STR-500 Gestural Granular Synthesizer

Yann Seznec is here with another musical contraption from his "Impractical instruments for a problematic world". The STR-500 Gestural Granular Synthesizer is a pull string sampler which plays back your recorded audio as the string is pulled - with an XY controller within the build to enable further FX. It's great to see someone working on such an inventive idea!

Details can be found here: https://lectronz.com/products/str-500-string-sampler

he STR-500 is a sampler that does one thing: you record a sound and then play it back by pulling a string. You travel through the sound in time, so you can pull the string slowly or quickly, or stop in the middle to freeze the sound.

This is where you purchase a fully assembled and painted STR-500! The current model is powder coated blue with a laser etched lid, colored yellow using wax and spraypaint. Each unit is handmade, and the painting, LED color, and button color will vary. There is very limited supply, due to the difficulty of finding the string mechanisms.
 

How is it built?

The string is a part salvaged from an old video game controller called a Gametrak (specifically the 2nd version of the Gametrak). Otherwise the rest of the controls are standard components and the whole thing is running on a Daisy Seed microcontroller.

Can I have one?

I am now actively making instruments for sale. They are currently selling very quickly. Visit the store for pricing and availability. I will only be able to make a few, due to the salvaged nature of the hardware. I will also be making PCBs and perhaps some types of kits for sale soon.

Can I build one myself?

Yes, please do, as part of my work on this project I plan on making a set of documentation that should help people try and make their own versions, detailing how to hack the Gametrak and all of that. In the mean time, the code, KiCad files, build files, and detailed notes are available now on github.

More from Yann Seznec

• F9 Kits Vol 1 & FREE Beat Machine 15-Oct-26
• SLEDGEHAMMER: Music Production Breakdown 14-Oct-26
• In the Studio with Erykah Badu 14-Oct-26
• New MonkeyBoard from Wavy Industries 13-Oct-26
• New Digital Frame Synthesizer by Max for Cats 12-Oct-26