surprise me + daytime + hands-on
ADE picks
Here’s a surprise mix of free ADE sessions at Het Ketelhuis—just register first.Sources: Gear Test Lab - Wednesday · Get into: NEXTSTAGE · Get Into: SAE Institute’s Courses · Brand Demo: NAP’s Devious Pocket Digital Vinyl System
Gear Test Lab - Wednesday
Wed 21 · 10:00 · Het Ketelhuis · Cafe & Entresol · Amsterdam
Welcome to the Gear Test Lab! Step into the Gear Test Lab: a no‑barrier playground for sound hunters and button‑pushers. Get your hands on the freshest controllers, synths, DJ rigs and production toys, then grill the teams who actually build them. From first bedroom sketches to full live‑set overhauls, this is where you break in new gear, hack your workflow and leave with ideas you can’t wait to try tonight. Featuring: 1. AlphaTheta 2. Arturia 3. Geeky Punks 4. Hercules 5. Howler Audio 6. KORG 7. Technics 8. Telepathic Instruments 9. Roland 10. Union Audio 11. Yamaha 12. Amptec 13. Audeze 14. ATGR 15. Decksaver 16. NAP Works 17. Vinylify 18. SAE 19. VOLT Music Store 20. Ecler 21. Bjooks 22. AIAIAI 23. Reloop
Free, register first.
Get into: NEXTSTAGE
Wed 21 · 11:45 · Het Ketelhuis · Room 3 · Amsterdam
Speaker: Charly Friedrichs (Final Kid) The Power of Aftermovies An aftermovie can make people feel a festival they never went to. Charly Friedrichs, founder of Final Kid, talks about the craft behind festival aftermovies and why they matter so much to how events grow their audience. About NEXTSTAGE NEXTSTAGE connects young people with the event industry and helps them uncover where their talents truly shine. From festivals and concerts to sports and corporate events, participants learn directly from industry professionals, complete online training, and get hands-on experience in the field. In doing so, we match talent with opportunity, help young people build real-world experience and a valuable network, and set them on a clear path toward an internship or job.
Free, register first.
Get Into: SAE Institute’s Courses
Wed 21 · 12:00 · Het Ketelhuis · Room 2 · Amsterdam
Speakers: Giacomo Piscitelli (SAE) Creative Sampling for Beginners: Field Recording and Foley Discover how everyday sounds can become unique musical material. This beginner-friendly masterclass explores how field recordings and Foley sounds can be captured, edited and transformed into rhythms, textures and instruments. Through expert insights and creative demonstrations, attendees will learn to hear their surroundings differently and find inspiration beyond conventional sound libraries.
Free, register first.
Brand Demo: NAP’s Devious Pocket Digital Vinyl System
Wed 21 · 12:15 · Het Ketelhuis · Room 1 · Amsterdam
Speaker: Carsten Goertz (Team Lead for Devious Pocket) Get to know Devious Pocket – Digital Vinyl System This session focus on Devious Pocket’s Digital Vinyl System a standalone laptop free setup that allows anyone to play digital music via their turntables. In this session you will get to learn abot the history of DVS from its experimental roots through to today’s integrated corporate ecosystems as well as discovering NAPs new groundbreaking technology. Devious Pocket is an intervention from this place: A standalone system that affords people to play digital music from their turntables, at a fraction of the cost of established digital DJ tools. It values the home session, the hybrid b2b, the afters, the practice room, and the listening space as much as the headline set. An invitation to give more people the means to build taste, share technique, and shape the culture and politics of the dancefloor.
Free, register first.
MODULOGUE — 2026 | Masterclasses & Club Night @ VOLTA
Wed 21 · 12:30 · Volta · Amsterdam
Modulogue comes to Volta Amsterdam during ADE for a full day of modular synthesis, knowledge sharing, experimentation and music. Join us during the day for hands-on workshops and discover new ways of creating, patching and performing with modular systems. In the evening, we shift into club mode with live modular performances and electronic music. A place to learn, experiment, connect with artists and makers, discover new sounds and simply enjoy making and experiencing music together.
Get into: Bjooks' Beat Gems
Wed 21 · 13:15 · Het Ketelhuis · Room 2 · Amsterdam
Speaker: Oli Freke (Author, BEAT GEMS) How Drum Machines Changed Modern Music From home organs to house and techno: the machines that defined genres and the sound of electronic music today. From hip-hop and electro to house, techno and contemporary electronic music, drum machines have done far more than keep time. Their sounds, quirks, interfaces and limitations have inspired new ways of writing, producing and performing, and helped give entire genres their identity. In this workshop, BEAT GEMS author Oli Freke explores the machines, ideas and accidents behind some of electronic music’s most influential rhythms. Expect iconic beats, surprising stories and a closer look at how technology and creativity collide, from the studio to the dancefloor.
Free, register first.
Brand Demo: Arturia
Wed 21 · 13:30 · Het Ketelhuis · Room 1 · Amsterdam
Speaker: TBA Session title: TBA Session description: TBA
Free, register first.
Zine Workshop by Hothead
Wed 21 · 14:00 · Chillzone Books · Amsterdam