Alex from Vulture Culture returns to TDL Synhat to talk Leviasynth, factory patch design, FM architecture, and the strange life cycle of iconic presets. This episode mixes hands‑on sound design stories with broader questions about what makes a synth feel unique — and whether any preset can still define an era.

• Leviasynth first impressions — why it's more FM‑adjacent than a straight virtual‑analog and where its strengths lie.

• Factory patch workflow — what it's like to design presets for unreleased hardware and the surprises that show up during development.

• Preset reception — why some factory banks divide listeners and how curation choices shape public opinion.

• Iconic presets debate — why 80s era presets (DX7, D‑50, Wave Station) became cultural signposts and whether modern synths can still produce that effect.

• Studio highlights — DMX lighting, prototype quirks, and the joy of rotating hardware to stay inspired.

Join me for a deep‑dive conversation with Espen Kraft — musician, producer, YouTuber, vintage‑synth aficionado, and creator of some of the most authentic '80s‑inspired music on YouTube. We talk early musical beginnings, vintage gear, sampling, YouTube controversies, creativity, and the realities of making music today.

Espen shares stories from door‑to‑door organ sales in Norway, his first synth (the Akai AX80), his journey into production, and how his channel evolved from music uploads to full‑blown synth tutorials and gear deep‑dives. We also explore the "synth scam" video, dealing with online backlash, and why modern plugins can absolutely rival vintage hardware.

Whether you're into synth history, production talk, or just love hearing musicians geek out, this is a great one.

This week's episode dives deep into synth nostalgia, rare gear, and the birth of a brand-new UK synth event — Synth Southwest. I'm joined by Peter James Steven, co-host of Process Network and the driving force behind the new show happening in Dawlish on March 21st, 2026.

We talk emulators, Yamaha CS-series synths, the legendary Chroma Polaris, and what it takes to build a synth expo from scratch — complete with live performances, vintage gear, and a seaside vibe.

www.synthsouthwest.com

• The Emulator Legacy: Peter shares stories from Brronica 2024, including getting his Emulator 2 signed by Dave Rossum.

• Process Network & Synth Culture: How their Friday night YouTube show brings together synth lovers from around the world.

• Synth Southwest Origins: Why Dawlish is the perfect spot for a synth show — and how Peter rallied the local Chamber of Commerce to make it happen.

• Live Acts & Rare Gear: Performances from Dave Bessell (NODE), Tai Winstanley, Dr. Mike Metlay, and more. Plus hands-on access to vintage synths like the ARP 2600 Tonus and possibly a Rhodes Chroma.

• Community & Nostalgia: From the synth that got away to the one you'd rescue in a fire — we swap stories and celebrate the gear that shaped our musical journeys.

• Date: March 21st, 2026

• Location: Dawlish, UK

• Tickets: £10 per show or £18 for both (available at synthsouthwest.com)

• Charities Supported: Alan R. Pearlman Foundation & Bob Moog Foundation

Gary's back and we're doing a full catch‑up episode! No guest this week — just deep dives into new projects, synth talk, smart home adventures, EV news, and a behind‑the‑scenes look at Ian's new album and video production.

If you love music tech, DIY projects, Raspberry Pi experiments, synth programming, or smart home tinkering, this episode is packed.

