Sound Workshop has announced its Quord synth is nearly ready for sale, with a first batch coming in April this year.
Describing it as a “soundbath synth” and a “harmony exploration machine”, it works with just four sawtooth waves which can be controlled for evolving sound.
Each wave can be controlled with a long slider for smooth pitch control and a short slider for mixing. Much like many acoustic instruments, pitch is found by ear and learning rather than having predetermined frets or keys for a particular note — of course this opens up much greater possibilities for dissonance, alternative tunings, portamento and such like.
The mixed sounds flow through a low pass filter and distortion for sound shaping. Filter resonance can be used as a fifth voice that latches onto the overtones of the droning notes. The circuitry is fully analog.
The rhythm circuit is a LFO with sine and sawtooth shapes for modulating the filter cutoff. It can also be routed into the audio mix for asymmetrical distortion.
Connections are an audio output, power input, filter CV/expression input, and audio input.
Pricing at $399. The 40 units up for preorder for shipping in April are already sold out, so if you want one you’ll have to get on board for a second shipment.
