Wirehead Instruments Basilisk, hybrid generative bassline Synthesizer

Wirehead Instruments Basilisk is a new hybrid bassline Synthesizer with digital oscillators, an MS-20-style analog filter, and a generative sequencer.

In recent years, many small synthesizers from independent companies have come onto the market designed for jamming on the go. One of the most fun and unique is the Wirehead Instruments Freaq, a two-voice 8-bit FM synth that is paired with generative sequencing.

Wirehead Instruments’ second synth release is based on the Freaq but offers a new hybrid engine, allowing the exploration of different timbres.

Wirehead Instruments Basilisk

Basilisk is a new hybrid generative bassline Synthesizer powered by an Arduino Nano V3. Don’t fear—it’s not another 303 clone or emulation.

Its hybrid core uses two dual digital oscillators with saw and square/pulse waveforms. You can also detune the oscillators in a way that they always stay musical, promising the developer.

They also offer PW with manual and LFO control over the PWM, plus a pitch envelope and glide. Pitch envelope control is a neat addition, allowing you to make more percussive-oriented sounds.

The two-oscillator signal then goes into an MS-20-style 12dB resonant multimode filter with selectable resonant lowpass and non-resonant highpass options. An analog filter drive from -20dB to +20dB saturated overdrive in the Wirehead Instruments Basilisk adds spice to your squelching and screaming MS-20-styling filtering effects.

Modulation is also onboard. There is an exponential AD (attack/decay) envelope with shape control and it is routable to the pitch and/or filter cutoff. Interestingly, the latter is digitally controlled.

Besides this, you have a multi-wave LFO with a selectable destination: cutoff, envelope (attack, decay, or depth), note length, PWM, detune, octave, or sequence length.

As an extra bonus, you can also process external audio via Basilisk’s external input, which accepts a wide range of signals from 1v p-p to 10vp-p.

Generative Sequencing

A highlight of the Wirehead Instruments Basilisk is the generative sequencer taken from the Freaq FM. It has multiple inspiring algorithms that can generate sequences of up to 16 steps, including scale notes, runs, scale-arpeggio, and call/response. 

The user interface allows you to interact with it in different ways by adjusting, for example, the rate and note density, tonic, octave, and scale. On top, you record parameters in it using Elektron-style parameter locks. There is also a tap tempo function.

On the hardware side, it has a mono input and output, sync in/out (0-5V rising-edge and compatible with Korg Volca, Eurorack…), ten potentiometers, and six buttons.

First Impression

The first two demos make the whole thing sound a lot of fun. The generative sequencer, which constantly spits out new, inspiring content, is responsible for much of its charm. However, it’s a bit of a shame that there is no MIDI with which you can record the output.  But a very fun, portable bassline synth.

Wirehead Instruments Basilisk is available soon for $240 (DIY) and $310 (assembled)

More information here: Wirehead Instruments

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