SOLAR 42 REVIEW - a fantastic synthesizer that you probably won't buy

[@ELTAmusic]

Thank you so much for your review, Bo! 👀🔥 That's awesome! In the comments, people are mainly concerned about two things: Where's Midi? And why is it so expensive? 🌞 The answer: Why do you need a midi? You haven't played it yet, but you already need a midi. It's a self-contained instrument with its own keyboard. Plus it has enough CV - Gate inputs and outputs to connect external sources, including midi keyboards, most of which already have CV Gate outputs. I sincerely don't understand what Midi is for in such an instrument. To send sequences ? 1800 euros for an instrument with a lot of effort, labour, quality hand-built, functionality, design is expensive? I am not Behringer or Korg. I am a small manufacturer who assembles the instrument by hand. You get a one-of-a-kind instrument for life. Pulsar 23, Perkons, SYNTRX, Intellijel Cascadia, Analogue Solutions Ample Analog and other synths in this price range are also expensive? With its high production costs (About 1,000 euros per unit), the correct price should be 2400 euros. Probably should have made this price and then the questions would have gone away. Thank you for listening.

[@TheMinimalEffortBureau]

thank you for making the solar 42

[@ELTAmusic]

@@TheMinimalEffortBureau You are welcome!

[@jochenkronier]

I LOVE this THING ! ❤💯🙏 also looking forward to the day i be able to purchase on 🤗 the price is absolutely fine ! even think it could be more expensive, for what it is and what's possible to do with it !... again, looking forward to it... 😊 great job!

[@sam_bibly]

to answer your question, yes, $1800 is very expensive for the vast majority of people by any measure. i am fine with you pricing it at whatever point you think it's worth, but you made an expensive synthesizer, so don't be surprised people say it's expensive. it is. it's made for people who buy expensive toys.

[@enthalpimusic4113]

@@sam_bibly Yes it's a significant amount of money for a lot of people but it is not expensive for what it is, a unique instrument handcrafted, that is the point ;) It is the same for good guitars, violins ... Please Arseniy @ELTAmusic, we're waiting for a Solar 42 demo part 3 !!!

[@davidadams6863]

The answer to life, the universe, and everything SOLAR 42

[@MrGerdbrecht]

Maybe, i need 2 million years to verify with solar 42.

[@the_anomaly_channel]

you totally right !!!

[@ndguardian]

As someone who absolutely adores ambient, cinematic styles of music, I think this might officially be my dream synth (okay, that or a CS-80). I would love to get my hands on one of these and just play with it for days at a time. Pretty sure I would never see the sun again.

[@ilyandilymusic]

I'm right there with you. I'm sure you have already heard (or maybe even own) but my hydrasynth deluxe scratches my CS-80 itch. One of my favorite things I have laid my hands on in a long time.

[@kingtrance307]

@@ilyandilymusic- A better value for many people too.

[@thirtysixverts]

I've literally never been interested in a synth before, and yet I found myself buying this by the end of the video! I have nooooo idea what I just got myself into lol, but I'm so excited. After watching a different vid on the same synth, I decided to order directly from the mfg, hopefully that will put a few more dollars in their pockets.

[@fentanyljones6956]

Welcome to the terrordome. It won’t be your last synth! 😂

[@Pacer416]

Good For You!! 🎉 I wish you many hours of creative music making!

[@nickoricko4564]

Have you got your new synth yet? How do you like it so far??

[@LukasSvobodaNZ]

Welcome, it's an addiction - mine is 30 years old!

[@blankster1229]

How is it?

[@incaroads001]

Bo, your videos are so therapeutic to watch. I don't even want this synth. I'm just watching the video to reset my mind. Thanks. Correction: Now I want it.

[@BoBeats]

Thank you!

[@incaroads001]

@@BoBeats You're very welcome.

[@AcidTechnoMan5000]

Bob beats is the best

[@incaroads001]

@@AcidTechnoMan5000 I agree. Between Bo, Loopop, and Gabe Miller, with occasional side trips into Cuckoo land when I'm in a mood, my syntho-mental needs are pretty much covered.

[@gadblatz4841]

A groovebox for the Hainbachs of the world. A Groovebachs!

[@johncarter2741]

Excellent 😄

[@jerrycharles66]

I think everyone kinda wants to be Hainbach at one point or another in their synth journey.

