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At Superbooth 2022: Modbap Modular by BeatPPL has introduced TRANSIT, a new 6hp two channel stereo Eurorack mixer with mutes, ducking, and an all-analog signal path.

Transit has an all-analog signal path with dual mono (stereo) inputs on both of its 2 channels. Each channel lane has performative mute buttons with LED indication. Each channel lane has its own ducking input that allows for side-chaining. Each channel lane has its own gain control. Transit also has a dual mono (stereo) output with master level and an independent 3.5mm stereo headphone output with its own level control.

Transit takes two stereo — dual mono — lanes of audio with an all-analog signal path and embellishes each of them with its own input gain control (CH1 GAIN and CH2 GAIN), mute button (CH1 MUTE and CH2 MUTE), and ducking input (CH1 DUCK and CH2 DUCK), the latter operating like traditional side-chaining on a compressor, whereby an input signal, CV (Control Voltage), or trigger input — i.e. LFO (Low-Frequency Oscillator), Clock, Gate — modulates the gain reduction of the audio. Applying this well-known production technique to the ever-widening world of Eurorack should appeal to audio professionals, beat-makers, and musicians to whom it is already familiar from a wide variety of music genres where an effect is activated by an audio track.

In addition, Transit boasts a 3.5mm headphone (PHONES) jack with its own independent volume (PHONES GAIN) control knob, while its all- analog signal path’s final destination is a left and right stereo output (LEFT OUT and RIGHT OUT) with an associated MASTER volume knob.

Says Modbap Modular by BeatPPL designer and founder Corry Banks: “The idea for Transit came about because our Per4mer quad performance FX unit sat perfectly in one of our Modbap20 powered Eurorack pods. … In this configuration, it comfortably resided on the desktop amongst all my tabletop synths, drum machines, and samplers, but I found that I wanted a bit more control over the signal into Per4mer — plus, perhaps, a headphone jack — and I definitely wanted a master volume level control for live sets. So it made perfect sense to subsequently design a module that could fill the empty 6HP next to the Per4mer in the 20HP Modbap20. Together, Transit and Per4mer make for a perfect pairing while complementing the tabletop synth and beat-maker desktop.”

The official video intro:

Transit is available to order for $249.99 at retailers worldwide and via the ModBap webstore. The module is expected to ship in June 2022.

Bastl is heading to Superbooth this year.

Bastl Instruments Pizza is the company’s first dedicated oscillator module. It has been in development for more than three years.

Pizza is a compact 8HP digital oscillator with wave shaping applied to FM synthesis, and comes with an assignable CTRL knob and CV. Three outputs would give you plenty of patching flexibility.

The company says that Pizza offers a vast sonic palette, and would be a great outlet for anyone interested in hybrid synthesis. Waveshaping on the Main output takes you into additive territory, while the Pulse and Osc Out “speak the subtractive language”.

Additionally, there is a Tune knob that operates the octave transposing or detuning (or standing tuning when you need it).

The first batch of 300 Pizzas will be available for pre-order from 11 May and be delivered in June. The price is €245.

In addition, Bastl Instruments will also be heading to Superbooth with its Softpop SP2 – a subtractive synth with digital control. It turns out that there’s a digital VCO inside Softpop SP2, and existing users will soon be able to switch a jumper inside the unit, update the firmware via an audio file and start using it.

This digital oscillator includes several new waveforms and promises precise tuning and stability. The firmware update will be available once the second batch of Softpops starts shipping in the summer. This one costs €480.

Find out more on the Bastl Instruments website.

Oberheim is back with the OB-X8, an analogue love letter to its ‘80s synths

Oberheim has officially announced that it is back and it’s releasing a new version of the OB-X synth for the 21st century. The OB-X8 takes the best bits of the OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8 – manufactured between 1979 and 1985 – and packs them into a new eight-voice analogue synth. You also get all the presets from those OB classics but – as company founder Tom Oberheim explains – the OB-X8 is more than just the sum of these excellent parts.

“I wanted to come back strong with a new design that brings together the sounds of the greatest instruments from across the OB range, together with the distinctive sound and styling of those synths,” he says. “But we took it even further. You can now combine the various OB voice architectures in ways that produce unique and interesting new sounds and capabilities.”

The OB-X8 – and future Oberheim products that we’re told are on the cards – will be released in partnership with Focusrite. The British company also owns Sequential, the brand founded by Tom Oberheim’s friendly rival Dave Smith. And, wouldn’t you know it, Smith had a hand in creating the OB-X8, and will also be involved in future projects.

“We’ve already developed other interesting design ideas with Tom for follow-up products that will allow us to take Oberheim into the future as a synth brand,” commented Smith. “It’s a very exciting time to be a musician.”

Another key player in the Oberheim revival is Marcus Lyle, an Oberheim veteran from the ‘80s. Having gone on to help create the ADAT and Alesis Quadrasynth – not to mention found Line 6 – he’s now back in the fold.

“Synths were my first love and the reason I entered this industry,” comments Lyle. “Tom hired me when I was 19, and I feel lucky to have been a part of the Oberheim design team during its glory days. Now, a whole new chapter in the story of analogue synthesizer-based music is about to get written.”

The OB-X8 has already been shown to a handful of A-list artists, including Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor.

“When I was shown the new OB-X8, I was immediately impressed with the forensic level of detail that went into its design and the respect for its lineage,” he says. “I will be making room in my studio for one and I’m excited more people will be able to experience this classic instrument.”

As a result, the Oberheim OB-X8 is much more than a reissue, it’s a new Oberheim design that offers better synthesis options and expressive capabilities than its predecessors, including:

• Additional SEM filter modes add high-pass, band-pass, and notch functions to the classic OB-X filter
• Vintage knob allows variable amounts of voice-to-voice variability to emulate the behavior of vintage instruments
• Velocity sensitivity adds expressiveness to volume and filter
• Channel Aftertouch adds real-time performance-based modulation
• Enhanced unison allows variable voice stacking from 1-8 voices
• Variable triangle wave cross-modulation
• Over 600 user-programmable preset locations
• Programmable per-program pan allows wider stereo presence
• Variable oscillator and noise levels

Features:

• 8-voice, pure-analog polyphony with saw, square/pulse, triangle, and noise
• Two discrete SEM/OB-X-lineage VCOs per voice deliver classic Oberheim tone
• Discrete SEM-lineage VCFs deliver authentic OB-X-style tone and presence
• Genuine Curtis filters add bold OB-Xa/OB-8 character
• Meticulously modeled envelope responses match each OB model: OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8
• The 61-key FATAR velocity- and touch-sensitive keyboard offers expanded expression and responsiveness
• Bi-timbral capability allows two presets simultaneously for splits and doubles
• 400-plus factory programs, including the full set of factory sounds for the OB-X, OB-SX, OB-Xa, and OB-8
• Integral, fanless, heatsink-free power supply
• Real walnut end cheeks
• High-resolution OLED display enables patch management and easy access to advanced features
• Classic Oberheim Pitch and Mod levers allow expressive note bending, vibrato, and access to arpeggiator functions

The Oberheim OB-X8 will be available at the end of June priced at $4,999. Further details are available on the Oberheim website.