Best of 2024!
Sinesquares.net Best of the Year Awards 2024!
It is this time of the year when here at Sinesquares.net we list our favorite releases in multiple categories! 2024 has been an incredible year for synthesizers, pedals, and music gear in general. Lots of new releases, new flagship synths by many companies, lots of new pedals, and tons of Eurorack modules! So let’s go through our favorite picks for 2024!!
Best Analog Synth
Dreadbox Artemis
After re-issuing a few of their iconic synths - the Erebus & Nyx - Dreadbox released a brand new synthesizer called Artemis! Artemis is a 6-voice polyphonic synth with two oscillators, two LFOs & Envelopes, and 4 Stereo Effects that can be used simultaneously! It also has a polyphonic sequencer, an arpeggiator, and polyphonic aftertouch. Artemis is a desktop synth - so no keyboard on a Dreadbox synth yet - and it reminds me a lot of the Nymphes that we have reviewed a couple of years ago. It feels like Dreadbox took all the great things about Nymphes and fixed all the little quirks and non-user-friendly stuff about it. Kinda pricey in today’s market but you’re still getting the raw analog power that only a few companies can provide right now and Dreadbox is slowly becoming the best fully analog synth manufacturer in the world!
Oberheim TEO-5
Since the TAKE-5 by Sequential was a huge hit, it was surely expected to see a similar version of an Oberheim Synth! The TEO-5 is a 5-voice poly synthesizer with the classic Oberheim sound and not the classic & huge price of the other Oberheim synths. It somehow manages to capture the legendary and lush Oberheim OB type of sound while giving you full hands-on control of every parameter you want to tweak. I’m more of a TAKE-5 type of person (if that’s a term) but I can definitely see why this synth was such a huge deal when it got released.
Arturia PolyBrute 12
There are not a lot of things to say about this pick. Arturia made a big statement when they released the original PolyBrute, giving a glimmer of hope to people who still wanted new analog synth designs that were not clones of vintage ones. With the release of PolyBrute 12, that statement became massive. I once wrote that PolyBrute was the definition of a flagship synth so what is the PolyBrute 12? I think that PolyBrute 12 is the peak of a modern analog synthesizer. Arturia may not have a signature sound like other brands but they certainly make the most versatile, fully-featured, and easy-to-use analog synthesizers in the world! PolyBrute 12 is a beast with unlimited sound design features that push the boundaries of what an analog synth can do.
Honorable Mention: Moog Muse. The acquisition of Moog was kind of a shock in the synth world because Moog was one of the few companies that refused to follow the path of globalization by creating and manufacturing all of their instruments in their headquarters in Asheville. I don’t know if Muse was already created before the acquisition but it surely looks like a cheaper version of the Moog One to sell more. Haven’t played it yet (@InMusic I’m here if you want to send me one lol) and I may be wrong but while it’s a 3.500€ synth, it does not look like a 3.500€ synth… Maybe I’m just bitter because of Moog and what it stood for but for this amount of money, I would always get the PolyBrute 12 (or an UDO synth).
Best Digital Synth
Polyend Synth
Polyend somehow always finds a way to sneak in my best-of-the-year awards… This time it’s their brand-new Polyend Synth. The thing that sets this apart of other releases is that it’s a synthesizer with 3 different and independent synth voices running at the same. It still has an 8-voice max polyphony but if you split your voices wisely, it allows you to create complex patterns and sequences faster than ever. It has 8 different synth engines that give a wide palette of sounds and a quite fun experience playing it using the pads. Also, the Polyend Synth is quite affordable for what you’re getting but we’ll just have to wait and see if it stands the test of time!
Vongon Replay
In second place, I decided to pick the Vongon Replay. This release was pretty controversial and, as usual, the internet was furious because of its price. However, I feel that the comments about it missed the point of the Replay. We tend to value features more of the philosophy, immediacy, or even design of an instrument and I feel that’s happening because it’s simply comparable. The Vongon Replay is a Juno-inspired synth with 6-voices, a very beautiful design & aesthetic, and a very straightforward user interface. It’s meant to be a synth that just sounds good with minimal effort and tweaking and I feel it excels in that. Just like the Juno which was a super simple synthesizer that sounded great even if you tweaked the slider with a blindfold, the Vongon Replay captures the same vibe and ease of use for those who don’t wanna spend an hour tweaking an envelope.
