Dreadbox NYX Analog Desktop Synthesizer - SonicLAB Review
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- The latest desktop analog synth from Greek manufacturer
Dreadbox. 2 Oscillators, Dual Filter and a massive reverb.
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Bought the whole Greek family including the modular stuff.They are the organic, fat sounding, unstable vcos, great filter, 70’s sounding synths.
Those are the reasons people love analog synths.
Thanks for the review.
given the crisis and general tax and economic scenario in Greece, these guys are going against all odds. big kudos to dreadbox for another massive machine
Kudos is also derived from Greek - nice symmetry.
Very true indeed! These guys are doing an excellent job with their synths!
4:30 "I can also modulate this PW modulation using one of these modulators". Man that's brilliant.
That' what modulators are for, a modulation.
Also there's a question: How do we call smth being modulated, modulatee?
Destination. Or Carrier, in case of FM synthesis.
yes please, two sugars
It's the source, of course
It's the first time my wife said "You must buy this synth" while I was watching this video! Normally she ask why the hell I want another synth again. Thanks for convincing her (and me)! I guess I can start saving money for this baby.
Wow, thats amazing!
Never get divorced!
Nick, the sheer number of synths you must've sold for so many companies over the years... I sure hope they appreciate you. I can tell you that I do. Once again, after watching this for what must be the 6th or 7th time, I've given up and given in and ordered a Nyx. Cuz damn that thing sounds good and nobody does synthreviews like you. Same thing happened with the OB-6, by the way. A big part of the reason that beast sits in my studio is because of your review. Please keep doing what you're doing. Hope to shake your hand one day! Thank you!
Awesome, Nick! Your reaction to the reverb modulation at 22:08 is perfect!
I have an Erebus which I exactly fits the Erebus sized hole that was was in my life before i got it.
Having seen and heard this..I suspect there may be a Nyx sized hole too that I was unaware of....So I suppose I should thank you for helping me in my Quest for Completeness. Not sure my bank manager would agree
Too bad they dont put all the connectors on the top, that would free up some space on the desk...
+Philip O'Byrne - Your will to power will inspire millions!
I really hope Dreadbox doesn't change anything in their manufacturing process. They clearly have a great formula, no need to change anything.
Heathcliff yeah those oscillators sounds very vintage like
But they probably aren't making as much money as they would like to do.
Increasing the price, to have higher margins, will likely result in much lower sales, so that the revenue wont increase, although they would be making more money per man hour.
Jon Holstein Thats very true but they might lose their signature tone, and sound like ever other analog synth on the market.
Forgot to say, that I agree. There is a risk, they won't be the same.
The best choice for them might be to have two "series", one with trhough hole, one with surface mount. With different type of devices on each.
Through hole components don't sound different to smt ones - they are the same thing.
I spent some time with NYX and was blown away! instant gratification and found out difficult to make a "bad" sound. but I had no clue what I was doing, and I would say I'm a pretty knowledgeable synthesist. thank you for making sense of those routings!
That filter walkthrough was very helpful. Thanks for another great video!
RemixSample fancy seeing you here lol
Dreadbox are bringing out pretty cool synths these days. love to see this together with the Erebus. Have to see if I can test run them in my local shop...
love the sounds during the intro - brilliant stuff
Blindingly in-depth review. Always a good time on the nick show..Thanks
Love nick's ET finger impression
David Lewis Hahaha my girlfreind said that about me lol. The name has stuck !! ET fingers , how dare she.
Adamski Ajull what were you doing? I need to know lol
Haha , well suprisingly i was doing a demo for my synth prototype on my channel. The finger action was uncanny at some points pmsl.
Adamski Ajull Thank god.. My smut klaxon needed a reset
David Lewis Haha yes i doubt i would have heard a complaint from her if that was the case lol.
That was lush. Dreadbox are really carving their own niche and if they continue in current form will be remembered as one of the greats. Any chance of you getting your hands on an Abyss? Waiting for that one...
I really think they will try to send him one, but they can't make enough of them (sure they are not selling in the thousands, thousand perhaps, without the s), they are a small company, and reiviews are only beneficial for them, if they can produce more than they sell, to move the extra units. I suspect Nick might not have room in his budget for buying one for himself without really trying it out, but I'm sure Dreadbox would give him a great discount if he bought a unit that he could also do a review of.
Thanks Nick! I just got the NYX for Christmas. Have a great New Year, and keep us educated! Peace.
the sounds out of this thing are astonishing, future classic without a doubt
Literally seconds before Nick mentioned Blade Runner, I was thinking the same thing. This thing sounds amazing.
been waiting for this one Nick!
Every drone head now wants one of these! Sounds amazing.
Can this be linked up to the Erebus for polyphony?
