Is the Soma Lyra 8 worth it?

Let's talk about the Soma Lyra-8. I bought an used one in spring 2021 and I like it. In my opinion the Lyra-8 is a synth that doesn't follow your ideas. However you can follow Lyra's ideas and find some real sweet spots.
Check out my latest album on bandcamp: martingoldmann.bandcamp.com/a...
Read on my blog: ambient-moods.com/soma-lyra-8...

[@aaronloewen8718]

Any time I hear a guy with a German accent talking about synths, I listen

[@martingoldmannmusic]

😀 I hope it was useful.

[@andrealanzoni8894]

Proud owner of a Lyra 8. Trying to tame this machine is like tame a brazen bull on fire. You have to embrace the chaos this thing provider.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Absolutely :)

[@Lcrymlgy]

I find it incredibly stable, and as such, and knowing a few tricks, it's surprisingly easy to go from something really tame and melodic all the way to hell and then smoothly back, and that's amazing.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

@@Lcrymlgy agreed - sometimes the Lyra is quite surprising - I always keep my DAW ready to record those surprises.

[@petercane6376]

@@martingoldmannmusic Now that is a good reason for a DAW! Good thinking. I was super excited when I got my L8 to self generate. It went on and on with new concepts every time. It amazed me. It is almost human? I wished to you tube it but I can never do exactly the same. Such is human life and so much the same.

[@EHF2003]

You conveyed my experience exactly. Sometimes you get something faster and many more times you keep going- one more knob twist, one more switch flick and a doorway opens.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

And then you better start recording because one tiny twist too much and everything is gone ;)

[@c-shape]

I often use this machine in my work, from heavy drones to bittersweet underlays in ambient tracks, great instrument!

[@djformalin]

Thanks for the wise thoughts around Lyra .... I think it's a lot about being able to give up control more than learning to control it. I have learned a lot about giving up control after using Mescaline for a year. Greetings from Lyra 8 in Thailand 🎼

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thanks for your kind words and all the best from Germany :) (I love it how sound can connect the world :) )

[@macronencer]

I bought one about a month ago, and I just love it! It's like entering a vast new space of creative chaos. You don't quite feel in control, but the point is to have an adventure. :) I've not tried it as an effect processor yet, but that's on my list to do...

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yes - each time I put the Lyra on my desk a great journey starts. However: after coming back I always forget where I was ;)

[@joanofworms]

Lyra 8 has a beautiful voice - Thank you :)

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yeah, a wonderful synth - especially when combined with a bit of reverb :)

[@paulmcmc4005]

I wouldn’t have noticed you saying ‘Stuff’ if you didn’t highlight it haha - I’m waiting to save some money to buy one. Thanks for the video: New subscriber👍😎

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thanks for your nice comment. Yeah, maybe the "stuff" bugged me a bit too much ;)

[@paulmcmc4005]

@@martingoldmannmusic it was your video that has inspired me to get one👍👊😎

[@benasaro1043]

Nice encapsulation! I got my Lyra-8 a week ago, similar situation as yours (except I bought new, not used). I started recording with it right away, but I feel that it needs serious time to get into all the nooks and crannies!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Oh yeah, I guess I will spend a lot more time with the Lyra-8.

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Hey ambient moods good to see you. Interesting look at the Lyra-8 I like what your saying about it. Love the 'stuff' you demonstrate on it to. Oh if only funds would permit but maybe one day.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Always funny when a word is stuck in your mind. So maybe I will rename the cannel to "ambient stuff". Yeah, funds may be a problem. However looking forward to some new gear in the future is part of the fun, isn't it?

[@collinember]

Very interesting insights - thanks for sharing. My Lyra is on its way, couldn't resist after listening to your ambient video. Greetz from Düsseldorf. (new sub)

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Danke Dir und viel Spaß mit dem Lyra :)

[@collinember]

@@martingoldmannmusic Danke Martin - bin sehr gespannt.

[@brianobush]

I have found that adding a good filter can help tame the harshness (If so desired); I use the Vermona retroverb which allows me to sculpt the sound a bit. Great stuff!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Absolutely - I love using the Lyra-8 with the A-124 WASP filter by Doepfer or with Fabfilter Volcano in my DAW.

[@ArtAbscon]

I own a retroverb, but never considered combining the two units. Great idea!

[@user-fi4yd2kf6g]

This company does some unique things, I have ordered their Cosmos which will be delivered to me very soon and I can't wait to have some fun with it. If I like it (I am sure I will), I will consider buying more gear from them.

