July 16, 2025
Review: Donner L1 vs SH-101
Hi!
What makes an SH-101 special? Certainly its analog core (namely the CEM3340 oscillator and Roland's 3109 filter), but also its extremely playable fader layout. With the Essential L1, Donner has attempted to recreate both in an affordable package.
Did they succeed? I think so (with some caveats in the cons!), but you be the judge, there's a detailed comparison in the video, and I've also attached a high-quality download of the outro sounds.
All my best,
Ziv (Going from Boards of Canada to Acid on a youtube channel called "Loopop"...)