This is the eighth in a regular feature in which we will highlight some of the excellent news, articles, tutorials and competitions we have on our new sister site Synth Expert. This week we feature the story of a promising synth which never was, highlight an excellent ROMpler plug-in, well known to Pro Tools users, which is now available to all for free, Stephen introduces one of his synths and we feature a roundup of new gear. 

Synderella Stories - Kurzweil VA-1

Synderella Stories is a column on Synth Expert about underdog synths that were under-appreciated for their time and/or are not now remembered with the fondness they might really deserve. In this installment, that's the case because the Kurzweil VA-1 virtual analog synth, first demo'ed publicly in 2004, never made it to market. I know because I was writing the instruction manual at the time the project was shelved -- in spite of the instrument attracting huge buzz at trade shows such as NAMM and Musikmesse, and generally being one of the most anticipated new synths of the early to mid-2000s.

Read the rest of the story on Synth Expert.

Xpand!2 - For Free

Xpand!2 is considered to be one of the best virtual instruments to ever ship with Pro Tools.

Xpand!2 is a real meat and potatoes sound source, which can often be overlooked by those looking for more complex and seemingly more powerful tools. Many songwriters and composer reach for Xpand!2 when putting down ideas as it almost limitless palette of sounds makes it an easy writing companion.

Get it for free. head over to Synth Expert to find out how.

The Week in Gear - October 2017 Week 3

Every week we round up the previous week's product announcements in synths, soft synths, modules, and pro audio / recording gear relevant to synth enthusiasts. Here's the latest!

Read the rest of the story on Synth Expert.

Stephen's Synths - Kurzweil Forte 7

Stephen introduces what he thinks should be a potential Nord Stage killer, the very capable but slightly under the radar Kurzweil Forte 7. What is it and why does he rate it so highly?

Read the rest of the story on Synth Expert.

More About Synth Expert

Our new Synth Expert website is where you will find news, reviews, and how-tos about all things synthesizer. the editor is Stephen Fortner who is a lifelong keyboard player and synth enthusiast and got his start in music technology journalism when Keyboard magazine published a writing sample he had sent them in the late 1990s. He became the technical editor at the beginning of 2006 and the magazine's editor in chief in 2009 through to 2015. Stephen , what are your aims for Synth Expert?

SF: It's my intention that Synth Expert becomes a "big tent." Analog and digital. Hardware and software. Mono and poly. Keyboard synths and modular gear and the musicians who prefer one or the other. 

That's not to say we want to be, or can be, all things to all people. DJ technology and culture, for example, will not be a main focus, digital pianos meant for the living room? Well, once in a while, maybe a few of the more synthy ones. 

We will maintain a permanent and ever-growing list of free synth plug-ins from third parties. Like the other sites in the Production Expert family, Synth Expert also has Facebook and Twitter feeds to help you keep up to date. Thanks for joining me on this journey, and I hope we have a lot of fun together.