Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Peep Show
Artists "When he tried turning it off, he literally couldn’t”: 5 things Peep Show taught us about music production
deadmau5
Synths “I have severe Gear Acquisition Syndrome”: Deadmau5 shows off his insane synth collection
UDO
Tech The most exciting synth we played at NAMM 2026 is now available to order
Midge Ure guitar synth
Artists Back in 1984, Midge Ure appeared on TV to reveal our MIDI guitar synth future with his Roland GR-700
Arturia KeyStep mk2
Midi Controllers Best MIDI keyboards 2026: Find your perfect match for the home studio
Quentin testing a Yamaha piano
Keyboards & Pianos Best digital pianos 2026: I'm a professional piano and music gear reviewer, and these are my top picks
Genesis Yamaha DX7
Samples Relive the golden era of the DX7, Jupiter-8 and Prophet V with this mega-pack of free '80s synth samples
An Asus ProArt P16 laptop on a desk with music production gear
Computers Best laptop for music production 2026: For home studios and mobile music-making - tested by experts
Prodigy
Artists How to replicate the sample-based sonics of a gnarly Prodigy classic
An UDO Super Gemini synthesizer on a white table
Synths Best synthesizers 2026: Top analogue, digital, mono and polysynths
stem splitter
Tech I tested 11 of the best stem separation tools – and you might already have the winner in your DAW
Knobula Monumatic
Synths “A fantastic one-stop shop of all that you need in a synth”: Knobula Monumatic review
Erica Synths Nightverb
Tech “Might have become our favourite reverb, covering a lot of ground, from the smallest snappiest rooms to vast, endless galaxies”: Erica Synths Nightverb review
grainferno
Tech Baby Audio's Grainferno can transform any sound in your sample library into something entirely new
A man DJs on stage with a laptop
Computers Best laptop for DJs 2026: my choice of PCs, Macs, and Mac-alternatives for playing out
More
  • Sly and Survivor
  • In My Life
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • One chord Diamond
  1. Tech
  2. Synths

My favourite synths: Dubfire

News
By Computer Music Specials published 8 August 2012

Which soft synths are top banana in the studio of this techno innovator?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

GForce Software Minimonsta

GForce Software Minimonsta

In the first of a series of producer interviews, techno innovator Dubfire talks us through his favourite synths.

For a rundown of the synths you need to own in 2012, plus a heap of invaluable tutorials, check out Computer Music Specials (issue 55) - Top 10 Synths - which is on sale now.

Dubfire: “This is a Minimoog emulator with incredible poly- and monophonic sounds, cool FX, percussion, killer basslines and a classic Rick Wakeman bank of retro presets, which should bring back a lot of memories for some. I don’t really know why, but even though I have a huge selection of soft synths to choose from, this is usually the first stop!”

Read our review

Page 1 of 3
Page 1 of 3
Native Instruments Razor

Native Instruments Razor

“From Native Instruments and the mind of errorsmith (how huge was that Nous Sommes MMM track a few years ago?), it was actually JPLS who turned me onto Razor. There are 350 killer additive synthesis presets to wrap your head around, one of which actually forms the hook of my new single, OCTVS.”

Read our review

Page 2 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Rob Papen SubBoomBass

Rob Papen SubBoomBass

“From Rob Papen - whose legendary soft synths I tend to gravitate to more than anyone else – SubBoomBass is simply a must-have for bass junkies. Its reliability, easy-to-navigate banks, great layout and wealth of subharmonic tones make it an indispensable tool.”

Read our review

Dubfire's single OCTVS is out now on his label SCI+TEC

Page 3 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Computer Music Specials
Read more
Music technology gear of the year 2025
Tech Music technology gear of the year 2025: Our favourite new synths, drum machines, plugins and more
 
 
An UDO Super Gemini synthesizer on a white table
Synths Best synthesizers 2026: Top analogue, digital, mono and polysynths
 
 
British New Wave & Pop musician Howard Jones plays keyboards as he performs onstage at Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, New York, August 3, 1984. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
Artists "It will always be my favourite”: Howard Jones takes you on a tour of the synth he’s owned since 1983
 
 
timbre wolf
Tech "Boy, do people hate it": 10 of the most divisive products in music tech history, from iLok to the Akai Timbre Wolf
 
 
Hottest music tech gear of NAMM
Tech The best music tech gear of NAMM 2026: Epic polys, acoustic synths, budget samplers, a Behringer Juno and more
 
 
Native Instruments Absynth 6
Soft Synths “You’ll smile broadly at the ease with which you can land on astonishing results”: Native Instruments Absynth 6 review
 
 
Latest in Synths
deadmau5
Synths “I have severe Gear Acquisition Syndrome”: Deadmau5 shows off his insane synth collection
 
 
Midge Ure guitar synth
Artists Back in 1984, Midge Ure appeared on TV to reveal our MIDI guitar synth future with his Roland GR-700
 
 
Prodigy
Artists How to replicate the sample-based sonics of a gnarly Prodigy classic
 
 
Baby Audio Grainferno
Tech Baby Audio's “most advanced synthesizer to date” is a granular plugin capable of creating “entirely new textures”
 
 
harry styles
Artists Harry Styles outed himself as an unlikely modular synth fan in his new Netflix special, but was all that knob-twiddling for real?
 
 
Waldorf Iridium Desktop Mk2
Synths Waldorf upgrades its Iridium Desktop synth with a little help from Aphex Twin
 
 
Latest in News
Teddi Mellencamp presents the iHeartRadio Icon Award to honoree John Mellencamp onstage during the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Award
Singers & Songwriters “He saved my life”: Teddi Mellencamp pays tribute to her dad at iHeart Radio Awards
 
 
suno
Tech Suno takes another step into music production with AI step sequencer MILO-1080
 
 
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 26: Olivia Dean performs onstage during the 2026 MOBO Awards at Co-op Live on March 26, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images for MOBO)
Artists Olivia Dean cleans up at the Mobo Awards, as Pharrell Williams accepts a special prize for songwriting
 
 
Sam Fender performs onstage during day two of the Syd For Solen Festival at Valbyparken on August 08, 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmar
Singers & Songwriters “Projects like these are so important”: Sam Fender has raised £50,000 for youth music charity
 
 
Anderson .Paak
Drummers “That thing’s got great breaks”: Anderson .Paak rides through LA… playing a drum kit on wheels
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found over £1,000 off a PRS, $200 off the Akai Pro MPC Key 37, and so much more
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...