Great job Nick...you explained a few concepts I just wasn't getting from only reading the manual. The routing options and split filters really do open up a boatload of shaping possibilities.
Even with the modulation issue, it's fantastic. We can just hook it up to an existing rack or to a modulator in the computer using an ES8. Very nice box.
can you elaborate on that please? I have a Dominion1 with a wide lfo range. Where would one patch it to on the Nyx 'inputs?
This sounds amazing but I've never had a synth before. Was going to hook this into the midi output of my digital keyboard. This doesn't look like a beginner synth but this video teaches a lot from someone who sounds like a sound engineer. Thank you
Great video, Nick! I long for the day when Dreadbox makes a Eurorack version of this synth. Gorgeous sounds!
24:25 Listening to this end jam over and over. Would love to hear this as a full song, Nick.
Sounds lovely! Thanks for the great review!
@sonicstate How did you setup the beatstep pro to send midi info to the dreadbox? New to Arturia BeatStep. Thx guys
owner of the Nyx, Erebus, & Hades... favorite synth company at the moment. all hail Dreadbox!
i lucked out with the Nyx. i got in on a special preorder price thru synthesizer.gr back in December for only $500 including shipping. i actually sold my Korg MS-20 Mini to get it and i do not regret it for a single moment.
NEOREV find a Murmux
Wow!! another beautiful little synth with incredible possibilities and again a sound that is distinctly Dreadbox!!
Great review. Very helpful. I got this synth second hand and it's one of the best I've had.
Hey Nick, is mono reverb a problem? Is it just great when I make it stereo in my DAW or how have I to look at this reverb.
Well it would be better if it was stereo, but its not sadly, however it still sounds great, very vibey
Thank you for the quick reply!! :) But just again because that is really important to me, if I would make it stereo in my DAW is it basically the same as it would be stereo from the beginning, or are there differences?
Brilliant review. It sounds lovely!
Fantastic review and demo. Great balance between content and sound. Ugh! Another synth I want! I'm getting another synth for sci-fi drone duties, and now I want the NYX too! And, I love anything that reminds me of Bladerunner. 👾
This is probably the most interesting device made by Dreadbox, far more interesting than the Abyss, in my opinion.
Wow! Sounds amazing. I had a rotten hangover this morning. After listening to that short piece at the end I felt a lot better!!
I have read a lot of online 'debate' concerning TH vs SMT in regards to this synth. I now have both and would say that there is a definite difference in the sound between the two (dry and with reverb.) Of course it is subjective and neither one sounds 'better' than the other and the longer modulation time of v2 is very welcome although v1 has a certain sound to it that I prefer. Dreadbox make beautiful instruments whatever the manufacturing process.
Having messed with it for a few hours. the dual filter design and voice routing are probably the best features alongside the reverb.
just gonna grab a cuppa n get comfy,
been waiting for this one.
thanks Nick wonderful. That was almost Bladrunner 2049 at the end.
The face at 22:09 ...
Lol, when he realizes he accidentally'd a ghost.
thanks a lot Nic! was waiting for this review
Great review Nick :) The same moment I released my first patch with the NYX Synth :) Fantastic analog synth with a very unique character
Thanks Tom. Nice patch too!
Many thanks for the excellent review Nick! I'd been looking forward to hearing your thoughts and getting a bit more detail on those complex routing options. As the happy owner of an early unit (S/N 54), I was curious to know if you could elaborate on the difference between early and later versions? I think you mentioned something about it in the pre-show chat on Sonic Talk a little while back.
this thing is one of the best semi modules made in the last decade. sounds amazing
Everything Dreadbox sounds amazing.
Dreadbox quickly became a cult company for me..
a blade runner machine? SOLD!
I am watching a second time and deciding on a new little desktop synth. I agree the modulators don’t go slow enough. I guess that slow modulation is a job for an external source. Erebus or Nyx first? 😜
what sis you decide?
Share that last patch you created with us! Seriously, a great sound!
What's the midi keyboard you used at the end of the review please?
How do i midi connect my erebus to microkorg? Also its not producing any sound. Am I missing something?
I am not sure of I understand the reason of the unison switch on the inside. Can't you already get that from setting the front panel?
That "thwhippy" (help?) bass sound around 16:33.... Good God it sounds great.
Is this mashine always on the marquet or anymore ? thank you for an answer sir and thank you for your relevant contribution presenting this product.
Excellent as usual, Nick!! Are you disappointed that this one seems to be a bit more niche-y than the Erebus?
another fantastic demo/review - as always.
i usually can't stand presentations with more talking than playing. but you do this so well and appalling, it's always interesting. 👍🤖🖑
Thanks, I think! We do reviews, which does require talking, at least the way we do them. Demos are a different thing, but we may consider doing more of those.
sonicstate yes indeed. a demo is not a review. but either ways, you always nail it!
