Tasty Chips Electronics let us know about the ST4 Hybrid Synthesizer/Tracker, a unique device that combines a hybrid analog/digital synthesizer with a 16-bit style tracker music machine.
It has digital oscillators, backed up with sampling for versatility, with analogue VCF’s and VCA’s for character. The developer says that, while the ST4 is packed with features, it’s designed to be easy to use, with dedicated knobs and buttons.
Production of the ST4 is being funded via a Kickstarter project, which is already about a third of the way to its goal. Here is the official intro video:
The ST4 is usable stand-alone for live gigs, but can also be mounted in a standard 19″ rack. It’s fully MIDI controllable.
Features:
- 4 Stereo voices
- Analog multi-mode VCF per channel including voltage controlled resonance.
- 4 Stereo VCA’s
- 2 LFO’s with saw, square, sine, noise and sample modes
- Direct LFO modulation matrix: 4 channels x VCO, VCA, VCF
- loopable ADSR envelope for VCO, VCA, VCF per channel
- MIDI IN: Monophonic on ch1..4 and polyphonic on ch5
- MIDI OUT ch1..4 (via tracker)
- Sampler and built-in microphone:
- 8 sample banks
- configurable loop start, end
- tuning
- wav import/export
- Digital oscillators: saw, square, sine, noise, sample
- 128 instruments (MIDI patches):
- VCO, VCA, VCF env’s settings incl looping
- VCF mode
- oscillator mode
- sample mapping
- instrument chaining
- Direct control of voice pair detuning
- Built-in bit crusher
- 3.2″ high color TFT display
- On-board multi-channel sequencer “16 bit tracker style”, in conjunction with USB keyboard:
- 4 channels 16 steps, panning & volume definable per step
- 1024 positions powerful editor with many block functions
- independent glide per channel
- polyrhythm support, shuffle, tap tempo, BPM display
- Sturdy and Versatile casing usable as desktop or 19? rack mount.
- Interfaces:
- 4x 6.35mm channel outputs
- 2x 6.35mm master outputs (stereo)
- 1x 3.5mm line input (for sampler)
- DIN-5 MIDI IN, OUT, THRU
- USB A (for USB keyboard)
- USB B Programming/debugging interface
- SD card, for sample and song I/O
- 3.5mm stereo headphone
- 2.1mm AC power
The ST4 Hybrid Synthesizer/Tracker is available to project backers for about US $545 for a full DIY kit or $871 for an assembled unit.
I’m in! This is innovation. Something Moog and DSI have forgotten about. Regurgitating the same concept in various iterations does not advance the industry. I realise this is not a popular position and I only targeted Moog and DSI because I expect more from such capable companies. And served as a consultant for DSI on various projects.
I wonder what sample-rate / bit-depth this can handle?
What model is the filter based on?
Filter is Svf based. Voice is 16 bit, adc is 12 bit. Velocity to filter will be supported. Aftertouch as well. Bezel is coming. This is just a prototype casing. Cheers
Morse modulation (matrix) and synthesis options are what would truly make me jump and get this. I’ve been waiting for a sampler+analog filter combo for ages.
This is the kind of thing I love – hope it reaches it’s goal! too broke to think straight right now! but hopefully in for a DIY kit in the future! Best of luck Tasty Chips!
Exciting, fresh, sounds pretty decent, price seems very fair.
If this had a fully featured 16 channel midi sequencer, I’d be all over this.
The world needs a fully featured standalone sampler & midi sequencer with a tracker interface and rock solid timing. …or just an Octatrack with a fully featured midi sequencer.
wow a dubstep monster,i need a demo
4 filters per voice but just 1 LFO???? 2-3 lfos per voice and lfos modifying lfos will make your life good.
I agree. Modulation (matrix) and synthesis options are what would truly make me jump and get this. I’ve been waiting for a sampler+analog filter combo for ages.
It’s cool, but please put a propper bezel on that screen. I genuinely find it painful.
This is the kind of thing I was waiting for years and years ago. Gear and work-methods that are out of the ordinary always produce interesting results. Different ways of looking at the “how” to create provide ways for experimentation one might not consider trying before. Sure, tracking itself is old, but anyone who tracks knows the speed of it compared to other things and having the ability to do all of this (with typing keyboard and MIDI keyboard) in the box without a computer is really great.
I just blew 2016’s gear budget, but maybe for 2017 this will be in my life. Tracking has always been my favorite way to make music, and getting away from the computer screen to do that and have knobs and things would make me very happy.
Wow! What a nice concept. It would also be a nice vintage drum machine or make beautiful raspy hybrid pads. Does it support velocity to filter? Or maybe multiple velocity layers on the samples? How about after touch?
Sounds amazing, looks a bit drab though.
This really doesn’t strike me as very new. Using the word innovative seems like a serious exaggeration.
Not only that but this has some striking limitations. It’s only 16 steps!!! Only 2 lfos for all your voices. No cross mod or sync sounds. Only 4 channels of sequencing which leaves nothing for external gear. No effects.
Take a deep breath Joe. It essentially a one man operation with a sound designer. And by that metric, the professionals are underachieving.
Looks like great fun! I love the design too. Hope the Kickstarter goes great
You can’t read the screen, and you need a keyboard to sequence? Get a Twisted Electrons AY3 and sequence it from Renoise, you’ll feel more gratified. So you get away from your computer keyboard and screen, onto probably the same keyboard but a smaller and much more useless screen? Please someone explain the “beauty” or “innovation” of this.
Sure, this is probably the wet dream of the nerd who designed it, but it’s ludricous, although 70+ people share this nerd’s passion for the impractical and awkward.