tiny synths with a BIG sound // 1010music Lemondrop & Fireball Synthesizer Review

[@BoBeats]

are you a Lemons or Fireball kind of person?

[@SynthSoundscapes]

They look like the same hardware, can you switch between the firmware?

[@BoBeats]

@@SynthSoundscapes no I asked about this and you can’t.

[@SynthSoundscapes]

@@BoBeats Great minds think alike! Thanks for asking =).

[@markashley6859]

lemon just purchased. thanks for review. i used to have a gr-1 granualar synth which cost £800. at half the price the lemondrop is well worth the cost and appears to be much easier and more fun to use. looking forward to it arriving on my doorstep :)

[@BoBeats]

@@markashley6859 can you tell me a bit about your GR-1 experience? Since I don’t have one I am super curious!

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

If these synths have the same output and DACs as the BlackBox don't let the size fool you, these are VERY BIG sounding synths with the best sound possible. I own a BlackBox and I was completely shocked on the high sound quality of the samples I played in and manipulated then output via a keyboard.

[@BoBeats]

Yeah nothing wrong with the sound quality at all

[@haslo_]

I definitely will get a Lemondrop. Looks so awesome, and I have been looking for something that can do granular for a while! I'm also a bit of a fan of 1010music, I do love the bluebox.

[@carianoff]

Love it, but I think I'm going to wait for the $150 Behringer copy.

[@BoBeats]

thats a 2020 meme right there, gotto move on buddy

[@carianoff]

@@BoBeats Maybe I'm serous.

[@verdielg]

Hahaaha

[@boydw1]

Or Korg to expand the NTS-x range. I think you're spot on about the pricepoint. Slightly more than an NTS-1 seems about right.

[@digdug543]

Lol😂

[@manuelsteinmair]

Great demonstration! First I thought 'why not both?', but then you mentioned the price and I was like 'oh, in that case I'll take the green one...'

[@Raaf_81]

🤣. Yep.

[@couchcamperTM]

yea, that's unfortunate. Compared to Fred's Lab buzzzy! or the Korg NTS-1 the price is a bit much. I really need to buy more lottery tickets it seems ;-)

[@joushkin4359]

lol

[@DoitYHWH]

😂😂😂

[@GerenM63]

Personally, I'd probably go for the Lemon Drop, but just because I already have a couple of wavetable synths. They both sound great, though, and the size! I actually really like the tiny footprint.

[@egonwombat8234]

the first video that actually really fully explains the difference of the two nanoboxes! Thanks!!! ❤️

[@BoBeats]

You’re welcome!! Glad you found it useful

[@BURG]

The granular actually gave me a little bit of GAS, missing some of those sounds in my setup today, and this is way more accessible than the GR-1. Nice review as always, tåpp nåtsch

[@RoeJogan]

Interesting... I was looking at the GR-1..... and not sure really now lol

[@DaveChips]

What a time to be alive... Just yesterday I was impressed with that small pocket sized pad control, seems that it would be a great combo with these 2 units 😁

[@DaveChips]

Offgrid midi controller... Remember now 😅 I'm getting sucked in these tiny setups universe more then I like to admit 🌌😁

[@stevenlindstrom3050]

Just bought a Blackbox, looks like 1010 will be getting some more of my love and money!

[@albedo0point39]

Although the Blackbox already contains a granular engine, so some overlap here.

[@mooseyard]

These are absolutely adorable. But for that price you can buy an iPad (US$329 for 10” 64GB base model) and have money left over to buy several great music apps like Tardigrade (granular), NanoStudio (wavetable / VA / samples / sequencer / DAW), Mononoke (weird Lyra-8-like) … No hardware knobs or buttons, but the screen is much bigger and higher resolution, it’s got way more storage, and obviously you can install zillions more music apps most of which cost under $20. So I really don’t see the value in one of these, sadly.

[@CaidicusProductions]

I would have to agree with you. These things like they're geared towards someone that REALLY just wants something as specific as one of these and has deep pockets. $400 a piece... Geez...

