The Syntovox 222 Vocodor was released in 1981 by Synton, the Dutch brand who also worked on the Syrinx as well as Fenix I and Fenix II synths. The Syntovox 222 is a 1 HE rack-mounted module and was quite a high-end instrument for its time.

Synton advertised the Syntovox 222 as a simplified, yet versatile adaptation of the larger Syntovox 221 studio vocoder. The Syntovox 222 is a vocoder, so it imparts vocal articulation to musical signals. This is accomplished via two inputs, one that is used for balanced microphone signals while the other handles line-level signals.

For output, the Syntovox 222 used the articulated carrier analog with adjustable amounts of straight speech and/or carrier signals. For increased intelligibility, Synton also included an internal unvoiced sound synthesizer. The Syntovox 222 also has panel switches that can be used to turn the articulated carrier and unvoiced sound signals on and off. Alternatively, the same can be accomplished by making use of an external footswitch.

The front panel of the Syntovox 222 has the “Speech” and “Carrier” knobs on the left of the module and these are used to control the level of the speech input fed to the vocoder and to control the level of the carrier fed to the vocoder. Next to these are the Cleanfeed Speech and Cleanfeed Carrier knobs along with the Hoise/HF Syn knob. The Cleanfeed Speech knob is used to control the amount of speech signal that is mixed with the effect output while the Cleanfeed Carrier knob controls the amount of carrier signal mixed with the effect output. With the Noise/HF Syn knob you have control over the amount of noise that is mixed with the effect output. Finally, on the far right of the front panel you’ll find the “OUT” knob and jack for the footswitch. The rear panel is just as sparse and has MIC, LINE, and CARRIER Line inputs along with one “Out” jack.

Synton has a bit of a cult following for their products, but since the Syntovox 222 was handbuild in the Netherlands, it can be difficult to track down in some parts of the world. It does produce very smooth vocoder sounds, so it’s no surprise that the Syntovox 222 ended up being one of the best selling vocoders for Synton. The Syntovox 222 also cropped up in different parts of the world under different brandings, such as being the Dynacord SRV66 in Germany.

The Korg Volca Nubass is a powerful bass synth that bases its sound source around a vacuum tube oscillator. It was released in 2019 as a sort of update to the very popular Korg Volca Bass from a few years ago. The name is derived from the “Nutube” tech that Korg has used for this synth, which is essentially a modern refresh of the classic vacuum tube.

The original Volca Bass featured three oscillators and all of them could be tuned and played independently of each other. With the Nubass the Nutube tech is used for the main oscillator while also adding saturation to a sub-oscillator. The main oscillator can still be switched between square and saw waves while volume and saturation levels can be controlled on the sub-oscillator. Modulation is also largely handled the same way as the original Bass with an envelope generator and LFO. The only difference is that you can’t route the envelope generator of the Nubass to the VCA. The Nubass does have an attached step sequencer and it allows for both accent and slide functions. Also, it boasts analog overdrive, which is serviceable, but not as powerful as expected.

In terms of design, the Nubass continues with the style of the Volca range. The size and feel of the unit are the same as most of the other Volca units, so it will fit in nicely if you already have a collection. It’s also as light as the rest of the range and can be powered by six batteries or via an optional power supply. The most striking new addition is obviously the glowing tube at the top of the unit. Although it looks like a gimmick, it actually does drive the sound of the Nubass quite well in addition to looking very neat. The sounds it produces are not quite as warm, thick, and rich as a traditional vacuum tube, but thankfully it is a lot more reliable and resilient. The fact that it uses much less power than a classic valve amp is also a big plus.

Korg designed the Nubass specifically for acid bassline and as such it’s hard to fault it. Thanks to its speaker and battery compartment the Nubass is one of the most portable acid synths on the market, which is reason enough for most people to covet one. It doesn’t have anything exciting in terms of inputs or outputs, but it does exactly what it is designed to do.

The VL70-m Virtual Acoustic Tone Generator is a unique bit of gear released by Yamaha in 1996. The basic idea behind this module is that it uses computer-based physical modeling technology in order to produce a high-quality monophonic voice. The technique simulates not just the complex vibrations and resonances, but also reflections and other acoustic phenomena that impact the sounds of real wind or string instruments.

The VL70-m has a built-in effects section that offers independent Reverb, Chorus, and Variation as well as Distortion effects. Most of the parameters of this unit can be edited using the panel controls, but Yahama also released peripheral voice editing software that allows for even greater flexibility. Also, a visual editor application was available featuring clickable buttons and easy to understand palettes for selections. Those preferring more familiar-looking knobs and switches could make use of the analog editor graphical interface, while the expert editor was reserved for those looking to unlock the complete range of physical modeling parameters.

