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Synthesist Jay Hosking shared this video, noting that the Moog Minimoog Model D is “the archetype for a reason”.

The Minimoog has been copied, cloned, knocked off and emulated for decades, and synthesists have more options for getting that sound that ever.

But Hosking argues that the Minimoog isn’t ‘magically better’, but it is a beautiful instrument, and there are real reasons why it’s still the archetype of a synth, even after 50 years.

Here’s what he shared about the video:

“This is an exploration of the Moog Minimoog Model D, no goals other than to have fun. The Walrus Slöer adds reverb and sounds beautiful. There was no additional processing to the sound. And what a beautiful sound it is.

The Minimoog Model D is one of the two main instruments that started my love of synths in the first place. I’ve long wanted one, and the reissue’s wood looked especially beautiful, but I had to wait until I saw it at the right price. That happened last week, and here we are.

Yes, I know there are clones, and I know those clones can sound very very good. I’m not telling you that this is somehow magically better; it probably isn’t. But I can tell you it feels like an instrument, it’s beautiful to the touch, it has a heft to it, and the wood makes it feel like an installation piece or furniture or something that occupies physical space in the environment. I feel like I’m sharing the room with it, a creative environment, and that’s a harder thing to quantify.

Some full songs will be coming with it at some point. How could they not? It’s just incredible.”

Erica Synths has introduced the latest in their line of DIY synth module kits FM Drum, created in collaboration with Moritz Klein.

FM Drum is designed to fuse analog punch with the metallic tones of FM synthesis.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“The DIY kit offers a wide range of sounds for your patches, from kicks to toms, metallic clangs and more – a great addition of versatile, rhythmic elements to your system!

We – Erica Synths and Moritz Klein – have developed a series of educational DIY kits under the brand name mki x es.EDU with one specific goal in mind: to teach people with little-to-no prior experience how to design analog synthesizer circuits from scratch. What you’ll find in the box is not simply meant to be soldered together and then disappear in your rack. Instead, we want to take you through the circuit design process step by step, explaining every choice we’ve made and how it impacts the finished module.

NB! All kits in these series are simple and come with extensive user manuals which can be downloaded separately, therefore we will not provide customer support in case your DIY build fails to function or similar.”

An overview of the design from Klein:

The EDU DIY FM Drum is available now, priced at € 75.00.

Music gear prices are skyrocketing as a result of the Trump administration’s new tariffs, and this is going to significantly impact US musicians’ instrument purchase plans for the foreseeable future.

Electronic music gear buyers are likely to experience sticker shock in the next few months, as prices for gear manufactured in China more than double, and prices for US-made products rise because of dependencies on Chinese-made components.

Some manufacturers and retailers are reacting to this by trying to be transparent about the impact of the new tariffs on gear pricing.

For example, electronic music gear maker Sonicware – maker of the Liven line of synths, CyDrums and other instruments – has updated its site to show the impact of the Trump administration’s new tariffs on pricing.

Their listing for the CyDrums includes this warning for US buyers:

“Important Notice for USA Customers

Due to new U.S. customs regulations, a 145% duty will apply to China-made products, including this item.

This $399 item will incur over $578 in additional import charges starting next month. We recommend ordering within this month to avoid the new duties.”

We’ve seen similar messages via email from other manufacturers. You can also check out the price at Amazon site.

For US gear makers, it may be more challenging to show the exact impact of the new tariffs, because the manufacturers have to deal with the prices of Chinese-made components more than doubling. In addition to creating supply-chain nightmares for manufacturers, this could create accounting challenges for companies that want to be transparent about how the new taxes impact pricing.

When it comes to US-based music retailers, they are warning about the tariff-driven price increases. Sweetwater earlier this year warned, “We anticipate that many manufacturers could increase their prices from as little as 5% to 40% or more in the coming months,” and this was prior to the administration’s most recent tariff increases.

We have not seen retailers trying to directly show the impact of tariffs, yet, whether it’s because of accounting challenges or politics.

The administration positions the tariffs as necessary, as part of its strategies for fighting Fentanyl abuse and trade deficits in goods. The tariffs are seen as self-destructive by most US economists and CEOs, though, because tariffs have historically contributed to inflation, increased unemployment and economic depression.

Unfortunately, the bottom line for musicians that live in the US is that gear prices are going way up. And, for US-based gear makers, it will be harder to compete internationally, as tariffs on imported components drive up manufacturing costs.

Should US music gear manufacturers and retailers be transparent about the impact of new US tariffs on prices? Leave a comment and let us know what you’d like to see when you’re making buying decisions.