Synth Waves is our column about synthesizers, sound design and the people who make electronic music. Each edition looks at what's new in the synth world and what it means for producers.
Last time we covered the open-firmware wave from Behringer, Akai and Polyend, and said the next stop would be the season's new drum synths. That arrival came quickly. On 3 November Dreadbox launched Alecto, a two-voice analog percussion synthesizer, and put three older 42HP instruments back on sale as assembled limited reissues. In the same window Behringer's RD-765, the hybrid sample drum machine inspired by four 1980s Roland boxes, moved into pre-order.
Here is what each product actually ships with, what it costs as listed by the manufacturer or retailer, and how the two approaches to drum synthesis differ.
Dreadbox Alecto: two analog voices, polymetric sequencers
According to Synthtopia and the official Alecto page, Alecto is a dual-voice analog percussion synthesizer built for drums, basses and sustained textures. Each of the two identical voices has:
- two analog oscillators with multiple waveform configurations and frequency modulation
- a white-noise generator with balance control
- dual analog filters and two envelope generators
- Click and Attack switches for transient shaping
- a Drone switch that disables the VCA envelope for sustained tones
Two independent trigger sequencers sit on top of that voice pair, with adjustable sequence length and clock division for polymetric patterns. Dreadbox quotes a tempo range of 30 to 7,680 BPM. A 21-point patchbay exposes trigger, velocity, tune, timbre and morph control, plus bend outputs; individual and master outs cover audio, while clock, start and reset cover sync.
The form factor matches Dreadbox's compact line: 42HP, USB-powered on a desk, or mounted in a Eurorack case with the included ribbon cable. Power draw is listed as +12V 180mA / -12V 80mA.
Kit or assembled
Dreadbox sells Alecto in two versions from its own store:
- €250 excl. VAT as a solderless DIY kit
- €315 excl. VAT assembled
Both include the 42HP desktop case and ribbon cable; shipping is quoted at two to four working days. As synth-news notes, two voices do not replace a full kit — Alecto sits beside one.
Three limited reissues at the same price
On the same day as Alecto's launch, Dreadbox returned Dysphonia, Antiphon and Hypnosis as assembled 42HP units. Synth Anatomy describes them as limited-time reissues; synth-news, citing the official store pages on 4 November, reported finite stock figures (57 Dysphonia, 58 Antiphon, 16 Hypnosis) with no end date published by Dreadbox. All three are listed at €315 excl. VAT assembled.
Dysphonia
Dysphonia is a dense semi-modular aimed at learning to patch. Spec sheets summarised by synth-news list a four-waveform analog oscillator, a self-oscillating 24dB 4-pole low-pass and a 12dB 2-pole multimode filter, three VCAs, a hybrid echo from Erebus, a four-mode digital modulator and MIDI-to-CV. Rack draw: 140mA / 60mA.
Antiphon
Antiphon Mk2 is an eight-sine analog voice with independent pitch and level per oscillator; oscillators 7 and 8 can run as LFOs from one minute to 10kHz. Non-resonant 2-pole filters, an exponential VCA, digital reverb and a guitar-level input follow. Twenty-two patch points; rack draw 90mA / 35mA.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is an 1980s-inspired multi-FX chain: analog BBD chorus/flanger, an Erebus-based hybrid delay and a real spring reverb with variable pre-delay, plus two wide-range LFOs. Input accepts guitar, mic or modular levels. Rack draw: 220mA / 60mA. Synth Anatomy notes this 2026 edition follows the mono 2023 reissue rather than the earlier stereo Hypnosis.
Listed prices as reported, November 2026. Source: Dreadbox store, Synthtopia, synth-news, Thomann / Synth Anatomy.
Behringer RD-765: four 1980s kits in one box
The other drum-synth arrival of the season is sample-based. Behringer's RD-765 is a hybrid drum machine inspired by the Roland TR-707, TR-727, TR-626 and TR-505. Synth Anatomy and Gearnews report a late-October reveal and early-November pre-order at Thomann for €398 (listed at $374 on the US Thomann site).
Published features from Behringer and the retailer listings include:
- built-in drum sounds drawn from those four Roland machines (figures vary by listing: 126 on some retailer pages, 176 on Behringer's product copy)
- an onboard sampler (8- or 12-bit) with +/-24 semitone tuning and chromatic mode
- Wave Designer attack control, a dual-mode analog filter (LP/HP) assignable per voice, and a bitcrusher
- a 64-step sequencer with swing (25-75), per-voice probability, flam, note repeat, accent and filter automation
- MIDI In/Out/Thru, USB, sync in/out, ten individual outs and three trigger outs
Availability remains soft. Thomann shows the unit as available only after several months of wait; treat the listed price as a pre-order figure, not a guarantee of immediate stock.
Analog voices versus sampled kits
Alecto and the RD-765 answer different studio questions. Alecto is two analog voices with FM, dual filters and their own sequencers: you shape kicks, toms, noise hits and drones from oscillators, then patch them into a case or leave them on the desk. The RD-765 is a complete ten-track kit with classic sample banks, user sampling and a full pattern engine. One is a percussion synth; the other is a drum machine.
Dreadbox's reissues matter for anyone already in the 42HP USB format. Dysphonia, Antiphon and Hypnosis sit at the same assembled price as Alecto, so a producer can build a small desk of related modules without a full case first. Stock on Hypnosis was already the tightest of the three as of 4 November.
Practical takeaways
- For analog percussion you can patch, start with Alecto assembled (€315 excl. VAT) or the kit (€250); judge it as two voices, not a full kit.
- For a classic sample drum machine with user sampling, the RD-765 is the season's clear entry — confirm Thomann lead times first.
- The three Dreadbox reissues are assembled only this round and share the Alecto case format; check remaining stock before ordering.
Coming up in Synth Waves
Next time we will look elsewhere in the hardware and soft-synth calendar, including instruments that sit outside the drum and percussion lane. Tell us what you are waiting for at @xdripiawaves.
Sources
- Dreadbox: Alecto official page
- Dreadbox: Alecto DIY store listing
- Synthtopia: Dreadbox introduces Alecto
- synth-news: Dreadbox Alecto from €250
- Synth Anatomy: Dysphonia, Antiphon and Hypnosis reissues
- synth-news: Dysphonia, Antiphon and Hypnosis assembled
- Synth Anatomy: Behringer RD-765
- Gearnews: Behringer RD-765 pre-order
- Behringer: RD-765 product page