Softube Model 82 €99

It’s the return of the unintended vintage classic! Softube revisit 1982 and teach us a thing or two about old-school charm with their 101 clone

When it comes to classic synthesisers, we are pretty au fait with the usual strong contenders, but what makes the original Roland SH-101 so interesting, is that it was never really a classic of its time, being a cheap and cheerful substitute for the more expensive machines. Thankfully, time has been exceptionally kind to the humble 101, being quickly scooped up as a bargain-basement secondhand purchase, back in the late 80s, before becoming a firm staple in production sound, throughout the 90s and beyond.

Back in 82

Softube’s reworking of the 101 ignites a smile upon loading; admittedly, it doesn’t look as stoney-grey as the original we have nestling in the corner of our studio at towers, but you can switch colour schemes to red or blue, if desired. (Contrary to the urban myth, the red ones were never better for basses!)

The architecture is faithful, with source faders for square/pulse, saw, sub-oscillator and white noise. This feeds the frenzied 24dB filter, which also provides the modulation features associated with the 101, and its ability to sound similar, in some respects, to the equally legendary TB-303. There’s only a single ADSR envelope, like the original, but it’s that common simplicity that provides much of the 101’s character.