$250 analog synthesizers that sound great! // Cre8audio WEST PEST & EAST BEAST review

[@BoBeats]

Had a few questions about price. The street price is around 250 dollar/euro for both synths. Check prices in stores here: EAST BEAST EU: thmn.to/thoprod/543664?offid=1&affid=623 Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/e4P1RQ Perfect Circuit bit.ly/3GCioZF WEST PEST Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/545070?offid=1&affid=623 Perfect Circuit: bit.ly/westpestPC Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/Vy3x0O *affiliate links support the channel regardless of what you buy and at no cost to you

[@KattKirsch]

Frankly I'm absolutely in love with their distinct aesthetics. I'm just grateful that I can tell them apart from the dozens of black semi-modular synths with white lines around sections. And who doesn't love a giant wavefolding knob?

[@BoBeats]

Thats great to hear! Im torn myself. I think its borderline tacky, but I also like it… But like you say: its fun when its a bit different in vibe

[@DJ_Kelpie]

@KattKirsch lol preach

[@reidsoundz9905]

I am all about the West Pest! It just shot way up on my list. Every time you played it I LOVED the sound. And ppl need to stop complaining about the look, I think they look dope

[@BoBeats]

don't forget that we are doing SUMMER OF SYNTHS this year too! In July I am inviting a bunch of creators onto my channel. We have alot of cool videos lined up for you all. For example, can one of the guests get me into classic synthesizers? Another guest is showing us how to manage a hardware synth setup for live performances... And WTF is a tracker? I have no idea but one guest will help us understand what it is!

[@JorbLovesGear]

Dope stuff, West Pest makes this a really cool pair. Good stuff as always Bo!

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

I completely agree. The West Pest intrigues me in a way that the latest little Roland and Teenage Engineering boxes have not.

[@RedMeansRecording]

No cap these both sound absolutely fantastic

[@Screenshot1015]

West pest is absolutely sick

[@colinbrash]

Agreed. They would not sound as great if they were capped.

[@Jason75913]

@@fibonacho much sooner if they sport failtastic Jamicon caps or similarly low-quality parts

[@MistyMusicStudio]

These seem awesome! Super excited to see more high quality synths in an accessible price range. Excellent demo!

[@heckseven]

I love the look and sound of both of these. We have plenty of vanilla panel designs already. Modular already gets weird with the sounds, why not with looks? Nice work Cre8audio!

[@johnlawson3014]

I love the look of these synths personally but I’ve always liked synths that look different than the black box design. My East Beast came in a few days ago, it’s the first modular type of synth I’ve owned. I’ve been using it mainly to patch a Brains module. The filters very nice and I like the sequencer a lot.

[@TimeScribe]

The Crea8audio/Pittsburgh Modular partnership keeps bringing out brilliant affordable instruments. Love these. Sounds great and love the look of them. No one needs more boring black boxes with zero personality.

[@makers1958]

Looks like a needed market for inexpensive panel overlays, a la Behringer Neutron…

[@magnopere]

​@@makers1958 the more I'm in modular the more I feel like most of us aren't ARTISTS. seems like everyone wants their rack to look as boring as possible

[@makers1958]

@@magnopere I definitely hear you; I was just throwing out that possibility so that folks didn’t purchase this synth on appearance alone. My rig looks like Disney’s “Fantasia” 😉!

[@coconutlust470]

Very nice stuff. You're right about that filter! Sounds superb for such a small form factor. Always happy to see modular players cross over to desktop modules that are competitively priced and comparatively feature-rich.

[@coconutlust470]

Also! Love the natural light and woods in the video.

[@roryjineffect]

Did not know about the West Pest until this video, but I was liking the angry, gritty sounds it put out better, and that is with me enjoying the previous East Beast samples I have heard.

[@JeremyForTheWin]

acid forever!

[@delmeteor717]

Excellent explanation of the two forms. I’m a newbie and found it fascinating. I must admit I like the ethereal sounds of the West Pest being a child of the 60’s.

[@digital_crickets]

Now I'm imagining both of these with a 0-Coast sitting between them... Thanks for another great review, Mister Beats!

[@The_ElectricMonk]

They really should have mirrored the patch bays to reflect the East/West and to make them easier to patch together. East with the patches on the left and West with the patches on the right, so they are East and West of each other based on the names.

