FLUX prototype demo (SOMA lab)

Terra Basic Operation (video tutorial)

SOMA Pulsar-23 FX Demo / Anthony Rother processing vocals with Pulsar-23...

...

Soma Pulsar Utilities | Superbooth 23 | Thomann

PULSAR-23 . Yellow Andrew Huang Edition

I had a play with a mates Pulsar-23 a few weeks ago and loved it.

His was a standard version.

SOMA Laboratory, has however recently collaborated with musician/video producer 

Andrew Huang to produce this exclusive edition PULSAR-23

It has a loud yellow exterior with custom knobs which is accompanied by an exclusive 

alligator clip-emblazoned hat.

The Pulsar-23 is a semi-modular drum 

machine with an open-ended approach 

that sidesteps and outright rejects 

classic drum machine tropes. 

Described by its creator Vlad Kreimer 

as "organismic," PULSAR-23 is all 

about building living, breathing, 

evolving rhythmic structures using 

alligator clip patch points and 

physical interaction....

 Like other SOMA devices, Pulsar-23 creates a seemingly organic connection

 between the musician and instrument, tapping into the deepest parts of your 

subconscious to rely on instinct and reaction rather than conscious decision-making.

PULSAR-23's four voices are tailored to produce kick, bass, snare, and hat sounds,

respectively, all of which can be controlled using the built-in recorder/sequencer or external

MIDI or control voltages. But by patching together its many control voltage utilities and

effects, it reveals a unique life of its own.

This Perfect Circuit exclusive PULSAR-23 includes a custom colorway, knobs, and hat

 — all developed in collaboration with Andrew Huang to complement his unique take on this experimental drum machine.

The PULSAR-23 Andrew Huang Edition is available here:

www.perfectcircuit.com/soma-pulsar-23-andrew-huang-edition.html

Cost: $2250 USD

MITL 2023 - part 2

 Some pics from the last modular in the Lounge.

Held in a secret location in Sydney Australia.

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VISIT: SOMA Sound Machines Factory in Warsaw

Rumble of Ancient Times (SOMA Lab main DEMO)

....

This looks really fun. Its a standalone 4 voice 8 bit noise synth  .

It's battery powered and can work up to 130 hours on one set of AAA batteries.

Soma abbreviate it to ROAT.

The built-in sequencer can be synced to an external device and also send clock out.

 

" this synth celebrates and emphasizes what can be achieved with efficiency of code and using chips considered obsolete by industry leaders. We live in an age where text editors can be 1GB or more and simple things like checking email require the latest OS and powerful processing, despite the core tasks being no different than 15 years ago with a fraction of the computational power. (SOMAs website) ."

 

So true.

 

 

ENNER – BODY-PATCHING SYNTHESIZER

SOMA have a new synthesizer. 

It's called the ENNER .

The name's origin is a combination of two words : Inner & Energy

 

As an instrument, ENNER is a unique analog synthesizer with the key principle being that all signals that make sound pass through and are managed by your body. 

 

Your hands become the central part of the circuitry. 

The central idea is that as you touch the different contact pads with different parts of your fingers and palms (with different amounts of pressure) you are letting signals pass through your body. This defines the mixing, volume, timbre, feedback and other parameters of synthesis.

 

 

Human skin has much more complex electric properties than we think. 

Our skin provides not just resistance but also some capacitive properties and even
nonlinear dependence of conductivity from current, its direction and time during which the current was applied. 

 

All of this affects the sound, making you the key part of the synthesis process

 

This makes the ENNER a very expressive sound tool.

It is great for generating bits, pads, FX, noises, clicks and glitches.
It even functions as a unique vocal mic with built-in analog FX and much more.

 

 It’s such a versatile instrument you can do a full live performance using nothing but ENNER!

 

 The main concept was to create an instrument that’s closely connected to the performer's
emotional state, our inner energy. This idea belongs to the founder of SOMA Vlad Kreimer
and Danish sound artist SiSTOR, Dalin Waldo, the designer of the instrument.

She created the design of the front panel (pads layout and handwritten inscriptions) and she came up with the name ENNER.

 

ENNER is a unique electronic instrument that offers pronounced possibilities for sound
extraction. ENNER reacts to the nature of touch, creating many subtle nuances of sound.
For example, two taps on the same pad, but with different pressure, speed, or angle, will
produce different sounds.

 

Technical features.

All pots of ENNER are metallic and also function as inputs or outputs. So touching a pot can
change not only the parameters but also patch audio signals.

 

 The wooden housing is cutom made from the Ash-Tree.

It's not only beautiful, but also provides the necessary acoustic properties for the electro-acoustic part
of ENNER.