[@TRUEiMPROrecords]

You see.. an iPad is a DAW and if you are seen using one LIVE, it undermines your legitimity as an artist. People might think that maybe all the sounds come from it. 400 dollar colorful little boxes are the legit option.

[@bedlegs]

@@TRUEiMPROrecords I think your comment is sarcastic? Many artists I know use their laptops with Ableton Live. Ableton live is made to be played Live. There are people who choose to go without a DAW, but gear would have to replace it anyways.

[@mooseyard]

@@TRUEiMPROrecords So, you spray-paint the iPad yellow and glue some little knobs along the bezel... Or even better, use an iPod Touch so the size is closer to the real thing.

[@johnruschulte2593]

iPad apps faze out and don’t work with new iOS. A piece of hardware lasts indefinitely if you treat it well.

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

Lemondrop baby!!!🍋 Granular is my jam. Great review Bo, this format, the editing, truly so polished, fantastic video I really enjoyed it and tons of value packed in here. I like the form factor and everything of these. Do I need them, no, but putting granular into hardware at this price and easy to use UI, I really like this 🤗

[@BoBeats]

♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@verdielg]

Curious how would you compare the Fireball to the Microfreak as a first time synth. I like that this nanobox synth includes built-in fx and is also an 8 voice machine. They are about the same price as well. Appreciate your expert feedback. PS I am also loving the lemon drop lol

[@verdielg]

Actually now that I've listened further, I'm tending more towards the Lemondrop...hmmn

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

@@verdielg Some of the sounds I heard from Lemondrop really impress. Plus, I like citrus…so, heavy bias towards granular and lemons 😅

[@verdielg]

@@NoirEtBlancVie Hey, appreciate the expert feedback. Citrus lol. The more I listen to it the more excited I get. It sounds so massive and shimmery and well, just glorious. Wish I could afford both.

[@JDSoundsets]

Lemondrop get's my vote it's just different to whats out there at that price range...a lot of fun.

[@arcypanjin]

Thanks BO. As always, a profound and helpful review! Love your channel.

[@peterknowles3198]

Before stating my preference can I just commend you on your production of this video. As ever absolutely superb and wonderfully detailed. I think Lemon Drop for me, purely on the soundscapes it can produce. Yes, £300 may seem a lot for such a small synth, but the effects and sounds it can create in my mind are worth the price. An informative review. Thanks Bo.

[@roryjineffect]

I do not have a purely granular synth in my arsenal, so Lemondrop is on my radar.

[@VIRALBEATS360]

Love them both! Ironically just purchased a Blackbox the other day. Thanks for the video!

[@Gainn]

Both look great. A drum machine/sampler with a few extra sequencing channels in this format would also be killer.

[@cemdasou]

Arrived

[@LesterH25]

Trust me, the Lemondrop sounds huge. I love the Saw and Sine waves that are always there as a 3rd oscillator. I love mine.

[@bwicklander]

I am in favor of using a power bank for portability over batteries. Batteries may leak, I can't leave them in the device anymore since I'm suspicious of the build quality of batteries nowadays.

[@jackpijjin4088]

Almost lost a Volca that way.

[@mosesve1]

Sorry, but an 8-Voice Wavetable Synth for 399 is hilarious. The only reason I would get this over a wavestate was if my studio has the size of a closet or if this was the only way to hide it from my wife...

[@scottfarrell1906]

Love the hide it from my wife... Fantastic 😂

[@wendigo2442]

No u don’t get it bro when u put the vst in the box it sounds warm and lush and pad and

[@glynnpowell7864]

@@wendigo2442 vst in a box has to do with offloading cpu usage along with several other factors like latency for recording. Vst is fine, but after layers start adding up it’s not as efficient.

[@Hysteric_Subjects]

I actually want a lemondrop for that reason (wife won’t notice)

[@urbanorangutan]

the wavestate isn't a wavetable synth

[@werekill]

I was considering getting an Arturia microfreak, but these two just made the debate much harder! Fantastic review.

[@zackcolbourne6921]

Lemondrop and Microfreak would be a sick pairing.