[@entropybentwhistle]

@@jerrycharles66Or is Hainbach just so next level that he becomes everyone else?

[@russ254]

hainbach craps on people who don’t want their tax money given to jerks that criticize them.

[@brianhodge2455]

What a stellar evolution of the original. I have a Solar 50 from the last batch to make it out of Moscow before the invasion of Ukraine, and Elta Music relocated to Latvia. I affectionately think of it as offering all the headaches of modular, with none of the flexibility. But it’s definitely its own kind of unique beast, and enjoyable to work with as long as you’re not in a hurry for instant gratification.

[@krazywabbit]

We should have more of our friends over playing with gear. Kinda like we did as kids. To those that get this synth, have fun. For the rest of us, we already have all we need. Everyone , phone a friend. Nice review Bo.

[@garyhendrie4001]

Yeah a rich generous friend 😂

[@ndguardian]

I need friends that are into making music first. 😥

[@twiglet2214]

That's a nice idea - let me buy you a carrot,bunnykins !

[@wildphilpresents]

This is my dream synth. Currently saving up for one and hoping they're in stock by the time I have the funds ready.

[@digitaldobbie]

Aesthetic value is awesome, the synth looks amazing and ambient sounds can be used with any genre

[@BoBeats]

100%

[@Paajtor]

I am 59y old, a total synth/keyboard noob...but I'm intrigued by the looks of this thing. I love late 60's/early 70's synthesizer pioneers, guys with tons of wires hanging down from their instruments etc. This Solar 42 gives me that vibe, but with modern tech as benefit. @BoBeats, would you recommend this synth to me? Money isn't important, it's an investment I would only do once in my life. I'm not in a band, and I don't feel the urge to publish stuff...I just want something to channel the musical ideas I always have in my head, without having to learn musical notes, or how to play a piano/keyboard. All this talk about voices, drones, LFO's...that I can learn, no problem. Also, I would like to know if I can hook-up my iPad's Garage Band app to this synth? I'd love to be able to use the persussion-output of GarageBand, as an input track.

[@cmdrandy_pipkin6621]

Would love to know too! I'm in the exact same position as you. 😇

[@BounceChord]

This thing looks incredible. I don’t need it at all but I loved this video. Thanks for the FF7 deep cut.

[@gregoirenowacki9305]

Thank you so much! Been patiently waiting for this review as there are no available videos of this synth since the first batch got sent out.

[@johnthecloud]

So glad the effects are actually on-board and were not added externally. Gonna save up for this one.

[@blankster1229]

Did you get it?

[@johnthecloud]

@@blankster1229 still waiting for it to become available.

[@johnthecloud]

@@blankster1229 Hi. Sorry I've not replied. I had to wait ages for it to come into stock but I bought it a few weeks ago (think it's out if stock again now - so they're like pure unobtainium). I've not got around to using it much at the moment due to work, and the fact that I've been procrastinating a bit with getting back into music. My mum died in the summer and I've not done any music since. I've got everything set up to go, and I did have a play on it. I like the arpeggio and sequencer functions. It's also got an 8 step gate sequencer which can give the arpeggios an interesting rhythm. If you combine this with the scale quantiser and a function that repeats the arpeggio and transposes it at the same time (where conventional arpeggiators repeat at 1 octave, 2 octaves and 3 octaves above - this one can use a different semitone amount which creates more complex sequences). I had a bit of headscratching with splitting the touch plate keyboard to having one side do an arpeggio and the other play as a keyboard - you have to use the patch cables for this. I like the drone voices, but I think I need to get my tuner out to make the most if them, unless I'm going microtonal or atonal. One thing that comes across strongly is that it's capable of creating a full ambient track just using this and no other equipment. I'm into my ambient music so I'm really enjoying it. It sounds wonderful.

[@maxpowers3494]

Man, I really love synthesizers. 😊

[@supernatural802]

This is a work of art really.

[@aquaticborealis4877]

I like the sound character. More unique, albeit not everyone’s taste. I think it’s worth the price.

[@RayR]

I'm so glad you do impartial and unbiased review videos. It seems more and more KZbin music tech content creators are getting influenced with free items and losing their credibility. Nothing bothers me more then people sacrificing their honesty and intergrity . Please keep up the good work.

