1010Music Fireball and Lemondrop Nanobox - SonicLAB Review

[@qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq-q]

Wow the granulation of live input looks both quick to set up and sounds amazing!

[@truecuckoo]

Fun looking puppies!

[@anteeko]

I can't wait to see your take on them:)) (I am sure you could make good use of granular!)

[@Garflips]

I think they are as cute as the devil... as they say down here in the sweaty southern swamplands of 'Merca.

[@Chasing_Thoughts]

Hi 🤓

[@thesurgingmass]

Ketchup & Mustard. We all need some audio condiments.

[@konstantine8054]

That point at 18:14 when Gaz forgets to click on Load and keeps playing BigBrute preset. Love you guys, amazing review as always!

[@jonnyhead]

Love the way Nick just gets stuck in and experiments and love his penchant for low reverby ambient.

[@bernios3446]

It is a virtue to let the other one talk without constantly interrupting him, specially if that guy has such a relaxed nice way to speak...

[@pontram]

Yeah, I watched this and asked myself, why is Nick Batt always interrupting, as if he was in a hurry and not satisfied with what Gaz Williams might answer at which speed... That scenario was a good showcase of someone patiently enduring another one's mood. Did I see a short glimpse of Gaz' eyes saying "just relax, man, it's cool" ?

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Lemondrop seems a much more sophisticated Microgranny. It may have to become my sample elements. Very cool!

[@Frozirra]

Or a budget version of the tasty chips GR-1

[@DetroitMicroSound]

@@Frozirra Sure, but that's actually quite extensive.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

@@Frozirra I'm really loving the size of these. I'm literally producing in a tiny closet.

[@KordTaylor]

Totally love the Gaz meditation intro. And you guys make me so much want to get back to BOTH Bath and Bristol. 2 of my favorite places.

[@nothankyou]

Suprised to see the lack of volume knob bother anyone. I set the output volume on my synths precisely once and never touch it again (normally 100% unless the manufacturer recommends otherwise). I actually like that it doesn't have one, means I can't accidentally change it! What are people changing their instrumental volume for anyway? If you're using more than one instrument you must be mixing it somewhere, even if it's through an interface/DAW. That's what the gain knob is for :) Especially in a live setup! Price seems about right for good quality DSP - anything with Daisy in it is in the mid 300's and this has a neat touch screen etc.

[@heatherperkins9737]

Great review(s) on the intriguing wee synths. VERY intrigued by the Lemondrop, will probably be getting one of those fairly soon.

[@Paul_Y_T]

when the main interface is touchscreen and internals all digital, can't help thinking there are iphone and ipad apps that sit in the same space eg quanta, spacecraft, nave, synthmaster one- combine with portable audio interface and that seems to be most of the way there, but with the inbuilt battery and access to lots of inexpensive new synth engines via other apps.

[@armswim10]

I do get the sense that they just wrapped up a raspberry pie with some pretty window dressings and added a couple drops of cheetah blood to seal the deal...my computer can do these things? midi controllers and software do this? am I completely off base?

[@slipknotboy555]

@@armswim10 Kinda. Not everyone wants to do things on a computer or phone. Plus, do phones have the fairly easy stereo in/out and MIDI i/o? I don't think so. But it goes beyond that, too. And some people say that about any digital synth. "A computer could do it!" I guess? But not everyone wants to do things that way.

[@Paul_Y_T]

@@slipknotboy555 a lot of people already have an iphone or ipad. Can stick it in a fancy case to look less like either - then in hardware terms it's really down to the i/o. rather than spending $399 on this single-function unit, could buy a decent audio/midi interface that will work with a wide range of high quality sound engine apps to run on it. This is distinct from the knee-jerk to every digital synth being "vst-in-a-box" due to the form factor of this thing. It feels like a lot of people already own a significant proposition of the hardware proposition already (processor and touchscreen). Even buying from cold it's not that far removed price wise for something that isn't single-function and has a better interface (larger screen).

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

Exactly, for a hundred dollars more you can get the latest ipad mini.

