Superbooth 2023: UDO Super Gemini - A Twin Engine Poly With Discrete Control -First Look

We spoke to George Hearn from UDO Audio at Superbooth 2023 where they announced their latest synthesizer, the Super Gemini. The Super Gemini is an analog hybrid polysynthesizer with a high-quality polyphonic aftertouch keyboard and independent controls for the layers. This allows for a more immersive playing experience where users can arpeggiate one layer and have the other layer doing chords. The Super Gemini also has multi-timbrality, a slide controller for pitch expression, and a ring modulator. It adds wave morphing and has a more expressive control section. It has a slightly different analog signal path, a more upfront, slightly saturated character, and it's louder, a bit more forward and a bit more saturated.
The Super Gemini builds upon the concept and architecture of the Super Sixes with more expressivity and interaction with sound. It is essentially two Super Sixes with added features and a different analog feel to it. The instrument is a continuation and a growth of UDO Audio's product line, celebrating the family with new colorways. George demonstrated the Super Gemini and it did not disappoint, producing beautiful sounds.
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udo-audio.com
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[@BURG]

If this thing does not give you GAS you are not a synthhead.. 😇 the part where he was running arpeggiators and jamming on the other layer was just mindblowing. Jesus christ on a bicycle what an instrument. Good job fellas!

[@garyturner1441]

I am seeing a worthy successor to Dave Smith in this gentleman… :)

[@BURG]

@@garyturner1441 indeed 🎹🙌

[@ebizz7039]

🤣😇 It’s JC on a bicycle good 🙏🏽

[@lovelost28]

It's so aesthetically pleasing, this might be the CS-80 of our decade

[@RayyMusik]

CS-80 and Andromeda had a baby.

[@GizzyDillespee]

And Ion... it really has that old Alesis look, to me.. I think if the way the sliders are set, making angles, helps give me that vibe

[@ninjakbly]

Reminds me a bit of the Hartman Neuron too, visually.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Exciting!

[@ianperesmusic]

George Hearn is a modern synth visionary. Thanks to him and others like, the synth medium is evolving, while keeping the spirit of the old world alive.

[@Daphoid]

UDO and SOMA are some good people that's for sure.

[@midnightsocean2689]

indeed, couldn't have said it better.

[@distprod]

I absolutely love the Modal 008, which George designed the voice for. It is one of the nicest analog poly synths to come out in the past decade. Would be one of the last synths I would ever sell. Amazing sound and interface. It's no surprise that he is continuing to make awesome synths post-Modal.

[@marzzz1]

I am just thrilled that we are starting to see synths with (5-octave) polyphonic aftertouch keybeds- ASM, Waldorf, now UDO. Have waited literally decades for this!

[@TheJonathanlewis1000]

High time someone gave the CS80 a serious run for its money. Note the ring mod and ribbon alongside the poly aftertouch which are the basis of the CS80 sound. With wavetables, stable tuning, a tenth of the weight- and price.... The bar has just been raised big time. Can't wait until September to take this synth to the cleaners.

[@rok_koritnik]

This has to be the best in-booth demo ever. What an awesome synth!

[@Wagoo]

What a beast.. roll on the 90 minute "audio only" video!! :) Very glad to hear it's using the poly-at keybed

[@theaudioeng]

+1 on that Wagoo regarding the Poly AT keybed 😎👍🎹🎶🍻

[@IanWaugh]

George's demos are brilliant😲 He's also one of the nicest people in the business 👍

[@Jhesterdrums]

This is immense - and George’s playing is phenomenal!

[@osirismaximus2787]

Dude, that performance was EXCEPTIONAL 👏👏👏 The Super Gemini sounds fantastic and looks fantastic. Very exciting time in the synth world!

[@mcentertain]

Wow the polyphonic aftertouch and George´s delicate playing makes this sound like an orchestral instrument almost, Vangelis would´ve loved that and Bach :DDD Sounds like a Super 6 paired with a Moog modular. Amazing!!!

