At Superbooth 2026, Void9 previewed their MÕNAI portable multi-timbral synthesizer synth.
The MÕNAI is a portable, battery-powered synthesizer that features a high-resolution display and a combination of keys, encoders, touch strips, and joystick to provide direct control.
The synth’s architecture supports multiple synthesis engines that can run concurrently, each with its own effects and modulation routing, and offers real-time sampling capability via built-in microphones and a line input.
The MÕNAI includes internal sequencers for pattern and real-time recording, supports external trigger and sync, and is designed to integrate with external gear through MIDI, USB, and CV outputs.
Void9 also plans to support a software development kit, enabling third-party extensions for engines, effects, and sequencing functions.
Features:
29-key silent keyboard with velocity support and additional function keys for direct interaction with sound and performance parameters
Eight endless encoders
Two touch-sensitive strips
Two-axis joystick
High-resolution LCD screen
109 LEDs provide visual feedback
Two built-in microphones capture audio for sampling or processing internal to the instrument
Line-level audio input enables external source sampling and processing through the internal effects
Two audio outputs
USB-C port supports battery charging and connection to a host computer
USB-C host port accepts external controllers, such as MIDI keyboards
Standard 3.5 mm TRS MIDI input and output to connect legacy MIDI gear
Pedal input is available for external foot-control
Sync in/out sockets support external timing synchronization
Four control voltage outputs provide pitch, modulation, velocity, and gate signals for modular integration
Multiple synthesis engines can run simultaneously with per-engine effects and modulation routing
Internal sequencers provide real-time and step-style pattern recording for each active engine
A six-axis motion sensor registers device orientation for potential modulation and control input
Pricing and availability details for the Void9 MÕNAI are to be announced.
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.