[@RJ_Eckie]

Damn that looks cool and sounds absolutely fantastic!! I’ve been looking around for very practical, hands-on synths and this is up there. Many premium synths at this price point are still not multi-timbral, and even if they are bi-timbral you can’t tweak knobs for both timbres at the same time. For the fact that you can built a full multi-layer soundscape with this, with distinctly separate timbres including separate sequencers/arps/keys, all analog, plus effects… that price point sounds very reasonable indeed. For a performing artist this could be their whole soundscape setup in a band, plus maybe a more regular keyboard for the more regular synth stuff. I’d put this on my “dream gear for some time” wishlist if it had a more user friendly way of tuning the oscillators. Hand-tuning all those 20(?) drone oscillators before every track doesn’t seem very workable Also really loved the compositions in this video and the cute lil retro rpgs 🫶🏻

[@helpmeiaminhell]

I watched one 6 minute video on this and bought it immediately. I've never pulled the trigger so fast on a piece of gear in my entire life.

[@MistyMusicStudio]

Very cool ambient electronic machine! You're right though, can't say I'll be buying one since I got too many synths with overlapping functions 😅 The price actually seems quite fair considering it's like a complete ambient semi-modular rig.

[@hafstrat]

Yes!!! . Doc confirms today that My left hand fingers are riddled with arthritis. So my strat playing days are hopefully fewer than my days on the planet. But I will be able to Enjoy making sounds with synths, again. Despite my knackered left hand. ❤

[@leonaRt7470]

Do a waterfast mate. Fuck Arthritis.

[@larstinderholt7438]

Lucky bastard

[@kai-vd5485]

Very well done! I own the Solar 42 since a few weeks, having a lot of fun with it. Your review opened some new sights and possibilities for me. Thank you!

[@BoBeats]

Glad to hear it!!

[@frankmunro3303]

would you still recommend after a while of owning it?

[@kai-vd5485]

@@frankmunro3303 Yeah, having a lot of fun playing it!

[@dani_raudvik]

Excellent review of a very cool synth. I appreciate this both for how it showcases what this synthesizer is capable of, and also for how it is tinged with that call to be realistic about whether or not this is a piece of gear a person actually *needs*. While the sounds this thing is capable of have me making frantic grabby hands toward any vendor carrying it, listening to your points about it - both pros and cons - sort of tempers that initial reaction. Thanks for another great review of a very cool piece of gear.

[@mauchkimberly]

It's beautiful. I've loved this idea since Solar 50. I can't buy it for lack of space. But things could change.

[@LukasSvobodaNZ]

Pink version ordered. Chatted to Sergey over email about it. Looks like I might be the first person in NZ to own one. Can't wait, beside myself. This is the synth I've dreamt about since I started collecting 30 years ago at age 18. thanks for your review, it absolutely helped convinced me to purchase.

[@BoBeats]

Hope you find it as fun and rewarding as I do

[@ivonsmith2024]

Seems like a really great box of infinite sound possibilities! Im so glad people are still building analogu sound generator synths these days - The beginning of the Moog era in the very early 70s made some amazing sounds - as Jan Hammer used to use in Mahavishnu Orchestra! This Solar 42 sounds fantastic & this review is really special & unique!

[@gaetan4164]

That looks like a really cool machine. I really appreciate that you can do full performances in one take, without additional gear, which is how I use my modular.

[@saaz_from_mars]

Crazy synth 😮 It.'s looks like so deep and creative 🎹🎶🚀🌛🌟 Thank you very much Captain Bo Cosmo Beat 😊

[@johncarter2741]

Man I love this thing. It’s a cinematic masterpiece generator of immense proportions. Love it.

[@artsolomon202]

Why you and hainbach still haven't made a podcast together, you have almost the same way of touching the keyboard, i am waiting!!! ;) and i know hainbach would like this kind of gear. Great episode thnx❤

[@OoraMusic]

I'd love to try one! congrats for the new studio!

[@piercarlobormida]

I'm waiting for my Solar 42 (it's on the way in this moment) that i saw live at SoundMit of Turin: it was love at first sight ;) Thanks again to Máté Szabó for offering me chips at lunch pause!

