Best of SuperBooth 2022
Check out the most exciting releases of this year’s SuperBooth!
The 2022 SuperBooth was an exciting event with lots of new amazing releases! There have been a lot of stunning synths, updates on previous devices, and a very polarizing release.
Let’s go through our top picks of SuperBooth 2022:
Oberheim OB-X8
A massive release by Tom Oberheim teamed up with Focusrite who also owns Sequential, for this majestic synthesizer.
OB-X8 is a bi-timbral 8-voice analog polyphonic synthesizer with the classic OB layout. It sounds lush and huge, just it was expected. This one is the definition of a flagship synth, with all the features you would expect, great-sounding oscillators, creamy filters, and lots of modulation options.
It comes at a flagship price too, around 5.700€ so it is definitely not for everyone.
SOMA Laboratory - Terra
Probably the most unique-looking synth we’ve seen in a long time. SOMA is well-known for its experimental designs and out-of-the-box thinking and this year they took it to the next level.
Terra is a piece of a tree log with a few touch-sensitive controls to play it. No screen, no labels, a weird-looking layout that’s made to fit your hands, and a few knobs. It has 32 digital synthesis engines with a few analog parts to control its sound. It sounds rich in texture and organic while also being microtonal so you can tune it to your liking. The modulation part is what creates a lot of unexpected sounds and transitions but the most important thing is that everything is played with your two hands by touching its surface providing a unique playing experience.
It will come in two versions, one that’s custom-built with wood and a cheaper one (under 1.000€) that will come in a different housing.
Dreadbox Dysmetria
Dreadbox, our fellow Greeks, has also showcased a new analog semi-modular groove synthesizer that has an onboard sequencer and a synth section. Dysmetria is a DIY kit (yes, you need to know how to solder to assemble it), that can be a desktop synth or a Eurorack module.
The synth part has two VCOs, a noise generator, a lowpass or bandpass filter, and two decay envelopes. The thing that stands out though, is its sequencer. It has 32 steps where you can have a different sound on each step and you can control three parameters per step (Pitch, Velocity, Accent). This will cost only 200€ but you’ll have to do the soldering yourself although Dreadbox may release a pre-built version in the future.
And it’s worth mentioning that Dreadbox also revealed two more DIY kits for the Erebus and the Hades that will come at a similar price which is amazing!
Erica Synths - SYNTRX II
SYNTRX which is inspired by the classic Synthi AKS by EMS is a marvelous piece of gear. It sounds beefy and huge, it is very well-built and looks so cool. The SYNTRX II is the updated version of the original, now in black (looking so sexy), that has a few new features and re-iterations of old ones.
SYNTRX is an epic fully analog machine but its charm lies in the digital modulation matrix which lets you route your signal and create complex modulations that you can now store at 254 presets. The joystick is still here of course and you can record its movements to repeat your modulation without the need to constantly use it. Erica Synths also included their DSP effects with a delay and reverb that can be updated in the future and an updated ring modulator to accompany its 2 oscillators, filters, and LFO.
And the best thing is that it is now cheaper coming at 1.800€ making it a lot more affordable than the first version!
Polyend - Play
Polyend is famous for its grid sequencers that are hands-on and visual but also powerful and deep. Last week, they announced their latest sequencer/ groovebox the Polyend Play!
Different from Tracker’s concept and workflow, Play is a sample and MIDI-based groovebox with no synth engines in it. It has 8 internal audio tracks and 8 polyphonic MIDI tracks to sequence your other gear. It comes with around 3.000 high-quality samples preloaded but you can always import your own samples using a micro-SD card.
Play reminds us a lot of the Digitakt which also has a very powerful sequencer but in a different layout. The immediacy of the 8x16 and 8x4 grid is more hands-on and quick and Polyend managed to add a ton of sequencing features to this device. Chance, Randomization, Fill options, Step repeaters, Polyrhythms, and many more are ready to be explored on this amazing compact sequencer.
Polyend Play will cost 799€ and it’s now available!
Teenage Engineering - OP-1 Field
We have already shared our thoughts and frustration on the new OP-1’s price jump to 1.999€ here. Now that a few days have passed, we thought that we would be a little less angry about it, or some new features would emerge and make us re-think Teenage Engineering’s decision. But no, we’re still angry about it and people online seem to share the same opinions.
So, Teenage Engineering finally announced a new version of the OP-1, the OP-1 Field which is basically an OP-1 with a few new features and improvements that costs a lot more than the original one.
To name a few, OP-1 Field has a new synth engine called Dimension, a new ambient reverb called Mother, stereo sampling, and the ability to choose between 4 different tape styles and store up to 8 tapes so you can recall a previous project.
Its design is still the same as the original with different knob colors and an aluminum body, making it thinner and probably more sturdy and durable.
Teenage Engineering managed to make a lot of people, and even their own fans, furious because of the pricing so the features come second. And the truth is that there aren’t that many new features to justify the price increase. It is not an OP-2, it is just an updated OP-1 that got very expensive and we would advise you to just get the old OP-1 unless you absolutely need the few extra features and improvements. As we already said it is 1.999€. And still without an undo button to undo the price.
Is there something you saw at SuperBooth 2022 that got you very excited, that we did not include? Let us know in the comments!