0:00 – Intro 0:05 – What's coming up this week 0:18 – Gary joins the show 0:24 – Recent guests & modular synth chat 0:52 – Want to be a guest? 1:03 – Ian's Raspberry Pi MIDI clock project 1:30 – How the 16×16 LED display works 2:06 – Why the Behringer RD‑78 needed a tempo display 2:25 – Live demo of the MIDI clock 2:50 – Velocity visualisation & Python timing challenges 3:45 – Ideas for future display features 4:04 – Mixer review video 4:11 – New Multi/Poly sound pack 4:38 – Ian's new album: Runes Without Voices 5:04 – Making the multi‑camera music video 6:02 – Editing with Camtasia 6:50 – Upcoming synth reviews (Opsix, Modwave, Wavestate, Multi/Poly) 8:25 – Gary's smart home dimmer disaster 10:00 – Zigbee pairing weirdness 11:36 – Troubleshooting attempts 12:53 – Two‑way dimming & remote control mode 14:14 – LED flicker & minimum dim settings 15:02 – The frustration of "just one more try" 16:04 – Underfloor heating update 17:01 – How the heating mats work 18:10 – Thermal lag & AI‑assisted heating control 19:16 – The utility room heating problem 20:06 – The Ukrainian infrared roll‑heater solution 21:05 – Smart automation with mmWave sensors 22:49 – Energy usage & efficiency 23:20 – DIY solutions born from necessity 24:05 – Raspberry Pi "time to stop playing" beeper 25:07 – Integrating more AI into home automation 26:02 – The real cost of AI processing 26:40 – Cloud resource shortages & the future of AI 27:22 – Why small/medium models may win long‑term

• Runes Without Voices — new 70s/80s‑inspired electronic album

• Multi‑camera performance video on YouTube

• New sound packs for Multi/Poly, Opsix, Wavestate & Modwave

• Raspberry Pi MIDI Clock Display (Python project)

Got thoughts on MIDI clocks, synths, smart home tech, or want to be a guest on the show? Drop a comment or reach out on social media.

This week on TDL Synhat, we sit down with James Wickham — a Texas‑based industrial musician, sound designer, and full‑blown modular addict with a wall of Eurorack that could heat a small house.

If you've ever wondered how people fall into the modular rabbit hole, why it becomes so addictive, or how modular fits into a modern production workflow, this episode is a goldmine.

James Wickham walks us through his journey from metal guitarist → tracker kid → industrial producer → modular sound‑designer, and explains how he uses his massive Eurorack system as a sound‑palette for sampling, crafting one‑shot tones and textures that become the building blocks of his music.

Whether you're modular‑curious or already drowning in patch cables, you'll get a ton out of this conversation.

• Why modular becomes addictive even for people who didn't think it was for them

• How sampling modular one‑shots can unlock a whole new workflow

• The emotional rollercoaster of buying, selling, and regretting gear

• Why Renoise is perfect for modular‑based production

• The philosophy of treating modular as a color palette, not a full DAW replacement

• The joy of capturing "lightning in a bottle" sounds you'll never recreate again

Gary joins me for a catch-up as we kick off the first show of the year, covering a wide range of tech, smart home, music, and CES news.

We start with a look at what (and what hasn't) made waves at CES so far, including experimental laptops, solid-state battery breakthroughs, EV tech, and some genuinely interesting smart home announcements.

I also share updates on recent projects, including:

• A Raspberry Pi + e-ink display now working as a dynamic mixer label system

• MIDI and synth visualisation projects using Python and LED displays

• A new wavefolder sound pack release

• New tutorials, including first videos on the Korg Opsix

• An in-depth interview with John Lehmkuhl (Korg sound designer & Unify creator)

• Plus a quick mention of the recent synth quiz and answers

Gary dives deep into smart home automation, AI, and MCP (Model Context Protocol), showing how AI can directly control real-world devices. We also discuss:

• Home Assistant as a smart home abstraction layer

• Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and where things still fall apart

• Presence sensors, humidity-based automation, and energy-efficient heating

• Air quality sensors (CO₂ & PM2.5)

• Robot vacuums that climb stairs

• Philips Hue spatial awareness

• Multi-person presence tracking sensors

We wrap up with thoughts on solid-state batteries finally becoming reality, what this could mean for EVs, phones, and wearables, and what we're hoping to see next from NAMM.

🎵 Also mentioned:
A new synthwave track "Synthetic Skies" — created using the Korg Multi/Poly and a classic string ensemble — now out on YouTube, Spotify, and all major platforms.

In this episode, I'm joined by John Lehmkuhl of Plug-In Guru, creator of UniFi, and one of the most influential sound designers behind many iconic Korg synthesizers.

John shares his incredible journey into music and sound design — from growing up in a family-run music store to shaping legendary instruments like the M1, Wavestation, Z1, Triton, OASYS, and more. We explore sampling under extreme memory limits, early MIDI days, voicing synths in Japan, environmental recording, and how all of this led to UniFi.