LUDWIG KLOPP shud that read appealing or do you really mean appalling
JOHN HORROBIN pretty sure he meant "appealing".
Is it possible that the little peak in the wave form are there for better triggering the reverb?
Excuse me Sonicstate, does it also do paraphony as Erebus, I've listened to the end melody in this video that makes me wonder
Yep it does, I think I mention it in the review somewhere. But you can play 2 note paraphony up to four tones if you use the filter res too
Spot on review. I love dreadbox stuff for the sound, but they sometimes miss on the circuits around the sound. Nevertheless, I love both the Nyx and the Erebus, and lust after their modular stuff.
the first mini jam at the start is straight out of blade runner
It’s absolutely MASSIVE
I didn't read every word in the Manual, but how does the Audio in as Audio out work?
Is the jack like an insert?
Or is there some command or a dip switch not mentioned in the manual?
What is that Pad Controller (make/model) called that he’s using in that opening track?
Arturia Beatstep Pro
What a good big ambient sound :)
it sounds great, also could get around the speed of the modulators by patching in an external LFO etc
The circuits are through hole components ... probably not impossible to mod the LFO for slower/faster operation...if you're into DIY
yeah also true
20:05 is where this box really shines
So haunting sounding, brilliant.
is that scope Bitscope? if so, can you run bitscope without their hardware? i thought they required the hardware and software package to run the program. anyone?
Amazing demo! Please pardon my ignorance here, as I'm just learning about synthesis. Hitting two notes on a controller would utilize both the oscillators for both the voices? Then what would be the simplest way to run an Erebus and Nyx from one controller to get 4 voices (assuming this is possible) and how would one keep track of which voices are routed to which oscillator (and on which of the two synths) ? thanks a lot, big Dreadbox fan, can't wait to save up enough to get this Night-Goddess!! awesome
Misha Doumnov pretty sure you could control two units from an Arturia Beatstep Pro which Nick is using in this video. Do some research incase I'm mistaken
Thanks for your reply Paul I will research for sure. Will most likely go for keyboard controller, I guess i'm interested most in how the 4 voices would be routed in regard to the 4 oscillators.
Sorry I couldn't help with this particular synth
When you started playing with the routing. Good lord.
THERE IT IS!!! 03:44 "GERTH!!!!" LOL
Ultimately, which is Mr. Batt's favorite Dreadbox, the Erebus 3 or the Nyx 2? Which, for that matter, is *your* favorite?
*Turns around*
Me?
SO Phantastick sounding - i cant decide if i like my Eerebus.v3 better !
Great review Nick, as always. If you could do Dreadbox Murmux v2? Would like that. All the best!
techpsy he cannot FIND one.
I agree it should have a slower modulation range, your range switch idea is great. Think I'm gonna wait for a V2 of this synth with some more implementation.
is this a stand alone instrument or does it need to be connected to keyboard?
You either need a keyboard or hook it up via CV/Gate to other analogue gear. Either way it needs to be controlled by something, the keyboard is not included.
surprised you didn't just hook it up to the eurorack and send it a nice slow lfo, it's compatible isn't it?
This + Deckard's dream would be a dream to hear.
Hy Nick, how would you compare this synth against novation's peak in the "blade runner pad" department?
The Peak has 24 oscs in total, that can be played polyphonicaly or as detune unison.
This with a lot of precisionwork can be used as a 4 osc synth, where two are the filters procuding sine waves only and the two oscillators have limited waveselection as well.
This is a nice pad machine for beeing a monophonic synth. And it feels quite special. But if you really want to make pads, my opinion is that you should be looking at polyphonic options (but there are some great software pad synths as well, and this plus software is still cheaper than the Peak) .
Yeah, I read what i wrote and it was somewhat limited, the peak and the nyx are two different beasts, but , I am intriged by the reverb in the nyx, and how it compares with the peak's reverb, all in all, my question is, "could you do some of the nyx sounds using the peak?"
I would assume a lot of it can be quite similar, since they have 3 oscs, with lot of waveform variations, and 3 distortion circuits.
And that reverb and other nice reverbs ar possible to buy and add to the peak, if one thinks the built in one isn't good enough.
But I do wish that the Peak had two filters. Even if one was a really good digital filter using the FPGA... But the chip is perhaps not powerfull enough. Perhaps there will be a Twin Peak, with two chips, perhaps a couple more voices, digital filter, and perhaps one or two more LFOs, to really go modulation crazy on.
This would be good for film scoring
Thanks for saving me from reading the manual again, Nick. Love this little synth.
It says in the manual that each modulator has a different range ... MOD1 is mid, MOD2 is fast and VCA MOD is slow. Isn't there much difference? You used the fastest, MOD2 to illustrate the range.