[@kr61ab67]

Thanks, very useful your thoughts, maybe I need this Lyra to improve my stuff ;)

[@architectofthemachine]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts

[@architectofthemachine]

Also, where is it possible to see where you sell your synths, I would like to buy something second hand for my setup and it seems you take care of your gear

[@martingoldmannmusic]

You are very welcome. I usually sell my gear at ebay-kleinanzeigen.de. However at the moment I don't have any synths for sale. Maybe this fall ;)

[@architectofthemachine]

@@martingoldmannmusic Thank you for taking the time to reply. I will throw a suggestion back to you, inspired by Z Reviews on youtube. Opening a patreon account for people that want to support your work and dedication, and making a yard sale of your gear in a friendly price for your supporters only. That would be a way to give back to the people that watch your creations and are willing to support your journey as a KZbin creator. Thanks again! And have a great day

[@martingoldmannmusic]

A patreon account might be a thing for me when growing bigger. The yard sale for supporters is a nice idea. Thanks :)

[@TerekkiTerekki]

Good review, late to the party but on the fence on wether to get one!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

it is never too late. Thanks for watching and happy considering ;-)

[@laehnoj]

I hadn't seriously considered the Lyra-8 when I started spending the limited amount of money I've spent on "stuff." Now I wish I'd applied the money I spent on a 0-Coast towards a Lyra-8, especially since I have little talent for melody and enjoy chaotic harshness. :) Nice nice channel, BTW. I'm glad I stumbled upon it. Subscribed. :)

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thanks Jon. I am seriously considering to rename the channel: "ambient stuff" ;) I have my ups and downs with the Lyra. Sometimes it is simply frustrating. Other times I find a sweet spot and enjoy the sound. (A little reverb always helps ;) )

[@soniccompost]

@@martingoldmannmusic @ambient moods Hi Jon and Martin I have a Lyra. I'm exactly like Jon re no talent for melody, which is why I like the Lyra, but I agree with Martin re ups and downs and reverb. When in the right frame of mind it is fantastic but sometimes it can be very frustrating. Overall I'm happy with it so no regrets re purchase.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

@@soniccompost thanks for your insight. I am also still happy with the Lyra-8 especially in this wonderful realm between harmony and total chaos :)

[@KimbleMcCann75]

Dope content & channel. Just made an order...

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thank you :) And have fun with your Lyra-8.

[@petercane6376]

Is it worth it? If you mean the money....yes. If you mean going through the musical change of not being able to play music as our ears expect it...yes. It is a beautifully well made instrument which will soon be a sought after powerful sounding classic. I am a musician but I also like this concept of " where is it taking me now?". It is from another world. It is " The Alien". But I do wonder about whether in its design, the changed signal flow was a happy accident which sort of " works" or whether he worked very hard to get it to do what it does?

[@kquat7899]

There's a donationware Lyra 8 vst by Mike Moreno. Will check it out .

[@RonCavagnaro]

Yes it is worth! I've made many videos exploring it!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

you've got some nice videos on your channel! :)

[@RonCavagnaro]

@@martingoldmannmusic thanks you too!!!

[@brunodadivore9606]

Thank you for your video. All was said: if you like melody, scales, harmony, notes, pass your way! ... There are so many nice machines at that cost at Korg, even Waldorf...

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Exactly - you need the Lyra 8 only for exploring the vast country of drones :)

[@dietervoser4425]

Ich denke nicht nur für Dark Ambient Moods ist dieses schwere, gut gebaute Gerät ein Must Have !

[@martingoldmannmusic]

oh ja, wobei es natürlich auf der dunklen Seite besonders gut funktioniert :)

[@systemofapawn]

which is your favorite ambient/drone synth?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

UVI Falcon and Arturia Pigments are the ones I use most of the time. Sometimes I sample some sound from the Lyra-8 and my Eurorack.

[@SharedVision333]

I thought you were the breaking bad guy gone synth 😮 😂 I love your channel, you have great taste in gear 🐳

[@byeluca]

which similar machine would you recommend when you work on full songs without the tuning issues? i mean if you blend a similar machine to a piano or something?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

that is a good question - I am not sure if I have a good answer. Maybe the Erica Syntrx? But that one is way out of my price range. Or a nice combination of Eurorack Modules. There are plenty of options... I had some good experiences using Lyra as a drone machine layering with some piano notes though. But the Lyra-8 is imho not a melodic instrument in a classical sense.

[@GNeuman]

Nice review👍

[@martingoldmannmusic]

glad you like it :) Thanks!

[@leyetnin1]

Always sent to Moogerfooger Ring Modulator and Low pass filter. Beautifully quirky instrument!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Some filter an modulation makes it so much better :)

[@dingdong6259]

sieht nach lausiger poti-abstimmung aus. das ambientstück bei einer minute laufzeit hat drone-zone status :) was ist dafür an modulen im einsatz?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Dit is Kunst! ;-) Hinter dem Lyra steckt noch der A-124 Wasp Filter von Doepfer. Gut möglich, dass ich da auch noch den Strymon Magneto am Start hatte. Definitiv beteiligt sind noch Valhalla Vintageverb und (wenn ich mich richtig erinnere) Valhalla Shimmer.

