Soma Laboratory has introduced Terra, a new synth that they describe as a “highly conceptual device”.
Behind the extremely simple interface hides a complex polyphonic, microtonal synthesizer, with a broad and flexible sound palette that ranges from classical beautiful tones to complex atonal noise, and offers smooth and fast transitions between these extremes.
The keyboard design invites new playing techniques and covers the full range of a grand piano, with the possibility to tune each note with an accuracy of 125 steps per semitone.
The keyboard consists of 12-note sensors, with velocity and pressure sensitivity allowing for the manual creation of slow attack and vibrato, 4 dynamic sensors for timbre modification and control, 4 pitch-shifting sensors and 2 hold sensors for holding the state of the timbre and note sensors.
“Terra is our dream about a bright future where we will be both technologically advanced and more connected to nature,” they note, “where machines and technology are not a prison for our feelings and spirit but their extension.”
Inside Terra there is a three-axis motion sensor for creating a variety of different modulations by simple intuitive movements of your hands and body.
Terra is digital and contains 32 complex synthesis algorithms. Each algorithm has been carefully designed to be a complete and flexible musical instrument on its own, ready for learning and playing in its own unique way. The goal is to free the musician from long exhausting programming, setting hundreds of parameters for creating one timbre, and instead putting the focus directly on music and performance and following your imagination and inspiration.
Terra has a simple interface that gives you instant access to all its functions in several touches, including saving and loading the 96 presets that are stored directly on the playing sensors. Terra has no display. Instead it shows and lets you dial all necessary data on the 6 LED-sensor triangle in the center.
The housing of Terra comes from a solid piece of wood, making each instrument unique and slightly different. In the photo above and in the announcement demo video you can see the prototype of the synth.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing and availability is to be announced.
now THAT is advertising
This is really ”Thinking out of the box”, but I have my doubt about the commercial success of this 😀
Soma always innovating, their contribution to the synth community is fantastic.
Russian company! No thanks. Illegal and immoral to purchase. Do not support fascism, do not buy anything from Russia. They are murdering thousands of people in Ukraine as we speak.
Do not support Moog or MakeNoise or Pittsburgh Modular or Fender or Gibson!!!! America is murdering thousands in Syria and Somalia!! They murdered 10’s of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan!!!!
ANd it’s all the fault of Moog and the synth companies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your comment seems to imply that all Russian people support the war.
We all know that’s not the case, punishing decent Russian people for the decisions of a war mongering leader seems wrong to me.
kwk, would you mind telling me which country are you from?
Now that is just stupid. The Russian people are not responsible for the horrors. Also, I highly doubt anyone from Soma Laboratory is supporting Putin, or out there shooting and bombing.
I guess we’re just going to pretend that Soma themselves haven’t gone on record denouncing Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Textbook racism…
Nationality is not race, and refusing to put money in the Russian economy is not prejudice.
Not prejudice, just stupid, stupid generalization.
Soma is an anti-war company. I would be happy to support them if I could, but when I tried to make a direct order a few days after Putin invaded Ukraine, it was blocked due to sanctions. Putin is a murderous dictator, but the rest of his country shouldn’t suffer for his actions. Not every Russian supports the war, just like not every American supported the Vietnam war, or Desert Storm, or dropping two atomic bombs on Japan.
While I don’t think the Russian people as a whole support the war, I think sanctions and boycots are the only way to mobilize the people of Russia to kick their mentally disturbed Czar Vladimir the Terrible to kingdom come and start a real democracy. This has to happen, and anything we can do to speed up the process is something I support. And unfortunately, yes, this means I will always try to avoid buying any product from which Russians benefit financially, and I take this so far as to try and not buy any product from countries reluctant to cut their economic ties with Russia.
In 1917 it took famine, military disaster and economic crisis to shake up the Russian people enough to finally make them oust the incompetent and self-indulgent Romanovs. The same will be necessary this time round.
Is that horrible for the Russian people? Absolutely. But not half as horrific as being an innocent Ukrainian child and getting hit by a missile. Also, not half as horrific as what Czar Vladimir has done to many Russian people he doesn’t like, while the rest sigh, wring their hands, or applaud, and move on. The sooner they decide to rise the sooner they’ll be actually free as well. They just need a little more motivation, and every time we avoid buying a russian product, that motivation will grow.
Don’t stop buying Russian products because you hate Russians. Stop buying Russian products because you think they deserve a better system than the one they think they have to put up with.
