This Week in Music Gear: FLEXFM, SP404 Gets More User Hacks & More
It seemed like this week was turning out to be quieter on the music gear front than the last few, but to my surprise, quite a lot has happened. Twisted Electrons opened preorders for an unusually deep hybrid groovebox, 1010music gave Bento and Blackbox 2 some substantial new production tools, an offshoot of DOOM OS is turning the SP404 MK2’s sound generator into something much more capable, and Teenage Engineering’s founder says the company plans to eventually stop making synthesizers.
Here are a few things that caught my attention this week.
A DOOM OS Fork Is Turning the SP404 MK2 Sound Generator Into a Real Synth
DOOM OS has already changed how people are looking at what the SP404 MK2 can do, but now separate developers are beginning to build their own versions on top of it.
One recent fork focuses heavily on expanding the SP’s built-in sound generator. The project initially added 17 additional waveforms, four-voice polyphony, improved envelopes, new scales and an arpeggiator, dramatically expanding what can be done without starting from a recorded sample.
The developer has continued adding features since then, including a dedicated drum-synthesis mode with editable parameters. Generated drum sounds can be bounced onto pads, used with the looper and resampling workflows, while MIDI CC support has also been added for controlling both the sound generator and drum kits externally.
This is the part of the recent custom-firmware movement I find particularly interesting.
The SP404 MK2 already has a sound generator, but it has always felt more like an additional utility than a major part of the instrument. I've covered multiple ways to use other functions in combination with it to create usable synth and drum sounds, but these community developments have turned the original sound generator feature into something much closer to an actual synthesizer and drum machine... without the extra steps.
As with any unofficial firmware, this is still experimental software and carries the usual risks of modifying your hardware. Personally, I still have my hesitations about installing unofficial firmware, but the speed at which developers have gone from gaining access to the SP404 firmware to building completely new workflows on top of it has been pretty remarkable.
Original project discussion:https://www.reddit.com/r/SP404/comments/1wzgycn/doom_os_fork_with_sound_generator_upgrades/
Drum synthesis update:https://www.reddit.com/r/SP404/comments/1x4jhej/firmware_update_drum_synthesis_mode/
Twisted Electrons FLEXFM Combines Sampling, FM and Analog Filters
Twisted Electrons has opened preorders for FLEXFM, an eight-track groovebox that combines sampling with several different forms of digital synthesis and an analog filter for every track.
Each of its eight tracks has four operators, but those operators aren’t limited to traditional FM synthesis. FLEXFM includes more than 30 operator engines covering FM, samples and other digital synthesis techniques, with different voice configurations determining how those operators interact.
FLEXFM can operate entirely standalone, but USB multitrack recording also allows its eight dry voices, stereo master and effect returns to be routed into a DAW.
Preorders are currently €999 including VAT as an introductory offer, with Twisted Electrons estimating delivery before Christmas 2026.
1010music Adds Automation, Stem Export and More to Bento and Blackbox 2
1010music celebrated its annual 10/10 day with major firmware updates for both Bento and Blackbox 2, adding several features aimed at making the samplers more capable as complete production environments.
One of the biggest additions is sequencer automation, which allows parameter changes to be drawn directly into a sequence. Both devices also gain sidechain ducking, expanded scenes, MIDI controls for recording and playback, and a new “record from anywhere” workflow designed to make looping easier without staying on a dedicated recording screen.
There’s also a new stem-export workflow that can render individual tracks as separate WAV files for finishing a project in a DAW. That’s a feature I’m always interested in seeing on standalone hardware, since being able to quickly move individual tracks into a computer can make the transition between hardware beatmaking and final production considerably easier.
Bento firmware 1.6.1 also adds a new shimmer reverb, while Blackbox 2 received firmware 1.1.0. It’s nice to see both relatively new devices getting meaningful workflow features rather than an update consisting mostly of fixes.
More info: https://1010music.com/downloads
Koala Sampler’s Recent Updates Are Adding Up
Koala has received a slew of updates in the last few months, including a higher quality stem splitter and even automation. I tested the stem splitter by comparing the original version and the new “Hi Quality” mode against Logic’s stem splitter, then compared all three against the original track’s official stems.
There’s definitely still some artifacting, but it’s a welcome improvement over the original version and another example of just how much functionality continues to be added to the app.
Teenage Engineering Plans to Stop Making Synthesizers?
One of the stranger stories recently came from Teenage Engineering founder and CEO Jesper Kouthoofd, who told Highsnobiety that he plans for the company to eventually stop making synthesizers altogether.
Kouthoofd said he announced the idea internally during a company reorganization last year, and that even the OP-1 is not exempt from that plan. His larger argument is that Teenage Engineering should not define itself around individual products, despite synthesizers and music hardware becoming such a large part of the company’s identity.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions here. There’s no public timeline for when current products might disappear, and saying the company plans to stop making synthesizers does not necessarily mean Teenage Engineering is getting out of music hardware altogether.
In fact, an FCC filing this week revealed another upcoming Teenage Engineering product called the EP-35 K.O.-AMP. It appears to be a portable battery-powered amplifier with guitar and microphone inputs, Bluetooth and FM functionality, built-in effects and the ability to link multiple units together.
That makes the whole announcement a little more interesting. Teenage Engineering may be looking beyond traditional synthesizers rather than abandoning music equipment completely, and given the company’s history of making everything from samplers to radios, speakers and design collaborations, it’s probably safest to expect something less predictable than a simple exit from music gear.
Original interview: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/teenage-engineering-interview/
The recurring theme over the last few weeks has been hardware becoming less fixed than it used to be. Sometimes that comes from manufacturers adding features like automation and stem export, while other times it comes from users turning a sampler’s basic sound generator into an increasingly capable synthesizer.
Want to keep up with what's happening in music gear?
There are always so many releases and gear announcements that it can be hard to keep up. Join my monthly newsletter to stay up to date with the announcements that matter, along with gear updates and beatmaking tips. You'll also get a free sample pack when you sign up, and a sample every month.
Comments