to big shifts in the overall sound, making every turn feel like a discovery.”

Although The Doppler only has a single ADSR envelope for modulation, there are a few interesting settings that make this more versatile than it first appears. For one thing, the envelope can be switched to affect either just the carrier signal, or both the carrier output and modulation amount. There’s also a Mod Trail control that can alter the attack of the modulator signal.

With onboard effects and the ability to process external audio, The Doppler can also function as a stereo delay and reverb pedal.

Connectivity-wise, The Doppler features a pair of TRS inputs and a pair of TRS outputs – the left of which can also be used as a stereo headphone output when nothing is connected to the right. There are also two USB ports, one purely for power and one to act as a MIDI host input.

Features:

• 8-Note Polyphony
• 2-Operator FM Engine
• Quantized Modulator with Octave and Semitone Control
• Onboard FX Including Tap-Tempo Delay and Lush Reverb
• External Audio Processing via Rear Input Jacks
• USB-C MIDI Host Compatibility

The Doppler is now available, priced at $397.10

German synthesist Hainbach – in his latest video – explores the Jörgensen Tuttivox, a rare vintage instrument created by Harald Bode & Rene Seybold.

Here’s what Hainbach has to say about it:

“I have been very interested in the work of German inventor and engineer Harald Bode. His essays and instruments were hugely influential on Robert Moog, Don Buchla and many others, and laid the ground work to the synthesizers of today. Sadly, most of his more experimental designs don’t survive.

But some of his more conventional instruments do, like his adaption of the proto-synth Clavioline he made for Jörgensen, the Tuttivox (with involvement/Patents to Rene Seybold).”

Check it out and share your thoughts on the Tuttivox in the comments!