Superbooth 23: Elta Music introduced the SOLAR 42, a microtonal polyphonic ambient machine packed with six drone oscillators and more.
Experimental synthesizers usually differ significantly in terms of the range of features or the way they play compared to classic instruments. The SOLAR 50 from the Latvian company ELTA Music also belongs to them. This is a massive analog drone synthesizer with 10 voices playable with a spaceship-looking user interface.
The SOLAR 50 has evolved into the SOLAR 42 for the Superbooth 23. No longer so crazy in the drone business anymore but still as experimental as the SOLAR 50.
Elta Music SOLAR 42
Like the SOLAR 50, the SOLAR 42 is an analog Synthesizer. Only the effects are digital again. Unlike its predecessor, the SOLAR 42 only has 6 drone blocks. Each has 5 oscillators with a tune and own volume controls. You can put them into endless oscillation using the six touch-pads on the right side.
New is, however, two playable oscillators that you can play like regular sound generators or LFOs. All this flows into a new mixing section. Thanks to the all-new stereo signal path, you can pan the oscillators independently to the left and right.
Then, you can shape the oscillators using the built-in dual Polivoks-inspired filter. For the final touch, SOLAR 42 also comes with a dual effector section. Here you will find various effects such as delay, reverb, etc. Not internally as a DSP but again as a cartridge as you know from the former SOLAR 50 Synthesizer.
There is also a new 5-step sequencer, a refined touch-sensitive controller, and a new joystick. The latter has dedicated CV outputs for the X and Y axis.
You can also patch the SOLAR 42 like a semi-modular Synthesizer. Each section has patch points allowing you to dive deep.
First Look
First Impression
An impressive evolution of the SOLAR 50 drone Synthesizer. The fact that you can now do more than just epic analog drones makes the SOLAR 42 much more interesting as an instrument. It’s nice to see that developers still create such unique and wild experimental synths.
ELTA Music SOLAR 42 will go into production in Summer and will cost around 1500€ + VAT.
More information here: ELTA Music
Experimental is a correct term. Great idea, but I still wonder what its added value really is to most of us. Of course you can use it for experimental uses, but there is a lot of experimentation I can reach with my other synths as well..
In any case, kudos for the developers to make it! I wish them all the best.
looks like ugly desktops was the thing this year. oh well…
Will there’s lots of people who love the Soma Lyra, I think somebody who enjoys that type of synthesizer would be interested in this.
I have the Solar 50 from before and my only complaint is you get mono and lose stereo if u use the internal filter and effects. If u want to maintain stereo u have to unfiltered and dry and use external for that. It seems like they have fixed that in the new Solar 42. I won’t upgrade but I wish them well. I have their polivok filter box as well and hopefully they sell a lot of that too.