We're building more instruments. Want in?
Last month at Superbooth, Gerry and Cristian stood at our booth and presented the instruments they spent the past year building through the first Synthux Residency. MIDI Alchemist. Sporadic. Neither existed a year ago. Both exist now — and people got to play them in Berlin for the first time.
MIDI Alchemist by Gerry Mayer (MODULE! labs, Chicago) — a synthesizer that plays up to 16 tracks from a MIDI file loaded on its SD card, letting you select and combine tracks and voice combos on the fly like an alchemist pulling ingredients off a shelf.
Sporadic by Cristian Pandele (ÆtherEar, Copenhagen) — a biomimetic audio processor that translates the dynamics of mycelial networks into delay-based audio processing. Genuinely unlike anything else.
Both started as ideas. Both exist now as real instruments. Here's what the people who made them had to say:
"Starting with Simple Designer, I've known for years that Synthux Academy is something unique and special, and being a part of the first Synthux synth design residency cohort has empowered me to transform an idea for a synth into a reality. Roey and the fellow residents have formed a powerful, collaborative group where feedback and support helped guide me to learn all the steps of designing, coding, and even illustrating a synth front panel into a cohesive vision. As I write this, I'm about 2 weeks away from exhibiting the first prototype of MIDI Alchemist with Synthux at Superbooth 2026 and it all feels like a dream! I couldn't recommend the residency program more!" — Gerry Mayer III (MODULE! labs)
"How many times have you sat in the studio and came up with an amazing patch, thinking to yourself: 'man, this would make an awesome instrument, if only I had the time to prototype, polish and manufacture it...'? I came into the first Synthux residency cohort with an idea like that and, under a year later, I need to pinch myself as I have the chance to exhibit the prototype at Superbooth! As a chronic tinkerer, the residency offered the cure: Roey's guidance and a community that encouraged iterating and sharing progress with each other, exchanging feedback on so many design facets, and constantly improving the instrument." — Cristian Pandele (ÆtherEar)
How the program works
The residency runs in two phases over roughly a year.
Phase 1 — July to December 2026: Build on Spotykach
Everyone in the cohort starts from the same hardware: Spotykach, our open-source looper. This is intentional. Rather than spending the first months fighting toolchain setup and basic audio architecture, you begin with something already playable — a solid firmware base with a lot of features already baked in. You can focus on the instrument idea itself.
We run UX workshops together, dig into what makes an instrument meaningful and distinctive, and iterate. The wider Synthux community plays a real role here too — we share experimental firmwares from the cohort for feedback, so you're getting real ears on your work early, not just at the end.
Phase 2 — January to May 2027: Your own hardware
Once the instrument concept is solid and the firmware is taking shape, we move into hardware design — your own PCB, your own faceplate, your own device. The goal is an instrument that's truly yours.
If things go well, there's a natural milestone at the end: Superbooth 2027, where Synthux will have a booth and cohort members are welcome to present their work — just like Gerry and Cristian did this year.
What the residency includes
The residency is fully sponsored by Synthux Academy. There is no tuition, no fee.
What you get:
Bi-weekly sessions throughout the year — part workshop, part critique, part troubleshooting. We work through your instrument together: UX, interaction design, firmware architecture, physical form. These sessions are where a lot of the real progress happens. You show up with something, get honest feedback, go back and iterate.
A private online cohort workspace where we log sessions, write feedback, and track progress. Everything is documented so nothing gets lost between meetings.
A dedicated Discord space within the Synthux server for questions, feedback, and conversation between sessions. You're never waiting until the next bi-weekly to get unstuck.
Access to our full resource library — video tutorials and documentation made specifically for the residency to support your journey through firmware, UX, and hardware design.
The Synthux community — your experimental firmware goes out to real users. You get real reactions. That feedback loop between you, the cohort, and the wider community is something truly unique that’s hard to manufacture on your own.
About the facilitator
I'm Roey Tsemah, founder of Synthux Academy. I designed the Simple Synth Designer, Touch II, Audrey II, and Spotykach. I've been teaching product design in academic settings for over a decade, and for the past five years I've been doing something more specific: working closely with software engineers and hackers as they make the shift toward instrument design.
That transition — from "I can code" to "I can build something people want to play" — is the gap the residency is designed to close. It's not just about technical skills. It's about developing taste, making decisions under constraints, and learning to trust your instincts when there's no right answer.
The cohort is small by design. 4 to 5 projects. That keeps the sessions real — not a webinar, not a lecture, but actual work done together.
What does it cost
The residency itself is fully sponsored — no fee.
You will need a Spotykach when the program starts. It's the shared platform for Phase 1, and it's what makes it possible for the community, the cohort and teaching team to actually support your work. Spotykach is available in our store. If you're confirmed for the cohort, we can help you arrange one before the start date. If the cost is a barrier, mention it in your application — partial sponsorship is available for the right candidates. If you decide to present at Superbooth, manufacturing 5 instrument prototyping typically runs €300–€500 (we don’t take any cut out of this).
On IP and open source
You own what you make. As part of the program, participants agree to release their work as an open-source project — so others in the community can learn from it and build on it. This is in the spirit of how Synthux works.
Who this is for
The residency is fully remote and conducted in English. Sessions are online. If you're based in the Netherlands, you're welcome to come by in person — but that's a bonus, not a requirement.
What we're looking for:
You have an idea — or a couple of directions you're excited about. It doesn't need to be fully formed, but you should be able to articulate what kind of instrument you want to make and why.
You can program. Not necessarily in C++ or audio DSP specifically — but you have a development background and a hacker's attitude. You're comfortable figuring things out, breaking things, and asking for help when stuck. Experience with plugins, open-source music software, or embedded projects is a great bonus, but not a requirement.
You have roughly 6 hours a week to invest. This is a serious hobby commitment — not a passive learning experience. The residency works because people show up and keep showing up.
You're committed to the process, not just the outcome. The Cohort 1 participants will tell you: the messy middle is where it happens.
How to apply
1. Submit your application by Tuesday, June 30th Fill in the form below. Tell us about yourself, your background, and the instrument idea you want to explore.
2. Interview — first week of July Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short conversation. This is as much for you to ask questions as it is for us to get to know you.
3. Confirmation by mid-July Selected participants will be confirmed and we'll get you set up — workspace access, Discord, Spotykach if needed — before the program kicks off.
→ Apply for the Synthux Residency — Cohort 2
Applications close June 30th. Spots are limited to 4–5 projects.
Questions? Email me: hello@synthux.academy
Looking forward to read your applications!
Roey
