At Superbooth 2026, FRAKnoise showcased the Melancholytron, described as “a synthesizer that always sounds melancholic”.
It’s inspired by the Mellotron, but really leans into the melancholic sound.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“The Melancholytron project is first and foremost a book about melancholy. About the quiet, reflective emotion that has accompanied artists, thinkers, and musicians for centuries. Melancholy is not simply sadness. It is a more ambiguous state: a bittersweet awareness of time passing, of beauty touched by loss, of moments that cannot quite be held.
Alongside this book you will find a synthesizer, also called the Melancholytron. It was created as a companion to these pages. Rather than explaining melancholy, it allows you to hear it , and perhaps to play it. Each sound in the instrument is an attempt to capture a particular shade of this elusive feeling.”
Melancholytron is available to pre-order at the project site for € 625.00 without keyboard and € 825.00 for the keyboard version.
Roland has announced that ZENOLOGY GX for iPad is now available.
ZENOLOGY GX for iPad makes Roland’s powerful ZEN-Core Synthesis System available on the iPad, with a touch-friendly interface and deep sound design tools.
Features:
ZENOLOGY GX – Synthesizer App Features
ZEN-Core synthesis engine designed for iPadOS with expressive touch controls
Free access to all features and over 4,200 sounds during the introductory period
Sound library expandable to more than 11,000 presets
Advanced sound browser for exploring and tagging favorite sounds
Powerful synth architecture with up to four partials per tone (oscillator, filter, amplifier, dual LFOs, EQ)
Ability to layer multiple synthesis types, including virtual analog and modern PCM
Four oscillators with nine virtual analog waveforms, Supersaw, noise, PCM, and PCM SYNC
Includes 1,840 PCM waveforms, expandable to over 7,000
Ten filter types, including Roland’s iconic JUPITER-series models
Eleven LFO shapes, with tempo-synced Step LFOs offering 37 curves per step
Over 90 Roland effects, including reverbs, JUNO-106 and CE-1 choruses, SDD-320 Dimension D, DJ-FX Looper, etc.
In-app sound discovery and creative tools for building and editing patches
Edit and share sounds with ZENOLOGY Pro and compatible ZEN-Core hardware instruments (e.g.,
FANTOM, JUPITER-X, JUNO-X, RD-88, MC-101, MC-707)
Works as a standalone app, with AU support coming soon
ZENOLOGY GX for iPad is available now, free of charge. After the introduction period, it will be available with select Roland Cloud memberships or a Lifetime Key purchase.
Akai has released MPC 3.8, a free update that delivers expanded integration with MPC Sample, enabling seamless project compatibility and workflow continuity between MPC hardware, desktop software, and MPC Sample.
The update is compatible with MPC XL, MPC Live III, MPC Key 37, MPC One+, MPC X Special Edition, MPC Key 61, MPC One, MPC Live II, MPC X, MPC Live, and Force hardware.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“This update strengthens the MPC ecosystem by allowing users to move projects and tracks between environments while also incorporating MPC Sample effects directly into MPC.
Additional bug fixes and stability improvements ensure a smoother production experience across all supported platforms.”