[@dirkschulz7282]

What a unique, fantastic sound, worth every penny, should even cost 2400 € :)

[@Auldhelm]

This is cool - like a eurorack for people who don't want to spend 10,000$

[@BoBeats]

Or a gateway drug 😱

[@aikighost]

to be fair you can get quite a good starting eurorack system for the 1800 euros they are asking.

[@neuzethmusic131]

You really don't need 10.000 dollars for a decent Ambient Eurorack. Especially if you use a hybrid setup like me. Ableton and plug ins like Valhalla are perfect.

[@robertschnobert9090]

​@@neuzethmusic131I didn't realize Ableton is part of eurorack hahaha is the Chrome Music Lab also part of eurorack? 🌈

[@gwsound]

Yeah got one since a week and are still in the finding out phase. Love this machine. Made with passion, innovative and not standard.

[@frankmunro3303]

are you still enjoying it after owning for a little while?

[@gwsound]

@@frankmunro3303 yes I very much do. It is inspiring and fun.

[@gwsound]

@@frankmunro3303 Yes I do. Just release a track almost completely created with the Solar42. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ2ngIOkhsugZpY

[@marcbrasse747]

A very sympathetic synthesizer. I already loved the previous version. The somewhat unstable tuning is often a plus because it makes the thing sound very organic. Good basic character anyway.

[@Auldhelm]

Me and my bros are always fighting over the filter knob

[@obscursounds]

Fantastic synth and review ! Nice to see Burg tweaking with you ! Thank you Bo 🖤👌

[@Fallingoverbackwards]

This sounds lovely, so many great hardware synths out these days. Its so hard to choose now.

[@NicleT]

Really cool to see you back. These kind of "dedicated" synth reminds me the research vein of Vlad Kreimer / Soma.

[@wylatron]

I’d definitely have one of these over another ‘every synth’ It’s a whole vibe, its own world, and that’s so unique in today’s landscape that I find it incredibly enduring.

[@TheLexikitty]

Your new studio looks so cool!

[@pnptcn]

Already bought one. Passing the time watching videos like this until it gets here.

[@WINTERMUTE_AI]

LOL, when you involved your friend, reminded me when I used to sneak out of my house when I was a child and me and my best friend played ELITE on a Commodore 64, one of us on joystick, the other on keyboard. :)

[@fentanyljones6956]

That collab joint with your homie is amazing. Exactly the type of music i’m drawn to.

[@slimyelow]

Excellent and honest review. I really like the demo performances too. What an amazing and phat and unique sound. Actually many tones are classic ones but there is a twist to them in this machine. Also how quickly and with little ease a basic wave can transform into something so pretty. - wow, I want one of these!

[@sebbosebbo9794]

knobs , buttons, modulation, patchcabels and fx pedals are always my friend...& welcome 💪💥🗯🔥💭❤💨🕊

[@OscillatorSink]

Won't I indeed?

[@BoBeats]

Challenge accepted, I see!

[@nsbd90now]

I have one of these and totally love it!

[@BoBeats]

Let us all know your fav thing to do with it, im sure others would love to know

[@nsbd90now]

@@BoBeats Oh my! Well, first, I'm just an oldster hobbyist who has loved synths since I was a kid. Recently was enabled to get some hardware synths and into the whole "semi-modular" realm of sound with a 2600, MiniBrute 2S, etc. I have found that I just totally love and get lost in exploring the infinite possibilities of sound and how the smallest of tweaks creates big changes and endless sweet spots. So, when I saw this was coming out... totally for a stream-of-consciousness experience without even the MIDI I knew it was for me. Wow! It's amazing! The layout alone is wild-- if you ignore the voice numbers and just go on how it is arranged for left and right hands. I find the analogue sound quality so satisfying, and as I start playing with the patching it is endlessly surprising with my jaw often on the floor!

[@RJ_Eckie]

Would definitely like to see a few jams on this! What a great device

[@nsbd90now]

@@RJ_Eckie Maybe not from me, but in the hands of a professional with a good ear... wow! This thing is potentially really, really deep.

[@digitaldiezel5870]

I like this one!! I’d like to hear more of it.

[@deckling823]

I love it!!! I want to get one!! I'm thinking the ways how to save some cash to buy it hahaha totally worth it!!