[@ghostly606]

Get a vertical stand...

[@entropybentwhistle]

Probably just right-handed user bias.

[@The_ElectricMonk]

@@ghostly606 you’ve completely missed the point. I’m not suggesting it’s difficult to patch them together, it just would have been a fun design choice.

[@erlannderrantem6972]

Cool idea, but probably that would drive the costs up or something.

[@CmdrMic]

Another ansolutely wonderful and informative review. Thanks Bo. For me, West Pest will be on the "buy list" if those awesome dudes at Perfect Circuit offer it. I can see this matching up very well with Bastl Kastle 1.5 or Bastl Drum.

[@nsbd90now]

I watched this before the West Pest I preordered arrived the other day, and I am watching it again. Your videos are always so interesting and instructive to me just as a synth fan. As a home-hobbyist very new to the whole modular synth realm who just got this, his second modular type instrument, it is so helpful to be able to watch and hear you using the patch bay. Thanks!

[@BoBeats]

Thank you for watching!!

[@brianleahyart]

Thanks for the breakdown! I'm currently comparing these 2 to the Moog Mavis as my first semi-modular experience. I was able to try the Mavis and the East Beast in a local shop today, and I have to agree, the East Beast's looks were a bit of a tough sell for me as well, ha. I think I could live with the graphics if the text was much more visible on top of them. But as you pointed out, it packs a lot of power for the price!

[@THEREALDATALORD]

Thanks for the great review. These are worth having on the radar.

[@katarzynagorska5613]

As I love my SV-1 east style eurorack module I will go for West Pest this time :) I love the look - it's totally my style - I prefer this than pretty boring plain metal or black panel synths :) I think that collab between Pittsburgh Modular and Cre8audio is really interesting. The affordable eurorack units/synths made with the PM people ( Hi Richard !) for sure bring some fresh ideas and quality :) Already on my "2022 to buy list". Btw all the promo videos with Richard are dope ;) Go West

[@jarickthom9767]

I had ordered the East Beast and 1 week later they announced the West Pest. Now I want the pest as a complimentary synth to the East Beast - it sounds more angry and wild but it was the smoothness of the East Beast that hooked me in the first place. Bo, thanks for showing them separately then together. They make a great pairing. I have read complaints online about the look of them as well - I personally don't care but in this day and age, creating your own overlay is highly possible - so make them look how you like if that is your beef with them. For the money, you can't complain about the sounds and options you get. Not much missing. Also they can be removed from the box and dropped directly into your Eurorack system. That is a serious bonus if you have the space. I wonder if I could use the empty case as an extra Eurorack space for the leftover modules - will have to wait for mine to come in to check that out. Just in case anyone wanted to know, they are $320 CAD.

[@BrockDavisson]

Dang! I want these 2 things! Great sounds!

[@agilebill4d396]

Both. For me it was 3 steps to get hooked. 1) I saw the blue green East beast look and loved it - how refreshing after seeing a sea of grey and black. Then this (useful!) video showed I HAD to have the West Pest for its sound - so preordered it (2). 3) When I stumbled across the Beast at a retailer while waiting for my pre-ordered I grabbed it. I know there may be some duplication, but now I'm very glad I did. I have spent hours with that great filter! (and have hooked the beast to my my other 2 Semi modulars). Now I find it hard to wait for the fold of the Pest. The reasonable price helped me consider both over time. Perfect for me as a semi-beginner. I even like the feel of the button keys. Bravo!

[@5stringaustin]

Got my East Beast recently and now anxiously awaiting shipment of my West Pest. Really didn’t feel like an option to only have one 🤣 I don’t get why people are so hung up on the aesthetics, either 🤷‍♂️ great video as always, Bo!

[@apislapis]

Great video Bo. Loving the fast attack on those West Pest sounds. A great duo.

[@luminousbrilliance1711]

Good to see you Bo!

[@electro-soma]

I think they both look great. Fun looking and great sounding.

[@I.O.M.]

I ordered the East Beast already but what a mean pair to have and with such a small foot print.

[@LuisTorres-qz5kr]

They both sound amazing, both added onto Wish List.