[@slipknotboy555]

@@Paul_Y_T Okay, and that's cool for people who actually gel with that. There are many people who wouldn't, though. The point is 1010's new little boxes may not be for everyone, but definitely are for some people. And also, this is 1010, there will probably be alternate firmwares (although that's just a nice extra)

[@djjuno106]

they look cool but the price is a bit high..

[@lancepage1914]

You would hope it at least had a playable copy of Doom on it for that price.

[@AppAxis]

@@lancepage1914 super-inside joke there 😂 #1010music

[@LarsBjerregaard]

They sound great and look very versatile. Agree with your CON's though. I don't think the price is bad actually, it's more the psychology of the small box perhaps, don't know.

[@Jason75913]

Yeah, some folks think these should be cheap if they are that tiny, but I'm not sure what competes for the price. Argon8 and Ultranova may have significantly more hands-on controls and more features, but they cost significantly more versus the Fireball, which is nearly as good, and wavetables are not the Ultranova's strength at all. Modal's Skulpt is great and all, but very watered down and with half the polyphony of the Fireball, so it is rightfully cheaper than the Fireball. I do hate the idea of menu-diving just for volume control, that's inexcusable, in my opinion.

[@jasonchambers6787]

Maybe they can add in a button+knob shortcut for volume control. I would say these would be fantastic paired with an MPC or other portable sampler.

[@jjlacey1970]

the lemon drop could come in useful for those 'resonance fm' arty music peeps

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

Watching those, I imagine the late Delia Derbyshire, Daphne Oram and friends at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop recreating their iconic soundtracks in a Maida Vale studio the size of a bedside table drawer...

[@lennartrauhe]

looks really fun! but the price seems a bit off I would say

[@DuncanHamilton101]

Should be $299 not $399

[@harveytherobot]

You know the chip shortage is making everything expensive now, right? Especially for small companies.

[@DuncanHamilton101]

@@harveytherobot Yep, I know that Sean

[@Music-Gear]

Gaz mentioned no volume knob, I am sure they could add a function of holding down a button and turning one of the knobs

[@elektrenai219]

PW Modulation..Love how you got that in Nick :)

[@e-conrecords4665]

I could imagine an MPC/Maschine type unit that incorporated all the nanobox modules and a powerful sequencer. I would buy one immediately.

[@devonhansen7705]

damn, distortion and filter on the Fireball sound great

[@EnochDark]

Okay so I really like the yellow as it reminds me of an old Fischer-Price submarine I loved but $400? For 200 more I could get a Polyend Tracker which also has granular synthesis plus A LOT more????

[@SteveMc870]

Only a single grain on the Tracker, so it’s really not the same at all. Very few comparable hardware solutions, but plenty of software ones.

[@carbonvibes]

Great job on the reviews guys. Very good note regarding a dedicated volume knob. This would be greatly improved with a volume knob, USB-C connectivity and even an app to get a mirror view of the led screen on a tablet. I’m sure that would ramp up the price more though…

[@Jdcrouch1972]

I get they have dropped it for cost but if Im honest Im glad they dropped the dedicated knob rather than a voice, I find I rarely alter the volume on my machines, guess Im maybe spoilt by enough channels on my desk and performance mixer though

[@ArtFluids]

I think being hung up on lack of internal battery in any synth has to chill out a little bit. Adding internal batteries is a mixed bag. They die, they can be difficult to replace, they put more restrictions on the manufacturer. I know using a portable charger is annoying but it's much easier to replace. Maybe what would be better is a portable battery tailored more towards portable instruments. Perhaps one that can clip on or can be used as a base for a module idk. But I think in general it's ok for a synth to not have a battery. Internal batteries are convenient, yes, but it's a whole can of worms from an industrial design standpoint.

[@Jason75913]

"portable battery tailored more towards portable instruments" That's just as much of a mixed bag, if not more, best to just leave the power bank situation to each individual.

[@SteveMc870]

What I’d like to see is more options for portable power that have multiple (say, 4) connections. There’s enough cool small gear now that a battery designed to run a mobile rig via usb power seems like a viable product.