Teenage Engineering OP-XY
I’m not sure if the Digital Synth category is doing the OP-XY justice, but I felt it was the closest. Out of the blue, Teenage Engineering announced the OP-XY which at first was considered a field version of the OP-Z but it turned out to be something very much different and much more exciting. The OP-XY is an instrument that glued all the things Teenage Engineering has made in the past into one device. It looks like an OP-1 and they share a lot of the workflow, it has a lot of things taken from the OP-Z, punch-in effects like the Pocket Operators and the EP series, and numerous new and incredible features and concepts. Since we mentioned flagship instruments, the OP-XY is the Teenage Engineering Flagship we’ve been waiting for.
Best Sampler
Roland P-6
As usual, Roland is cannibalizing itself by releasing similar devices in every price point imaginable and the P-6 is another device like that. A cool pocket-sized (if you have a big pocket) AIRA Compact sampler that is quite cool, to be honest. A cheap SP-404? Probably yes. The P-6 has a lot of features in a tiny package and while I would consider it torture to make me use to actually make music, I can understand it can be appealing to a lot of people. It’s extremely affordable for what it can do, it’s feature-packed, and it’s a Roland instrument so you know it’s going to do what it says.
Polyend Tracker+
Polyend’s Tracker was a really cool idea and an even better implementation of the idea. The Tracker+ now has 4 synth engines and a new drum machine, it’s fully stereo, a 16-track sequencer which is amazing, and with its huge screen, it’s the only device that will allow you to understand the tracker workflow and actually make some cool music with it.
Elektron Digitakt II
No questions asked. The Digitakt II is a massive update to the original Digitakt and it’s now a clear competitor to Elektron’s Octatrack. As a Digitakt owner myself, the thing that bugged me the most was the 8 tracks and now with the Digitakt II, those 8 tracks become 16 which makes it the absolute sample-based drum machine. Honestly, since it hasn’t been a big year for samplers, I only added the Best Sampler category to give the first place to the Digitakt II. I’m not a huge fan of the price of the Digitakt rising to almost 1K, however, this is not a minor update. Elektron upgraded tons of things with the new Digitakt II and made it very hard to go out and buy an original Digitakt right now.
Best Modulation Pedal
Just a quick intro here. The category is called best modulation pedal for lack of a better name. So don’t expect to see chorus & flanger pedals :).
Vongon Paragraphs II
Vongon Paragraphs II is a filter pedal that might not seem that exciting. But it is! It has a stereo four-pole resonant low-pass ladder-style filter, an envelope to trigger the filter, and an LFO to modulate the filter’s cutoff. I’ve done a full review of this pedal on my YouTube Channel to demonstrate all the different ways you can use a filter pedal like this one in your studio and I was amazed by how great it worked with synths! Plus, Vongon pedals are the most beautiful-looking pedals ever!
Chase Bliss Onward
It is impossible for Chase Bliss to release a bad pedal. They can even make a compressor pedal sound cool. Since Chase Bliss joined forces with Cooper FX, they released Generation Loss MKII and now they released their new take on the Cooper FX Outward called Onward! Onward is a sampler or freeze type of pedal that captures your sound and creates lush & rich soundscapes. It can make your guitar sound like a synth, it can create glitches, and layered pads like no other. Onward is an experimental pedal (like most Chase Bliss pedals) that is unique and incredible!
Electronic Audio Experiments Prismatic Wall
Electronic Audio Experiments is a company that is slowly establishing itself as one of the most creative and unique pedal companies out there. Prismatic Wall is their most ambitious design that essentially creates a new type of effect that no other pedal has done before. It is a resonator that will take any incoming signal and use it to replicate the sound of resonating strings. For those familiar, something like the legendary Mutable Instruments Rings. It’s a pedal that you need to hear to really appreciate because it sounds unbelievably good!