[@aaronchase1973]

Very interested in the West Pest, since I don’t know much about Buchla synths or West Coast synthesis. At the price point I could probably get the East Beast later. You are right, that it’s a shame no audio/midi out/in at the back. But if you’re going to jump into modular synthesis, then you could get any Behringer modular synth for that feature. I have a Crave already, so a West Pest & Crave can probably mix their patch points well. Thanks for reviewing both!

[@Jason75913]

Same thing I'm thinking, see what I can get out of my Neutrons, Crave, and West Pest together.

[@magnopere]

yeah I would definitely recommend everyone pick up a cheap MIDI>CV converter, super handy for stuff like this

[@suga4all]

I played the East Beast at Superbooth. Its really a nice beginner subtractive (hybrid) synth. A true Volca killer. But the West Pest seems right for me. Don't have a West Coast right now. At this price it's a no brainer.

[@mcstabba]

Tack för den informativa och inspirerande videon Bosse! I like the "tacky" look but I'm just a novice in the synth world. I might pick up the East Beast or maybe both. Or maybe I'll wait for them to announce the South Mouth and the North Fourth (I can't think of anything else that rhymes with North).

[@UliAfroman]

You just have to love these big filter knobs from Pittsburgh ✌️❤️

[@johnlawson3014]

Ordered the EB the day it came out, hope it begins shipping soon. If I like it I’ll definitely be going for the WP. Good demos!

[@robertescher3082]

Got the East a couple days ago... love it so far. Can't wait to get its cousin. :)

[@I.O.M.]

West Pest looks nice but I preordered the East Beast for the eurocase. So much functionality and patching. Thanks for the reviews Bo.

[@RegebroRepairs]

I already ordered a West Pest, and this video makes me look forward to it even more. It sounds bloody awesome. Well, so does the East Beast, but I have subtractive synths already. :-)

[@Joldrath]

West Pest for me. Thank you for a great video, explaining the differences between the two ❤

[@GerenM63]

I think they're both really neat little synths, and offer a whole lot of sonic capability for not very much money -- and, at some point, I'll probably want to pick up both. As far as appearance, I think they look just fine -- certainly no more garish than some of the other little boxes and modules on the market. And really, what difference does the appearance make if it doesn't hinder one's ability to use the device? Not buying a synth that you think sounds good because of its looks is downright silly!

[@evrttsmyth]

I was prepared not to like these at first, but the sound quality and form factor are quite awesome. They sort of remind of the Korg Electribes when they came out, only for much less. They work good as a pair as well. Looks like a fun way to start on the modular path.

[@jimlampshady]

West Pest sounds nuts! I want one.

[@gamma_noize]

Soundwise both sound really good. But i guess, the east beast might have a hard time on the market, when there's the crave and other "simple" semi-modulars around it's price. East coast synthesis is wide spread, so i already have enough gear based on it, which can get a similar sound. Yes , the filter and oscillator have their own character, but there's so much, which can at least get pretty close to it. The filter is nice, but not too "far off the deep end", so it would add something, i don't already have. For that i'm waiting for the Klavis Grainity or the still to be named U-HE filter module. And most synthesists already have stacks over stacks of east coast stuff. ^^ The west pest on the other hand is something you don't find that often. The closest "competitor" would be the 0-Coast, i guess and the 0-Coast costs almost twice as much. There are Eurorack modules (Through Zero Oscillators, "Complex oscillators", Wavefolders/-shapers, LPGs, etc.), which can offer something similar, but you'd also pay way more than for the WP. I think, the west pest is the more interesting of them, as it allows sounds which are not as "traditional". East Coast 1-Osc synth sounds already go waaay back and everybody knows them already in and out, whilst west coast sounds are kind of "underrated" and unknown. In my opinion the west pest has the bigger potential to add something new to an setup than the east beast. And that's basically, why i ordered a West Pest, but no East Beast. The East Beast just doesn't add enough "new" sounds to my setup.

[@johnmcmanus5416]

This sounds amazing for the price point. Have to get both for sure!

[@mikeexits]

Loooove seeing more synths in the

[@NightShift-kx9pb]

I just picked up a West Pest and it is a lot of fun! If you like percussive, fm/osc-sync type sounds it is really satisfying.

