Birdkids Announced RAVEN Analog Eurorack Synth Voice!

RAVEN by the Viennese company birdkids is a full-featured analog Eurorack synth voice that combines the advantages of east- & west-coast synthesis!

At this year’s Superbooth, the Viennese company birdkids has presented CROW, a futuristic and complex hardware interface. So you can make sounds with it, you need sound generators. Birdkids now provides this with a new beginner-friendly analog Eurorack synth voice. Again, one remains to the animal world and calls it RAVEN.

The module is based on a 100% analog, subtractive synthesis architecture but expanded with west-coast inspired VCA. It includes:

Dual, wide range voltage controlled oscillators
Voltage controlled filter (original TheBateleur)
Two voltage controlled amplifier outputs
A high-performance THAT 2162 Blackmer Ⓡ VCA
Optocoupler VCA (west-coast design)

To benefit completely from the Eurorack world, the modules features a wide range of inputs (sync, FM, PWM) & outputs (VCF out…). The RAVEN offers so seen beginners but also experienced users a lot of function inside a compact and proper designed module. If you are familiar with TheBateleur oscillator, you can certainly look forward to the first sound demos of this module.

Press Release

Inclusion Through Synthesis

We’re launching a Campaign to fund a new Musical Instrument which will help raise awareness for issues related to disabilities, marginalization, accessibility and possibilities of social impact through education, in cooperation with NGOs and institutions. We’ve developed the RAVEN, a 100% analog, synthesizer-voice. It is designed, manufactured, and hand-assembled in Vienna, Austria.

The design concept was about combining the raw temperament, charm and beauty of imperfections inherent in analog circuitry with 21st century engineering on the highest possible level. The ideology behind it: we want to demystify the subject-matter of synthesis and make it tangible, gender neutral and above all: fun to use and intuitive through an unobtrusive, coherent design, hands-on-ears-first, human-relatable instrument with a unique sonic character. We will set up a donation pool throughout the campaign to benefit, NGO’s & institutions that target those points with maximum benefit to those in need.

Concept & Design

RAVEN combines the simplicity of a performance-friendly, artist-first, synthesizer voice with modular, infinitely flexible, workflow possibilities. The Human-Machine Interaction aspects are about inclusion in the world of intuitive, educational and therapeutic sound shaping for all audiences and ages through a unique sounding, 100% analog and human-relatable, musical instrument of boutique build-quality at the fairest possible price point by means of decentralization from mainstream retail chains – namely through crowdfunding.

The system-architectural idea was about going back to the basics of 100% analog, subtractive synthesis as a result of over five years of R&D, consolidating a highly complex conglomerate of modular, discrete designs into a slim 3U/42HP (Eurorack) form-factor resulting in a uniquely sounding subtractive, semi-modular, high-performance synthesizer-voice.

The synthesizer-components are comprised of dual, wide-range Voltage Controlled Oscillators, the original TheBateleur (Ⓡ pending) Voltage Controlled Filter, two Voltage Controlled Amplifier outputs: a high-performance THAT 2162 BlackmerⓇ VCA and an Optocoupler VCA reminiscent of legendary West Coast designs.

Input

1V/Oct (Pitch tracking) relative and absolute options for both oscillators and VCF.
FM (Linear Frequency Modulation) per VCO.
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) per VCO.
SYNC per VCO.
Crossfader between VCO’s.
External Audio Signal Input.
VCF Cutoff.
VCF CV Input.
VCF Resonance.
VCA CV Input.

Output

Individual Waveform outs for each VCO (Saw, Triangle, Pulse / Square).
Noise Output.
Filter Output.
Clean Out (Linear THAT2162 BlackmerⓇ VCA).
Opto Out (Optocoupler VCA, West-Coast style response).

Controls

Waveform selection toggle per VCO.
PW position for VCO II.
PWM amount either individually for VCO I or normalized for both.
FM amount either individually for VCO I or normalized for both.
Coarse Tune for VCO I (relative or absolute via jumper).
Fine Tune for VCO II (relative).
Crossfader position VCOs I/II.
External Audio Signal Input Amount.
VCA CV Amount / Initial VCA Gain.
VCF Cutoff position.
VCF Mode switch*
VCF CV Amount.
VCF Resonance position / CV Amount.

The Birdkids RAVEN is available now for pre-order on Kickstarter starting at 549€. First Kickstarter orders will be shipped in March 2019. The MSRP set at 949€ and scheduled to hit stores not earlier than end of 2019.

More information: birdkids

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