We cover so many projects here at Hackaday that lead the author down a rabbit hole of technological investigation that distracts us from the task of bringing them to you. Such a project is polyUAnalog, a very modern take on an analogue synthesizer. If you are imagining a synth of old with modules and patch cables, think again. The modern way to do this is it seems to use an individual synthesizer chip for each voice, resulting in a very versatile instrument indeed.
The integrated circuit in question is the AS3397, which when coupled on a PCB with a Raspberry Pi Pico makes for a self-contained single-voice analog synth. It’s controlled via I2C from a conductor board for which frustratingly the README doesn’t give a processor, but we think may be powered by another Pi Pico. This board does the job of taking MIDI and other controls, and farming them out tot he individual voices. The prototype has ten, but it can support many more.
It’s the work of a pair of researchers from the University of Angers in France, and we’re told it’s a side project from their work in the field of spectroscopy. There’s a video about it which we’ve placed below the break, and they’ve also written a paper about it.
I don’t know much about this kind of synthesizers, but chaining together a string of digitally-controlled analog synthesizer chips seems kind of brilliant.
Or is that just my ignorance talking?
z80 did wonders inside analog synthesizers, and there are numerous examples of classic analog synths with digital control over patches/settings/voltage tracking
“them out tot he individual” is my most common type of typo. I’m glad to see someone else doing it.
I’m convinced there’s a delay line going to the muscles of my left arm. The keystrokes from that hand seem a hundred milliseconds delayed from the ones from the right, and the right-hand character sneaks in ahead. Jenny seems to be left-handed by that example.