Boutique synth book publisher BJOOKS has announced their latest publication, Beat Gems, a quality tome that does for drum machines what Synth Gems did for synths!
This week we bring news of a new Bjooks book, Beat Gems, a simple yet hugely effective patch bay, a beautiful homebrew, DIY synth and a software MIDI tool that will change your life!
Synth Journal – 30/04/26Beat Gems by Oli Freke – A New BJOOKS Book!DF Audio MINIBAY S24 Desktop PatchbaySpark – A Portable, Open Source Synth from PovieMIDIVEX MIDI Routing and FX Application from Midifex
Beat Gems by Oli Freke – A New BJOOKS Book!
It’s been nearly two years since the last Bjooks publication, JoE Silva’s superb and definitive book on the Minimoog so it’s about time we had something new, and it’s one I think that will join all their other publications as authoritative and essential reading for all gear nerds. i.e. us! Say hello to Beat Gems.
BJOOKS Beat Gems · Source: BJOOKS
Beat Gems, which is an obvious nod to 2021’s Synth Gems 1, by Dr Mike Metlay, focuses on the impact, influence and culture of drum machines, from the very early examples, made as accompaniments to organs, to their emergence as credible replacements for human drummers in the 1980s, and beyond.
Authored by Oli Freke, whose previous work includes the delightful ‘Synthesizer Evolution’ book, Beat Gems has been a labour of love that started some time ago. At SynthFest U.K., Oli presented a seminar on this very subject with some actual examples of weird and wonderful rhythm boxes, as well as obvious classics.
Beat Gems will launch on Kickstarter soon, and you can save it now over on that website, but if you register over at Bjooks, you will be informed of some exclusive early bird bargains and deals ahead of the main Kickstarter campaign!
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Bjooks Synth Gems 1
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Bjooks Inspire The Music
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Bjooks Patch & Tweak With Moog
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DF Audio MINIBAY S24 Desktop Patchbay
Operating from the lush climes of Thailand, Aussie Dud Faz, (hence DF Audio) has been quietly carving out a niche for simple pieces of super useful hardware for musicians and small studios alike. Now he brings us his first stereo desktop patchbay, the MINIBAY S24.
DF Audio MINIBAY S24 · Source: DF Audio
The MINIBAY S24 is a 24-point patchbay that features 24 1/4″ TRS sockets on the rear and 24 corresponding 1/8″ TRS sockets on the top of the unit, with each A/B pair featuring a switch to facilitate a half-normalled connection when you need it.
The unit supports both balanced and unbalanced mono or stereo signals, and comes with a bunch of 1/8″ TRS cables to get you started. The unit is an all-metal construction and is the epitome of simple, straightforward, no-fuss designs.
MINIBAY S24 retails for A$280.00, which roughly equates to €170/$200/£150 plus shipping and taxes where applicable and is available to order now!
Spark – A Portable, Open Source Synth from Povie
I’m a huge fan of people who wake up one day, decide they want something, realise it doesn’t exist and then set about creating it! That’s exactly what has happened here with the Povie Spark, a 100% open source, DIY synth that relies on an ESP32 microcontroller, running the incredibly powerful AMY synthesizer library.
Povie Spark · Source: Povie
AMY is a highly capable library that is capable of creating a JUNO-6 style analog synth, a DX7 style FM synth, sampling, wavetables, drum machines and a partial breakpoint synth, all on boards like the ESP32, Pi Pico, Teensy and Raspberry Pi’s, as well as macOS, Windows and Linux.
Created by Povie, they wanted a synth along the lines of the OP-1 but didn’t have that kind of budget, so they decided to build their own. As you can see from the video, it actually sounds great and the beauty of it is that the whole project is open source.
Povie has created a bill of materials for the hardware as well as the software and whilst they admit that it currently isn’t the easiest thing to assemble right now, the project is ongoing and they are planning refinements and improvements as time goes on.
In a world where we are seeing some stunning yet expensive synths coming to market, it is very refreshing and cool to see very clever people doing very clever things on a tight budget with such excellent results! I’m looking forward to seeing where Spark goes!
MIDIVEX MIDI Routing and FX Application from Midifex
Back in the day, we relied on a bunch of hardware MIDI routers and hubs to connect our synths and drum machines to each other and to our fledgling computer setups. In fact, I still use an old Akai ME30P II in my studio desk, alongside a more up-to-date CME H12 MIDI Pro, four Yamaha UX256’s and an ESI M8UEX.
But today, many of us live in a world where we have a single controller at a desk and need to route our MIDI signals to hardware and virtual ports and so a coomputer-based software application is essential. Until recently, I’d been using the excellent MidiPipe on my Mac, but someone turned me on to Midivex and my world has completely changed!
Midivex · Source: Midifex
MidiPipe has a very simple interface. Drag and drop tools to create a pipe where you can route anything to anything. Simple. Click on each tool to adjust the settings, and then make sure everything is pointing to where it needs to point. However, it was not very visual, and I am. I want to be able to see my connections at an instant. That’s where Midivex has blown my mind.
Connect two MIDI devices simply by clicking on the matrix, and boom, the connection is made. Make multiple connections in a few seconds, route a single controller to multiple synths and save your connections for instant recall at any time.
But the beauty of Midivex is that it goes way beyond simple point-to-point MIDI connections. Each connection can have MIDI tools and FX added to it, such as an arpeggiator, a layering function, chord generators, LFOs, MIDI echos and ‘Orbits’, as well as very useful aftertouch controls.
It also acts as a MIDI monitor, replacing my other MIDI monitor app. It can also “listen” to the patch changes you make, silently making a note of what sounds you’re flicking through and playing, allowing you to recall them at a later date. No more forgetting where that awesome patch was!
You get all this for just $79 USD, no subscription, but there’s also a very well-featured Lite version and a fully featured 14-day trial. Honestly, try it out now, and you won’t look back!
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ESI M8U eX
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CME H12MIDI Pro
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