Studio Electronics SE-3X Uber-Synth Like A MIDI Minimoog On Steroids

Studio Electronics has introduced the SE-3X, a a three-voice paraphonic synth, inspired by the classic Minimoog, but offering full MIDI control and four discrete, classic hardware filters.

The SE-3X is an evolution of one of the company’s first products, the SE-1(x). It was based largely on the Minimoog, but also incorporated features from other classic analogs, and added patch storage and extensive MIDI control.

The SE-3X features four analog filters, letting you create sounds from a whole collection of vintage analog gear:

  • SE Classic 24dB Moog;
  • SE Classic 24dB ARP;
  • SE Classic Juno/Jupiter: 4 modes: 24dB, 12dB, Mix; and
  • SE Classic 12dB Oberheim: filter incorporates Low Pass & Band Pass modes.

Here’s what’s new in the SE-3X:

  • Software:
    • Exponential glide routine from the OMEGA and the original linear glide.
    • OMEGA / SE-02 Envelope routines in addition to the original linear & magical quasi-exponential Envelopes.
    • Panel control for Oscillator Mix.
    • Panel control for Oscillator 2 & 3 Fine Tune.
    • LFO Gate from our BOOMSTAR / MIDIMINI V30
    • Spice and “poly” nice nice: Paraphonic Mode: for easy and electric 3X chords and colors.
  • Hardware:
    • Two fuzz modes: 70s & 90s. Front panel switchable.
    • RESONANT FILTER COLLECTION: 24 dB MINI, 24 dB ARP, 24dB, 6dB, “Mix Mode” JUNO/JUPITER. SEM remains the built-in filter. Front panel switchable.

Audio Demos:

Pricing and Availability

The Studio Electronics SE-3X is available now for $2199 USD.

25 thoughts on “Studio Electronics SE-3X Uber-Synth Like A MIDI Minimoog On Steroids”

    1. What the eff was that? That track gave me a f*cking headache. Good gawd I hate with a passion that kind of improvisational, emotive jazz crap. Ugh!

  3. Wonder if they have sorted out their envelope generators. My ATC-1 sounds nice – but the envelope generators lack the snappiness of – lets say the Minimoog. In that respect my Boog is much better.

  4. They are in desperate need of an industrial designer. Even for a retro sensibilities this looks atrocious. The sound is another story.

        1. digitally controlled analog synth with full midi support, different types of filters, multitimber with direct outs (code and omega 8), paraphony and stereo analog (omega)…
          and it seems they continue to improved their products, maybe they were just way ahead of their time

    1. You’re probably aware, but their SE1X and ATC units are commercial studio staples; they had a mk ii of their popular boomstar series a few years ago; they have a complete eurorack system also… and they had a hit with the Roland SE-02 collaboration.

      For their size of operation, from this point of view imo they’re more than ‘still around’ and are actually quite busy and chugging along just fine…

    1. good point,
      but to avoid confusion, with mono synth, maybe it’s better to talk about the number of “notes” instead of the number of voices and osc’s.

      like, “it’s a mono synth that can play up to 3 notes paraphoniclly”

      the number of osc don’t necessarily tell the number of notes you can play, waldorf pulse2 have 3 osc but can play 4 notes (with two osc) or 8 notes (with one osc) paraphonicly.

      some organs have one filter and one vca but can play lot’s of notes. i don’t think they are considered “one voice”

  9. Is it just me or does it seem like they just keep iterating on on the same 3X oscillators + (select your filter here) + EGs + amps in the same form-factor? Over the years, I’ve had a hard time distinguishing the differences between their different models.

    Release a synth-in-a-box with at least 6-voice poly and 4+ oscillators/voice and then I will start to get excited. One of the several reasons I stay with soft-synths is the massive number of synths you can stack up with all of those oscillators and all of that polyphony. While VA soft-synths are not quite truly analog-sounding, the best of them are damn close and, to most consumer ears, are indistinguishable from their hardware counterparts.

    In the end, it is the consumers of your music that are paying the bills, not other musicians or mixing engineers. That’s who you are trying to please; that’s who you are creating your music for. And if soft-synths are making the grade, satisfying my customers, that is my goal. Or just satisfying myself in my particular case since I am not a pro, I just do it for the fun and the love of electronic music.

    1. Your comments are contradictory. You say “it is the consumers of your music that are paying the bills” and then go on to say “I am not a pro, I just do it for the fun”.

      Most musicians are amateurs, and that’s the way it’s always been. Grandma had an expensive organ, but was never going to play a concert. Dad bought the family a piano, never thinking any of us would be professional musicians. When I was in high school, everybody wanted a nice guitar.

      Amateurs play music because it’s fun and because it helps us gain a deeper understanding of the music that we love. If you nickel and dime yourself, you’re missing the point.

    2. maybe if you work by the hour but if you just want the music to “be” and exploring places you want to go, “more and easy” are not necessarily more creative. it’s usually the other way around 🙂

  10. This feels right in a Minimoog-style instrument of 2021. With those filter options, you could lean into seriously and not need 2 more synths to cover that, at least in the studio. Sequential’s Pro3 feels like its nearest competitor, even though they come from two different angles. Use the rack holes for a keytar handle and go DEVO live.

  11. It’s not cheap. The interface is a little difficult to look at. For the overall tone and features, though, it may be worth it.

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