[@fjfrancois]

I can do a lot of cinematic sounds with just a SE-02 and a Ventris dual reverb pedal 😊

[@bob-rogers]

New studio looks great! The synth sounds really good. At first I was thinking, "oh, I definitely don't need this". But the way the drone buttons work with the keyboard or sequencer is really neat. In a way it's kind of like Lyra-8, but with more control. I probably won't get one, but I sort of want one. I'm trying to think of any other modern synths that have that many knobs. That might even be more than the MatrixBrute :-)

[@BoBeats]

Yeah, its fair to compare it to Lyra like that I think. I think you end up using them similarly, but with more control on the Solar

[@bob-rogers]

@@BoBeats I ended up getting one. It's harder to use musically than I expected. It's a lot of fun though. I wish there were VCAs on the individual oscillators--or even just a pushbutton attenuator. I find the highest pitched oscillators in groups 1, 2, 6, and 7 hard to make use of.

[@MattiasHolmgren]

Fantastic instrument. New studio looks smashing! Great lighting Bo! 💯🥁🏆😄

[@_minus]

Pre-ordered before Christmas - can't wait :p Great review Bo (and loved the FFVII riff)

[@AcidTechnoMan5000]

Thing is otherworldly You’re gonna love it.

[@ConwayBob]

Magic! Thanks, Bo and Berg, for this review of a unique and interesting instrument.

[@BoBeats]

Thanks for checking it out Bob!

[@ichigen511]

Great video thanks for the review! I love the soundscapes you and your friend made. Absolutely divine.

[@glennweber9290]

Some of the patches you created were absolutely gorgeous. Well done man!

[@MilesAwayOfficial]

This is cool af

[@BoBeats]

Buy one and make another viral tiktok sound on it! Challenge accepted?!

[@MilesAwayOfficial]

haha! definitely would love to demo one and make a song wit it! Great demo dude, one of your best@@BoBeats

[@electroniccaveman3493]

Wow, fascinating Instrument! I count 115 knobs, 75 switches, 4 light sensors, 1 joystick. If these are quality components, this is a bargain. See you at the superbooth😊

[@TwinCitiesOxygen]

That’s question I’m trying to get answered

[@dessiplaer]

Hi Bo! It's good to see you making videos. This synth sounds great, and this is a good demo.

[@Midi-olo-gist6758]

I love it. Great piece of machinery 😊

[@MoonMudlarking]

this thing looks like so much fun!

[@hanzvolt]

great vid... i like those technical notes...love to hear about the noise floor etc..👍

[@AndyVonal]

Bo and Berg! Awesome!

[@virgilsstudio]

Nice sounds, but not sure I would drop that much money, thanks for the great review!

[@kidko]

Lovely work, love the classic rpg jamz! Cool synth for someone!

[@percussionboy4357]

Gotta say, this is by far the best BoBeats video I’ve ever seen …. like exponentially better … not that the other stuff was bad, I watched it, but this one seems so well played and so insightful re fitting the Solar42 into the larger synth landscape, explaining what the point of it is (since I’m not a drone synth person). But mainly, I really enjoyed the music you made with the Solar 42 in the video. thanks! EDIT: Also nice to see what Berg looks like …

[@BoBeats]

Thank you! And from my perspective it was a very different feeling when making the vid

[@percussionboy4357]

@@BoBeats “different feeling” in what way?

[@BoBeats]

I suppose its just a one of a kind and very special synth… that i enjoyed a lot, on a deep personal level

[@gcfddddfhhhhhhfrre]

Great Review of a Great sounding and looking synth. like the more in depth longer video. tho i did watch in two sessions.

[@bradashwell1783]

Been really curious about this synth. Thanks for doing a video.

[@markkilley2683]

Another world in a box. Nice one.

[@neonblack211]

this thing looks so unique and fun

[@aaronparys1750]

Awesome Demo on the Solar 42 .. Thnx!

[@louderthangod]

Definitely will pick this up hopefully in the next year or so. Sadly there’s never enough money to upgrade my other studio hardware and laptop all at the same time.

[@EchoKraft]

Great review Bo. I am interested in this. But it is very expensive. But I am still fascinated in it.

[@JoeWisniewski]

This synth is a challenge to work with and I love it. I'm looking forward to other videos of this. It was a gift to myself for surviving being hit by a car.

