Erica Synth has announced the fruit of its collaboration with electronic music pioneer Richie Hawtin, in the shape of the Bullfrog synth which has been designed to appeal to, and educate, a younger audience, as well as being accessible and usable by professional musicians.
Features include an analog VCO with CV controlled wave shapes, a noise generator and mixer with external inputs, a VCF, logarithmic VCA with delay effect, two looping envelope generators, gated or free-running sample and hold, plus a Voicecard slot for extra features such as sequencer, sampler/looper, groovebox, more filters, electric organ and so on.
The synth comes with power adapter, user manual, 10 patch notes stencils, 10 patch cables, 3 pre-patched voice cards and 3 DIY voice cards.
As an educational tool, the website and manual lay out theory of sound synthesis and practical ways the instrument can be used in a clear, attractive and easy-to-follow manner.
The Bullfrog itself looks both approachable and capable of producing some interesting sounds, as well as being expandable in many ways thanks to the voice card slot.
Richie Hawtin talks about the playful experimentation afforded by electronic instruments and synths such as the Bullfrog:
“This instrument feels at home anywhere – as an educational tool in music and physics classes, as an addition to your basement studio or even as a tool for performance on a stage,” he said.
The Bullfrog will be available from mid-August, pricing to be confirmed.
