2025: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2025)

[ghettosynth]

I find the EX fiddly as well. Mine gets mostly used as a midi piano, which I like in my modular. I find that all of these kinds of modules are somewhat antithetical to modular, and at the same time, I have many, if not most of them. I feel like most of the dedicated quantizers that I have looked at and drooled over are in that $300+ price point range where I start questioning how much I need it and just revert to one of my existing solutions.

https://intellijel.com/shop/eurorack/scales/

https://www.addacsystem.com/en/products ... s/addac207

https://tiptopaudio.com/quantizer/
(discontinued)

OTOH, I dislike the simplicity of the really small dedicated modules that are priced more reasonably, e.g,, the 2HP quantizer.

[foosnark]

Mimetic Digitwolus will have the ability to be a 4 channel quantizer. I'm not sure if it 's a special mode or if it's just using a CV input to transpose a sequence that doesn't advance, but they said you can import custom scales in scala format.

Ah, I was hoping it would support custom scales, but didn't see anything about it... that's probably settled then. I expect the interface for MD2 will be friendlier than O_C

Also the crosspanner I saw in Phazerville requires Teensy 4.1, thus an O_C that's bigger, more expensive and even more absurdly stuffed with features. Runs four Hemisphere apps simultaneously and has yet another scheme for accessing everything with the existing interface controls

[justin3am]

I find the EX fiddly as well. Mine gets mostly used as a midi piano, which I like in my modular. I find that all of these kinds of modules are somewhat antithetical to modular, and at the same time, I have many, if not most of them.

I used the Disting the most when I had it set to receive patch changes from Renev2 through the Select Bus.
If all digital modules could store patches internally but then be triggered to recall patches from a centralized brain, like the 200e system, I would find them much easier to use. I have my Vector Sequencer, uhe CVz and now Metropolix setup to respond to program change messages but it would be so cool to have more modules which spoke MIDI/SelectBus or I2C.

Regarding quantizers, I always use CVz because I always want a precision adder before the quantizer. I used to use the Doepfer A-156 for generative sequencing, since it had a trigger output that went off when the quantizer acquired a new voltage. I think the one in Disting did that too and the Dual Quantizer in the main O_c firmware. I had a Mosaic 1u quantizer for a while and I did like the keyboard layout at first but didn't end up using it much.

I also like the quantizer on one of my Serge panels, it has these 1/3 and 1/6 switches which can get you different scales and those can be triggered with gates. It's not very flexible but very playable.

[gaf_thit]

Bought a Zither for my birthday and my gf found out and paid for it...
Will connect a couple of contact mics and make weird soundscapes.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Found some cash down the back of the metaphorical sofa.

IMG_1246.jpeg

[vurt]

i want an assembler, no stock anywhere till november

[McLilith]

i want an assembler, no stock anywhere till november

On the bright side, you might get a nice Black Friday sale price then.

[whyterabbyt]

i want an assembler

yeah, me too.

[vurt]

i want an assembler

yeah, me too.

im tempted to order one now and forget about it by november, then it's like a surprise when it turns up. also means i don't get an email saying "we have stock" to find five mins later, when i click through, it's sold out again!

[Shabdahbriah]

Waldorf hardware B-Stock sale going on while supplies last:

https://waldorfmusic.com/b-stock-promotion/

[cryophonik]

Seriously considering replacing my Digitone (v1) with a Digitone II or a Korg Opsix module, but can’t decide which one…

[elxsound]

Seriously considering replacing my Digitone (v1) with a Digitone II or a Korg Opsix module, but can’t decide which one…

I’m a bit biased as I love the Elektron boxes and wasn’t happy needing to replace the screen on the opsix v1. From the product description of the repair part, it seems both v2 and module, use the same screen.

Did you use and like the sequencer on Digitone?

I keep thinking about adding a Digitone, but between the Opsix and Operator on Push 3, it becomes hard to justify.

[cryophonik]

Seriously considering replacing my Digitone (v1) with a Digitone II or a Korg Opsix module, but can’t decide which one…

I’m a bit biased as I love the Elektron boxes and wasn’t happy needing to replace the screen on the opsix v1. From the product description of the repair part, it seems both v2 and module, use the same screen.

Did you use and like the sequencer on Digitone?

I keep thinking about adding a Digitone, but between the Opsix and Operator on Push 3, it becomes hard to justify.

I routinely use the sequencer on my other Elektrons, but I use the Digitone primarily as an FM sound module and mostly for FM basses. I’m actually on my third Digitone because the first two times I owned it, I was trying to use it primarily as a groovebox/FM drum machine and never really jived with its sound for those uses. Then, a few months ago I went down a rabbit hole of some DN bass sounds and they sorta blew me away. For the prices they’re selling for these days (I paid $300 for one in basically new condition!), I decided to just buy one, turn off the sequencer and load the sound pool with nothing but bass sounds and I’m loving it! But, now it’s got me wanting a DNII for the additional synth engines.

It’s funny that you mention the screen on Opsix because the build quality of the Korg is the biggest thing that has me hesitating. I owned an Opsix mk1 for a few weeks and was appalled at how terrible the build quality was. But, it does sound pretty amazing for basses and many other sounds and I really love the way they’ve set up the UI/workflow - it’s quite ingenious and makes FM synthesis more intuitive IMO. I could (and probably will) just buy the native version, but that sorta defeats the purpose of why the Opsix appeals to me (i.e., the hands-on interface).

[Shabdahbriah]

i want an assembler

yeah, me too.

Me three... wish there were 'mini' Go cases (e.g. 84/104 HP) with the same design as the current one, so they would match being placed along side them. I'm lovin' the double-stacked Go cases.

[elxsound]

Seriously considering replacing my Digitone (v1) with a Digitone II or a Korg Opsix module, but can’t decide which one…

I’m a bit biased as I love the Elektron boxes and wasn’t happy needing to replace the screen on the opsix v1. From the product description of the repair part, it seems both v2 and module, use the same screen.

Did you use and like the sequencer on Digitone?

I keep thinking about adding a Digitone, but between the Opsix and Operator on Push 3, it becomes hard to justify.

I routinely use the sequencer on my other Elektrons, but I use the Digitone primarily as an FM sound module and mostly for FM basses. I’m actually on my third Digitone because the first two times I owned it, I was trying to use it primarily as a groovebox/FM drum machine and never really jived with its sound for those uses. Then, a few months ago I went down a rabbit hole of some DN bass sounds and they sorta blew me away. For the prices they’re selling for these days (I paid $300 for one in basically new condition!), I decided to just buy one, turn off the sequencer and load the sound pool with nothing but bass sounds and I’m loving it! But, now it’s got me wanting a DNII for the additional synth engines.

It’s funny that you mention the screen on Opsix because the build quality of the Korg is the biggest thing that has me hesitating. I owned an Opsix mk1 for a few weeks and was appalled at how terrible the build quality was. But, it does sound pretty amazing for basses and many other sounds and I really love the way they’ve set up the UI/workflow - it’s quite ingenious and makes FM synthesis more intuitive IMO. I could (and probably will) just buy the native version, but that sorta defeats the purpose of why the Opsix appeals to me (i.e., the hands-on interface).

I definitely get that. I bought the native version when the screen died as a backup. Even being able to control it from Opsix, felt odd. It’s laid out differently. I’ve seen some people mention that it’s easier vs the hardware but I prefer the hardware over it.

The build quality is terrible, but hopefully the module is more solid?

That’s a tough decision not knowing if you’re missing something with the newer Digitone. At least on the Opsix module, you pretty much get more polyphony. I still need to try a Digitone.