[@wbajzek]

The noise isn't really noise, it's fast random modulation of the waveform selection. You're supposed to still hear a pitched tone

[@BoBeats]

thanks! I think it will confuse a few people, like me :)

[@antoineguilbeault8025]

Techno is my main thing . The west pest seems great for some wild hypnotic bleeps

[@EiseniaFoetida]

Pittsburgh Modular makes great stuff (love their SV-1b) and these two sound awesome for the price point. I think I might have to snag the West Pest. Also, Bo, are you familiar with The Residents? The lick you played on the East Beast during the sound examples at the beginning of the video reminded me of their song Easter woman. Good stuff!

[@sessshomaruuu]

I feel like not having in/out jacks on the back makes sense though if it's a eurorack compatible synth since they may expect one to eventually throw it in the rack anyway; where those extra costs would've been in vain.

[@matthewtunnicliffe201]

I can see these selling very well for that price. They sound really nice. I quite like how they look too. I can imagine they'll be too quirky for some people but I think they look quite cool. Out of the 2 I think I fancy the West Pest more, but it's a close call. Is there a way to power them outdoors, like with a battery or USB?

[@sirsynth225]

I just received my EB and it comes with a 15V 2.4A power supply, USB-power: nope, not even USB on this device. But with a rather serious powerbank to give the EB its juice you can take it outside. Might go well over 100EUR/USD for such a device. That's lot given the price of the EB - but you could also use this powerbank for other gear of course. Needless to say but I am doing it anyway: the EB in reality sounds even better than KZbin demos - especially if you add some FX (a chorus of flanger makes it sound heavenly!) G.A.S. G.A.S. G.A.S. ...

[@SynthoidSounds]

Oh No!!! Just when I thought I was near making up my mind which one to get (was leaning toward West Pest), then this appears . . . gasp. Well hey, it's all good. Excellent demo, thanks for posting.

[@unclemick-synths]

Good video 👍. They look fine to me - no worse than many effects pedals. They look fun but I don't make enough use of the synths I already have.

[@soerenraudonis]

I know the melody on 3:36 from a c64 demo - Sid sounds are responsible for my obsession with Synths in the first place:)

[@novaagency4936]

Great video! West ;)

[@severeflows]

I find it weird that people won’t purchase it simply for looks, I hate the way model samples look but I love the workflow and all it’s fun features. I personally don’t mind the way the east beast or west pest look but to each their own

[@Jason75913]

I don't like the looks either, but the sound is all I care about. I think the font sucks, not for being different, just the comic book style is not my cup of tea in the slightest. The Korg keyboards I have don't appeal to me in looks at all, but they make up for it in sound and features. I would have an issue if a synth sounded really awesome but was shaped and painted to look like something obscene of any kind. We don't reach such ugly extremes, fortunately.

[@walrtbstudios5430]

@@Jason75913 I’ve bought the WP despite its looks- but if someone comes up with a black or aluminium replacement faceplate I’ll be there…

[@jantuitman]

Like them both but I feel my house has almost reached peak synth so I don’t allow new entries for hopefully a long time (and it helps that the most recent is a Syntakt). There seems to be no end on new synths appearing, something I am still not completely used to after a couple of years falling in love with synths.

[@BoBeats]

No need to catch em all :-)

[@entropybentwhistle]

@@BoBeats Synthemon would be a really expensive game, but I agree with Jan…there’s a lot of gear coming out. The GAS gets overwhelmed and forces a gear junkie to give serious consideration to what the studio actually needs, not just what the coolest gizmo of the moment is.

[@SonicVibe]

I think they don’t look bad price right and they sound good I’m not a semi modular guy I like the small desktop synths like dreadbox typhon or nemesis kind of knob for function but these don’t seem overly complicated even though semi modular looks like a good entry point he’ll not even moog mavis don’t have arpeggiate built in

[@Death_By_Media]

The Noise " issue" on the East is because it's not a " true " noise . Its the output of the random OSC function speed up super high speeds so it can do pitched noise (my understanding from another vid with the Pittsburgh Modular guy) result the same if you want a pure static noise sound ,but at least its an artifact of a creative decision that has IMHO more use than just another noise source and not just manufacturing corner cutting .