[@Jason75913]

@@SteveMc870 50k mAh battery banks can easily be found with 4 outputs

[@khalylehagood3222]

Yeah yeah fun synth an all but Gaz and Nick on the same review? What a great Friday.

[@Tyetheberious]

Awesome looking/sounding little boxes!

[@scottmcdiarmid8196]

business model should allow interchangeable firmware tbh, charge extra for the option would add new revenue streams for 1010?

[@randomaztec2208]

The reverb and filtered delay on the blue box sound amazing to my ears..the effecri on these if similar should be great

[@soerenraudonis]

I guess to bring both firmware’s in one device was to daring for the marketing department? Maybe the most expensive gear in size/price/functionality ratio ever

[@303cerebral]

7:11 the Batman waveform!

[@neiel1]

Do they do USB midi (like black box)?

[@Claidheambmor]

Cute little boxes but I struggle to want one over an iPad which can be had for the same price which has a bigger screen and loads more functionality... I love 101 Music but feel perhaps one device incorporating both granular and wavetable synthesis would have been a bit more justifiable.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

It's easy...these are not made by Apple, that makes them actually desirable. I would rather end myself than become an Apple user.

[@glynnpowell7864]

@@fortheloveofnoise you’re the justified minority in that. Apple is great, (coming from a gaming pc user). Apple is better for producing music no discussion. Try it one time instead of playing video games on your pc.

[@Zinfidel1]

Maybe I missed it but could the buttons be held for Shift functions? If not, a good firmware update might be able to use the 4 buttons as customizable knob controls. Like hold Home Button + Turn Top Knob to change volume. If they do have the same hardware, it would be wise to implement swapping between Wavetable and Granular. 1010 Music has done that before with their Series 1 modules.

[@nigeltedbury5805]

Great little units. 1010 Music are great with firmware updates too - I've had loads for my Blackbox.

[@soerenraudonis]

I brought mine back after 7 days exploration. Nice concept indeed ( I you love to use ableton) but very restricted in everything it want to do…

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

Why would i want to buy this for $400? someone tell me why!!!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

There small size is not much bigger then a Guitar pedal and makes them very mobile and will fit into any set up.

[@markashley6859]

i had the gr-1 granular synth at £800. the lemon is half the price and looks more fun and easier to use. plus it has its own fx and sequencer. the gr-1 didnt.

[@Jason75913]

You could just buy two Modal Skulpts in place of a Fireball. And lose user wavetables. and a third oscillator per patch. And compressor and reverb and whatever other effects it has. beyond delay and distortion, which Skulpts also have. And lose audio input. They packed ahell of a lot into on tiny, affordable device, but if it looks stupid to you, just ignore? Duh? Stick to what you have.

[@EnochDark]

@@Jason75913 plus skulpt sucks. i regret gifting one to myself for my birthday in 2020... the only thing i was able to afford after being unemployed half the year without benefits thanks to covid. fortunately right before lockdown i got a Cycles and that managed to keep me quite entertained for the first year of pandemic... now i just need more $

[@Jason75913]

@@EnochDark I have a Skulpt and love it. Just one is enough for me.

[@Frozirra]

Finally someone besides tasty chips getting granular right, and at an affordable price too! The only thing about the wavetable synths like fireball is they will always sell and sound better if they utilize analog filters, so I think if you compare it to the Korg modwave, the töorö by Fred’slab would be the Novation peak

[@armswim10]

microfreak to the rescue

[@Jason75913]

Aren't the Microfreak, Hydrasynth, Blofeld, and Argon8 the more popular wavetable synths? Analogue filters are not necessary, but certainly welcome.

[@andrewlarcombe9130]

if you want a analog filter then stick one on the output

[@Jason75913]

@@andrewlarcombe9130 nah, I'd rather have it before the EGs if there is going to be one oh look, the Peak and Summit do just that

[@andrewlarcombe9130]

@@Jason75913 good point 👍

[@jm6734]

Love these two times mad professor reviews :-)

[@Substance242]

Nice. But in the meantime... where's my Wavestate SE? :-(

[@et4able]

It’s for people like me who like small cute synths 😆, or put less cheekily, people who like having a fun mobile set up. This paired with a Digitakt in my backpack would be a blast.

