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Erica Synths has announced that the Perkons Voice, a Eurorack incarnation of the percussion voices from the PERKONS HD-01 drum machine, is now available to pre-order.

As on the PERKONS, the module has a hybrid architecture, featuring a digital sound engine, followed by an analog multimode filter and overdrive.

Key Features:

• Users can select among 13 sound generation algorithms and save up to 99 presets that can be recalled easily.
• Tune and Patch CV inputs are configurable for various CV settings and are tuned to 1V/Oct.
• The module also features a 4-voice poly overlap mode, and samples on the “Rompler” engine can be easily replaced.

Specifications:

• Audio output 10Vptp
• CV levels configurable -5V – +5V
• Power consumption +59mA, -30mA
• Module width 14HP
• Module depth 35mm

Erica Synths Perkons Voice module for Eurorack is priced at €280, and begins shipping January 28, 2025. More information is available on the Erica Synths website.

Ahead of the 2025 NAMM Show, Roland has released GALAXIAS 1.5, the latest update to their software “Super Instrument”.

GALAXIAS packs over 23,000 sounds, from dozens of instruments and effects, into a single creative environment. GALAXIAS runs as a standalone app or DAW plug-in and is included with Roland Cloud Ultimate membership.

GALAXIAS 1.5 expands on a host of recently released features such as in-app Sound Pack downloading, enhanced Macro Controls (including Instrument Macro Control presets), Scene View for creative control over vital parameters, and the CHORDS sequencer.

Visit the Roland site for details.

Ahead of the 2025 NAMM Show, being held Jan 21–25 in Anaheim, CA, RAD Distribution has announced a new partnership with Music Tribe – the Philippines-based holding company that owns Behringer, Midas, TC Electronic, TC Helicon, and other brands –  to expand distribution in the US.

In recent years, Music Tribe has focused its distribution efforts on online retail ‘super partners’, like Sweetwater & Amazon.

Industry watchers may have anticipated that a change was coming, though, because Behringer had announced plans to return to the NAMM Show this year. The NAMM Show is an industry event that’s designed to help music retailers and manufacturers connect, so Behringer’s return signaled interest in expanding distribution.

“This partnership ensures all retailers – big and small – can access Music Tribe’s innovative products,” said CEO Uli Behringer. With this collaboration, Music Tribe will now be making its products available to every retailer across the country.

In the last few years, Behringer has disrupted the synth market, introducing dozens of inexpensive synths, drum machines and Eurorack modules. Most musicians have not been able to try these instruments at local retailers, though, or to try gear from Music Tribe’s many other brands.

This barrier to purchase may be reduced by the fact that the majority of Behringer’s products are designed and marketed as affordable copies of well-known gear. The company’s plans for expanding distribution, though, should make it easier for musicians to ‘try before you buy’.

Will ‘bricks and mortar’ distribution expand the company’s focus beyond copying established products? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Interested dealers can contact RAD Distribution.