[@aqueous5099]

This really could be the successor to Vangelis & the cs-80. Gemini is such a lovely and fitting name. I can’t wait to hear more.

[@NEOREV_MUSIC]

I felt bad watching him explain the price because I was honestly expecting it to be higher. Meanwhile Moog sells a Minimoog reissue for $5,000, so this guy should not feel bad at all charging $4,000 for a much more powerful and featured synth than the Minimoog. Can I afford $4,000? No. But this looks and sounds like a synth for the price. I can't say the say the same for the Minimoog though.

[@Matt-Horizon]

Also for the features it has. I expected it to be atleast 4.5k. The closest thing to a cs80 now available is the Deckard's Dream. Same price, no controller. 4k is a good price and it sounds amazing.

[@NEOREV_MUSIC]

@@Matt-Horizon Yeah, I was expecting like $5K to 7K.

[@Pacman1ac]

Moog Music has a totally different strategy as a company. It's all about brand value and legacy. UDO is a modern and new company. They can't do the same thing. I'm happy for UDO because they are moving forward and they make serious musical instruments.

[@NEOREV_MUSIC]

@@Pacman1ac Moog, the Apple of synths

[@GizzyDillespee]

Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave is $5k. It has 4 layers instead of 2 (but you'd need all 4 layers to equal the UDO's 2-layer binaural mode), and has 4 more voices. It's also an analog/digital hybrid. The sound seems to be harder and more present than this synth's, so far, based on 5 minutes of prototype demo, fwiw.

[@martattacks]

Matt Johnson is so going to love this.

[@PsychologyAcademia]

Hes the only one who can afford one

[@symbiat0]

Was thinking the same thing especially after watching his 3rd Wave video

[@SPAZZOID100]

@@PsychologyAcademia really???

[@jeshkam]

​@@SPAZZOID100 Why? He can't?

[@SlaserX]

I can't wait to see Matt's video on it. Sounds like a beast, but I'll be shocked if it's under 6k

[@MarcasLancaster]

This is simply one of the best synth improvs of all time!

[@mrpesk1]

Hear hear!

[@saifeek]

George Hearn's playing spot on as always.

[@N-trepid1]

George please read this! Piggy-backing on a comment by Symbia0, will UDO (not a 3rd party) be introducing a software companion interface to address the inability to see what modulations are in place for a patch since there is no screen or mod matrix display? Finally, congratulations on yet another masterpiece! Love your humility & passion for beautiful sounding instruments :)

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Wow, active control of both layers at the same time, Wow. Nothing better than all that surface control for happy sound designing. Always exciting seeing what UDO is doing.

[@shawcunningham]

High hopes for this... the "CS-80 of the modern era" was the first thing I thought when I saw it.

[@jonbirchartist]

I was expecting it to be more expensive than it is. George has really done a great job!

[@lefunghi6151]

Agreed! I was scared it might be a lot more, but 4000 for (almost) 2 Super 6's is great! Talked to them at Superbooth and got to play a bit with it. Incredible machine, and luckily some time to find the money before it releases haha. Hopefully a Blue version will be available too

[@etme1000]

It is too expensive. But maybe boutique makers like these cannot go lower. Too bad.

[@SPAZZOID100]

@@etme1000It’s priced very reasonable.

[@SynthgodXXX]

Very powerful sounding synthesizer! The UDO Super Gemini is on my radar!

[@SwishStillPimp]

These guys know how to make beautiful looking synths

[@martattacks]

It's massive! Just like in the olden days. Very pretty, too. The modulation capabilities seem to be marvellous. Like it.

[@SquareWaveHeaven]

Control deck for a spaceship vibes... Loving the interface!

[@TheMirolab]

Strange that I fell in love with poly-aftertouch 30 years ago with my Ensoniq EPS16+ keyboard. It's wonderful to hold down a string pad and emphasize different harmonics in real time. Why has it taken so long? That's how progressive Ensoniq was!