[@Early-Adopter]

Now that these are dropping in price on the resale market they seem worth it. Have one headed to me for $250 to use with a Circuit Tracks.

[@m4riner]

thinking of using the lemondrop to extend the functionality of my hydrasynth, especially considering it supports poly aftertouch

[@sammadden5540]

They really do seem like a great way to add an osc/synthesis type to an already existing synth

[@Bod8998]

Can you use two fingers on the x y pad on the lemon drop"¿

[@synthlab]

Drop the price a little, add a battery compartment and a headphones output plus some software to let you trigger notes on the touch screen and you got a winner. I love their sound and their design.

[@sonicstate]

You can trigger notes on the touch screen

[@blenderbuch]

A bit expensive. But at least for the 🍋 there is not much at this price?

[@Garflips]

I wonder if the XY pad could be utilized for volume and might be quicker to access than the level control in the menu?

[@adeevision1297]

Can you use guitar / vocal samples through these or just the yellow one ?

[@Wagoo]

Do they come with the wrist strap? They do sound nice.... I hope they end up in shops at less than that RRP, though

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Nope.

[@VacancyOfDisco]

its for me! I love this! I have been looking for wavetable and granular synths to expand on my MC707 for live shows

[@normdurkin6425]

..lol ..saying the MC-707 is good for live shows is like saying a toaster belongs next to the shampoo bottles in the bathtub..

[@VacancyOfDisco]

@@normdurkin6425 meh, different strokes. I'm finding it very handy for multiple tasks

[@normdurkin6425]

@@VacancyOfDisco ..I agree it has a decent sequencer but I had two the build quality is terrible I returned the 1st and sold the 2nd.. if you use it in a humid room it will literally short out.. I build euroack modular synthesis modules and repair gear, synths, drum machines, effects processor.. I have owned literally every analog, digital synth and drum machine from 1980 until now..

[@VacancyOfDisco]

@@normdurkin6425 I can agree on the build quality. I would have preferred a metal housing and smoother encoders, but I haven't run into any issues yet. [Fingers crossed]

[@normdurkin6425]

@@VacancyOfDisco ..I was the keyboard expert for Mars Music then when they went out of business the keyboard manager for Guitar Center in Albany, NY which is the capital of New York State.. some weeks I would sell 60K of gear.. I avoided selling Roland equipment even to my worst enemy.. all of Roland's gear during the time period was junk.. I owned a MC-303 sold it.. I owned 2 MC-505's returned one then sold the other.. old Roland gear from Japan was terrific.. I owned a TR-909 (was stolen in 2001) and still have a Juno 106 and HS-60.. I have zero interest in new Roland gear.. if you gave me something of theirs for free I would immediately sell it and buy something else..

[@BrunoWiebelt]

the optimal device for my cafe sessions

[@plutostube]

midi CC and midi program change?

[@bengarland]

I like my Blackbox a LOT, but I feel like these nanos should be $200 each, not $400... might as well get an iPad + $75 of great synth apps for that price.

[@robertsyrett1992]

The red one is speaking to me! I love the dancing waveforms. edit: Who is this for? How about as an add-on to an octatrack/digitakt or any other groovebox without a built-in poly synth or granular function.

[@SamT987]

Grain output rate into the audio range that can be linearly pitch-driven, the way that Madrona Labs Kaivo can. Does anybody know if the Lemondrop will be capable of that?

[@MathHammer]

I think these are very cool. I can think of things I would want added (more envelopes, more LFOs, non-USB power), but as is they offer quite a lot in a cute package that appeals to my recent interest in small synths. They are ready-made companions for my BlackBox. The biggest questions in my mind are which one to get first and will there be Euro modules?

[@milk_bath]

I thought the Blackbox already has these synth engines?

[@brandonmoss7976]

Watches video and instantly notices the nektar keyboard in instantly no you were a man of class 🤗

[@fakshen1973]

It's like they ALMOST hit the sweetspot. If they came with a melodic sequencer and internal battery they would be independently portable. The reduced size and interface would be kind of nice to have if you spend time regularly on a train, traveling, or a student. Think of the Volka line. Instead they need external support. I'd rather just use an app on my phone with those limits.

