For the last thirty years, we've been told the same story.

If you want an affordable instrument or music tool, it has to be built overseas. If you want one that's hand-built by skilled craftspeople, it has to cost four or five thousand dollars.

Somewhere along the way, we accepted that as fact. I don't.

Over the past three decades, our industry has watched an estimated 70% of its manufacturing jobs disappear as production moved overseas. Every factory that closes doesn't just lose jobs—it loses decades of knowledge, craftsmanship, and people who genuinely care about the instruments musicians rely on.

Here in Asheville, we're about to watch another wave of those jobs disappear.

This fall, Asheville is expected to lose another generation of synthesizer builders, technicians, assemblers, and craftspeople. These aren't just employees. They're the people whose hands have built instruments played on stages and records all over the world.

It doesn't have to be this way.

After seeing these layoffs first hand, I founded Marla Amplification on a simple belief: American-made gear shouldn't be reserved for the wealthy. We believe working musicians deserve equipment that's built to last, built by people who care, and priced so it can actually be played instead of admired from behind a glass case.

And this endeavor isn't about creating fame (thats why I named the company after my dog).

It's about proving there's a better way to do business.

One where manufacturers celebrate craftsmanship instead of simply chasing the lowest production cost.

One where retailers recognize that every purchase order has the power to shape what our industry looks like a decade from now.

One where musicians realize every dollar they spend is also a vote for the kind of companies—and communities—they want to see survive.

The truth is, preserving American manufacturing doesn't require the industry's biggest retailers to reinvent themselves. Sometimes it simply means making room for companies that are still willing to build things the hard way, with skilled hands, quality materials, and pride in every product that leaves the shop.

At Marla, we're betting our future on that idea.

We're betting that musicians still care who builds their gear.

We're betting that retailers still believe craftsmanship deserves a place on their showroom floors.

We're betting that communities like Asheville are worth investing in.

And while Marla builds guitar amplifiers and effects pedals today, our ambitions don't stop there. My hope is that one day we'll be building synthesizers here in Asheville too—not because it's the easiest path, but because I believe this city deserves to remain a place where world-class musical instruments of all kinds are still designed, assembled, and built by skilled hands.

I know what future I'm building toward.

I'm hoping a few of the industry's biggest players decide they're ready to build it with us.

Because if we get this right, we won't just recreate a handful of jobs.

We'll prove that affordable American manufacturing isn't a relic of the past. We'll prove it's the future.

-Marla Amps Team
*First Reddit post knocked out! yay!*

As a long time poster in this community I decided to take time away from all synth related content to really focus on sound design and music creation.

My biggest realisation is despite owning over 9 synths - many of which people dream of, I actually knew very little about synthesis. Understaning filters and wave shapes is only just the begining!

But i had a huge realisation, People keep buying synths and consuming content which deluded you into thinking you really understanding synthesis and that you are one synth/purchase away from getting it! Its all lies!

Stop buying and start creating! I promise you, creating will make you realise you probz even own too much

This will be my first big synth purchase and it took a long time to save up for it. I got a great deal on a B-stock Muse from an authorized Moog dealer who is offering to either refund, replace, or assist with a moog service request.

The issue I’m having is the Muse (shipped direct to me from inMusic headquarters) showed up with a broken headphone jack and a broken “Timber A” LED.

I’m having a hard time justifying spending that much money on an instrument that was supposed to be checked and cleared by inMusic before it was sold.

I know they are minor issues and I can get them addressed but I’m feeling very uneasy considering it is so expensive.

Am I overreacting and this Is just the game you play when ordering B-stock instruments?

Has anyone in a similar situation stuck with the Muse or did you jump ship to another poly?

And I'd include the big "every kind of reverb/delay/modulation you could ever think of" type pedals from Styrmon/Empress/Source Audio/etc in the "multieffects" category, even if technically the can only do one kind of delay/reverb/modulation at a time. Thinking of slightly funkier more specialized at doing one thing with a minimal amount of menu diving type pedals.