[@patriciaoudart1508]

Have heavy Aftertouch on my Roland Sh 2000 and my Juno 6... I tell it every time I can on Sweetwater and others, Expressssion! Pedalszzzzzz! Aftertoooouch! Some midi keyboards have an Aftertouch and velocity setting, perhaps have to be pushed to their maximums. 👌🤗

[@whisperdancer]

@@patriciaoudart1508 same as my JD-XA. Must be a Roland thing...

[@reecedeyoung6595]

Because it's expensive to implement both mechanically and in the circuits.

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

I had a EPS16+, wasn't it the first synth with 24 bit effects too?

[@alfiedotwtf]

The passion from George is obvious. He loves his work, and the Gemini is a non-brainer if you're in the market for a modern flagship

[@jonbirchartist]

What a fantastic demo! Lovely sounding, lovely looking.

[@markosbornestudio]

If the Death Star had a synth, it would look like this!

[@DoctorRevers]

Another amazing demo of an amazing looking instrument. Well done!

[@chriskelvin248]

My god…I wish to one day stroll the park at SuperBooth on a cool, misty day and just organically drift in and out of the bungalows wherever my curiosity and ears lead me. The essence of a dream!

[@3tree]

Thanks for the demo Nick and George, that thing sounds just wonderful!

[@francis8352]

Monumental Congratulations to UDO HEAR YE HERE!

[@smits98]

Absolutely stellar demo! Thanks to both of you!!

[@gregsullivan7408]

Wow - the most interesting sounds I've heard for a long time! Excellent

[@sergemassa2937]

Awesome demo that i ever seen. Thanks. Great synth.

[@robertsyrett1992]

Genuinely impressed. Both looks and sounds fantastic.

[@guyonkeys]

Sounds great. What a lovely chap too.

[@neonvoid]

fantastic, beautiful sound & expressivity

[@Psychlist1972]

Sounds and looks fantastic. Great to see more Poly AT keyboards out there.

[@Superlover]

great presentation. killer synth!

[@WokeUpScreaming]

Absolutely incredible!!

[@ZenMountain]

What a beautiful synth. Congratulations once again!

[@Pacman1ac]

Congatulations it looks fantastic and has a unique vibe.

[@stateazure]

Finally a synth with some fucking power in our modern age, without silly unnecessary limitations. Even the price is very fair. This thing sounds incredible.

[@9000knobs]

Clear winner for me, gonna save up for this for 2 years. I have a new dream . Awesome, its the modern cs 80 !

[@dammers89]

That is so flippin cool. Unreal that some of that playing was on just one instrument. UDO have nailed it again!

[@digitaldiezel5870]

Amazing! Some fabulous scores are going to be made on this.

[@andyjones760]

Stunning piece of work, and in my view priced reasonably for such a premium instrument 👍

[@ASteverink]

that's a flippin' soundtrack right there! Damn, so much modulation madness going on! Well done! Oh, and the aesthetics are on point as always. Oh, and the one knob per function ethos... Awesome indeed! 🔥🔥🔥

[@marcpinion]

So glad people are making extraordinary synths that will set the standard for the future.

[@troublesomecorsair]

10:22 That's the best thing I've ever heard. And the synth sounds great, too

[@deyanfont]

The look of that beast is of the old school Roland Jupiters etc I’m loving it! This is what Roland should be making now days not the rehash of legends naming convention.. Great job UDO ya guys putting out some of the most beautiful sounding and looking synth at the moment imho

[@geha6596]

ahahaha - Nick: "...careful now we get lost again..." - 16:12 always the same when George is into it, so great...

[@stevenpcowley]

Amazing demo.

[@ksqmusic]

Wow. Amazing George.

[@MPHORROCKS]

Wow! Sounds and looks great!

[@supercompooper]

I loved first synth. Totally gonna buy this new one!!

[@jimbrimble3131]

Astonishing! Will never be able to afford this, but that demo just blew me away.