Although the VL70-m can be controlled using a keyboard it is versatile enough to be used with many different controllers. It has a WX In jack for connecting a Yamaha WX-series Wind MIDI controller and could be connected to a computer with a TO HOST connector without the need for a separate MIDI interface. Using something like the BC3 breath controller with this unit allows for greater musical expression than using a keyboard. It can also be used in conjunction with a Guitar MIDI converter.

The VL70-m features a straightforward design with the Power/Vol Control, Breath Controller Jack, WX IN Jack, and PHONES jack all on the front panel. Here you’ll also find a large backlit LCD panel as well as the various buttons used to control the VL70-m, access different modes, and choose effects. The rear panel has the DC-In Connector, Output L/MONO, and R Jacks, MIDI In/Out/Thru connectors as well as the TO HOST Connector and Host Select switch. It features 256 presets in 2 banks and VL-XG mode with effects.

The big selling point of the VL70-m was the Virtual Acoustic Synthesis, which was a completely different way of ton generation compared to oscillators, function generators, preset waveforms, or samples. It offered more depth and allowed for expressive playing. Overall, the VL70-m lived up to the promise of being an exceptionally powerful, flexible creative tool.

Before synths like the ARP Odyssey and Roland SH-101, there was the Oberheim Two-Voice. This analog synthesizer was in production between 1975 and 1979 by Oberheim Electronics with artists like Vangelis and Vince Clarke making use of it. However, even at it’s time not a lot of people managed to get their hands on one and after it was discontinued it only cropped up occasionally in the hands of musicians such as Liam Howlett.

Many people expected a reissue of the Two Voice when Tom Oberheim re-entered the synth market in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2012 that it was announced and 2015 that it was finally released. However, the long wait was worth it as the Two Voice Pro is more than just a simple reissue. Instead, the Two Voice Pro retains everything that made the original great but includes a whole host of brand new features.

The Two Voice Pro sacrifices the road case of the original for a lighter and more compact design. It does, however, feature its own integrated power supply. The keyboard is also much improved over the original and while it still has 37 keys you now get velocity sensitivity and aftertouch. The area next to the keyboard is called The Bendbox and here you’ll find the modulation and pitch-bend wheels, an independent vibrato LFO as well as the headphone jack, a Fine Tune control, and VCO2 Detune knob.

One of the highlights of the Two Voice Pro is the Mini-Sequencer which allows you to program 16 steps for each voice. It’s very easy to use and can store 50 sequences that can be chained together into songs and saved using 9 available memory slots. With 56 mini-jack patch points, you can take advantage of the semi-modular nature of the Two Voice Pro for plenty of sonic possibilities. There are also 1/4″ audio inputs on the rear panel as well as the usual MIDI In/Out/Thru connectors.

The Two Voice Pro is a very worthy reissue of the original, but it does come with a rather hefty price tag. Having said that it does offer great analog synth sounds and Oberheim clearly put a lot of thought and care into it. The Two Voice Pro may not have as many features as its competition, but it sounds great and offers the authenticity of the original hardware while bringing its own enhancements.

The Vermona M.A.R.S is a compact synthesizer that is just a single rack unit high and 2.5-inches deep. It was released in 2006 and Vermona opted to keep the front panel design just as simple and compact as the unit itself. It features a stylish silver design with knobs, LEDs, and LCD.

The first knob is the PROG/PARAM, which is turned to select presets and pushed to activate them in Play Mode. It is also used to select parameters in Edit Mode, as well as change between modes, which is accomplished with a push and hold. Next is the Value knob, which is turned to adjust values. It can also be used to audition the active preset and clear the internal note memory by pressing it. There’s also a Brilliance knob for adjusting the cutoff frequency in a smaller range and a Volume knob for setting the main output level of this synth. Between these four knobs, a lot can be accomplished and by limiting their numbers Vermona has kept the front panel uncluttered.

The only other things on the front panel are the 2-line LCD, the section LEDs that show which synthesizer section is being edited in Edit Mode, and a set screw that is used for tuning the synth. The screw is a rather interesting addition to the synth, but provided you warm up the M.A.R.S sufficiently it stays stable, so you don’t have to mess with master tuning too much. The back panel of the M.A.R.S is just as clutter-free with only a Footswitch/ENV 1 Out, 9-12V AC jack, MIDI In Jack, MIDI Out/Thru jack, and output jack.

The Vermona M.A.R.S features a total of 128 onboard patches, but all of these can be overwritten with your own if you wish. It features the usual assortment of leads, sound effects, and basses that give analog monosynths their distinctive sound, and tweaking everything to your own liking is a simple process. For those who find programming the M.A.R.S via its front panel to be too simple, Vermona also released a special optional control unit. This 2U rackmount module has 56 small knobs that can be used for tweaking all the addressable parameters of the M.A.R.S unit. The unit itself is not quite as stylish or solid as the M.A.R.S but offered an inexpensive way for greater control of the M.A.R.S for those who didn’t already have a MIDI controller box.

