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Welcome to this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat ! In this show, I'm joined by Luke Edwards from Korg UK — product specialist, demonstrator, sound designer, and the face behind many of Korg's official synth demos. Luke shares his journey into music, his background in classical training, his early sequencing days with the Atari ST, and how he eventually joined Roland and later Korg. We also dive in...

Garry is back, and we're diving into a huge mix of smart home upgrades, local AI experiments, home renovation tech, synth sound design, and more. From underfloor heating challenges to ESP32 presence detection, facial recognition powered by CodeProject. AI, and new sound packs for the Korg Multipoly and PS-3300 – this episode is packed. We also talk about cloud outages, EV events, kinetic switches,...

This week on  The Digital Lifestyle Show , I'm joined once again by Dan Phillips from Korg R&D in California . Dan returns to the show to talk about the brand-new Korg PS-3300 plug-in , part of the recently released Korg Collection 6 . The PS-3300 is a recreation of one of Korg's most ambitious and rare synthesizers — the original 1977 PS-3300 , a huge polyphonic monster with 144 envelopes, 144 fi...

In this week's TDL Synth Chat, I talk to Remco Khman — musician, sound designer, and Roland D-70 enthusiast. Remco shares his deep knowledge of this often-overlooked synth, from its rushed development and marketing quirks to its fascinating sound architecture and legacy. We also discuss how the D-70 fits between the D-50, U-20, and JV-80, and how it inspired later Roland instruments. If you've eve...

Gary's back! In this week's episode, we catch up on smart home gadgets, MIDI gear, automation tools, and even dive into the world of AI and home assistants. Ian shows off the U6 MIDI Pro , Gary reviews Sonoff's latest smart home gear , and the pair talk about AI voices , Wi-Fi presence detection , and much more. 👉 Subscribe for more weekly episodes covering smart home tech, MIDI, EVs, synths, and...

🎧 About This Episode In this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat , I talk with Oli Freke , author of the acclaimed Synth Evolutions book, about his new project — a deep dive into the world of vintage drum machines . From the Korg Mini Pops and Roland TR-606 to the Boss DR-55 and Yamaha RX17 , Oli explores how these classic rhythm boxes shaped the sound of pop, synthwave, and electronic music. We als...

Welcome to this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat! In this episode, I'm joined by Gilles Coudert , who takes us through his incredible synth journey — from his first keyboard in the late '70s to modern classics like the Korg Kronos and Prophet-5 Rev4. We dive deep into the Yamaha DX7 , Roland D-50 , DW-8000 , and many more, sharing stories, regrets, and nostalgic memories from decades of synth expl...

🎙️ This Week on The Digital Lifestyle Show Gary's back from IFA 2025 in Berlin, and we've got a packed episode full of the latest in consumer tech, smart homes, and gadgets! 🚀 We dive into the biggest trends at the show – from robot lawnmowers and smart glasses to portable projectors and next-gen smart home tech . Gary shares his highlights from the event, including some fascinating innovations f...

🎹 Welcome to this week's TDL Synth Chat ! In this episode, I talk to Daniel from Chalkwalk Music about his journey into synthesis, sound design, and creating inspiring YouTube tutorials. We dive into his background, favorite gear, live improv sessions, sound design philosophies, and even DIY Eurorack projects. Whether you're into the Korg OP-6, Hydrasynth, MicroFreak, or modular gear , you'll fin...

The Yamaha DX7 is one of the most iconic synthesizers of the 1980s, shaping pop, electronic, and film music with its groundbreaking FM synthesis engine. In this video, I sit down with Rob Puricelli (Pro Synth Network, Gear News) to explore the history, legacy, and lasting influence of the DX7 and its family of FM synths. We cover everything from the origins of FM synthesis at Stanford University t...

This week, Ian sits down with Alex Dalliance (aka Vulture Culture) to shine a light on the analog synths that deserve way more love. From the gritty charm of the DW-8000 to the overlooked brilliance of the Alpha Juno 2, we dig into the gear that delivers serious tone without the boutique price tag. If you're tired of hearing about the same five synths over and over, this episode is your antidote....

This week on The Digital Lifestyle Show , I'm joined by Microsoft Surface MVP Rob Quickenden to dive into the latest Surface devices and what they mean for users. We cover the new Surface Pro 12 and Laptop 13 models, Snapdragon vs Intel processors, Copilot+ PCs, and what it's like using these devices for music production, video editing, and day-to-day work . ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:25 We...