[@attichatchsound-bobkowal5328]

Sounds really great! Advice to all folks doing poly-synth demos: you'll never go wrong going "Elfman Batman-esque" like George did here!

[@PsyneticSound]

Yeah, George is back on his Synthesizer Journey😊

[@NorthEastEntertainmentChannel]

Absolute superb demo, took me by surprise a few minutes in.

[@kafkawilde4604]

Wow this is truly beautiful synth in the sounds it produces

[@asynchronicity]

Looks stunning; sounds sublime 👍😸

[@Paul_Y_T]

great video, love the synth from what I've seen. George is such a likeable guy, really puts a halo around the company. I'm a recent owner of a super 6 and that thing goes far beyond my (high) expectations.

[@UberSynth]

Sounds amazing 🤩👂

[@chedhead3278]

Cheers guys. Great spec, fab sounds. Fair price for all that to my mind.

[@Psychlist1972]

FYI. Around 5:35ish, the video goes all pixelated like there was an encoding problem. It clears up almost exactly a minute later.

[@russ254]

was it the same cat or 2 cats that look a lot alike?

[@thedarkestrainbow]

I hope it comes in blue like the Super 6. Gorgeous, thoughtful instrument. Interesting contender in the luxury synth market. Would def get this over a Moog One or OBX8. Summit is probably the closest competitor, a solid option at a grand or so less, and minus some features. Great work UDO.

[@HAZMATLIVE]

THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING 🤩

[@gianfry1980]

❤LOVE❤ this Synth

[@aseomg]

George is a future legend!!

[@digicat247]

It’s really the Super Soundtrack Machine. It’s such a beast.

[@TheUnfinishedSynth]

Looks and sounds utterly yummy! George sells his synths very well. When I have my new studio built, I may well have to find some space alongside my Super 6!

[@supernatural802]

It sounds bloody fantastic. Cant wait!

[@coryhernandez1983]

Such a beautiful design

[@kosmikmusa]

Beautiful

[@m.g.kroger]

So nice news! Waiting for Nick's hands on review!!

[@friendwithin]

I just put my headphones on and WOW! Amazing.

[@korkyk6901]

Well done UDO folk it looks and sounds fantastic

[@nosecondlost]

Outstanding instrument!

[@FloChai]

this is wonderful. the instrument. the playing.

[@dankeplace]

Humble guy, great interview Nick, excellent synth, so many choices now. Things are evolving and it's great to see the individual controls per layer.

[@artisan002]

Man... And I thought I was in love with their first synth.

[@davidbanner9001]

This really is my kind of synth. Love it!

[@daniX12345]

Que hermoso y expresivo sonido! No hay menús para bucear. Todo al alcance de la mano. Muy bueno!

[@gesslr]

Wow. Just wow. And an amazing price point too. Bravo!

[@ProfessorSynth]

Well done George 👍

[@patrickpoggensee6333]

Looks and sounds awesome! Wow…what synth.

[@bananepoep]

Wow what a great interesting guy and what an amazing synth Fantastic 🙌

[@glyn5385]

jeeeez thats fuckn beautiful sounding, almost brought a tear to my eye..

[@kvmoore1]

Sounds like a great instrument for film scoring.

[@silvermyth2119]

Impressive! 👏👍 I'll add to my wish list.

[@RossWalkersVideos]

Sounds incredible :)

[@ianperesmusic]

My man just straight up improvised the next Dune soundtrack on the spot.

[@galaxiesmerge_original]

I am awaiting mine eagerly from Kraft Music. This just sounds incredible! I own a CS80 and this may actually be the first to compete. Great job!

[@DurararaX2]

Not bad. When it lands at Perfect Circuit in Burbank I'll check it out for sure. Thanks for posting.

[@TonySway]

Can't wait 4 this!!

[@mark35mi]

Effing Brilliant!!! ❤

[@toneklang]

Absolutely wow 😲