New iPad Synth, ID700, Inspired By Rare Buchla 700

Developer Jonathan Schatz has introduced ID700, a new software synthesizer that’s inspired by Don Buchla‘s rare Buchla 700 synthesizer.

The instrument offers 12 voice polyphony, fourteen complex envelopes per voice, two waveshapers per voice, MPE support, microtuning support and more.

Here’s what he has to say about it:

“In 1987, Don Buchla released the Buchla 700 synthesizer. It was the next logical step from Don’s previous digital synths (the Buchla 400, Touché, Buchla 500) but was also influenced by the synth trends of the 1980’s, specifically FM synthesis and the all-in-one workstation concept.

As usual, Don was ahead of the curve and the 700 never took off. Very few were sold and even fewer functioning units exist today. I always loved the sound of Don’s digital oscillators, and combined with the scarcity of the instrument it seemed like a fun project to recreate it in software and reintroduce its concepts to the world.”

Features:

  • AUv3 and IAA support on iOS
  • Twelve voices of four operator FM with twelve unique algorithms
  • Fourteen complex envelopes per voice
  • Two hundred professionally designed presets
  • Two waveshapers per voice
  • Over forty factory wave shapes plus an editor for user created shapes
  • Scala scale file support with over four thousand included tunings from the Scala scale archive
  • MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) capability for MPE controllers like the Roli Seabord, Linnstrument, and Sensel Morph

Here’s a video overview by The Sound Test Room:

Pricing and Availability

ID700 is available now in the App Store for $7.99 USD.

 

11 thoughts on “New iPad Synth, ID700, Inspired By Rare Buchla 700”

      1. Hey, is this actually true? It specifically says:

        Compatibility
        iPad
        Requires iPadOS 11.0 or later.

        Do I have to hack around, or will it simply show up in my daw? Have you tried this app specifically? I would be curious to know if the interface scales well. I still have a little life left in my intel Macs, so I’m waiting for the next generation.

        Also its only an $8 app, so this would seem weird.

        1. I haven’t tried it with this app, but I’ve done it with the moog iOS apps, and I have Korg Gadget running on my MacBook Air, too.

          1. The app developer has to enable compatibility. A lot of them haven’t yet, because there’s some work involved in getting it to work right when you move it from an iPad to a computer.

            Moog did it right with Model 15, it was a completely free update and now it runs great on macOS.

  3. Its honestly amazing. I bought it to check it out, and have spent days tinkering with it.

    such a unique synth. sounds are so rich

  4. Why is there so much talk about Buchla?
    Isn’t it a straight up FM synth?
    No complex oscillators? No LPG:s? No source of uncertainty?
    Isn’t DX7 a better reference?

    1. The Buchla 700 was a futuristic 80’s synth that was way more powerful than the 70’s Buchla modulars. And it was way more powerful than a DX7.

      Buchla synths were pretty much tied to universities until the last five years or so, so most people have never seen these things unless they went to a music school that had a Buchla.

  5. This is an incredibly useful tool for programming. easy to use and with a flavor that isn’t exactly like previously existing FM.

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