[@letmebreakitdown2u152]

There are phone apps this powerful? That do all this? Which ones?

[@pauljeavons8878]

Good quality soundstaging from these little units. The granular for me stands out as it can also function as an advanced effects unit. But most people will compare these to the modern vsts like pigments. I disagree about the lack of audio out via usb being poor. I believe daws can only carry one digital audio input card except for using asio4all which can carry multiple but that's not as good as the manufacturers drivers. Refreshing take on synths going away from the norm design.

[@i0.0t]

macOS supports aggregate audio interfaces which achieves the same result as asio as you mention. USB audio is incredibly useful, whats the point of having a compact synth if you need mounds of cables and an interface to record it?

[@Jason75913]

The lack of a volume knob is most uncool, except for those who will always use it hooked up to a mixer.

[@willdahbe]

These sound effin dope!

[@HofsFinest]

I can't get my Lemondrop midi in to work.

[@djpuzzleofficial]

Lovely. Interested in the Lemondrop.

[@cemdasou]

The missing volume button sucks and is a killer. Why not have a shift function like one key + one knob makes volume.

[@MrTanukiD]

Looks good. What i'd really love though is a desktop version of their FX box in this format.

[@Dan_Pearson]

and green in colour so we can dub out

[@malvinusmusic]

Alright mates, very interesting! Did you find some noise issue due to the USB powering? Thx in advance!

[@rishpanjeet7479]

Would LOVE this, but no volume and no battery!?

[@milk_bath]

Not being battery powered really kills the man draw of the portable size for me. 😩

[@rdean150]

You'd still need to connect the other jacks anyway tho. 3 cables vs 4 is no big deal.

[@milk_bath]

@@rdean150 That's not the way I'd use it. I'd use it on the couch with headphones (1 cable) and my smart phone when I use it with live audio (this use case is 2 cables). Cool device, but I'll stick to my iPad and headphones.

[@glynnpowell7864]

@@rdean150 actually it’s a huge deal. You waste a lot of time and effort plugging things in all the time. One less cable being plugged in -1000x is worth the sanity. Battery powered synths are much more approachable, despite it being “only one more cable”

[@Randuski]

Check this out. I have a Midi keytar. I'm gonna Velcro this to the front of the keytar, and add hooks to hold the cable adapters. This is literally the synth I've been looking for 🙌🏻 but i guess I'll need to run it through a volume pedal tho. Cause i need volume haha

[@Garflips]

Cool. Thanks guys. I wonder which box would be best to use with a breath controller, aka, EWI? I imagine wavetables are best for faster, brassy attacks, but I sure like the granulated breathy/flutey sounds. Yeah... I think I'd go for the Lemondrop... if the price would drop. At the advertised price, I'd probably go instead for a boutique like the Roland JD-08.

[@Jason75913]

JD-08 is something completely different. And for its price, I think MX49 is a better choice to an extent, and especially a used Juno-DS61 as it uses the same architecture as the JD but with a far bigger and better wave ROM and a great keybed. Then there's the Argon8m, much more controls and features, but no compressor (if that matters), and one less oscillator per patch. Nothing competes with the Lemondrop for that price, though, other than software.

[@Bod8998]

Great to see a kaossilator one still have mine and absolutely love it still even over ten years later still playing love the x y on it way way better than the two

[@ToyKeeper]

It's a fun little thing, no? I've had gear come and go over time, but I'll probably never get rid of my old yellow Kaossilator.

[@ceniza_honey]

Can’t an organelle do all of that too? It seems like a weird product to be found at that price point when, there are iPad apps that can do what these do. And it can do both at the same time, in the same box, that costs less than if you bought two of these.

[@shogunai]

Unrelated to the video really, but can you guys start putting links to the products you are reviewing in the video descriptions?

[@localhost4460]

There's something about the hardware that 1010 uses that makes an audio interface less achievable? I know that people have been requesting it for the BlackBox & BlueBox for years. I believe Aaron chimed in at some point but I'm not too sure on the specifics.

