Hampshire Electronics’ Vulcan Mk2 8-voice polyphonic analog synth for Eurorack is set to launch on 31st August.
It features two complete synths — an analog polysynth and a digital synth — in one instrument. Each synth is complete in its own right but built to play side-by-side.
Absolutely no digital influence on the analog synth, right to output. The separate digital engines span FM, wavetable, noise, modal, and Karplus-Strong physical modelling.
They can be run separately and independently, together or layered. Warmth, drift and character of analog with precision and range of digital. The synths share the control surface, modulation system and performance framework but their audio paths are entirely separate.
There are plenty of dedicated controls for the analog synth, including per oscillator, tuning, waveform and encoder panel controls.
Polyphony depends on how many oscillators make up a single voice.
- 1 osc/voice ? 8-note polyphony (16 with the second card)
- 2 osc/voice ? 4-note polyphony, with independent Osc 2 tuning
- 4 osc/voice ? 2-note polyphony, huge stacked unison
- 8 osc/voice ? one colossal monophonic lead
Analog-digital layering allows for sound shaping not possible in other ways. The two engines can be detuned against each other, and there’s a dedicated Tune Defeat mode which locks the analog voice to its calibrated pitch so it tunes perfectly with the digital engines.
Features
- Analog and digital – two synths
- Dedicated analog panel controls
- Total voice flexibility
- Analog + digital layering
- True polytimbrality – by MIDI, keyboard segment, CV/Gate
- Per-voice offsetting and detune
- Comprehensive CV and Control I/O
- Advanced MIDI control
- Per-Layer Modulation
- Self-calibrating Analog tuning
- Optional effects card
- 37 HP Eurorack module
Specifications
- Format: Eurorack, 37 HP.
- Power: +12V @ ~520 mA, ?12V @ ~380 mA (16-pin Eurorack power header).
- Analog engine: 8 analog oscillator voices with analog sub-oscillators, filter and VCA per voice; voice modes from 8-voice polyphony to 8-oscillator unison.
- Digital engines: 2 independent engines, 8 voices each; synthesis types: 6-operator FM, wavetable (32 sets), noise, modal resonator, Karplus–Strong string.
- Envelopes: 4 ADSRs (VCA, VCF, 2 assignable), graphical editor.
- Modul tion: 6 mod sources (8 types incl. Euclidean and probabilistic gates); 2 × 6-slot mod matrices; 8 performance macros; assignable-control takeover of any destination.
- Arpeggiator: polyphonic, with harmony, strum, pedal-point and generative probability/ratchet/chance; internal, MIDI or gate clock.
- Effects (optional board): stereo width, distortion, bit-crusher, phaser, granular, chorus, delay, reverb; stereo output.
- Control inputs: MIDI IN (TRS); 4 × V/oct; 4 × gate; 4 × per-voice analog FM, VCF and VCA inputs (audio-rate capable); 3 × assignable CV.
- Audio outputs: main mix out; 4 × per-channel voice outs; stereo e?ects L/R.
- Controls: 5 panel pots, 3 assignable pots, 2 wave buttons, 3 encoders (DATA / MOD / ENV), OLED display.
- Presets: 16, storing the complete instrument state; 8 multitimbral performance slots.
Cost around $940. Product page