[@RoeJogan]

The quality of the video is nice and vibrant

[@robertsyrett1992]

1010 is doing it again! He is really breaking out of the eurorack market and I am loving the ideas he is coming up with.

[@smashSpikeMC]

399.00$ for a generic digital wave table what a joke even the microfreak is a joke but at least you get more then a box

[@MrBasic]

Amazing sounding video, Bo! My cat was like "whoh"... I would go with Fireball first.

[@heatherperkins9737]

Another great demonstration video, Bo, always love your take on new instruments. I’m a huge fan of granular Synthesis, but apart from the Tasty Chips GR1 - yeah, too rich for my blood at about $2,499US - there haven’t been many hardware granular synths to choose from. At $399US for a brand new one, I may take the plunge. I’ve been streamlining my studio for space and workflow, but looks as if this little beauty will fit anywhere.

[@suga4all]

Great comparison video! They both sound very polished. I guess I am more the wavetable guy, so the Fireball? But seriously 1010? 450 EUR??? You can get a Polyend Tracker for that money which offers a Granular AND a wavetable synth. At 199 EUR this would be kind of a good deal.

[@Frozirra]

Polyend tracker’s “granular” is shit bro, not even real granular. 1 grain granular is just a sampler. If you want a budget granular I’d waitlist for plinky tbh. IMO the only true hardware granular synths out atm are the tasty chips GR-1 and the microgranny (really Lo-Fi and budget).

[@suga4all]

@@Frozirra Thats right, it's only one grain but you have the sequencer with loads of possibilities with it. For granular I use the Clouds module atm. Works fine for most purposes.

[@Frozirra]

@@suga4all idk to each his own I suppose, but the tracker can’t flume nearly as good

[@goodnota]

A pair or rather almost 3x CraftSynths 2.0 instead for this price? ;)

[@THEMISSING76]

And both granular AND wavetable on the Poly are garbage. What a deal!

[@briannhinton]

Exciting devices. It’s great to see 1010 coming out with these one off specialized devices.

[@acatwhopurrs5031]

My Poly Beebo can cover what the Lemondrop can do, and a little bit more. But, I love exploring granular synthesis so I'd probably get a Lemondrop some day as a dedicated granular synth.

[@boydw1]

I thought these were pretty cool till I learned the price! Was totally expecting them to be closer to Korg NTS-1 territory.

[@carbonvibes]

Thanks for posting Bo. I find both to be very fun looking , however I think I’m gravitating towards Lemon Drop a bit more than Fireball.

[@SteveMc870]

Lemondrop is a no-brainer if you want hardware granular synthesis and aren’t willing to up your budget to GR-1 level, or if you’re size-constrained in the studio. My Tracker has made me curious about granular synthesis, so I may well get a lemondrop. Fireball is fine, but there’s a lot of wavetable options, so not so compelling.

[@UNSCPILOT]

Lemon drop is deffinitly on my wishlist, especially to pair with my microfreak and habit of "sample hunting" with my H1N and Soma Ether

[@hvhvgitaar]

Definitely a lemondrop kinda guy here. I can see a great combination with a keystep pro and a microfreak .

[@UNSCPILOT]

Same, another Microfreak owner who loves to sample weird things with my Zoom H1N + contact mics and my Soma Ether, the Lemondrop looks *perfect*

[@EricAndre615]

These nano synths are pretty cool. Never heard of them before.

[@roryjineffect]

They just got announced today, so that is likely why. 😁

[@6pin66]

That Lemon Drop sounds amazing ! I feel like they could get around the battery issue by just making a power bank that clips on the back . It could even be made as part of like an otter-box type thing for travel . Now I just have to figure out where to scrape up $400+change :P

[@Canadianblaken]

I’d like to see a comparison of Lemon and black box for granular. I know there is overlap, but not sure how much overlap since granular is a smaller feature of the black box.

[@mattzrotzer]

same!

