[gtranslate]

synth month - reviews - 2025 happy mag

Welcome to Part Three of Synth Month at Happy Mag, where we’re exploring the cutting edge of modular synthesis

Synth Month continues as we explore the most exciting and innovative gear shaping the future of sound design this year

Meet the Eurorack modules redefining sonic boundaries – Tannhäuser Gates delivers Buchla-inspired quad VCA control with stereo mixing and overdrive, while Pit Viper II’s brutal distortion circuit now includes a state-variable filter for maximum aggression.

Whether sculpting pristine tones or summoning modular mayhem, these modules prove Eurorack innovation is alive and kicking.

synth months three 2025

 

Animal Factory – Tannhäuser Gates

The Tannhäuser Gates is more than just a quad VCA, it’s a powerhouse of tone-shaping and signal control, wrapped in an elegant design that pays homage to the Buchla 110 Voltage Controlled Gate. This module is more than a simple tribute; it brings a wealth of modern functionality that makes it a standout in any Eurorack setup.

At its core, each of the four discrete VCAs delivers a warm, rich overdrive when pushed, while stereo panning and a simple yet effective tilt EQ provide additional shaping options. Mute switches are whisper-quiet, making live performance adjustments seamless. The channels can be used individually or summed to stereo, with independent CV inputs or a Master CV option for unified modulation control.

Where Tannhäuser Gates really shines is its integration potential. A full stereo send/return path opens up creative routing possibilities, and the module is built with future expansion in mind. Up to three additional Tannhäuser Gates can be linked, creating a 16-channel performance mixer with centralized control; perfect for larger modular rigs. The rear panel DIP switches allow for easy output level adjustments, ensuring compatibility with various setups.

With its warm, analog tone, flexible routing, and future-ready expandability, Tannhäuser Gates is more than just a VCA, it’s a modular mixing solution with serious sonic potential. Whether for subtle dynamics or heavy distortion, it’s an essential tool for shaping sound in any Eurorack system.

BUY NOW

 

 

 

best synths - synth month part 2 - happy mag 2025

TANNHAUSER GATES
ANIMAL FACTORY

 

Animal Factory – Pit Viper II

If the original Pit Viper was a venomous beast, the Pit Viper II is a full-on sonic predator. Animal Factory has taken their cult-classic distortion circuit and rebuilt it for Eurorack, packing in even more gain, tonal control, and flexibility. The result? A module that doesn’t just distort. It gnaws, growls, and screams.

At its core, Pit Viper II stays true to its predecessor’s aggressive character but with a touch of extra heat. The unattenuated output feeds directly into a 6 dB state-variable filter, borrowed from the Bonesaw module, adding an entirely new layer of tone-shaping. Lowpass, bandpass, and highpass outputs each have their own volume knobs, allowing for seamless blending and sculpting of the distorted signal.

The real magic happens when you start playing with the filter’s sweepable midpoint and resonance controls. Need something sharper? Crank up the FM knob for even more bite and harmonic chaos. Whether you want snarling bass tones, searing leads, or glitchy, resonant madness, Pit Viper II delivers a wide range of distortion flavors.

With its brutal gain structure and added filtering capabilities, the Pit Viper II isn’t just a distortion module, it’s a complete sonic mangler. If you’re looking for something to inject pure venom into your Eurorack setup, this is it.

BUY NOW

 

 

best synths - synth month part 2 - happy mag 2025

PIT VIPER II
ANIMAL FACTORY

Animal Factory – Coma Reactor II

The Coma Reactor II isn’t trying to be clean, polite, or transparent, and thank god for that. This is a delay module that thrives in the grime, delivering lo-fi echoes, feedback-laced chaos, and mangled textures that feel more alive than pristine.

Building on the legacy of the original Coma Reactor, version II takes everything that made the first one weird and wonderful and dials it in just a little tighter. It’s a characterful stereo delay designed to add warble, wobble, and unexpected twists to your modular patches.

What sets the Coma Reactor II apart is its hands-on playability. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it delay. It wants to be touched, tweaked, and pushed into self-oscillation. The delay time can be warped in real-time for pitch-bending tape-style artifacts, and the feedback path is more than capable of spiraling into noisy, musical mayhem.

Used subtly, it can add a dusty, analog vibe to your sounds. Used aggressively, it becomes a chaotic instrument in its own right – perfect for experimental setups, feedback junkies, and anyone chasing that sweet spot where control starts to slip.

Paired with a stereo FX loop like the one on the Tannhäuser Gates, the Coma Reactor II shines even brighter. It doesn’t just process your sound – it transforms it.

BUY NOW

 

 

best synths - synth month part 2 - happy mag 2025

COMA RECATOR II
ANIMAL FACTORY

Animal Factory – Bonesaw

The Bonesaw is not your average polite, well-mannered state-variable filter. No, this thing growls. It shrieks. It self-modulates like it’s possessed. Built by Animal Factory Amplification, the Bonesaw SVF is a stereo-capable filter designed for those who like their filtering with a side of sonic violence.

At the heart of Bonesaw is a classic state-variable architecture, offering lowpass, bandpass, and highpass outputs – but don’t let the traditional design fool you. This filter was made to be pushed. Crank the resonance and you’ll find yourself in the land of feedback and chaos. Engage self-FM, and suddenly the filter becomes an oscillator, a noise generator, and sometimes an unpredictable monster (in the best way possible).

Bonesaw’s strength lies in its ability to handle subtle tone-shaping just as well as it handles full-blown distortion freakouts. Modulating the cutoff and resonance with fast, aggressive CV yields gnarly textures, glitchy sputters, and broken-radio weirdness. Or keep it clean and tight, and it’s a beautifully sculpted tone filter with surgical precision. Your call.

It pairs especially well with distortion-heavy voices (like the Pit Viper II), carving out space or turning your sound into something entirely new. Stereo operation? Check. Flexible routing? Check. Personality? Absolutely.

BUY NOW

 

 

best synths - synth month part 2 - happy mag 2025

BONESAW
ANIMAL FACTORY