Gearnews reports that a handful of new synthesizers are pushing the boundaries of sound creation with unconventional technologies.
The KORG Phase8, developed in KORG’s Berlin R&D lab, generates tones electromechanically by vibrating metal tines, allowing players to shape timbre with a pickup and even alter the tines themselves, according to the article.
Suzuki’s Omnichord OM-108 is described as a modern electronic autoharp that lets users trigger full chords via a button matrix, supporting up to 108 chord variations, and adds a strumplate that produces distinctive patterns.
Gamechanger Audio’s Motor Synth MKII employs eight brushless motors that spin optical discs, producing musical notes that are read by infrared sensors; the unit also includes a digital voice, analog multimode filters, envelopes, an arpeggiator, sequencer and external inputs for vocoder and side‑chain processing.
Make Noise’s Strega is characterized as a hybrid drone synth and delay unit that can generate continuous tones, process them through built‑in filters and delays, or function solely as an effects processor, a design created in collaboration with Alessandro Cortini.
SOMA’s Lyra‑8 features eight paired voices with frequency modulation, a complex low‑frequency generator, and modulation delay and distortion, while its capacitive button surface replaces a traditional keyboard, enabling drone‑style performance and intricate harmonic tuning.
For more information, visit gearnews.com.