Best Delay Pedal
JHS Flight Delay
JHS Flight Delay is a very simple delay pedal done well. And that’s harder than it looks. It has three modes - Analog, Digital, and Reverse - plus modulation. I added it to this list simply because they added a reverse delay since it’s not something we often see and they also made it sound incredible that it’s something that we rarely see. A great solid option for those who just need a good-sounding delay with simple features and hands-on controls for everything you’d need.
Walrus Audio Meraki
Technically, this is not a 2024 release because Walrus released Meraki in late 2023 as a limited release. But in 2024 they decided to include it in their ongoing product list and not have it as a limited once-off thing. Meraki is a full stereo analog delay with independent controls for each stereo channel. That’s it. And it’s marvelous. Making a true stereo analog delay pedal is not an easy task and Meraki simply sounds beautiful so it’s one of the best analog delay pedals money can buy!
Collision Devices Crushturnal
Collision Devices is a French company that has also made a huge impact in the past few years. With Crushturnal they combined Delay and Bitcrushing to create one of the most interesting and crunchy-sounding pedals of the year. I simply love bitcrushers so it was certain that I would pick this pedal for the best delay pedal of 2024. An awesome combination that makes everything sound good!
Best Reverb Pedal
GFI Solis Ventus
This should probably be higher but it’s really new and I haven’t had the time to deep dive into it. The GFI System Solis Ventus is a dual-engine Reverb and Delay that can run two algorithms at the same time! You can have two Reverbs, two Delays, or a Delay and Reverb combo, it has a stereo looper, and a Dynamics & Crossover engine. It is the successor to the famous Specular Tempus which has the most successful GFI pedal to date and it sounds magnificent!
Erica Synths Nightverb
Erica Synths Nightverb is a stereo reverb with a unique sound. It uses a completely custom DSP engine developed by Erica Synths & 112db.com. Nightverb is a very ambient and massive reverb pedal that sounds huge without losing the details and harmonics of your sound. Also, it has a separate knob for every single parameter of its reverb so no menu diving or secondary functions which is always a plus!
Old Blood Noise Dark Star Stereo
Yes! Our favorite reverb pedal for 2024 can be no other than the Dark Star Stereo by Old Blood Noise Endeavors. I love the fact that this pedal is the result of years of experimenting with reverb algorithms and different designs to come up with the perfect textural, ambient, and lo-fi reverb. Old Blood Noise has released the Dark Star, Dark Light, and even Sunlight (which is still available) to finally bring this experience to practice and release the Dark Star Stereo. The thing that makes this pedal special is that it has a one-of-a-kind character you cannot find on anything else. It's a dark, degrading, and pitch-shifter reverb that completely transforms your sounds in an ethereal and mysterious way!
Best Modulation Eurorack Module
Nano Modules Arc
Arc is a Dual Function Generator with two channels that can function as an Envelope Generator, an LFO, a Slew Limiter, and a VCA. It’s big, everything on it can be modulated, and has big knobs to make your life easier. If it looks familiar it’s because it is definitely inspired by the legendary Maths by Make Noise but with a few additional features and changes that make it unique!
RYK Modular ENVY MACHINE
Envy Machine is a four-channel modulation module. Each channel can be an ADSR Envelope, an AD Envelope, an LFO, a Random Voltage, or a recordable Knob Voltage Control. Since I used the Bella Gliss, the motion recording has been one of my favorite things to do with my modulation and here you can go wild with it. Its 4 Channels give you plenty of options for just 12HP which is insane!
BASTL Neo Trinity
The new king of modulation is here! Neo Trinity by my lovely friends at BASTL is a 6-channel Modulation Hub with options for LFOs, Envelopes, or Recordable CVs. I truly think that recordable knob movement will be the “new thing” in modular and Neo Trinity set the example of how it should be done! With Neo Trinity, you can do so many things and it’s only 8HP to fit on any Eurorack System and it even has a memory to store your settings and automation as a preset. BASTL is my favorite Eurorack manufacturer because they always bring something new to the table while staying musical and easy to use.