[@zoiksandmorezoiks2719]

So could I sample from a vinyl record into lemon drop then use the output to feed into my pedal board? I actually really like my micro Korg but not sure if that could be a keyboard controller for lemondrop

[@kvnvk8947]

@@zoiksandmorezoiks2719 The microKorg has a standard MIDI out, should work fine, the adaptor is included with the Lemondrop, you'd just need a standard 5 pin MIDI cable. As far as sampling vinyl, the Lemondrop can only process input audio in real time, you would have to pre-record your samples and drop them onto the micro SD card. Finally, running the output of the Lemondrop to your pedal board shouldn't pose any problems, I've been processing line level synths through pedals for almost three decades without any issues, only thing, you may need to turn the synth volume down a bit to avoid clipping, unless that's what you want, lol!

[@zoiksandmorezoiks2719]

@@kvnvk8947 that’s really helpful thanks! will have a think..seems lovely bit of kit but serious price tag too.

[@biggrime]

They sound petty good. I see these as great addition to a current setup

[@lokologico]

Lemondrop reminds me of Grain in Reason. I’d def pickup a Lemondrop as it’s more unique hardware-wise.

[@lokologico]

I actually just bought it online,... the fact that it can take FX in, and process...ts a bonus and must have.

[@matthewtunnicliffe201]

The Lemondrop does sound bloody good. The Fireball doesn't really grab me though.

[@daniel_mana]

I’m really digging the little yellow beast!

[@JoshIsMakingMusic]

Great video. These look exactly like the kind of weird gaming handheld I'd see in Toys R' Us and beg my parents to buy.

[@UNSCPILOT]

It's deffinitly a funny thought to consider as an adult, but heck, those little bright boxes of sound too look very fun

[@maxpowers3494]

I wish they would release a more affordable version of blue box. Small mixers with built in effects are almost unheard of.

[@marcuslutz]

Totally agree. Or make the blue box a class compliant audio device. Then the price would be justified in my opinion.

[@surrogatemarker]

Since 1010 music has a history of offering multiple types of firmware to change the functionality of their devices (like the 1010 Bitbox Mk2) and since the fireball and lemon drop are identical in hardware except for their color, I wonder if you buy one, if they will (in the future) allow you to switch The device FW with the SD card so in effect, you get two different devices on one hardware platform..

[@dillipphunbar7924]

Keystep pro, Blackbox, Bluebox, Lemondrop, Fireball, and Razzamatazz (or whatever they're calling it) = complete system...compact with no interconnection issues...would be very nice to play....but that's a lot of money.

[@trapbeatproducer]

okay i now realise why i should add a synth to my setup! really cool!

[@GlitchComputer]

This should have been an update to the black box or one stand alone device. Not separate ones. The price is not justifiable when there are so many units that can do this and more.

[@GlitchComputer]

@M Edward Borasky now that I think about it, a Blackbox plus with more I/O and some synth/effects engines would be greatly appreciated. I can see something like this with a built in battery being the ultimate little portable studio. I guess there is a point when you have to many tiny devices running that it defeats the purpose of the small format design.

[@BoBeats]

that sounds awesome!

[@noisehead]

I need this as a eurorack module!

[@GreatistheWorld]

Actually ok with the price on the Lemondrop, sounds super interesting as an FX unit alone. Fireball isn’t bad, just surprisingly not that unique sounding? Curious to see where these go in the future

[@gavinpeters9531]

Holy crap!!! Lemondrop is like a GR1 that fits in my pocket!!!! So good.

[@TRUEiMPROrecords]

Before Bo says the price I am going to say I'd pay 220 bucks for one of these.

[@leifahnland43]

Nicely specific price idea. Agree that around 200$ would’ve been ok... but 400? What do think now that you know?

[@TRUEiMPROrecords]

@@leifahnland43 A big NOPE for 400 bucks.

[@toslinked]

249 and I‘m in for the granular.

[@mr_floydst]

Great video. These two are enticing, I really like the small form factor. But the price in europe is outrageous. Also 7:37 Don Henley wants to know your location :-)

[@Fusion_1994]

Great video Bo best on KZbin so far.

[@tonalaxis]

I wonder what the Fireball would be like running through the Lemondrop??

[@villagenumerique9085]

I love the lemondrop. Thanks for this review

[@cthulholmhastur5317]

"A little too technical for me".. Hehe u make me roll brother.