[@Jason75913]

CPU limitations? USB communications limitarions? These depend on the SoCs they use.

[@richardcnrd8302]

Firmware exhanganle I wonder?turn one into the other ?

[@peaterrepeater4441]

7:41 Batman on the display

[@sonicstate]

Yeah I thought that 😁

[@sethmcdonald8658]

Hopefully 1010 have blocked the ground pin on the USB power input otherwise they units will suffer the same screaming noise issue that prevents their other boxes from having a lot more success.

[@Jason75913]

The ground pin can't be blocked or USB will not work, I think, but they would have to decouple the power input with a ferrite/inductor, and that actually hurts sound quality if they don't add (big) enough capacitors in the internal power circuitry to make up for it (which manufacturers rarely want to do, the extra pennies in production costs are not desirable). So we are always left on our own to deal with noise ourselves.

[@sethmcdonald8658]

@@Jason75913 I have been blocking the ground signal on various USB powered/connected units recently using simple electrical tape over the pin on the inside of the housing of the USB cable. It works 9 times out of 10 for completely killing noise dead while still allowing power and even data to come through as normal. You are correct that there is a USB protocol that manufacturers can CHOOSE to implement where if the unit senses anything wrong with the USB signal, including blocked ground, the unit won't initialize. So far I've only found that Modal does this. It's incredibly rare since if the unit isn't plugging into a block with 3 prongs then it wasn't using ground signal anyway.

[@Jason75913]

@@sethmcdonald8658 Oh wow, I've always encountered issues with devices in the past when a ground pin is blocked or damaged. Grounding (a.k.a. the voltage reference) is definitely always done internally on any electrical device with circuit chips and transistors and what not. Voltage reference is mandatory, but not for USB devices plugged into a USB hub, you're telling me. Typically, self-powered gear shouldn't need or use a USB hub's power line, and probably the ground line, too, but depending on the USB interface built into a device, it may still require USB power, which is a bummer. We don't want all that noise coming in theough ground and/or the +5VDC line. Ground isn't necessary for data as USB data is a balanced signal, akin to balanced XLR/TRS. In balanced mic cables, the ground is just for the shielding, and the same partly goes for USB cables. I always understood that the +5VDC line of USB hubs is generally the noise source. An example of other troubled piece of gear is the Waldorf Blofeld. Waldorf doesn't decouple the power input with a ferrite like most other companies do to their products, so Blofelds are very susceptible to noisy power, which can destabilize the CPU/DSP and leav you with even less polyphony and multi-timbrality that it normally should.

[@sethmcdonald8658]

@@Jason75913 I had initially assumed that the 5V component of USB signal was the source of noise as well and had even tried to solve noise issues by running my USB cables through a no-power adapter but it did sweet fuck all. I next did the opposite and ran my USB power through no-data adapters with the same result. That left ground as the only culprit. This was confirmed absolutely when inspecting one of those $80 de-fi adapters that you find on amazon. What those do is effectively the same thing as blocking the ground pin but with a little extra trick. The de-fi adapter lets a brief bit of the ground signal through right at the startup point so that a picky device such as those from Modal can see fully functional USB signal including ground in order to initailize. The de-fi then shuts off the ground for the rest of the time the device is powered giving you the only way possible to remove ground noise from USB devices that do check for the presence of ground. That little trick is the one difference between and $80 device and a scrap of electrical tape.

[@sethmcdonald8658]

At the end of the day the big challenge is actually how do you get a microscopic piece of electrical tape to fit at exactly the right spot inside USB cable housing.

[@rdean150]

Thrilled to hear that the converters are good quality. Wish you'd spent a little longer discussing those. Any info on the specs? 24bit 48khz at least, I hope?

[@sonicstate]

Yes. That .

[@glynnpowell7864]

Whaaa that’s stuff for the user manual, not a video

[@thedevilsadvocate5210]

$399 for one of those. You should think about throwing in some keys at that price.

