Modern Synths with that Vintage Hybrid Sound pt1.

I, like many other wigglers - enjoy the sound of a hybrid synth; digital (usually crusty) oscillators tamed by thick, chewy analogue filters. It's a sound that ahem...some people...like more than vintage VCO's! Digital oscillators span a delightfully odd range of wave shapes and can often be combined in novel ways.

I own some delightful hybrids - the Korg NJM2069-based DSS1 can run single-cycle (DWGS) waveforms or short samples through a delicious 2/4 pole analogue filter. There's hard sync, built-in EQ & a very special sounding stereo modulated delay. It's big on sound, but even bigger in size :D

The AKAI S700/VX90 combo is also pretty special. When it chooses to work, a 13-pin cable allows you to run digital waves or samples through the CEM 3394 filters - with optional filter FM & a subtle chorus on the output. It can sound pretty otherworldly! Alien soundscapes pour out of another favourite, too - the Ensoniq ESQ1 - digital waves into a CEM 3379 with sync & AM - wild!

Of course, vintage hardware might be:

• Expensive
• Huge
• Reliant on obsolete media (or in need of a modern storage solution)
• Prone to the occasional malfunction

So I find it fantastic that many modern synths can offer these magical hybrid sounds, too. There are tonnes of them, but I thought I'd highlight a few that appeal to me.

Suonobuono Polyvera

The Polyvera; I've only had it a week - but I'm already in love. In many ways, the Polyvera is an extremely experimental, forward thinking instrument. It's got Ringmod, FM, FFM, digital effects and a deep modulation matrix to take you down some fresh cinematic, or experimental alleyways.

But in other ways, Polyvera takes the best of the past too...there's both wavetables and sample playback, but no multisamples - so PCM sounds are stretched unnaturally across the stave. There's clever options which recreate the tones of the Wave 2.2 & Ensoniq Mirage (including one mode that emulates of a fairly broken unit!) and the all-important analogue filter:

"Polyvera implements one analog filter per voice, with 8 filter types to choose from. The filter is based on a classic chip design from 1980, however the actual filter circuit is original and not copied from any specific instrument. Note that the resonance of the filter is more pronounced for low Filter Drive levels and the filter input is nicely overdriven for high Filter Drive levels. The filter self-oscillates at maximum resonance and can be used as a sinusoidal oscillator."

Combined with the right PCM samples or wavetables, you can quite easily dial in iconic sounds, no floppies required - but of course, one turn of that FM knob can catapult you to new heights that few vintage units can reach!

https://suonobuono.net/polyvera/

Liquid Sky D.Vices PPG 2.2 X4

The PPG Wave needs barely an introduction: 1982, 8-bit wavetables and a legacy of classic pop hits. Now available in Eurorack form, the 2 oscillator PPG W2.2 X4 sounds phenomenal. Now, you'll need a VCF & envelope, which you probably already own, to recreate the full signal path (handily, the W2.2 already includes a VCA) - but once assembled, it packs a punch.

Sharp, bit-encrusted basses pour out of the thing, and drone work is aided by the very playable sliders - perhaps adding some wave-shaping distortion as the piece evolves. With all the original wavetables, you can choose to keep it classic (within mono/duophonic limitations of course) or push things in new directions with the Glithc Expander:

"The PPG W 2.2 x4 is compatible with the GLITHc ExpendR, for bit-by bit hacking of each wavetable, patchable circuit bending, MIDI interface, bitwise operators, internal sequencers, and utility mults. (While the GLITHc functionality can be used with both modules, V4CO cannot be converted to PPG W 2.2 x4 or visa versa.)"

I like mixing in a touch of these hacked-bits, recreating the noisy frontier of vintage digital sound.

https://www.liquidskyartistcollective.com/liquid-sky-d-vices/ppg-w22x4

Two great options for vintage hybrid sounds then - join me next time, where we'll take a look at Waldorf, PWM, Sequential & Mutable Instruments!