Polaxis Talko Is Back!

Speech synthesis has always intrigued me...  ever since i saw the possibilities of a SpeakJet chip... and these FreQTalk videos

Belgian company Polaxis has been pushing the boundaries of speech synthesis for over a decade, and now they’re bringing back a classic: the Talko.

The original Talko was their very first speech synthesizer, later followed by Emy, which added an OLED screen, SD card support, and a whole new level of control. 

Over the years, Polaxis gathered 10 years of user feedback, collected thousands of LPC files, and experimented with new chip emulations. 

The result? Talko returns — with onboard FX!

This new-generation Talko(2?) stays true to its raw, charming character, but now comes packed with fresh features. 

Based on a Speak & Spell emulation (probably running on an Arduino?), it can speak numbers, alphabets, phonemes, and phrase banks, all while running in real time through built-in effects.

It’s designed to be DIY-friendly and will be available both as a Eurorack module or in a quirky standalone “bricky” format (a nod to @errorinstruments).

🔊 Want to hear it live? Come check it out at Dutch Modular Fest, Saturday 6th in Rotterdam!

Dit bericht op Instagram bekijken

Een bericht gedeeld door Jean-Luc Deladrière (@polaxis)

Raul's World Of Synths Returns

Synthesizer Content Creators Are Making a Comeback! 

It feels like a blast from the past....suddenly, the synthesizer content creators from the early 2000s and 2010s are roaring back to life! 

The nostalgic wave of synth enthusiasts who shaped the online music tech scene a decade ago seems to be rekindling their passion, and I’m here for it. 

Last month I shared that *Retro Synth Ads*, a beloved blog for synth nerds, started posting again after a nearly four-year hiatus. 

Their return has been a delight for fans of vintage gear and quirky ads from the golden age of synthesizers. If you haven’t checked it out yet, dive into their treasure trove of retro goodness at

https://www.retrosynthads.com/ . 

Now, there’s more exciting news: Raul Pena, the mastermind behind *Raul’s World of Synths*, is back in action! 

Raul recently uploaded a mix of new and archival videos, including a Q&A where he reflects on how his channel began, the reasons behind his break, and his ambitious plans for future content. 

You can catch his latest updates on his YouTube channels

https://www.youtube.com/@raulsworldofsynths

https://www.youtube.com/@modularwild

For those unfamiliar, Raul’s work is a goldmine for synth enthusiasts. Through Raul’s World of Synths (active for 14 years) and Modular Wild (running for 12 years), he combines on-site video recordings and photography from synthesizer events to promote awareness and education about music technology. His content dives deep into the innovations of the music and audio industry, making it a valuable resource for musicians, techies, and enthusiasts of all ages. 

Video:Raul's World Of Synths Q&A

Raul’s return is especially exciting because of his in-depth video series covering Doepfer and other Eurorack modules from various other manufacturers. 

His detailed explorations are perfect for anyone looking to geek out over modular synths. 

Want to support his work? 

Check out his Liberapay page [here]

You can also follow his updates on X [here] 

or explore his projects on GitHub [here]. 

It’s thrilling to see creators like Raul back in the game, sharing their passion for music technology and inspiring a new generation of synth lovers. 

Stay tuned for more updates from the synth world—it’s shaping up to be a vibrant comeback season!

Dtronics DT-303 Distortion/Overdrive

I've had a lot of fun playing with the new Dtronics DT-303 that I bought a few months ago.

The Dtronics DT-303 is a small analog distortion and overdrive desktop unit (non-eurorack) made by Dutch company Dtronics.

It’s not a synthesizer, it’s mainly designed to work with machines like the Roland TB-303 and other bassline synths and offers 3 types of distortion.

The DT-303 changes your sound by adding distortion and overdrive .You can make it sound a little rough, or very dirty and aggressive, depending on the settings. 

If you want your acid lines to sound more dirty, loud, or punchy, this box can help.

The unit itself is small and strong, with it's metal case and rubber feet it sits sturdy on flat surfaces. Mono In- and Output are on the backside. The unit comes with a  9V power supply.

It only has a few knobs and buttons that feel sturdier than the ones on my TB-303.

3 buttons to select types of distortion Classic / Turbo / Overdrive or Bypass. 

1 Bypass button allows you to switch back to the original sound quickly.

It also has 3 knobs for Distortion level, Filter cutoff and Volume 

...al in a very cool looking TB-303 aesthetic 

The sound is warm and full and doesn’t make the bass disappear like some cheaper distortion boxes do. 

My own TB-303/DT-303 Combo

Wifred Pover from DTronics got the idea for the DT-303 in 2023; 
"On a rainy Sunday in January 2023 we were brainstorming about new products.
Until then, we had mainly made programmers for synthesizers. examples of this are the DT7, DT-300 and DT-200.
We thought it would be nice to broaden it and see if we could create a distortion.
While we were talking, we came up with the idea of ​​a distortion that could adjust the nuances and that would fit well with the appearance of the 303.
We were also bothered by variants where the connections were not at the back, causing the wires to run over the instrument.

Step by step the project became clearer and took more shape. We have been busy fine-tuning the parameters so that it matches our expectations as closely as possible.
We also enlisted the help of several good friends who have a lot of knowledge and expertise in the field of distortions and of course experience with the Roland TB-303."

"We started designing the hardware and the casing. An important part was the recognizability and the connection to the Roland TB-303. We used custom buttons and pots for this.

This is how the first prototypes of the DT-303 were created."

Funding was realized within a month via Kickstarter. The first modules were shipped in early 2024

and there are still units available via: SynthCity.NL

Basically the Dtronics DT-303 is a simple but effective box.
If you like acid music or 303-style basslines, it’s a great way to get that extra drive and grit.
It only works in mono, but for what it’s made to do, it does an excellent job.

I didn't have the right state of mind to make an original short video of this FX module, but I will try to feature it in upcoming video's. The Dtronics website has enough interesting videos about it anyway....

There is/was still a free Aux send on my mixing desk, so now I can also send 909 Bassdrums and other synths through this box... I love it!