Erica Synths has introduced HexDrums, a new analog drum machine – created in collaboration with Hexinverter – that they say is forged out of deep respect for traditional designs, with innovative improvements and the combined spellwork of its makers.
Combining the range and flexibility of sounds by Hexinverter with the hands-on, no nonsense layout and aesthetics of Erica Synths, the Hexdrums offers the distilled, iconic essence of analog electronic drums in a practical form factor.
The HexDrums has 10 sound sources, mostly based on the Hexinverter Mutant series of percussion modules: two kick drums for different (or combined) flavors – the BD9 and Bass drum, an optimized Mutant Machine, Snare drum, Clap, Rimshot and HiHats.
To complete the setup, Erica Synths Cymbals have been added, featuring 10 sets of crash and ride cymbal samples.
All drums have individual outputs and in the master section, they are panned in the stereo field before being sent into the Compressor and Master Drive, derived from the Mutant Glue.
A hands-on and easy-to-program sequencer provides nuanced, up to 64-step pattern design, accents, per-step microtiming, ratchets, rolls, per-step probability and a memory of 16 banks with 16 patterns each.
Features:
Fully analog Mutant voices
Versatile, hands-on X0X-style sequencer
Individual voice outputs
Stereo compressor
Stereo master drive
16 banks of 16 patterns memory
Memory backup via USB B
Song mode
The Erica Synths HexDrums is available to pre-order, priced at € 1200.00, with shipping planned to start at the end of November, 2025.
Ten years in the making, Omnisphere 3 arrives with ‘thousands’ of new sounds.
Today, Spectrasonics introduces Omnisphere 3, a major upgrade to their flagship virtual instrument and software synthesizer Omnisphere that’s packed with new synthesis capabilities, new effects, Adaptive Global Controls for instant patch customization, curated libraries, comprehensive MPE support, a massive sound library with thousands of new sounds and more.
The intro video features Spectrasonics Founder and Creative Director Eric Persing, who is one of the most influential sound designers and synth developers of all time. Here, he’s channeling the memory of Steve Job’s iconic product introductions for Apple, down to the the black turtleneck and ‘one more thing’ surprise. And it works.
The Omnisphere 3 intro video is one of the best we’ve ever seen for a synth. It discusses how powerful the new synth is, showcases features that are actually impressive and demonstrates them in use with examples that actually sound very musical. And it takes a ‘put up or shut up’ approach, not layering on a bunch of marketing hype.
Persing is joined by composer Julian ‘J3PO’ Pollack; producer and sound designer James Bernard; and artist Nashi; who each demonstrate key new features with musical demos.
Watch the video intro for a deep intro to Omnisphere 3, and read on for detailed info on what’s new.
Omnisphere 2 was already a powerhouse instrument with a colossal library, but 3 takes that to the next level. The factory library now contains over 26,000 patches across 18 curated collections spanning analogue and digital synthesis, acoustic instruments, ambient textures and cinematic sound effects.
(If you’re concerned that all of this may not fit on your hard drive, fear not: thanks to Spectrasonics’ new lossless optimization, the library takes up the same amount of space as Omnisphere 2, 64GB.)
All of the original Omnisphere patches have been remastered and refreshed to take advantage of the new features and effects, and a new organizational system has been implemented to make the process of discovering new presets faster and more intuitive.
Omnisphere 3’s sound engine combines sample playback with wavetable, FM and granular synthesis. Now armed with over 600 morphing wavetables, including a new EDM-focused collection, the synth engine has been equipped with a new oscillator drift function and a dual frequency shifter that’s fully modulatable and can be routed in parallel or series. (It’s also polyphonic, so each note can be frequency-shifted individually.)
The new Quadzone feature allows you to creatively manipulate the four sound layers that make up an Omnisphere patch in a number of ways, unlocking a whole host of performative possibilities. On the Quadzone Grid, you can split and crossfade timbres across the keyboard, assign layers to different velocity ranges, or use a MIDI-mapped fader to control which zones in the grid are audible.
Omnisphere 3.0 Features:
Omnisphere 3 offers a massive collection of 18 sound libraries, containing thousands and thousands of new sounds.
New Curated Libraries – Rapidly find exactly the sounds you need within the highly curated new libraries, carefully organized by type of use.
Greatly improved Browsing experience with new organization system.
