The Electro-Music emSynth Promises To Make Modular Synthesizers Small & Cheap April 24, 2013
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Amsynth.pngemSynth, the electro-music synthesizer, is a compact miniature modular synthesizer system designed for ‘anyone with an interest in low cost modular synthesizers’.

By low cost – they plan to sell the modules for about $15 each.

Here’s the official description for the emSynth modules:

Traditional modular synthesizers are large, wall-sized investments in sound. They are composed of racks containing modules that cost $300 or more each. emSynth replaces these racks with breadboards holding tiny modules that cost about $15 each. This is made possible by several choices including open electronics and breadboard connectorization, plus the advancements in electronics miniaturization in the past 40 years. Of course, the circuits are simplified – and many are digital as well, adding to the unique quality of emSynth’s sounds. You can build an emSynthesizer and reconfigure it at will for under 1/20th the cost of traditional big iron synthesizers. With that you get portability and flexibility also.

emSynth essentially creates a new form factor in the world of modular synthesizers: the breadboard! The history of emSynth goes back to the 1970′s when a man named Stanley Lunetta pioneered the use of tiny digital chips called CMOS (pronounced sea-moss) in creating music. Stan made beautiful copper art sculptures out of CMOS chips that blinked and buzzed and whirred with elegant complexity. Fast forward to today and a crowd of modern enthusiasts are carrying on Stan’s work and adding to it on a daily basis. Much of the activity is discussed on the electro-music forum named after Stan, the Lunetta forum. The emSynth circuits are derived from this ongoing category of music system exploration. We are just beginning to scrape the surface of what is sure to be a wealth of discovery as time unfolds before us. For now, some of us Lunetta designers have gotten together to bring you a small yet rapidly growing collection of miniature music modules that are collectively known as emSynth.

Developed Modules

  • Oscillator
  • Sine Wave Thing
  • Stereo Out
  • Stereo In
  • Pseudo Random
  • Step Sequencer
  • Any Gate
  • Melody Generator
  • Spacializer
  • Ring Modulator
  • LED Display

See the Electro-Music site for details. [Synthtopia]