Gear Selector

Synthesis Technology

The method and technology used to generate sounds. Your choice will have a lot to do with the type of sound you are looking for. Read more here.

Polyphony

The number of notes that can be played at once, also known as voices.

Patch Memory

Synths with digital patch storage have the ability for users to page through various sounds settings very quickly since each one is saved to memory and can be called up instantly. Other synths do not have patch memory and the sound they make are whatever you see the sliders, knobs, and switches set to on the front panel. This might require you to write down the synths settings if you want to change them now but use ones you have dialed in again at a later time. These are referred to as manual control synthesizers.

External Control

This is the ability to control the unit from a computer, sequencer, or other device. The standard control protocol today is MIDI (musical instrument digital interface). Before MIDI was CV (control voltage) for monopohic (one note at a time) synths and Roland developed DCB (digital control bus) for polyphonic synths. MIDI superseded both however CV is the primary method to interface modern EuroRack synth modules with each other. If you want to use a synth that only has CV or DCB control you will need a Midi to DCB or MIDI to CV interface to control it with a sequencer. Some of our synths have no external control and must simply be played on the keyboard in order to trigger sounds.

Parts Capability

The is the number of types of instrument sounds (or patches) that can be played from one unit at the same time. When synths can play more than one part they are referred to as multitimbral. For example, strings playing the chords, piano playing the melody, and the bass part, all from one keyboard or sound module. That would count as 3 multitimbral parts. Most of our units are monotibral, meaning they can only do one sound at a time.

Self explanatory:

Unit Type

Brand/Make

Decade of creation

Color

Wood sides