I'm torn on this one. Am I going to be able to get similar sounds if I slap some reverb on my Erebus? Will the Nyx give me something different enough to warrant the cost? Those are my questions.
No there's not much difference between them more that it goes faster.
Thanks. I suppose patching in an external LFO would help a little, but you're not going to be able to route that are you?
Yes you can access the points in the patchbay, both filters, OSC 2 pitch (for sync) and PWM etc.
Thanks. Just waiting for more demos of ambient type stuff before pulling the trigger.
Fuck yeah. This is a lot of power in one little box.
a lot of the drawbacks of the Nyx can be solved with other Dreadboxen like Erebus and Hades with a couple of patch cables.
Oh no........ Bought an Erebus in January...... temptation temptation setting in....... great review Nick
Where can i get the vst for this? Free download/ crack plz?
Hi greetings from Breezeblock Beats. I love simple great sounding analogue synths. I know I can get a decent unbiased review on this channel. Although there is some complexity going on with the routing, the sonic payoff is worth it. The two main reasons I'm going to avoid this are, that fast modulation rate!!! Sonic State, no, it's Sonic the freaking hedgehog, lol. You mention it being through hole, are there possibilities to hack that modulation? The other reason and this is a massive bugbear of mine. I'm an experimental electro accoustic artist. I will give fx a hot signal from time to time, just as yourselves in the synth community. It's really frustrating when you find an affordable delay or reverb that can't handle a hot signal, in this day and age when the percentage of non guitarists using pedals is increasing, it's unforgivable. I'm always looking for a smallish sized, stereo, if possible, affordable reverb with long if not infinite tails, oh and no menus. You design the great reverb sound, bung a few in a box with a few knobs. I don't want a menu and have to program the algorithm myself. I think the MXR300 is next on the reverb shopping list. Apparently it has a massive headroom for really hot signals, and an internal dip switch for TRS stereo in/out action. Keep up the great reviews.
I got a Mother 32 and am wondering if I should go for another mother, that I know I like the sound of, or a Lifeforms sv-1, that I'm not sure about. The Nyx from Dreadbox has also a good sound as shown here, but it seems rather limited. I would like to see you or someone do a sound comparison on semi-modulars.
jonas eggen I have both and they are quite complimentary. I run the m32 or my 0-coast through the external input on the Nyx for that wonderous reverb
Thank you Ultra. I thought I had decided for the pittsburgh sv-1 but now I'm not sure again. What are the advantages for you to have the reverb in the box, or what do you do, that you can't with an external high quality reverb? Also this thing about tuning that he is talking about. do you use a tuner? And the range of that LFO, does it bother you some times?
jonas eggen I just subjectively love this reverb and it’s nice to be able to run another synth/ instrument in at the same time. There isn’t anything you couldn’t do without a different high quality reverb you love other than modulate the pre delay time. But again, this synth has a whole lot of personality and the reverb is a good part of it. I haven’t had tuning issues other than it takes about 15 min to warm up. There are 3 LFOs/envelopes on the Nyx. The modulators have depth control which is nice. When I want a slower modulation I just patch one in(from the mother32 or the 0-coast for example.).
Ultra. Tnx again for a good answer. Yes I totally get what you say about personality, where I think the vs-1 might sound a bit clinical. Nyx also sound deeper and darker, that I really like : )
jonas eggen - just looking at this myself. Was going to add an 0-Coast to my M-32, then decided the SV-1 is more me ... and now I've seen this!! What did you end up doing? I love the warm sound of the M-32, 0-Coast is a bit too edgy for my liking, but want something a * little * edgier than the M-32 for contrast (which the SV-1 seems to be). This Nyx seems even more like the M-32 than the SV-1 ... (warmer)? The reverb is nice ... :))
Just lovely.. Where are those USB cables you're using from
?
+J. H. Jørgensen amazon I think
"Bladerunner Machine"
SOLD!
Where did you get the blue stackable CV cable?
They are TipTop Stackcables. Not cheap, but opening up lots of patching possibilities.
What an excellent review, very helpful.
I do wish that You would play much much much much much longer at the end, though.
Thank You..
21:54 blew my mind.
Respect to Dreadbox. Life ain't easy.
The tuning scales reminds me of Jupiter 8 very nice synth btw great review , very intresting to watch. I really like this synth . :-)
Yes! I now have one! 😀
Does this synth require a controller? By that I mean can the oscillators run on their own ungated?
That does sound fantastic. Pity about the modulator speed though. But... if you have another LFO source (from a modular, for example) will that route to all the parameters that the internal modulator does?
They are routed to the VCF and Post, in differnt ways, both of those exist as inputs on the front panel. The Mod Root selector would not work.