[@mrnxgbrl]

the pwm patch sounds nice! external midi control is the way to go. vol down and ctrl through mixer? they seem like fun little boxes. would have loved to see the orange one being fed into the yellow granular buffer and hear some nice unexpected artifacts. waiting for the ‘green pepper’ (a glitcher looper fx buffer) And the ‘red onion’ (a small mixer router+fx) I would love to play around with these but i just haven’t the means. (hook them up with my DN) - More sound examples would’ve been nice, and a proper demo tune. the end of the video feels rushed. A software editor for micro editing. The use: i’d use them for sound design and resampling the output + ‘live performance’ artifacts (fx) I bet this would be nice as an additional send on a DAW output? The polyphonic playing of WT sounds great as well by the way. Nifty little boxes! cheers! I’d try for the Elektron DN or DT to drive some of those parameters ‘sequence wise’ (+ additional lfo’s) - as for having a portable out of the box playground/minimal setup

[@nobbystyles4807]

as my kit grows i really appreciate small form gear but im struggling to see 400 dollars worth of sound here. or 300 (and a bit) pounds..... i just bought a microfreak for roughly the same money and that thing is like a wormhole into another dimension, these dont seem comparable in value.

[@valley_robot]

The micro freak is an absolute bargain isn’t it , so much for very little , I’ll never get rid of mine unless they bring out a second version with more poly and more keys

[@slowblack3947]

Cool gadgets. Although the Lemon Drop sounds to me a bit like a cross-mix between a Korg Wavestation and a Kawai K4. : 0

[@AppAxis]

Sweet synthesizers!!! What do they do?

[@tziirkq]

I love both of these, but my eyes have gotten so bad in the last couple of years, I know I'd struggle to use these things.

[@kisho2679]

can you load own wavetables?

[@sonicstate]

Yes

[@MartinBaldock]

Sounds and looks great, but expensive....

[@expandingknowledge8269]

Love that both of you are reviewing these units, Great show gentleman! 🎹 🎼 😎

[@kris_lx]

I have the same white tablet stand from Ikea 🤣

[@crjmccc]

not a patch on Mutable Instruments Shruthi

[@MrOuija-rr8kq]

I don’t know how I feel about these. They are essentially half an iPhone with a couple of buttons.

[@John-e4p1x]

Can this fella review THE SSL BIG SIX? He did such a thorough SiX review

[@ChrisP3000x]

I would guess these should be awesome for a dawless home setup with other tiny gear.

[@dbfsdailybeatfreestyle]

Reminds me of the dirtywave m8 for some reason, but i dont know much about them because i didnt see a sonicstate review

[@spookypen]

Sound great but that 399 price... bit tough to swallow.

[@_o__o_]

another device for the bin

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Why?

[@pontram]

Great machine, but two things I do not like, after looking into the manual. One is the lack of dotted bpm sync possibilities for LFO etc. There are many options available, from 1/64 to full notes (and bars) including triplets, but never dotted notes, except for the delay fx (well, if it would lack there...). There are many devices out there that have this issue, including my Korg MicroX. And though that might sound like complaining about something unimportant, it can be very annoying if encountered. And since it is just a missing number, not really a function, it is twice frustrating. The second thing I do not like is that a firmware download needs registration (in the forum). What ? Really, I mean, that's ridiculous. Everything else - wow.

[@ME-ru4hv]

They should do a VA one in pink and call it noise

[@WaveRiderMusic]

The sound is legit but physical limitations of that tiny format are awful. Had a good laugh about velcroing it so the weight of the midi and audio adapters does not drag the synth down on the floor. 1010music should use DIN midi and 1/4 mono jacks and make their boxes a little bigger...

[@dachanist]

They could have done both in one so you don't have to buy both, or they could have sold them for half as much because the hardware cost is probably 50 bucks... and yet it's $400 for a 2003 style tablet that sounds ok, aimed at people who are sick of daws.

[@kablehead]

I'd love to have the sound of the Lemondrop with the colour of the Fireball.

[@infindebula]

Nick and Gaz:

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Love its tini size but big sounds. I could definitely find a space for a cupple of these in My set up. Great little devices.