[@cloneroom]

I'm a 🍋 drop kinda person...ordered cannot wait 😆

[@newignis]

Lemondrop, but under two conditions : at least 6 full voice polyphony, as well as midi sysex patch dump and parameter change / midi cc functionality. So if we are not sitting on the bus, we could enjoy better accessibility to all functions at once via midi controllers. The box in itself is super nicely made!

[@BoBeats]

Good ideas

[@mauchkimberly]

Time to figure out what to sell. I love 1010 music products. Lemondrop is my fav.

[@tapecompasqualegrieco8371]

I really like the lemondrop… I imagine live voice input and use it as 4 voice harmonizer and granulize at same time 😀😀😀 At the same price target there’s sonic ware elz1 and it has more a more stuff !!!

[@pontram]

I would wish for future versions of those synths a USB Device connectivity, so that you can plug in a USB keyboard (I think of Qunexus or other tiny things). Since both are little computers (Raspberrys ?) that should be easily possible, even on the current hardware, if the USB port is internally not detached. We could then connect via an OTG connection or something like that.

[@noteimporta2880]

all in one mini things of quality really make me nerd out

[@SanderAnderon]

watched you for years and somehow only now realized I hadn't subbed/rung the bell yet! my bad...and see you're about to eclipse 100k. Here's crazy idea for you to celebrate -- a compilation of 100k patches from your library of reviews! Rapid fire/ couple secs each, like an hour of nothing but rapid patch changes from the plethora of synths you've looked at (yeah I know, way too much work, ha) cheers

[@ar_snl]

The form factor is super attractive. The fireball is for me.

[@EnochDark]

Yeah the Lemon thing cool but $400? For just 200 more one could have a Polyend Tracker... Which is like the Lemon+Black Box, all in one box for $450 less... Sorry but what is it that I'm missing here there makes the 1010 worth that much more?

[@jantuitman]

They are cute!since very short I have the bitbox micro module and it can do some granular stuff along regular sample playing. It is a good alternative to the yellow one if you’re into eurorack.

[@fetterssv]

Granular on the Bitbox Micro is painfully unplayable without a lot of tedious work. This Lemondrop live input is a complete game changer. I can't wait to get mine.

[@MrRichwaltonleek]

Ooh the lemondrop is exciting, love that sound

[@MrRichwaltonleek]

Actually, the more I think about, the more I reckon it would be amazing to pack it full of samples vocals for some sort of mad vocal synth

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

I guess if you need a small synth it could be useful. I don’t get why they are two separate devices though. I like the Lemmon the most since I already own a wave table synth

[@kalimaa999]

Cos that's two separate purchases from one compulsive spender 🤐🤭

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

@@kalimaa999 green drum synth confirmed 😋

[@briarboy8959]

‘Cause $

[@Doctor-en8dj]

There are so many synth reviews on youtube these days. Funny though, when I want to get the real deal, I think 'I wonder if Bo has done a review of this'. And Lemondrop? more like jawdrop... sounds amazing.

[@BoBeats]

Glad that you checked out the vid! Still a big fan of the Lemon. Fireball not so much :-)

[@MurrayDagostino]

The lemondrop seems interesting, but the price tag for sucha small unit .. is a bit steep I think. I already have an Argon8, so there is no need for the Fireball to me.

[@freshmint5130]

Such a big sounds from that small boxes, incredible! Just one thing that I immediately thought of - no possibility of stereo expansion. I would love to use that synths in pair with some stereo enhancment and saturation pedals.

[@BoBeats]

The output is stereo. All you need is a TRS minijack split to two TS big mono jacks

[@davidlarrad2565]

That one "ironic" raised eyebrow has certainly become a trade mark!

[@BoBeats]

😏

[@lemonillemusic]

26:21 almost “Jupiters” by Four Tet 🤩😉

[@juxty3102]

I like the idea of these tiny synths but the price they are asking hmm! Be interesting to open them up and see what's inside.