[@BoBeats]

Glad you are around and still synthing! Stay safe

[@janich9406]

This one hits hard, beware of psychedelic aftereffects for about 24h! -But you're probably right, I guess I could get lost with such a machine and disappear for the next 20 years from this universe ... but still - feels like X-mas ...

[@teamphil]

I’ve been waiting for this review. Sounds amazing. I’ll have to make room somewhere for this…

[@wurlinnawurl]

If this just had a wavefolder i think it would be perfect.. as is though i have so many mono's already.. i just can't.. I raise this paraphonic or whatever.. but you know..

[@TheTechOrc]

I've never had any interest in hardware synths....this device answers so many internal questions for me. I'm heavily invested in spending the 2k to get those answers. Great review.

[@bistrobmusic]

Really nailed that FF7 scene

[@BoBeats]

♥️ my nr 1 game

[@endorphinsmusic]

@@BoBeats ok going to play it now

[@AmigoJohnny1st]

I fell in love with this synthesizer. I need him

[@andresluque8702]

Thanks for the review Bo! Can you patch it with a semi-modular, such as the 0-Coast?

[@BoBeats]

Yes, it should work ok i think

[@heartajack]

What a fun looking synth! Great sounds as well.

[@NicolasSchluchter]

Ambiant, ff7, star ocean, ok, that's pretty much all I need

[@roncoots3800]

Lovely piece at the end......

[@personmcperson4440]

This beast really gives me Hyper Light Drifter OST vibes.

[@dracul74]

Loved the sound!

[@Anubid]

Bo, thank you for the video. Would you help me a bit please? I would like to get into playing synth music, specifically exactly the kind Solar 42 was made for - ambient Dune, BladeRunner, Stellaris, etc. But I guess this synth right away would be too much for a beginner? Or if I'm fine with the price, should I get it anyway? Is there something else you would recommend - preferably something which would not get deprecated should I get Solar 42 eventually as it really looks and sounds fantastic? I really don't know what devices can "talk" with each other on a technical level yet.

[@p.meyerhiggins3157]

I really enjoyed this, particularly because I don't want one... Thank you for sharing your experiences with this interesting instrument.

[@domgraveson1942]

cant wait for mine.... hurry up Mr Postman!

[@jernaugurgeh451]

This thing looks and sounds incredible.

[@skyleus]

What a fantastic instrument and you are doing wonders on it. Elta music is getting some negativity about the price, same as dreadox has been getting since the last couple of days for the new murmux. however people should understand that these instruments are quite unique, as a Greek and with the salaries we have here, it will be dificult to buy it, but i don't get the negativity from people coming from other countries with much better incomes. There's Behringer as well no problem with that, but i prefer spending my money on smaller companies like Elta or Dreadbox for so many reasons

[@BoBeats]

I agree, and I don't even think its that expensive when compared to big analog synths from larger companies! And then we have to factor in how Elta Music is not a big company at all and the product will never sell huge quantities

[@SublimeSynth]

that clip of you and your friend is beautiful. just need to find myself a friend to go halfs haha

[@on_certainty]

what a cool layout and idea for a synth

[@ShaighJosephson]

I don't think there is a small audience for this at all... Every muscician would love this for creating background tracks for all types of music... 😮

[@nataliedebiase5089]

Sounds amazing the bit where you was both playing basically sold this to me 🤣 Just got hold lf the 42f 🙌🏻 bit out of my depth so trying to get my head around it all ....can you explain how to split the keyboard where you was playing both an arp with a melody on each side. Thanks

[@BoBeats]

You need to select SPLIT in the menu Then hook up the pressure output on the right side to volt/oct of oscillator… 6.. i think it is… then the gate signal on the right side to the gate input of same voice

[@neuzethmusic131]

For sure a very nice synth, but I prefer creating Ambient with my Strega and the Eurorack. I love making Ambient music, but a synth that has written 'Ambient Machine' on it, that is too much. It feels a bit like cheating, I don't know. Anyway, thanks for showing it Bo! And nice to see Olli.

[@BoBeats]

ah, you went straight for the dark souls of ambient music creation!

[@LesterAmbientAndroid]

Ordered. Maize Yellow. It will be a long 3 months waiting. Cannot wait to not conforming to the norm. 🎉