KVR Audio

psycho45039 · Post by **psycho45039** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:28 am

I ordered a Take 5 and TEO 5 desktops today.

RPH · Post by **RPH** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:52 am

Should receive my Microrack order soon, been waiting for this since late 2024.

https://microrack.org/

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:06 pm

psycho45039 wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:28 am I ordered a Take 5 and TEO 5 desktops today.

Killer combo!

psycho45039 · Post by **psycho45039** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:52 pm

cryophonik wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:06 pm
psycho45039 wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:28 am I ordered a Take 5 and TEO 5 desktops today.
Killer combo!

I'm hoping so! I went back and forth between those 2 or a Peak.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:46 pm

psycho45039 wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:52 pm
cryophonik wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:06 pm
psycho45039 wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:28 am I ordered a Take 5 and TEO 5 desktops today.
Killer combo!
I'm hoping so! I went back and forth between those 2 or a Peak.

Good choice.

The Peak gets a lot of undeserved (IMO) hate, but I owned one for a while and it was a very capable synth with a ton of range. But, I don’t think it rivals the range and quality of sounds you’ll get from the TEO/Take-5 combo.

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:49 pm

happy new gear everyone! i just ordered a taiga

not the key board one, don't use em.
off ebay, but from a guy ive picked up a few bits from before

4fiddy so not too bad.

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:43 am

vurt wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:49 pm happy new gear everyone! i just ordered a taiga
not the key board one, don't use em.
off ebay, but from a guy ive picked up a few bits from before
4fiddy so not too bad.

I just looked at the Taiga webpage. That's a nice looking synth, and it sounds pretty sweet too!

You're starting off the new year in style!

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:55 pm

McLilith wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:43 am
vurt wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:49 pm happy new gear everyone! i just ordered a taiga
not the key board one, don't use em.
off ebay, but from a guy ive picked up a few bits from before
4fiddy so not too bad.
I just looked at the Taiga webpage. That's a nice looking synth, and it sounds pretty sweet too!

You're starting off the new year in style!

i want a compact, seni modular for possible "emom" performances. (electronic music open mic, apparently) and for easy transport to the missus if i want to stay a few or more days

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Sat Jan 03, 2026 6:22 am

vurt wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:55 pmi want a compact, seni modular for possible "emom" performances. (electronic music open mic, apparently) and for easy transport to the missus if i want to stay a few or more days

Heck yeah! I hope you have a lot of fun.

We do an open-mic on the 4th Thursday of every month, at a brewery near my office in Burbank. It's so nice to play in a low pressure environment.

kraster · Post by **kraster** » Sat Jan 03, 2026 1:05 pm

Got a Dirtywave M8 as a surprise.

One of the greatest pieces of hardware I've ever owned.

I'm blown away by it.

Korg Supporter · Post by **Korg Supporter** » Sat Jan 03, 2026 4:55 pm

cryophonik wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:06 pm Good choice. The Peak gets a lot of undeserved (IMO) hate, but I owned one for a while and it was a very capable synth with a ton of range. But, I don’t think it rivals the range and quality of sounds you’ll get from the TEO/Take-5 combo.

The Peak is by far my favorite hardware synth ever. Nothing in software comes close.

Edit (1 like before this was written): If the Novation Supernova sounds like flowing neon or melted plastic, then the Peak's base sound is like ice-cold spring water. It's neutral and kind of dark in a satisfying way. I also adore how the filter bubbles like the 3109 OTA filter. I got close to replicating its characteristics in Multi/Poly native using the MS-20 filter at 70% resonance and trim. As for FX, Tritik Echorus comes the closest to the Peak chorus, Replika XT for the lofi delay, and Valhalla Supermassive and FutureVerb for the reverb.

I'm currently making a preset pack using 10 custom wavetables that capture the essence of the PPG, ESQ-1, DW8000, and arcade machine wavetable synthesizers.

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Sun Jan 04, 2026 3:49 am

I went to PC to pick up my SOMA Warp and something else followed me home...

Orion has been helping me go through the Cirklon manual for the last few hours. Lovely to have a printed manual in a three ring binder!

While it's deep and complicated and will take years for me to get as comfortable as I am with the Octatrack or Vector, the basics aren't hard to grasp. Just using it with my MFB Tanzmaus and Ambika for now, as I get to know it.
I can anticipate using it as a sequencer of sequencers. That is to say, use it to trigger pattern changes on other devices. With the CK patterns, it handles live MIDI recording a lot better than anything else I've used, short of a DAW. The list editor is a breath of fresh air. Feels very similar to editing my old beloved EMU command station. I want to experiment with using it to record the Linnstrument, just to see how it handles all that data.

The Warp sounds fantastic. I'd say that the sound quality is up there with my Eventide pedals. I bought it knowing there is no MIDI I/O and no way of syncing the time based effects to an external clock. Not that big a deal, as it turns out. All of the effects hold up well to heavy modulation and I think some of the algorithms really shine when you hit them with some stepped voltages. The Lush Verb in particular was a surprise, in that regard.

It's a weird little box but a lot of fun.

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:56 pm

justin3am wrote: Sat Jan 03, 2026 6:22 am
vurt wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:55 pmi want a compact, seni modular for possible "emom" performances. (electronic music open mic, apparently) and for easy transport to the missus if i want to stay a few or more days
Heck yeah! I hope you have a lot of fun.
We do an open-mic on the 4th Thursday of every month, at a brewery near my office in Burbank. It's so nice to play in a low pressure environment.

there's nothing arranged yet, just looking to make it more attainable, one small synth, couple of pedals or the cosmos and a keystep. easier in my mind than putting together a rack, id always want to add just one more thing...

do have a venue i can use, just not sure of any other performers or attendees

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:56 pm

the taiga is here

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Tue Jan 06, 2026 3:53 am

vurt wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:56 pm
justin3am wrote: Sat Jan 03, 2026 6:22 am
vurt wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:55 pmi want a compact, seni modular for possible "emom" performances. (electronic music open mic, apparently) and for easy transport to the missus if i want to stay a few or more days
Heck yeah! I hope you have a lot of fun.
We do an open-mic on the 4th Thursday of every month, at a brewery near my office in Burbank. It's so nice to play in a low pressure environment.
there's nothing arranged yet, just looking to make it more attainable, one small synth, couple of pedals or the cosmos and a keystep. easier in my mind than putting together a rack, id always want to add just one more thing...

do have a venue i can use, just not sure of any other performers or attendees

If you promote it, they will come! I’m seeing open-mics pop up all over the place.. I’m sure you’ll find people who are interested!
Yeah, keep the setup simple. Easier to set up, break down and troubleshoot.
We do an alternating tables thing, so that the previous act can load out, the next act can set up and sound check while another person performs. Since the open-mic sets are 10-15mins, it doesn’t give you much time to get ready.

2026: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2026)