Coming Up This Week on The Digital Lifestyle Show 🎧 This week, Ian and Garry catch up on the latest in gadgets, smart home tech, EVs, music projects, and more. From new portable chargers and Surface devices to custom synth sound packs and Ian's brand-new album, there's plenty to dive into! 📌 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment if you're enjoying the show. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – I...

This week on the Synth Chat Podcast , Ian catches up with Scottish sound designer and musician Marc Barnes . Marc returns to talk about his latest Korg Multi/Poly and Wavestate sound packs, programming tips, and his thoughts on the creative process. We dive deep into sampling workflows, vintage synths, and even the challenges of producing other artists' music. From the underrated DW-8000 to the TX...

Gary joins me as we catch up on our latest smart home projects, new tutorials for the Korg Multi/Poly and Wavestate, and take a quick first look at the newly announced Surface devices. Plus, we chat about automation, AI video creation, vinyl over Sonos, underfloor heating tech, and some not-so-great experiences with smart home firmware updates. 📺 Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:31 – Catching u...

This week on TDL Synth Chat , I'm joined by Chileas , a producer and synth lover from France, whose musical journey has taken him from beat-making in Paris to building a studio full of classic synths and exploring synth-pop sounds. We chat about his early days in a hip-hop scene full of samplers and soul records, and how that eventually led him to the world of analog synthesizers. From the MicroKo...

Welcome back! After a short break, we're back discussing the latest in smart home automation, AI integration, electric vehicles, Windows 11 builds, music tech, and more. Join Ian and Gary for a packed episode covering gadgets, home automation experiments, and future tech. 👇 Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 – Welcome back & holiday recap (Surface Go, Kindle, suitcase trackers) 01:48 – Capturing field so...

This week on The Digital Lifestyle Show , Ian and Garry are back with a deep-dive discussion after a string of great guest episodes. From the creative impact of AI to hands-on synth sound design and smart home automation hacks — it's a wide-ranging conversation packed with insights, demos, and gear tips. 🎧 In This Episode AI in Music Creation Can AI truly be creative? Or is it just cleverly copyi...

In this week's episode of The Digital Lifestyle Show , I'm joined by none other than Daniel Fisher from Sweetwater. If you're into synthesisers, programming, or live performance — this is a must-listen episode. Daniel has had a long and fascinating journey through music and synthesis, and in this episode, he shares stories from his early musical experiences, how he got started with synthesisers, a...

n this episode, we dive deep into the world of vintage synth firmware hacking with Thomas Jansson. Thomas has been developing new firmware for the classic 1986 Korg DW8000 synthesizer, adding features like enhanced unison detune, expanded filter resolution, random LFOs, and new modulation destinations — all while preserving the synth's vintage character. We also explore Thomas' background in music...

🎙️ New Episode of the TDL Podcast! This week, I'm joined by Peter Dowsett , a long-time synthesizer enthusiast, producer, and vintage sampler collector, for a deep dive into synth history, creative sound design, and studio setup secrets. Peter shares his journey from discovering synths in the early '80s to building an advanced modern studio with 90 live audio inputs via MADI routing. We talk TR-50...

🎙️ This Week on the Show: Exploring the Octave Cat with James Brennan James Brennan is back! Following his popular appearance discussing the Polyvox, James returns to dive deep into another quirky classic – the Octave Cat analog synthesizer. In this episode, we explore the history of Octave Electronics, how the Cat compares to synths like the ARP Odyssey and Minimoog, and what makes this rare mono...

This week I'm joined by musician and synth aficionado Peter Taipei for a deep dive into decades of gear, sound design, and creative inspiration. From his early days on the Roland JX-10 and Yamaha RY30 to sampling with EMU samplers , gigging with the Virus TI , and exploring granular synthesis , Peter shares insights from his journey blending guitars and synths in both hardware and DAW-based setups...

This week, Garry returns and we catch up on all the latest in tech and electric vehicles! 🖥️ I dive into testing the new Snapdragon-powered Surface Pro 11 , sharing my experience using it for music production with Cubase 14 ARM and low-latency studio headphones . We also cover the newly announced 12" Surface Pro and 13" Surface Laptop , exploring their specs, price points, and limitations. 🎹 We a...

: 🎹 TDL Synth Chat – Episode with Beat Zimmermann This week on TDL Synth Chat , Ian Dixon is joined by keyboardist, composer, and producer Beat Zimmermann for a deep dive into music, synths, and an exciting upcoming project. Beat shares his journey from classical piano training to jazz and fusion, his early passion for synthesizers, and his impressive collection of gear through the decades—from D...