Best Effects Eurorack Module
Dr. Scientist BitQuest
Yes, you read that right. Dr. Scientist’s BitQuest pedal is now a Eurorack module too! It comes with 8 different effects - Reverb, Bit Crusher, Filter, Flanger, Notch, Ring Mod, Pitch Shifter, and Delay - with an added digital Fuzz on top. I also love the fact that it has a dry out, a wet out, and a mix out, which gives it a lot of versatility in your system. Also, the effects I mentioned are not your “standard“ effects. Every algorithm has a Lo-Fi character, the same one that made the BitQuest become a classic!
OXI Instruments META-FX
Six Effects, Two Knobs, and a fully stereo signal in just 6HP? Yes! META-FX is a beautiful effects module with a couple of Reverb effects (Space & Riser), a DJ-style Filter, a Looper, a Delay, and a Gater that is made for performance and bringing life to your music. This module is the answer to the “How I make my patches interesting?“!
Qu-Bit Electonix Stardust
If there’s one company that mastered the Eurorack effects game, this is Qu-Bit! Their latest module, Stardust, is a tape-looper that allows you to record your sounds and then change their speed, and pitch, slice them, and mangle them to create the most vibey textured loops. You can also add, wow & flutter and hiss to increase the Tape feeling and nostalgia and it comes with four modes - Sound on Sound, Replace, Frippertronics, and Resample.
Best Filter Eurorack Module
Glasgow Synth Guild Éon Procyon
Glasgow Synth Guild came out of nowhere and in no time managed to make quite an impact in the modular scene. The Éon Procyon is a stereo-morphing filter that is loosely based on the MS-20 filter and it consists of two filters that move around the stereo field. I love stereo filters and Éon Procyon excels at spreading your sound in a cool and natural way!
Vostok Atlas
The ultimate utility filter module is definitely Atlas by Vostok. Atlas has 4 independent filters that can be Lowpass, Highpass, or Bandpass, Resonance Compensation (huge deal!), and a morphing scanner to add movement. A perfect solution for systems that run lots of voices at the same time or polyphonic Eurorack synths like mine, Atlas solves all your filtering problems in one 16HP module.
Winterbloom Neptune
Another favorite Eurorack company of mine is Winterbloom. Their latest module, Neptune, is a resonant diode filter made in collaboration with Carson Walls. It is a completely new filter design I’ve never seen before. I have a full review of it here. Neptune has separate lowpass and highpass inputs in a single filter core so you can move around different sounds as you change the filter’s cutoff or even do transitions between loops. On top, it has a feedback-modulated distortion that can take your sound into a chaotic distorted journey!
Best Eurorack Oscillator
XAOC Devices Berlin
Berlin is a Numeric Oscillator - I have no idea what this means. On the surface, it offers you square and saw waveforms with hard sync and FM options. The Saw wave can be run through a mysterious wave processing (Leibniz Binary Subsystem interface) resulting in a wavetable oscillator with a totally new sound. Not a great explanation, I know but it sounds awesome!
Endorphin.es New Godspeed
New Godspeed is of course the newer version of Godspeed. It has an FM voice with two operators that has MIDI control, a Sub oscillator, but most importantly an auto-tuning functionality that must become a standard thing in all oscillators from now on. You can magically tune the oscillator with a press of a button which allows you to save time and start making music faster! A simple, beautiful-sounding, feature-packed, and affordable oscillator in just 6HP is never a bad purchase.
ALM Busy Circuits MCO MKII
If you’re a fan of digital oscillators like I am, the MCO MKII is the best new module to get. The new MCO has a multi-dimensional wavetable oscillator, an additive synthesis engine, a super saw, a vocoder, a virtual analog oscillator, a bass synth, and more. You can upload your own wavetables which is always a must-have, and a big (for modular and 6HP) screen that looks crisp and rich! It has a chord functionality, built-in envelopes, and LFOs - it’s basically a full synth voice and not just an oscillator!
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