Tiny DIY Digi-Synth That Doesn't Look Like It Sucks...

I don't want to count my chickens before they've hatched or anything, but I have the distinct impression that I scooped both CDM and Matrixsynth on this item, unless my memory (which, I'll grant, is getting a bit sketchy in my advanced years) is totally out of whack.

This is the Shruti-1 by Mutable Instruments, a DIY kit that isn't for sale yet, but soon will be, according to the website. The digital oscillators, envelopes, MIDI I/O, and front panel are controlled by an AVR chip of the sort you'd find in an Arduino, and the filter and VCAs are honest-to-god analog in the form of a CEM3379.

The page is a bit sparse at the moment, but there are three sound samples up. Two of them in particular intrigue me to no end, as this little thing definitely seems to have an unique personality that appeals to me.





I really like that FM, and there are several different oscillator modes to choose from. This kit seems to be eminently hackable, and I predict, should he be able to bring it to market, it will do exceedingly well. That's a big 'if' though, and as we all know, it's vapor until we have it in our sweaty hands. (Note that Adam found this; I missed it entirely, which is entirely unlike me.)