[@BoBeats]

To me having noise with an underlying tone sort of defeats the purpose of having noise in the first place. I’d use it for percussive sounds and for that clean noise is more useful. Im sure its usable for some things tho, just not what most people would normally use noise for like snappy clap like sounds or snare type sounds.

[@charlesbronson2806]

Both are sweet synths.

[@ezion67]

Quite a few pp didn't like the look of the B. Neutron either, soon there where plenty of overlay stickers to fix that. Could be a solution for the Pest and Beast too.

[@GregDixson]

Can't see anything wrong with the design myself, kind of like 90s gear or Nu rave. They sound great and given the sequencer and arp too, makes them more than usable

[@Goettel]

Both sound great, here's hoping they do well.

[@blogic12]

Is the “Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller” close enough to a vactrol LPG? This is extremely important on a west coast (buchla) inspired device. Obvious question on a west coast synth- can it buchla bongo!?

[@MatthewLowes]

Hey, saw this and thought I'd chime in. It can definitely bongo. I have Pittsburgh dynamic controllers, and they sound fantastic! When they developed this circuit their goal was a sound as good as, if not better, than a vactrol lpg. I think they achieved that, and you can adjust and even CV the decay, which you cannot do on a vactrol lpg. Cheers! :)

[@FluxFreeman]

I already love these machines

[@BarbieChaite]

13:20 the resonance does not change the sound... to me. 😞

[@bis5260]

wHAT a gREAT sTUFFF baby!!! WOW! LOVE IT!

[@technum-music]

What about taking both of them! And I got caught by there beautiful colors and artwork! And they sound perfect and are complex enough to produce very interesting techno or whatever you are into. So both little boys will be placed in my setup!

[@jordanWAH]

I like the EAST BEAST I think. (especially after the video from Jorb) BUT love west pest more experimental BASS. As far as the looks? You know most people are just going to take off the knobs and cover them with stickers anyway. So the look doesn't make much difference nowadays. 🤔

[@GizzyDillespee]

West Pest is definitely more my type of sound. Hopefully it can crosspatch compatible with Softpop 2?

[@GizzyDillespee]

I want the West Pest LFO to go faster. I have that problem sometimes.

[@BoBeats]

Should work fine with Softpop 2

[@KiR_3d]

Hi! I've just noticed that West Pest doesn't have a traditional AHR envelope with a parameter to control it's form (skew). So it can't have even a medium attack. Even Korg's Volca Modular has this ability! It's quite strange here because they've choose to add more waves instead of having some more "normal" envelope/LFO. Or maybe I don't know something yet...

[@richardnicol]

The 'noise' waveform is not really noise. It is the synth switching between the waveforms of the oscillator very quickly. The pitch is not bleed, it is the current frequency of the oscillator.

[@walrtbstudios5430]

I have an entirely ‘east coast’ modular set-up- all subtractive- and had been looking at the Buchla/TipTop VCO to introduce some west coast elements. SO glad I didn’t do it, because the West Pest costs barely more and is infinitely more useful than a mere VCO. It’s on its way as I write…

[@tomlavelle8340]

Which one is right for me? BOTH

[@kanduvisla]

I was looking at something to uptrade my TD-3, so when I heard the East Beast I was like: yes! That's it! The West Pest also looks nice, but since I already have a Model: Cycles to pair this with I really want something that has an attack slope as well (really missing that on the M:C). So it's a East Beast for me. Will this become my gateway drug to eurocrack?

[@RyansnevetS]

That’s a great sweater!

[@swiftyforreal43]

I need a West Pest 🔥

[@sons7429]

Are you able to hook up a midi keyboard to these ?

[@soysos.tuffsound]

Yes

[@apostatatheprovost3041]

West Pest, Baby! But, East Beast looks cool too.✌️

[@TechGently]

As I'm watching this, my friend just called me and told me that David Smith just passed away. He was 72, he was due to attend the NAMM event here in California. Sad news, maybe Bo can do some Dave Smith Inspired Prophet Sounds in the future?

[@BoBeats]

A sad thing absolutely, and I who just met him for the first time

[@andewprod]

Oh wow thats a dilemma. I love the sound of the west pest (and also the east beast) but I hate the looks and the keycombination thing. It really gets me out of a workflow if i have to look up a manual.. i mean the reason why I got into hardware is to turn knobs and not to menudive :D I hope they make the wavefolder into a module because that i would defenetly buy. Ill pass on these two tho :( Thanks for the review Bo, great as always! Hope you are doing well!