[@alwinvanderlinde5913]

Enjoyed your video, the “stuff” bells are very funny. I’ve had my Lyra since it came out. I did a few tracks with it but unfortunately it normally sits in a cupboard. Interesting concept but the sounds variety (imo) is rather limited for my “stuff”. Cheers

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thank you Alwin. And, yes, same here. Lyra is sitting on the shelf to be pulled out occasionally. My main use is to sample some filtered Lyra Output and play with that in my DAW.

[@stuartleighton]

Nice... I'm very tempted to get this. Could you recommend a good analog synth for someone just starting out?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

My recommendation would be the Korg Minilogue XD. Quite versatile and a lot of fun to play :) Considering playability the Lyra 8 wouldn't be my first choice ;-)

[@stuartleighton]

@@martingoldmannmusic Thanks Martin. I'll get one ordered after watching a few YT vids. Thank you.

[@stuartleighton]

@@martingoldmannmusic I'm not a piano player but I guess it gives me the opportunity to at least learn the basics. Korg Minilogue XD looks absolutely awesome and it seems much cheaper to buy here in China.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

@@stuartleighton I started without any knowledge back in the days. Synths helped me to learn basic music theory. It is a quite fun path to go and to learn more about making music. (Still I love my simple noisy drones ;-) )

[@PolarityMusic]

cooles review danke 🙏

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Danke Dir :)

[@IvanovSergeyMusic]

Beautiful. I love the lyre 8 !

[@martingoldmannmusic]

So do I :) Thank you

[@rafaarnau3575]

totally agree, but i love it...

[@martingoldmannmusic]

So do I :)

[@beautifulchannel3544]

very nice lovely

[@martingoldmannmusic]

thank you - what are your experiences with the Lyra-8?

[@proptosis2682]

What was the process connecting op1 to lyra!?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

I simply plugged the OP-1 out into the Lyra in. That loses all stereo effects but afaik the OP-1 synth engine is mono only the effects are stereo.

[@proptosis2682]

@@martingoldmannmusic thank you

[@ZaaZoJo]

I actually bought this synth for the more disturbing sounds as I want to use it as ambience for a horror film. Im not looking for harmonic.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

disturbing, disharmonic, distorted - the Lyra 8 is perfect for your purpose :)

[@wellenstrom]

Spiele hier schon seit langer Zeit mit dem Gedanken, mir den Oschi zuzulegen. Die SOMA Pipe hab' ich mir schon vor einiger Zeit zugelegt. Die kann man immer wieder mal irgendwo einbauen. Im Studio kann man das Tuning, das aus dem Ruder läuft, notfalls mit Melodyne mühelos zurechtbiegen. Geht ja auch mit der PIPE (und muss man ggf. auch). Die Frage, die ich mir so allerdings nicht beantworten kann, ist, ob mir der LYRA 8 Synth wirklich das bringen würde, was ich in der reinen Studioarbeit mit einem Softsynth so nicht hinkriegen könnte. Der Aufwand könnte zu hoch sein bei minimalem Nutzen, inkl. unnötig entstehender Platzprobleme. Schwierig, pupierig!

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Der Kontrollverlust ist das Schöne am Lyra-8, die Tatsache, dass er schwer zu berechnen ist. Das lässt ihm zwei Bereiche: a) inspirierendes Instrument für neue Ideen b) tolle Maschine für das gewisse Etwas - das Knurren und Pfeifen. b) müsstest Du auch mit Software gut hinbekommen. Für mich spielt a) ne große Rolle. War neulich kurz davor, die Lyra in die Kleinanzeigen zu werfen und dachte dann: och, mal ne Tapeloop durch das Delay laufen lassen. Herrlich ;) Also aus meiner Sicht kommst prima ohne aus - aber bei mir darf die Leier noch ein bissl bleiben (und ich habe lausig wenig Platz...)

[@wellenstrom]

@@martingoldmannmusic Danke für die ausführliche Antwort. Ja, es sind Zufall und Unfall, die ich für Songs gerne suche. Die Drone, die kontinuierlich unter dem Song wabbert oder abgedrehte FX Sounds, Texturen, in Intros, Outros, Mittelteilen. Für reine Experimentaltracks oder tranceartiges etc. würde die Lyra in meinem Fall nur ganz selten Verwendung finden, oder selten im Zentrum eines Tracks stehen. Was natürlich schade ist, ist, dass das Dingen nur 'nen Monoausgang hat. Ich lese aus deiner Aussage, dass Du zumindest zeitweise mal mit der Maschine hadertest (Kleinanzeige)?! Na, mal gucken, wie das Herz schlägt, wenn Weihnachtsgeld kommt. ;-) Dir jedenfalls weiterhin viel Freude und Inspiration mit der Lyra.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Ja, momentan hadere ich mit allen Maschinen - Digitone und Digitakt liegen seit einem halben Jahr im Regal und werden wohl bald in die Ebay Kleinanzeigen wandern. Platz ist bei mir ein Problem... Werde wohl mal ein Nachdenk-Video zu dem Thema machen.