Unique new deep-sampled sound sources, including Blown Ostrich Egg, Tonal Sand, Nyckelharpa, Celestaphone, Lyre Harp, Magic Wand Metallophones, Sul Tasto Cello, Percussive Snow, Piano Harmonics, Tongue Slap Flute and more.
Original patches have been remastered and refreshed with the latest v3 features and FX.
More sounds, same space! With new lossless optimization technology, the complete Omnisphere 3 factory sound library takes NO MORE drive space than Omnisphere 2.
Omnisphere 3’s new global macro controls enable you to customize any patch, quickly adjusting its most important characteristics without diving into a maze of menus.
A new Mutations function creates variations on any patch at the click of a button, intelligently swapping out the wavetables or sound sources used under the hood. You have the option to choose between two Mutation levels, so you can go for a subtle variation or a complete overhaul depending on the amount of transformation you’re after.
Omnisphere 3’s effects engine has been expanded with 35 new effects, adding up to a total of 93 processors that can be chained together and applied to both patches, individual sound layers and auxiliary sends in the FX Rack. Among the new additions are four types of reverb, four types of delay, a 1176-style limiter, a tube saturation emulator and multiband compressor, alongside some more creative and experimental sound-shaping tools.
One of the most unexpected and welcome new features in Omnisphere 3 is the Omnisphere FX Rack plugin. Spectrasonics has also made the FX Rack available as a dedicated effects plugin, allowing you to apply any of Omnisphere’s effects to other instruments and sound sources in your DAW.
With the Omnisphere FX Rack, Spectrasonics has made this possible, with the included Omnisphere FX VST/AU/AAX plug-in.
Omnisphere 3 brings support for MPE-compatible controllers, allowing for more nuanced expression across the instrument’s patches through additional dimensions of control such as per-note pitch bend and polyphonic aftertouch.
Spectrasonics has dramatically expanded Omnisphere’s hardware integration with more than 300 new pre-mapped profiles for synths and controllers from 36 major manufacturers, including Roland, Yamaha, Native Instruments, Moog, Arturia and many more.
Omnisphere 3 is a truly monumental update that brings a vast amount of creative potential and sonic firepower to a plugin that was already one of the most powerful “do-it-all” software instruments in its class.
Other Omnisphere v3 Highlights:
Redesigned Full Browser
Extensive Implementation of Sub-Categories
New Directory Tree interface in Full Browser
New “Hide” feature – don’t show sounds you don’t need
New Library images for gorgeous presentation
Simplified Tagging System with Keywords and Moods
Full backwards compatibility with all previous versions of Omnisphere
Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 will be available on October 21, 2025. Omnisphere 3 is $499/€399, and Omnisphere owners can upgrade for $199.
Yamaha has introduced MODX M series, a new line of mid-range synthesizers that’s designed to bring the Montage M‘s professional-grade features, including the AN-X virtual analogue modelling engine to a wider audience.
The AN-X sound engine is 12-voice polyphonic and powered by three oscillators, capable of producing five waveforms (Saw1, Saw2, Square, Triangle and Sine). Two filters are on board with a choice of 10 filter types, and AN-X offers waveshaping, wavefolding, ring mod, PWM and FM, alongside voltage drift and aging settings that introduce a vintage-style sound.
Featuring three sound engines — including AN-X for vintage analog warmth, FM-X for modern digital synthesis, and AWM2 for ultra-realistic instrument sounds — MODX M offers a wide range of tones suitable for every musical style. AWM2 has been expanded with 5GB of additional wave memory, along with 1.9GB of user memory for custom waveforms and samples, giving you all of the AWM2 sounds found on the Montage M.
Each MODX M model features intuitive performance controls, including eight physical faders, the Montage Super Knob for multi-parameter modulation, and high-resolution control across all interfaces. The Super Knob has been upgraded with an additional knob position button, can be used as a macro controller to control dozens of modulations with a single gesture.
The synth’s interface has been updated with more physical controls and improved usability, bringing four additional faders, six knobs under the screen and dedicated buttons for Part and Scene selection. MODX M has also been equipped with a 4-in/10-out USB audio interface that supports MIDI 2.0.
Yamaha MODX M sound demos:
MODX M also comes with the free Expanded Softsynth Plugin (E.S.P.) for all registered owners (available early 2026) — a virtual version of MODX M that integrates seamlessly with any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), enabling musicians to create and edit performances anywhere.
