Interesting news are coming from Japan. A few years ago, REON, a Japanese manufacturer, has launched the Driftbox Synthesizer with Roland on the market. Unfortunately, there was only few coverage on the media for this synth as well we heard near nothing from the developer but now there are apparently news. For this year’s SynthFest UK, the manufacturer will present 5 new products in the REON range. On a purely Japanese website, there are more detailed informations. If you trust the Japanese website, the Synths have been around for a year there but it looks so that they have not yet introduced worldwide.
REON Driftbox SE Digital Paraphonic Synthesizer
The REON Driftbox SE is a digital paraphonic Synthesizer with 2 digital oscillators and an analog Steiner Parker filter. It features also an impressive amount of connections on the backside.
Features
- 2 digital oscillators
- 6 waveforms
- Oscillator cross modulation operates with the “drift” joystick
- Hard Sync function
- VCF: 12dB/oct Steiner-Parker Analog Low-Pass Filter
- Envelope: AD / ASR – 2 EG and Reverse Mode
Connections
- VCA CV In
- Gate Out
- Gate In
- VCO1 CV Out
- VCF CV In
- CV1 In
- CV2 In
The website announced a price of ¥ 56,473 (424€) and a special price of ¥ 45,360 (340€)
REON Driftbox S
driftbox S is a Synthesizer composed of the first 100% analog components released from REON. The name comes from the Synthesizer · geek slang, “drift”, which means that it makes a rampant, uncontrollable movement.
Features:
- 2 analog VCO’s that cover from LFO to audible range (0.3 to 14kHz)
- Cross modulation makes bold sounds possible
- 4 pole – 24dB /oct analog lowpass filter (Cutoff, self-oscillation resonance)
- Noise Generator (White noise)
- External sound input
Connections
- Output
- External Audio /VCF In
- Modulation In (VCO1 & VCO2)
- Sens In
- Gate in
The website announced a price of ¥49,464 (371,50€) and a special price of ¥ 39,800 (299€)
REON Driftbox J – Programmable Joystick
Driftbox J is the first VCA-CV controller + sequencer in the series, assuming a combination of a Driftbox S / R Synthesizer and an external device such as a sequencer. Two large joysticks control the CV output on the X axis with VCA on the Y axis. Although oscillator is not installed in Driftbox J itself, by inputting audio and CV / GATE / MIDI signal from the outside, it is possible to change the level and pan without changing the audio signal groove, output the processed CV It is possible to manipulate parameters of other Synthesizers.
Features:
2 Joystick VCA controller
- XY dual CV controller
- 2 C manual CV output control and attenuation
- 2 channel programmable CV sequence output
16 steps · Program memory
- Step input and manual / loop input
MIDI / GATE synchronization
- Master / slave operation with gate pulse signal
- Slave operation by MIDI
Connections
- MIDI In
- Gate In/Out
- Audio In (2x)
- Audio Out (2x)
- CV-A / CV-B 1ch /2ch
The website announced a price of ¥ 42,876 (322€) & a special price of ¥ 34,560 (260€)
REON Driftbox R_Limited Analog Synthesizer
The REON Driftbox R is a compact full analog Synthesizer that are great for creating crazy uncontrollable sounds.
Features
- VCO block – Common to VCO1/2 (Frequency, volume, modulation amount (EG or FM)
- VCO switch (high/low – octave range, waveform switching (sawtooth, triangular, square, white noise, pink nose), SYNC)
- VCF block – Cutoff, Reso (self-oscillating with full range), Modulation level by EG
- VCF switch – VCO1 /VCO2 – modulation change by each oscillator, modulation level adjust with VOL
- CV switch – V LINK: CV signal from the outside is input to VCO 1 and VCO 2, sound can be generated with the same voltage
- ENV (EG) block – Attack, Decay (AD), Sustain (ASR) and Release
- ENV (EG) switch – INV/NOR: ON – envelope inversion – AD/ASR: AD – Attack & Decay Only / ASR – Attack, Sustain, Release
- VCA block – ENV Depth – set the modulation volume level of ENV for VCA – HOLD: OFF Pause / ON with the GATE signal or trigger switch – Continually pronounce regardless of the presence or absence of the GATE signal
- OUTPUT block: VOL: adjust master volume / OUT: Master output switch on/off
- TRIGGER block: trigger EG with Gate signal. Gate Out – Signals are also output on the back panel
The website announced a price of ¥ 54.000 (405€) & a special price of ¥ 39,800 (299€)
Driftbox R(_midi) Dual Voice Analog Synthesizer
Driftbox R(_midi) is a new version of the Driftbox R with new MIDI functionalities and a new ladder filter.
Features
- Complete analog circuit
- 2 VCO 0.1 – 10kHz
- VCO1: Square wave, Noise, sawtooth wave
- VCO2: Triangular wave/ sawtooth wave
- FM Modulation
- Cross modulation
- Oscillator Sync
- New VCF – 24dB /Oct Ladder analog filter
- Envelope: ASR /AD envelope generator (EG) – Pitch EG moduleable
MIDI reception function
- Dual voice performance with MIDI input is possible
- Pitch bend / portamento can be received from MIDI keyboard etc.
- MIDI channel selection (1 to 16 ch, factory setting is 1 ch)
- Supports abundant analog external input / output, patching with modular synth
Connections
- MIDI In
- Audio Out
- VCA CV In
- Audio Out (Mini-jack)
- Gate In/Out
- VCO1 CV Out
- VCF CV In
- MIDI CV1 Out
- MIDI CV2 Out
- CV1 In
- CV2 In
The website announced a price of ¥ 60.480 (454€)
All informations coming from a Japanese PR website. If there are wrong informations, please excuse for this because the website is entire in japanese but translated via google in English.
More informations here: REON Synthesizers
LEDs are clearly too bright just like the earlier models. Will not be able to operate the synthesizer because my hands will be clutching my eyeballs in pain.