Purchasing a Soma product is not illegal. They are not on anyones sanctions list. They are not owned by the Russian Federation or anyone on the list. As for it being immoral, do you know for a fact that the people at Soma support the war in the Ukraine or do they object to the war. It is pretty hard to tell when they live in a country where saying so will get your business shut down and you and your employees arrested. It is one thing to put sanctions on an oil company or an Oligarch but sanctioning citizens and small businesses isn’t going to change the war. Strengthening the citizens of Russia will only help in getting rid of Putin.
Very reductive! You can be Russian and against the war. Also the company operates in both Europe and Africa, if you do some research and check over their website you will realise that Soma is not the enemy and their entire philosophy about peace and community!
Being against the war is great and I applaud that they are vocal but that doesn’t make it okay to support the Russian economy. Not buying Russian isn’t about punishing the companies, It’s about punishing the entire economy of a country that is invading.
Same thing, It’s a stupid act.
Afaik they are mostly based in Poland nowadays.
The founder of Soma is Ukrainian.
From Donetsk, according to a 2019 interview in Perfect Circuit.
Now based in Moscow.
Vlad Kreimer should put out a statement in these ‘interesting’ times.
Is it Z or blue and yellow?
Or too scared by dictator putin, like a large amount of the Russian population.
If you want to get an idea what Russia’s citizens think you could do a lot worse than searching for ‘1420 russia interviews’ on YT. The are carefully worded street interviews with ordinary folks. Generally very nice and smart folks with a lot of love for other countries…Not a lot of love for grandad putin.
He left Ukraine to live in Russia, so it does not count.
I believe he fled Donbas (Ukraine) to Moscow as the war broke out, but later relocated things more into Poland. If you are worried, that the tax from your purchase will go to the Russian govt, then you need to check – it might be shipping from Poland. BTW I’m Russian, and not everybody here supports fascism, and not everybody sits idly doing nothing about it.
you sound so reasonable and well informed… im definitely going to follow your advice
Cringe.
Beautiful instrument.
V.K. speaks Russian and if I’m not mistaken he comes from Donetsk, the Russian-speaking area of Ukraine. But what does the original nationality of the company or the owner have to do with it? They make instruments of music not fucking weapons.
Music is universal, it doesn’t discriminate, I’m not a sheep listening to fucking politicians telling me how to think and what to listen to. Yep, I pre-ordered this beautiful instrument, and I’m smoking a Cuban cigar.
V.K. speaks Russian and if I’m not mistaken he comes from Donetsk, the Russian-speaking area of Ukraine. But what does the original nationality of the company or the owner have to do with it? They make instruments of music not f**à!é** weapons.
Music is universal, it doesn’t discriminate, I’m not a sheep listening to old politicians telling me how to think and what to listen to. Yep, I pre-ordered this beautiful instrument, and I’m smoking a Cuban cigar.
Music can almost certainly discriminate if you want it to – just saying
True, I meant music without words.
He left Donetsk to live in Moscow, not Kyiv.
So it clearly shows his position.
Also, not even one post about what is happening from Soma in their social media. Pretty saying for itself.
“So it clearly shows his position.”
No, I don’t think so, for many reasons. Principally: you can’t change a system by ignoring it. Russia is the sum of its people, not just its government. One day Russia will be free of the tyranny of its current government.
V.K. has made a very clear statement. Crystal clear. Eloquent, hear-felt and erudite. If you look you will find it on the Soma website. It’s over 90 pages long.
I am vehemently opposed to Russia’s war of aggression and those that support it (Chinese government for one) but would without doubt support Soma.
Some of Soma’s engineers are ex-military. What would you prefer? Those engineers producing high-tech weapons or high-tech musical instruments?
> No, I don’t think so, for many reasons
When russia attacked Ukraine in 2014, he relocated to russia, so it is pretty evident, no matter how “liberal” he (or other similar persons) imaging themselves.
Not to mention the state of liberty in russia, so it is seems quite strange to relocate and then complain about personal freedoms and other issues.
Also, making a business all these years and paying taxes is direct sponsorship of current war.
> Russia is the sum of its people, not just its government.
Exactly! Every Ukrainian (including myself) knows and feels this pretty well, for more than a century. It is really about the people, most of them. Otherwise it would be different now, and in countless situations before.
Before you point the finger at V.K. and tell everyone not to support his life’s work check your facts and give him a right of reply.
You want to personally destroy his life because you suspect him of being politically opposed to you?
Check your facts and give him the right of reply or you are no better than grandad putin himself.
