Entineering, a new German Eurorack company, launches its first five MIDI-focused modules (FM Playground synth voice, dual LFO…), each with a unique button concept.
It’s no secret that Synthesizer players love knobs for programming and tweaking sounds. The more, the better. You can find a lot of them on the Eurorack module. If you have a whole modular system in your system, you have a knob wall to tweak.
A new German Eurorack company with the funny name Entineering (Ente (duck) + engineering) is taking a different approach to modular and doing it almost without knobs. Who needs knobs when you have buttons?
They have just released their first five MIDI-focused modules, including an FM synth voice called Entineering FM Playground.
Entineering FM Playground
The highlight of the first wave of modules is the FM Playground, a new FM synth voice that authentically emulates the OPL3 chip used in the SoundBlaster and AdLib sound cards.
The module has an impressive 18 independent channels with 36 operators. Six channels can be configured to use four-operator FM synth patches, while the other can have two-operator settings per channel. A polyphonic mode is also onboard and you can save patches in 99 program slots.
Then, all the channel and operator parameters can be tweaked on the front panel, however, not in the classic way with knobs but with buttons. There are two knobs, everything else is mini buttons.
You can find buttons for the operator selection, feedback, waveform selection, frequency ratio, ADSR envelope, and more. In addition to a display, FM Playground also offers a good set of I/O.
Audio from the module goes out via two dedicated outputs (L/R), enabling stereo audio output. Six fully-assignable CV and gate inputs allow you to control parameters with control voltage. Next to this is MIDI in and thru on mini-jacks with full support for MIDI CC, velocity, and aftertouch for the parameters.
LFO, Meter..
The second biggest module in the Entineering’s module lineup is an 8HP MIDI-controllable LFO. Like the previous modules, it is fully programmable using buttons, instead of knobs. It features six selectable waveforms with five variations and a built-in clock multiplier with six settings.
The module offers two independent outputs (0 to 5V or -5V to 5V) that can be configured differently, including the modulation depth, but follow the same common base clock. You can save the configurations in the module.
A highlight is its extensive connectivity. In addition to the clock input and tap button, it hosts a MIDI interface with in/tru mini-jacks for syncing it with the MIDI beat clock. The MIDI functionality also allows you to recall settings via program changes and to use scaled waveforms by MIDI CC commands.
Talking about MIDI connectivity, another new Entineering module is the CC8, a new MIDI CC to CV converter. It gives you eight independent outputs, each configurable between 0 and 5 and -5 to 5 Volts. It comes with an easy-to-use learning function and a MIDI interface (in/thru) on mini jacks. So
Plus, there is also a 3HP MIDI Mult with LED visualization that distributes one MIDI input to four outputs. Lastly, we have Meter, a new metering module with a bar graph to visualize incoming audio or control voltage signals.
It supports control voltages from 0 to 5 Volts, 0 to 8 Volts, -5 to 5 Volts, and -8 to 8 Volts. The obligatory button is also included; this switches through the different modes.
First Impression
At the moment, there are no demo videos for the modules, which makes their first look more difficult, especially the Entineering FM Playground. But you can say that they are very special modules. I think it’s good that they want to try new things. Otherwise, there is too much repetition. Playground looks like a
However, I am very unsure whether this will be accepted in the Eurorack world. On the other hand, the extensive MIDI support of the modules will be better received. There is still relatively little of that.
The new Entineering modules are available now: FM Playground for 390€, LFO for 240€, CC8 for 190€, Meter for 59€, and MIDI Mult for 49€. Delivery is currently limited to Germany; other countries will be added soon.
More information here: Entineering
LoL if you want your eurorack to look like a Siemens system.