[@BoBeats]

Thanks! ♥️

[@MYGAS21]

How does the west pest compare with the volca modular? I am captivated by the latter which I have for about a month now. I am currently exploring it as a guitar effect. It is a very mysterious thing with great depth and wisdom in it's lay out. For some reason, I could be wrong of course, I think the West Pest doesn't have the Volca modular depth and wisdom. But basically my question is: how many entry points does the WP have to process my electric guitar signal?

[@geerhoar]

These sound good. Get both!

[@robertsyrett1992]

Imagine if they had put the east filter on the west timbres.

[@cecilkeebler4254]

Well if you buy both, the modular patchbays might make that possible ;)

[@LaymensLament]

i was looking for s0mething to sequence my dfam from, maybe one of those would be a nice option, if the west pest is additive its also sth i dont have yet.

[@arcticfoxstudios2018]

Wow, absolutely phat sounding for $250! Ugh, GAS is becoming a problem!!!

[@mrpzak]

I am in the market for a small keyless bass synth for the hardware setup I’m building and was wondering if the Pest would fit the bill. After the intro, before the review even started, I was sold lol.

[@BarbesDub]

cool video, 👍 2 super small format synthesizers and beautiful sound at a cool price!! I would like to know which can be the most useful for dub basslines, digital reggae and dub techno?

[@fjfrancois]

Which one is the best for me? Wow let me tell you DuDe, the OB-X8 😃

[@iamjamessmith]

Wow these sound awesome 👌

[@mortarmopp3919]

I got both. Just received my EB today, but the WP is on back order.

[@TrinityCodex]

huh, i didnt know about the west pest!

[@BoBeats]

Just out!

[@CapRockout]

Great coverage, Bo! Pretty sure I am going to end up with both and move them into my rack. What do they look like inside? Could the housing be used for other 40hp Eurorack modules? Say, an Atlantis?

[@BoBeats]

The housing cant be used for another module

[@mitchminimal6942]

I own a couple of east coast style synths so it's West Pest for me. I do like that filter though.

[@MarcoPolux]

that is yet another MONO synth that I would buy... and I am doing so right now :D... West Pest definitively, because it is something I don't have in hardware, only in soft synths. . the Buchla.

[@treblegrey]

@BoBeats I don't have one, but just a thought with the West Pest noise problem of the oscs bleeding in: What happens if you put a dummy patch cable (just leave it routed to nowhere) into the osc out point? IIRC the Behringer Neutron has to do something similar when you want to use the filter for external audio, or to self oscillate without the oscs. But between the two, definitely would go with the Pest personally!

[@soysos.tuffsound]

The noise is actually supposed to be pitched noise. It was an interesting accident in the design process when switching waveforms at audio rate, so they kept it in.

[@LuckERadio]

7:22 that Pac-Man sound made me really interested in getting an East beast

[@fuenstock]

How do these little boxes compare to the Sv-1b? I’m interested in the Pittsburgh module sound. 1 can buy the east beast and west pest both for less then a used sv-1b

[@dinogoldie9716]

These sound Interesting and fairly priced. Though I think I'll keep saving my pennies for a 0 Coast. tbh, if Korg simply rehoused the Volca Modular in a larger form factor and with eurorack patching, I'd be happy with that.

[@neuzethmusic131]

The Volca Modular sounds brilliant if you know how to handle it/patch it. The 0-Coast has a sweet timbre, but without other Make Noise modules it's a bit of a one trick pony. I own both.

[@verdielg]

This is exactly what I am waiting for also...I hate the power block/battery combo on the volcas and was hoping they would release a usb C model with standard euro jacks/connections.

[@lyh1]

May a very good first step to the euro rack mess?

[@BoBeats]

Absolutely

[@destroyerofcitysduck5937]

Is I possible to run other audio sources through the east beast filter?

[@soysos.tuffsound]

Yes, I believe (w. in) on the patchbay is the wave folder input

[@stefanhansen5882]

How do they compare to Behringer's modules at the same price point? Thanks!