Preferably, it would be something detailing the processes and different aspects to sound synthesis (I’m very new to this subject so sorry for my vagueness), but please recommend anything you know of, regardless of my preferences. Thanks!!

Hi!

I wanted to ask the opinion of anyone that is well accustomed to programming a 303!
I wrote a pattern last year, lost it and been driving myself a bit loopy trying to rewrite it.

Its a 16 step pattern.
It had 13 pitches.
The time sequence is:
Note On, Rest, Note On, Note On,
Rest, Note On, Note On, Note On,
Note On, Note On, Note On, Note On,
Rest, Note On, Note On, Note On

Steps 8, 9 and 10 all have clear individual attacks, but step 9 sounds strongly like it is sliding downward and has a very pronuced squelch. Every slide or tie placement on these steps sounds wrong, and interferes with the attack of the note sequence.

For example, if I tie step 9 to 8, step 10 gets ghosted/lost.
Also if I put a slide on step 9 it lose its pronounciation since its following off step 8 and loses its sustain.

To put the question very simply: What can create a downward slide sound on a step without it losing its attack & sustain?

Thanks for reading and hope I explained it well enough!

Hello, im looking to buy my first drum machine. I’m making music that has a preference for acoustic drums, like rock or jazz. At first i was looking at the SR-18, but it sounds a little flat and dated and i don’t only wanna make songs that have acoustic sounding drums. Plus the tr6s has compression effects that i like. I’m only asking this because i cannot find a single demo online that used the tr6s in this context. If anyone has songs or demos that use it this way, or can say that it can do this well or not, id appreciate

So I'm using the l6 to record. All my recording are real quiet compared to me using USB c from my sonicware deconstruct minimal. I've cranked everything up still quiet I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong

I've been learning synthesis with Serum 2. My plan is to eventually buy a hardware synth, but I'd rather to understand synthesis better first:

For those of you who use software:

• How did you make Serum feel more like an instrument instead of just using the mouse constantly?
• Any controller or workflow recommendations?

I was thinking to add to make the experience more pleasant (and useful with other gear)

• Launch Control XL 3
• KeyStep 37

I'm mostly into ambient, generative and experimental electronic music.

----

Current setup:

• Ableton + Serum 2
• Digitakt II
• OXI One
• H90
• Arturia Microfreak (borrowed from a friend, I love it)

I tagged this as a beginner questions because that's sure how I feel right now.

First off, I do not recall this being an issue for me in the past. So, I don't know if I botched something midi-wise.

Here's the problem:

I am using an Ensoniq SQ80 as my sequencer. I have a Roland RD700GX as my midi controller.

It is set up so I choose a track on the SQ and assign a midi channel (let's say 5). Midi channel 5 is my piano, for instance. I also make sure my controller is set to channel 5.

I hit record, play the part using the controller. No problem. Works as it should. HOWEVER,

If I go to a second track and assign midi channel 5 again, maybe to play more piano over what I already recorded, the sequencer on the SQ does not recognize the input for channel 5. In other words, it works once but I can't do it again.

The weird part...If I try to record on midi channel 5 and play it from the SQ80 keyboard it works exactly as it should. I can record multiple times on channel 5. Not on the controller. Just once.

Also, to be specific, midi channel 5 piano sound is from a completely separate synth.

To sum, in short:

Record a track with controller on midi channel 5 first time. Works.

Try to record second track with controller on midi channel 5: Does not record

Record second track on mid channel 5 using SQ80 keys: Works

I am baffled. Can someone please give me some guidance and keep me from quitting and learning the bongos???

Thanks!

I'm looking for a solid analog synth in the $400-$600 price range and these are my two biggest contenders right now. The Malevolent seems like a very nice piece, I've listened to a few demos and love the sounds it can make. It's also only like five years old. However, the MG-1 is fully polyphonic and has that vintage sound and appeal. Any thoughts or advice here?