GS Music shared this sneak preview of their upcoming Zeus synthesizer, a new polyphonic analog synth design.
Zeus is a multitimbral analog polyphonic synthesizer featuring subtractive synthesis. The sound generation is entirely analog.
Each voice has two voltage controlled oscillators (VCO), a mixer and a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA). The control signals on each voice are digitally generated by a microcontroller, which is capable of processing three low frequency oscillators (LFO) and two ADSR envelopes (EG) per voice.
The Zeus synthesizer interface was designed to be intuitive, with all the controls on the panel. It also features a graphic display to show the different parameters and curves, such as envelope shapes:
Specifications:
- Keyboard: 49 keys, velocity sensitive with aftertouch
- Polyphony: 12
- Oscillators: 2 voltage-controlled analog oscillators (VCO) with sub-oscillators. Hard sync.
- Oscillators waveshapes: Triangular, Saw-Tri, Sawtooth, Pulse with PWM. It is possible tomix pulse with other waveshape
- Filter (VCF): 24dB/oct (4 poles) low pass filter with resonance control
- Envelopes: 2* (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release), Velocity to Attack
- LFO: 3
- LFO waveshapes: Triangular, Rampa up, Rampa down, Square, Sample and Hold
- Effects: Chorus, Delay
- Presets: TBD
- Connections: MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, MIDI Thru, Audio Output (Plug 1/4” TRS balanceado), Sustain, USB, Filter CV, Amplifier CV, Audio input.
- Power supply: AC 220V
Note: The demo features a Zeus synthesizer prototype. Details on pricing and availability are to come.
Interesting build. Need to hear more samples if it is not only good at strings. An inbuild reverb is an absolute must for this synth imo. I gues mod and pitch wheels will be added later.
Why am I not remotely excited by this new synth? I think we’re reaching a point of saturation now in the market of analogue-2-vco-ladder-filter-synths. For goodness sake, synth manufacturers! See the Hydrasynth? INNOVATION, that’s what we want!
This one is 12-voice polyphonic though. There are barely any comparable offerings in the market right now, so I wouldn’t really say it’s saturated. I myself am attracted to more innovative concepts these days, but there will always be a crowd for good ol subtractive synthesis, as it’s the most intuitive approach and flexible enough to cover most people‘s sonic needs.
Right on Dacci– The fact that it has twelve voices alone makes this synth standout.
Plus, I don’t remember the last time I heard about a MULTITIMBRAL analog synth being released.
One UI detail– I wonder if the LEDs that indicate the active VOICES are dimmable.
I’m imagining they would be like 12 strobes going off in a dark studio.
And yes, a simple fix like “tape” would work, dimming would be a far more elegant solution!
Market has been saturated for yonks.
I guess that’s for buyers to decide, so let’s see.
“This is what we want”…..Hmmm….I don’t recall voting you to represent me here. This looks like a serious synth and I don’t care for all these novelties that today are called innovative and next year are available on eBay at a third of their original price.
It seems plenty of people still want classic analog polysynths, or they wouldn’t be selling for as much as they do on ebay and reverb. If this can scratch that same itch for less money, I expect it will sell ok too. If it was only about innovation or having something new, acoustic pianos would have stopped selling a LONG time ago, eh? For folks who more heavily play an oscillator and filter (twisting knobs, pushing buttons, etc) than a keyboard, I don’t expect this would appeal nearly as much.
I admit that I didn’t hear anything too exciting in the video, but I won’t be too critical just yet because a company’s ability to create a good synth-demo video doesn’t always match their ability to create a good synth.
Looks like the Matrixbrute and Deepmind 12 had a little fling. I like it!
Yet it sounds like all they came up with was a better looking Timberwolf baby
So what’s new?
Absolutely nothing because people in this community live and die for Uli Behringer, then whine and complain about innovation when their purchases and support leaves other companies NO ROOM for innovation or risk taking, and then continue to complain about it.
All Hail Uli, Lord of the Analog circuit. Uli keeps order and prevents chaos in our world.
Incredible thin 12voice VCO synth with one knob one function interface. Name another one like this?