[@nissimtrifonov5314]

What do you think could be inside? The cheapest compute module (e.g. something like a raspberry pi) that can get the job done and a DAC

[@strykermoonfall2220]

Great video as always Bo

[@BoBeats]

Thank you!

[@kleimenov]

15:38 sound blew me away. Lemondrop - must buy device.

[@tonalaxis]

I'll take both

[@maw0380]

400 dollars?!! I think I’ll pass…

[@connorcarbon]

24:50 yeah seriously I'm getting so sick of companies making extremely portable audio production devices and then providing no solutions for internal battery, and all the fan-boys of said company are always like "just use a huge heavy floppy mobile battery that turns using a tiny portable device into an absolute not-portable mess of slippery expensive things that dangle around each other and threaten to come undone and smack on the ground at the slightest mishandling" I wonder if people who think a third-party mobile battery is justification for product designers making something tiny, portable and handheld, yet then not providing a battery solution, also think that boats will move easily through the water while dragging an anchor around

[@DanieleGiannattasio]

Not sure if plugging the red Fireball usb cable to the Lemondrop is legal, but great demo regardless!

[@albedo0point39]

Hmm… Blackbox already has granular in it (presumably similar codebase) so Fireball looks like a better partner to it.

[@jarickthom9767]

They are $500 Cdn - which is not cheap for a synth module. What would give them more value as they are the exact same case (minus colour) is if there was a software component that would allow you to modify and add samples etc.on a computer then allow you to upload either the WaveTable synth or the granular synth. That way you could have either synth for the price of one. To me, that would be valuable.

[@nolake]

What about a third orange one with both specs 😅 Sweet demo for sure, nice little devices.

[@OscillatorSink]

OK Yeah, might need to grab the Lemondrop...

[@BoBeats]

But can it be a drum machine?!

[@OscillatorSink]

@@BoBeats Bo, please, I think we both already know the answer to that.

[@beckysantmarc]

Thanks for the video! I definitively will fo for the lemondrop. Let's hope they arrive soon in Europe 🤞.

[@BoBeats]

Thanks for watching!

[@pocketrealitty]

Very cool! If I didn’t already pretty much have these in Ableton Suite, they would definitely peak my interest!

[@MrWikib]

Reviewing the Fireball while having a Microfreak on a picture on the wall... wavetable loop!

[@MBEG89]

Damn these things sound fantastic.

[@roycopeland9560]

Wouldn’t micro granny and micro freak both be less money?

[@BoBeats]

Microfreak is a good alternative absolutely. But microgranny isnt close to the Lemondrop for granular synthesis

[@glynnpowell7864]

The fireball sounds waaay better than this video lets off! There are Plenty of wavetables too. Adding more would just make it chaotic and excessive imo.

[@Vladi_mir_M]

Nice synths! But the price… I would add some euros and buy a hydrasynth explorer for example

[@BoBeats]

Not a bad choice

[@pixelwash9707]

Wish they sold the hardware in optional colors, and the software separately at much lower cost.....seems wasteful, although it's true you couldn't then use the fireball as a sound source for post processing on the lemondrop...

[@h2o1969]

I liked both. I think it would be a great set up: both run by a keystep pro. If I had to pick it would be the lemon.

[@CKT1138]

The Monk patch for the Lemondrop sounded absolutely stunning. I might have to sell some gear and buy it...

[@matthijsblomjous3671]

while the fireball perfectly fits within my sound, that might be the reason I'll go for the lemondrop instead. IT'S GRANULAR BABYYYY

[@apostatatheprovost3041]

Both are cool, but, the Lemon is my Weapon of choice.❤️✌️

[@KingGameReview]

The Lemondrop seems very rad. Maybe I'll keep an eye out for a used one.

[@markkilley2683]

Both?

[@aking9832]

lemon drop is very interesting.

[@jonathanaguilar710]

I'll be purchasing a lemon drop later in the year for sure. But i really dont know why they dont add battery options to their devices. Part of the reason why i sold my blackbox was because of a lack of battery, its portable but then you need to power it with something separate which really kills its form factor tbh. I dont have much experience with granular so this looks like a good entry point. I'm happy to see it cheaper than blackbox and bluebox.