Overall, the Vermona M.A.R.S was a decent synth for its time that offered powerful analog sounds in a very compact unit.

The Noah Tactive Instrument Modeler is a 19″ rack module released by Creamware in 2003/2004. It was designed during a period when using computers or laptops in a live setting was still a cumbersome process. However, many still wanted access to the myriad of instruments and effects that were beginning to appear on computers. Creamware decided that the solution to this issue would be Noah.

The purpose of Noah was to give musicians the innovativeness of using software plug-in technology, but in a way that was more simple and reliable, not to mention mobile, than when using a computer. This means that it is basically an instrument modeler that was able to offer accurate modeling of analog instruments. Or at least as accurate as was possible back in the early 2000s. When it was first released it offered a broad spectrum of sounds along with a lot more flexibility than conventional synths. This is due to the fact that Creamware made it easy to add additional instruments to the Noah.

Creamware initially included six instruments with the Noah, ranging from the B-2003 drawbar organ to six-string which as the name implies was designed for acoustic and electric guitars and basses as well as other string instruments. The Vectron Player, on the other hand, was inspired by the Prophet VSTM, while Lightwave is a wavetable synth. Along with its instruments, Noah also features plenty of effects, which in conjunction with its audio inputs, could transform it into an effects processor for external signals.

Although it was designed in a way that it can be used without a computer Noah does have an onboard USB interface that can be used to connect it to a computer or laptop. Creamware also included editing software with Noah for people who want to make use of this feature. This also meant that new instruments or sounds could be added to Noah after downloading them from the internet.

In terms of design, Noah features a very distinctive appearance thanks to its metallic silver finish and screen printed navy blue color. The front panel has a 2 x 40 LCD as well as a Compact Flash card slot. On the left side, you’ll find the Volume/Phones rotary control, as well as four continuous controllers in a rather striking yellow color. The plus/minus buttons as well as up/down/right/left buttons are in the middle of the front panel with the Enter, Control, and Exit buttons below them. A large control wheel is used to change the values of the selected parameter or presets. Finally, on the right side of the control panel, there is a range of other buttons that include the mode, compare, write, and FX bypass buttons. The rear panel is home to the main power switch, USB port, MIDI In/Out/Thru and gain switch as well as a word clock input, ADAT output, and jacks for external audio and analog outs.

Noah was certainly an innovative idea for its time, but whether it is still useful in this era of softsynths and compact computers is debatable.

The Noah Tactive Instrument Modeler is a 19″ rack module released by Creamware in 2003/2004. It was designed during a period when using computers or laptops in a live setting was still a cumbersome process. However, many still wanted access to the myriad of instruments and effects that were beginning to appear on computers. Creamware decided that the solution to this issue would be Noah.

The purpose of Noah was to give musicians the innovativeness of using software plug-in technology, but in a way that was more simple and reliable, not to mention mobile, than when using a computer. This means that it is basically an instrument modeler that was able to offer accurate modeling of analog instruments. Or at least as accurate as was possible back in the early 2000s. When it was first released it offered a broad spectrum of sounds along with a lot more flexibility than conventional synths. This is due to the fact that Creamware made it easy to add additional instruments to the Noah.

Creamware initially included six instruments with the Noah, ranging from the B-2003 drawbar organ to six-string which as the name implies was designed for acoustic and electric guitars and basses as well as other string instruments. The Vectron Player, on the other hand, was inspired by the Prophet VSTM, while Lightwave is a wavetable synth. Along with its instruments, Noah also features plenty of effects, which in conjunction with its audio inputs, could transform it into an effects processor for external signals.

Although it was designed in a way that it can be used without a computer Noah does have an onboard USB interface that can be used to connect it to a computer or laptop. Creamware also included editing software with Noah for people who want to make use of this feature. This also meant that new instruments or sounds could be added to Noah after downloading them from the internet.

In terms of design, Noah features a very distinctive appearance thanks to its metallic silver finish and screen printed navy blue color. The front panel has a 2 x 40 LCD as well as a Compact Flash card slot. On the left side, you’ll find the Volume/Phones rotary control, as well as four continuous controllers in a rather striking yellow color. The plus/minus buttons as well as up/down/right/left buttons are in the middle of the front panel with the Enter, Control, and Exit buttons below them. A large control wheel is used to change the values of the selected parameter or presets. Finally, on the right side of the control panel, there is a range of other buttons that include the mode, compare, write, and FX bypass buttons. The rear panel is home to the main power switch, USB port, MIDI In/Out/Thru and gain switch as well as a word clock input, ADAT output, and jacks for external audio and analog outs.

Noah was certainly an innovative idea for its time, but whether it is still useful in this era of softsynths and compact computers is debatable.