Black Corporation – creators of the Deckard’s Dream and Kijimi synthesizers – shared this sneak preview of their new Xerxes synthesizer.
The company introduced Xerxes at Synthposium 2018 and shared this photo via their Instagram page.
They haven’t shared details yet, other than Xerxes is an 8-voice analog synthesizer design. The company’s previous designs both are inspired by classic synths – the Deckard’s Dream is inspired by the Yamaha CS-80, and the Kijimi is inspired by the RSF Polykobol – and it looks like Xerxes may take inspiration from the Elka Synthex.
Details on specs, pricing and availability are still to come at the company’s site.
Seeing this as a module feels semi-weird, as with their CS-80. I’ve played a real Synthex and the experience makes a certain mark on your thinking and performance. Its like the difference between reading a real book and reading on Kindle. I’m interested in the compromises they’ve made, as the module has far fewer evident controls than the original. I’m sure its not a giant $300 Volca, either! Its a ballsy instrument to tackle. You can recreate most of the sounds on modern synths much more easily, but these guys are offering boutique boxes with a lot of accomodation built in. If you only take up Deckard’s Dream to emulate Vangelis, you’re way over-powered, but anyone who drops such cash probably has some more serious plans. The Synthex is oddly creamy while still being Big. Gimme demos, please. š
Reviewing the photo and the original Synthex and squinting a lot, here’s what seems to have changed:
* a lot of buttons got a second LED – for instance, instead of “white” and “pink” buttons under “Noise” there’s a single “White / Pink” button
* things that were long groups of radio buttons, notably “Waveform” and “Octave” are compressed into a single button that cycles through options
* the performance controls (split / joystick / etc), patch storage, cassette interface, and sequencer are omitted. Based on what was in Deckard’s Dream, they’re probably replaced with MIDI + MPE support
Some new controls:
* “Drift Speed” and “Drift Density”. My wild guess is that this is a “cloud detune” mode for the VCOs
* “Dynamics” knobs for routing velocity and aftertouch to the VCF and VCA
https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/9746a67c4db45b197670b77381e2e01a/5C349B18/t51.2885-15/e35/39779018_2133643916958366_5242520141870137344_n.jpg
Here’s the original picture (slightly larger)
I wanted to pull the trigger on the KIJIMI kit (āinspiredā by the RSF PolyKobol), but Iām still waiting on some decent audio demos….
Now a Synthex(?)
Letās hear some sounds, Black Corp.