Oh, really? How did Russian people discriminate Ukrainians? I got a number of Ukrainian-born friends here in Russia. And plenty of friends from Kiyv and Odessa. Don’t mix politics with ordinary people. There was no discrimination towards Ukrainians, stop telling nonsense. Sure, some imbeciles in Russia use derogatory terms when speaking of Ukrainian people. But the same can be said about some Ukrainians.
No country can be treated as the sum of it’s people. Just because you don’t know each and every person. Unfortunately, propaganda from both sides turn people against each other.
If i decided where to live only based on the integrity of a government there wouldn’t be much room left on this poor planet.
If i have an idea and want to make a business out of it, i move to where there is opportunity to create and make a profit, and I personally would remain neutral on political issues.
It’s a russian company which pays taxes in russia, and tax money is how russian regime finances war against Ukrainian women and children. If you buy from any russian company – you support the war with your money.
À little bit simplist that meaning – it’s the gas and petrol that finance this war. Don’t get the wrong enemy.
And is it ethical to buy american gear? “Freedom fries”, anyone? Is it ethical to buy stuff from China? Keeping in mind what they do to Uyghurs? Make your own decisions. Stop believing all the bullshit each side wants you to believe.
I know it’s not the point you’re making, but there actually is no ethical consumption under capitalism, for all the reasons you mentioned and the environmental damage and labour exploitation built into every purchase.
Do not buy anything from humans. They are killing each other. Do not support human race.
*facepalm* talk about cringey music tech
Soma make a very clear statement on their website.
https://somasynths.com/the-book/
Which, I guess, isn’t too surprising given the nature of their work.
And great because I like the look of Terra!
The witch hunt has unfortunately landed on this site as well. The mods should perhaps block comments on this article.
Soma’s Facebook on February 28,2022
Grzegorz Lacek here, the Head of Soma EU. Poland.
The war between Russia and Ukraine comes as a shock to us. We don’t know how to react or what to write, nothing is the same anymore. Skipping the war with silence is impossible. Talking only about music as if nothing happened, is also impossible. We stopped any posts.
We are against all forms of aggression. We are against the wars, We are against THIS war too!
SOMA has always been a community with a strong and clear philosophy, not a typical company. We are not interested in soulless machines, but in humans and the organismic interaction with them. The times of Covid have shown that we can be together, even though we only have virtual contact. We are reducing this distance by creating Soma Zanzibar, we are currently creating similar places in the Czech Republic, USA and UK to connect us closer. We do not pay attention to nationality, skin colour, religion, sexual orientation or political views. It is normal that there are many things that separate us. BUT we are connected through music beyond all divides.
I am a Polish citizen. Poland has had difficult historical experiences with both Russia and Ukraine. We could still hate each other with the past in mind. But Poland today supports Ukraine. Is now also open to refugees from Ukraine and helps as much as it can. You can hate me, it’s a good time, but I will also say something that you should understand as an open-minded person from Soma society: I will not give up my friendship with my friends in Russia either. They are great people and it is not influenced by their nationality or Russian political leader.
SOMA instruments are produced on a mass scale in Poland, 9 out of 10 of you have instruments from Poland. You may not even know it. SOMA instruments are produced by about 70 people now, also citizens of Russia and Ukraine, they live in Poland. SOMA instruments are in every corner of the world and so far no one has asked about their nationality.
Please remember that we are all ONE PEOPLE, interconnected in so many ways.
SOMA will always stand for peace, unity and bringing people together through music.
– With love and sadness from Poland
________
… on March 4, 2022
Dear Soma community!
We would like to say THANK YOU for your support and responsible comments under the last post – we are with you and for you!
Also we inform you that SOMA has decided to stop payment of fees to Russia from SOMA EU sales for at least 6 months or for a longer time. This includes personal fees to Vlad Kreimer. This money will instead be spent on support and development of the European part of SOMA and SOMA community.
Grzegorz Lacek, Head Of Soma EU
Hi, everyone! Vlad Kreimer is here. I think there is need more explanations here. It’s not a conflict or separation inside of the company. We are still friends and partners and even become closer to each other during this hard time. The decision was made collectively and it is only about money for the limited period of time. The money will be spent to damp difficult circumstances and sustain further production of my instruments. Intellectual property and my rights are preserved. All instruments still made by SOMA with love and a piece of my heart inside.
Everyone should chill out. No matter what stance Soma has, this still looks (and sounds, but mainly looks) like one of the silliest purchase of all time. Don’t waist your money. There isn’t any ripe fruit on this tree.
If Soma wanted to make instruments that please everyone they would just copy others works or making a cheap keyboard with poly after touch and MPE support.
To steal a pun from Dave Stitch, it’s an inna-log synth.