Erica Synths have announced they’re taking orders for their EMS Synthi AKS-influenced SYNTRX analogue matrix synthesizer. You can pre-order it now for €2,500 and they’ll soon be shipping worldwide.
The E.M.S Synthi AKS, 1972.
The Erica Synths SYNTRX is not an exact replica of the groundbreaking Synthi AKS – nor is it supposed to be. Erica’s ambition was to build a matrix synthesizer that mimicked the workflow and features of the Synthi AKS for a new generation of analogue synth users.
The EMS Synthi AKS was the machine that inspired a generation of sci-fi sound effects. It was designed by David Cockerell whose contributions to the Akai MPC-60, MPC-3000, S-900 and S-1000 place him in the highest tier of engineers. When released in 1972 the Synthi AKS was popularized by Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Jean-Michel Jarre. Its innovations also heralded a new era for The BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
The Matrix
The SYNTRX is Erica Synths’ first collaboration with fellow Latvian engineers at Riga Technical University. It focuses heavily on three highly accurate VCOs (8 octave) and a digital matrix. Gone are the board game pins from the E.M.S Synthi design that originally freed us from patch cables, and you can now save the matrix configuration – a truly powerful addition.
Two external analogue inputs can be routed through it’s matrix to a ring modulator, resonant filter, output signal filter, spring reverb, 3 x VCA’s and an ASR/AD looping envelope generator. If you were to buy these modules individually you would’ve already passed Erica’s price point, and that’s only the beginning.
Two analog outputs also give you external processing options. MIDI IN and THRU sit alongside two CV inputs and one Gate input. All of this routability makes the SYNTRX a perfect fit in a modular system.
Erica or Behringer?
Behringer’s Synthi software design model using Siemens’ Digital Twin technology.
Around the same time Erica Synths announced their production, Behringer revealed that they have partnered with Siemens to develop their own Synthi AKS-inspired product. Using Siemens’ groundbreaking Digital Twin technology they’ll be able to design hardware within a software package that adapts to a fully automated manufacturing plant to be based in Malaysia.
Digital Twin technology has previously been used in the automotive and aeronautics industries, but this is the first time it’s been applied in the music technology field. Streamlining the process of research and development while minimizing human error is bound to deliver faster and cheaper products to a growing user base. It may be some time before you see a Behringer Synthi clone rolled out, though. The question of how soon you want to get your hands on the controls should be considered if you’re thinking about waiting.
The Cloney Project, VCS3 Clone.
Another option is the The Cloney Project‘s VCS3 Clone. The DIY kit is a viable prospect if you have the skills of an electronic engineer with a lab worth of tools and equipment to build it.
Considering the time, effort and cost required compared to paying €2,500.00 right now for the SYNTRX brings everything into focus – especially when you can save a matrix patch.
For more information on the SYNTRX or to place an order, visit the Erica Synths website.
Image credit: Erica Synths, Soundgas, Behringer, The Cloney Project
