Organizers of Knobcon, known as the world’s only synthesizer convention, have announced the programming for the event scheduled from September 11 to 13, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg in Chicago. Synthtopia reported that the annual gathering will feature a trade show where dozens of companies display equipment alongside lectures, live performances, and a Synth Banquet. The published schedule includes sessions covering synthesis fundamentals, the history of reverberation and delay effects, and the development of Yamaha physical modeling synthesizers. Additional talks address gear selection strategies and using KiCad software to design printed circuit boards.
Terry Michaels, an Electronotes circuit designer, serves as the guest of honor and will join a live question-and-answer session while attending the banquet. His design of the ENS-76 oscillator is recognized for influencing hundreds of synthesizer models. The event offers four distinct soldering workshops ranging in difficulty, allowing participants to build working modules. General admission is priced at seventy-five dollars for the three days, though the catered banquet and specific do-it-yourself workshops carry additional costs. Seating for the Saturday evening banquet is limited and requires a separate ticket purchase. The convention aims to combine educational content with hands-on opportunities for enthusiasts interested in electronic music technology and hardware construction.
For more information, visit synthtopia.com.