 

" It has a piezo pickup attached to the front panel that captures sound from the casing itself. There is a metallic spring and you can attach rubber bands to the panel to create various acoustic sounds. The piezo mic can capture clicks and scratches you make with your fingers, and it also allows you to create filtered feedback."

 

The top panel is constructed with a high-quality PCB with golden metalization of the
conductive pads. The instrument is available in black and red. 

 

 

The triangle section in the centre consists of a modulated stereo delay at the apex followed by a direct stereo input and then a series of  filter arrays.

 

The filters consist of 

HP (left/right) 

BPF (high, left/right)

BPF (low, left/right)

LPF  (left/right)

The bottom of the triangle (NOISE pad) is the output of static pink noise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On either side of the triangle are two synths.

The left one has one master generator, the output of which is divided six times by two with individual outputs for each stage of division (PULSE 1-6).

 

This synth is aimed at creating rhythmical clicks, basses and octave tones. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The frequency of the master generator is defined by the TEMPO knob.

 

 The output pads &1,2,3 are logical multiplications of different PULSE outputs giving additional and more complex rhythm combinations.

 

 On the right side of ENNER, there is a five-voice synthesizer with individual adjustment of frequency for each voice

 

TUNE knobs are also the outputs of the voices, so by touching them you can patch the voices to the filter’s inputs.

 

The synthesizer has separate output pads for each voice (pads OUT 1-5), individual modulation inputs (MOD 1-5) and ring modulation outputs (the RING 12, 23, 34 numbers indicate which voices are sources for the ring modulation).

 

 

 

 

 

Connecting MOD and OUT pads of one voice with your fingers will pitch it up. The fifth voice has an additional modulation pad MOD 5- which can shift the pitch of the fifth voice down (connect it to +12 pad or any pad that has some positive signal including the output of the fifth voice).

 

External in (EXT socket and EXT pad) lets you send an external audio signal to ENNER and process it through the array of filters, delay and other ENNER stuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Availability and price.

ENNER is produced exclusively by the Russian division of SOMA. The price is 440 euros
(excluding VAT, shipping, etc.).
You can order ENNER from the SOMA website, in the future it will be available in stores.

Making the Lyra panel

I've had lots of emails asking how I made the panels for the Lyra Synth.
These weren't made by me.
However, you can make them yourself.The .brd files are here:

https://github.com/oscillosaurus/LYRA-8-PANEL

A BRD file is a CAD file created by EAGLE

The faceplate is actually a PCB.

Here is what the file looks like when opened in EAGLE

 You can also import designs from Eagle into Altium, EasyEDA or KiCad

 The pic above is using KiCAD

 oNCE you have imported these files into your CAD program of choice, you will need to export them as Gerber files.

Using KiCAD as an example:

select File - 

select Plot

 Select Generate Drill files

You need to compress the final files into one zipped folder.

The files can now be sent to your PCB manufacturer.

I'll use JLCPCB as an example.

Use the quote now button

Upload the zipped file then

Check in the Gerber Viewer.

You are just about there.

Tweak colour, etc for your personal taste.

Let me know is there are any mistakes, errors or omissions.
Cheers J

Links
 + Lyra 8 build - part 1 
 + Lyra 8 Part 2
 + Lyra 8 Part 3 is here
 + Making the Lyra Panel face plate

Lyra Build - part 3

Part 3 of the Lyra 8 Build

Part 1  of the Lyra build is here
Part 2  of the Lyra build is here
Part 4: Making the Lyra Panel face plate

Building the lyra is very different from what I'm used to.

It's a bit like soldering an SMD board with through hole parts.
The pots and switches  are wired to pads, .... not into holes in the PCB as you would usually see if you were building a Eurorack module.

The separation of the synth into a control pcb & the main PCB should make trouble shooting easier. I first started connecting the pots to the PCB with left over resistor wire, but in hindsight, insulated wire would be better. ... less chance of shorts.

Lots of cleaning up to do post soldering.

This is the keyboard.

Closeup of the rear of the keyboard section.

Connecting the upper and lower boards.

I'm using insulated ribbon cable and making my own headers.

Make nine 12 pin ribbon cables.
and one 5 pin cable (for the in-out board.

 Lot's and lots of wire stripping. :-)

There are 3 boards to connect ... don't forget the in - out board.

This connects in two spots . One to the main  board, and another to the control / pot board.

tHE shields

tIME TO plug everything in

tHE in/out board connects to your DC power source

tHE case is a bit rough ... just some recycled timber.

will need to tidy up after its fully tested.

Part 1  of the Lyra build is here
Part 2  of the Lyra build is here
Part 4: Making the Lyra Panel face plate