If you're into synth history, sound design, or Korg gear, this one's packed with insight and stories.

00:00 Introduction
00:06 Who is John Lehmkuhl?
01:22 Early musical influences and family music stores
03:09 Discovering synths: Minimoog, tape machines & experimentation
03:36 Learning FM synthesis on the DX7
04:54 Music education, bands & early MIDI workflows
05:48 First music industry job in Seattle
07:20 Selling and demonstrating early synths
07:54 The impact of the Korg M1
09:14 Joining Korg as a product specialist
10:03 Synth clinics, demos & live performances
11:44 Creating custom sounds for customers
12:50 First official Korg PCM card work
13:27 Drum mapping, sampling & Japan trips
14:55 How Korg voicing teams worked
16:09 Sampling under tight memory constraints
17:12 Designing sounds inspired by pop music trends
18:17 First factory Korg products (M3, 01/W, Trinity, Triton)
19:22 The Wavestation & wave sequencing
20:16 Why the Wavestation EX was created
21:10 Programming challenges and workflow differences
22:07 Iconic Wavestation sounds and samples
23:06 Sampling analog synths vs generated waveforms
24:40 Working with artists and albums
25:17 Life as a Korg sound designer in Los Angeles
26:45 Wavestation SR & front-panel-only programming
28:53 OASYS development and DSP engines
29:40 Wavedrum, physical modelling & field recordings
30:37 Environmental sampling and sound design philosophy
31:36 The lost art of creative sampling
33:14 Modern software vs hardware limitations
34:10 Trinity, Triton & KARMA
35:25 Using generative music tools creatively
37:17 Creating personal signature sounds
38:24 Z1 physical modelling synthesis
40:23 Expressiveness in electronic instruments
41:08 From Korg to UniFi
42:11 Layering synths and samples in UniFi
43:32 Favourite synths John has worked on
44:53 UniFi as a creative platform
45:22 Vintage photos & Korg history
47:56 How Korg patch voting worked
48:29 Z1, OASYS & Japan voicing sessions
50:50 Drum libraries & commercial sample work
51:24 Designing UniFi's original concept
52:28 Plug-In Guru libraries & future plans
53:20 Final thoughts & wrap-up

It's our Christmas Eve episode of The Digital Lifestyle Show, and Gary joins me for a relaxed end-of-year tech catch-up covering music tech, smart homes, and the latest gadgets we've both been experimenting with.

I kick things off with a look at the Korg opsix module, exploring modern FM synthesis, how it compares to classic DX-era synths, and why it's such a powerful sound design tool. We talk sequencing, programming, and how it fits into a modern studio setup.

Gary then takes us deep into the world of smart home automation, sharing real-world experiences with Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Home Assistant. We cover presence detection that actually works, humidity-based bathroom automation, infrared heating panels, smart displays, air quality sensors, and the challenges of building a system that's reliable for the whole household.

We also chat about festive smart lighting, sound-reactive LEDs, Twinkly Christmas lights, Raspberry Pi projects, EV charging updates, and why Matter is finally starting to feel usable.

A great end-of-year episode packed with practical insights, honest experiences, and ideas to take into the new year.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Christmas Eve intro
01:05 Why we squeezed in a festive episode
01:42 Korg opsix module overview
02:50 FM synthesis explained (DX vs modern FM)
04:09 Programming & sequencing on opsix
05:55 Smart home projects update
06:16 Presence & proximity sensors
08:26 Smart heating with infrared panels
10:55 Humidity-based automation
13:10 Home Assistant on wall panels
15:28 Air quality & CO₂ monitoring
17:54 Matter, Thread & Zigbee explained
21:31 Centralised smart home control
27:12 Smart lighting & presence detection
30:51 Twinkly Christmas lights
33:00 Raspberry Pi & display projects
38:03 Festive smart lighting hacks
40:44 EV charging network updates
45:07 Fairlight CMI interview recap
46:12 Upcoming videos & synth challenge
47:19 Outro & Christmas wishes