[@paulfedrau183]

Mega Video richtig gut beschrieben und sympathisch. Wenn der Lyra mal einen neuen Besitzer sucht wäre ich gerne im rennen :)

[@drtydsh]

I love the distracting counter

[@frantsel5711]

Its definately one of the best synths ever made. But its special. I think its absolutely worth it. It is also really great as an effects processor for mono signals.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

I still have the Lyra and I never thought about selling it. A truly unique machine.

[@texacomann]

You bought it? What about Gas?

[@martingoldmannmusic]

I bought it last year in may 2021 :)

[@midnightsocean2689]

Nice vid. I was very close to buying one when they came out but not being able to accurately tune it with stability was a deal breaker for my direction. That being said, you seem to have a direction that's agreeing with it and that makes me happy, since I think there should be more appreciation for outside the box type synths and instruments in general.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yeah, the Lyra is really something different. Than you for your point of view 😊

[@midnightsocean2689]

@@martingoldmannmusic Indeed. I'm very fond of artists who aren't afraid to step out of the box, so to speak. As for Soma, I can't wait to see what else they will release. I just pre-ordered the cosmos. Where I prefer tuning to stay stable, I like rhythm to range free.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yeah, saw Loopops video about the Cosmos. Quite an interesting piece of gear.

[@Lcrymlgy]

I haven't seen the video, but the answer is definitely yes. Unless it's really not for you, but then it's a matter of compatibility, definitely not of the instrument's value

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yeah, I guess the hardware and especially the making of the hardware (I guess they do a lot by hand) justifies the price. In terms of sound it depends on everyones taste. Using the lyra around six weeks now I think it is worth it. A unique instrument.

[@Lcrymlgy]

@@martingoldmannmusic I've watched the video now, and I'd say that while tuning is finicky, I find it extremely stable. I've had it lying around for weeks and it was still in tune afterwards, so as long as I don't touch the tuning knobs I find that I can go very far away with the modulation options and FX, and coming back home is extremely smooth. I hope to pick up some tricks from you, because I've been having trouble using it with other stuff without overwhelming everything, but it's one of my favorite instruments

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Yes, if you find a tuning it holds it quite stable. However I am losing every tuning simply by putting the Lyra back in the shelf. (I know, I shouldn't do it, but I have a quite small room ;) ) I think a filter might do a good job bringing the Lyra and other instruments together. I use it mostly for low end drones and some chirpy highs when mixing it with other synths. There is a lot to explore. Thanks for watching, appreciate it! :)

[@Colonel_Satan]

I totally thought Bryan Cranston was in the thumbnail

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Hahaha - I am actually binging Malcolm in the Middle this week ;-)

[@Colonel_Satan]

@@martingoldmannmusic great choice!

The mere question is insulting and if you don't understand the Lyra-8, it's you who aren't worth it.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

I like your humor 😊. (Reminds me when Wayne and Garth meet Alice Cooper in Wayne‘s World).

[@waltersmetak]

Well, that's kind of the whole point of the Lyra 8 and that's what makes it unique - you can't really tune or quantize it. If you're looking for pitch-perfect scales, the Lyra 8 isn't for you - but if you want to be surprised via these dense and erratic drones by mere chance and serendipity, look no further, this is the ultimate machine. Incidentally, the Lyra 8's pros and cons, especially the difficulty in "controlling it", were clearly and very well explained by Loopop about a year ago.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Thanks for confirming my point of view. I had a big laugh when Loopop wanted to smoke a cigarette after testing the Lyra-8 ;-)

[@UNSCPILOT]

I'm not even a musician yet the chaos and tactility of it draws me in, it's always fascinating when something makes you want to use it even with no idea what you're doing

[@martingoldmannmusic]

@@UNSCPILOT this is how it all started for me - not with the Lyra but with chaotic sound and no idea what I was doing. This is the start of an amazing journey :)

[@diyalame5366]

Lyra in tune won't be a Lyra, untempered scales makes this instrument shine

[@martingoldmannmusic]

I tend to disagree - the Lyra will be a Lyra in any tuning :)

[@ShaighJosephson]

It's a waste of money unless you're a sterile drone fanatic...

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Just used it yesterday to add some strange sounds to an ambient track. Still like it but it is not my everyday synth.