LOVE Synthesizers First Love Pink synthesiser

General

Anyone who’s ever opened a DX7 preset editor knows the feeling: somewhere between operator 3 and modulation index 47, you lose track of what’s actually going on. FM synthesis sounds phenomenal, but the interface is a challenge. And that’s really down to the sheer number of possibilities – which is always substantial with FM – so you simply have to be able to offer that vast array of options. LOVE Synthesizers’ First Love, designed in Reykjavík by Kári Halldórsson, is the first attempt that actually seems to succeed where decades of matrices and menu-diving have failed. It’s no coincidence that this synth won the award for best innovation at Superbooth 2024, and Grammy-winning producer Kurt Uenala called it a new standard in human interaction with sound synthesis, where classic synthesis methods merge with a groundbreaking user experience. Even Sonic State’s Nick Batt – who doesn’t know him? – described the visual response as fantastic and truly brilliant.

Features of the LOVE Synthesizers First Love

In terms of design, it’s certainly a remarkable piece of kit; a desktop synth, yet also a portable one. Forget the DX7’s far too small display – the First Love has a 7-inch colour touchscreen, which naturally works much better! Forget algorithms – you build your own FM routing! Four operators, four-voice polyphony and four-voice multitimbral, plus a nifty arpeggiator, and you’ve got loads of possibilities to play around with freely. Many products from various manufacturers tend to stick to the same old paradigm. Everyone copies each other; few dare to stray from the beaten track. But these Icelanders have done exactly that for FM synthesis – a whole new FM vibe! Just prove to us that they’re right! Why not write a song with it? “FM was my First Love, and it will be my last” – that’s got hit potential, doesn’t it?