Alesis Andromeda, but it’s 16 voice 😉
AwakeFM – While it could be correct to cite the one-knob-per-function/high polyphony Alesis Andromeda (as well as several other out of production synths for that matter) – in response, I think RolandForever was looking for a synth in current production.
pthelo, exactly. And Alesis Andromeda is a large and heavy beast. This one is thin, if we do not look at the keybed case…
Uhh..a new analog with multitimbral that is something we have been missing for a while… How many multitimbral?
The last time GS was covered on here, everyone was calling their monosynth bland and boring when people from their home country (I want to say Argentina but could be wrong) chimed in to let us know the tariffs on importing analog synths into their country makes them prohibitively expensive, and so GS is literally the only affordable option out there.
But hey, this thing is boring and bland and Argentinians don’t deserve synthesizers, amirite??
Yes, the tariffs on importing any manufactured electronics into Argentina is something like nearly 100%. I worked for a company that had to send some computer equipment to Argentina, and we had to send the smallest machines our software would run on. I don’t know what electronics industry the Argentine government is trying to protect, or maybe it’s just trying to make a buck for grins and giggles.
I can only wish them the best of luck.
Somehow sounds ….. like its a microphone in the room recording the speakers. If it is Direct line out then this is a not good sounding synth.
Beautiful design, looking forward to hearing more in depth demos !
This is really interesting that it’s coming from Argentina. Is this the first South American native synth?
Multitimbrality is a killer feature.
Alas the demo video almost all the sounds are the same. More diversity will be needed to capture the imagination of the public.
Peasants ….this new modern analog polyphonic multitimbral synth with knob per function and presets is NOT SUFFICIENT for my pleasure. Bring me a physical modelling quadraphonic FPGA modular which is solar powered and has a built in drinks cabinet.
Now retreat from my throne on your knees.
(The Modern synth king, 2019)
Sexy. Love the tilt panel. Though I do find it curious that on such a great layout, they would dedicate such a large amount of real estate to two static pictures of adsr envelopes. Head scratcher.
This will live or die on its price, there’s not much, sound-wise, you can’t emulate on a Deepmind12 here.
Looks and sounds lovely.
Interested to understand how the Filter and AMP CV inputs work on a poly. Maybe only works for mono patches? If so, would be neat if there was an option to apply those inputs to the effects section when using poly patches—could adjust chorus depth or delay time or…
12-voice polyphony *and* 4 part multi-timbral seems to beg for a 5-octave keyboard though, amirite? 🙂
Also curious about “Keyboard Tracking” in the AMP section? Also, says there’s an audio input but didn’t see a knob for it in the Mixer section. Does it replace ‘Noise’ when present?
Synth Anatomy has a high-res(ish) panel image for the curious: http://www.synthanatomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GS-Music-Zeus-Panel.jpg
While the Zeus naturally has to pass the public litmus test, its interesting to see so many analog polys like this popping up. Its such a niche item, I keep waiting for some kind of market balloon to burst. Its a bit hard to imagine that they can sell enough of these to be reasonably profitable, but I’m missing the business module that would allow me to see the curve on that aspect. The design seems pretty basic, but there’s often that second menu page that contains some gems, so let’s see how it goes. BTW, I get the feeling that BehringerSlave666Satan was injured by a wave soldering machine, ended up with a Phantom of the Opera face from it and chose Uli to be his lighting rod of hate. Just a theory.
All of these wanna be cool kids trying to throw analog under the bus because digital is in vogue right now….or is it you are just that insecure?
Both types of synths have their place.
Analog has strengths.
Digital has strengths.
Get over it.
It isn’t a religion.
P.S. This is aimed at the Argentinean market.
There is a new demo video by Emmy-nominated composer Sean McKee who works with Jon Anderson from YES, he’s playing a GS Music Apollo (mono version of Zeus) and says the creator of Zeus says it will have 61 keys, not 49 like the prototype:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFjEVoH8QXw
And then, the Fire Nation attacked. I mean, COVID. GS still make the E7 which seems as nice if less featured. Hopefully Zeus is on a back burner somewhere.