Dreadbox NYX reissue brings the atmospheric-sounding dual filter analog Synthesizer back to the market as an affordable pre-soldered DIY kit.
Hades, Erebus, and NYX are three popular analog synthesizers by the Greek company Dreadbox. After all three were discontinued a few years ago, Hades and Erebus made a comeback as reissues in 2022—more precisely, in smaller and more affordable Eurorack mountable versions.
If you look at the 2022 release, one was missing. The black one with the lush reverb. Now it is finally back as well. Dreadbox has just unveiled the Dreadbox NYX reissue in the same format as the other two synths.
Dreadbox NYX Reissue
NYX Reissue is a faithful reproduction of the original Dreadbox NYX (v1) Synthesizer. Not v2, which had a slightly different circuit design.
Like the original, it’s a full analog paraphonic Synthesizer with two oscillators, each with two waveforms, separate glide controls, and hard sync. Plus, you have pulse width on oscillator 1.
The complex routing option is a special feature of the original NYX and the reissue. It allows you to change it with a switch knob and thus create different sounds.
In the NOR position, both VCO’s go into the first filter; in SPLIT mode, VCO1 flows into filter 1 and VCO2 in filter 2. Then, in HALF mode, both VCOs go into filter 2; in VCA mode, the oscillators go straight without filtering into the VCA.
The NYX reissue also hosts the same smooth dual-state variable filter with 24dB and 12dB/oct slopes and special routing options. You can choose between lowpass, highpass, even, and odd settings.
You can manually tweak the filter with cutoff and resonance controls and adjust the position of both filters with a dedicated slider.
Modulation & Lush Reverb
The modulation is also not super standard and a bit more unique than on classic synths. NYX offers three loopable envelope generators with rise and fall controls, a noise generator, and triangle wave LFO for vibrato effects.
Yes, the modulation goes deeper, especially on the filter. Here you can also choose between different filter mod routings with a switch knob as well (SINGLE, DUAL, SPLIT, or ODD).
In a Dreadbox NYX reissue, the super lush-sounding reverb that characterized the sound of the first two generations cannot be missed. You can control it with three parameters: time, decay, and mix.
The structure of the reissue is also semi-modular and offers a neat patch bay with 18 Eurorack-compatible patch points on the right side. Unlike the NYX v1 and v2, the NYX reissue (v1) can be used as a USB-powered standalone synth or as a mountable 42HP Eurorack synth voice.
First Impression
I am pleased that the NYX follows the same path as the Hades and Erebus. Also, in a new affordable version that works both in standalone and Eurorack modules.
The NYX was always the most special and bizarre of the three synths because it had many routing possibilities. I am looking forward to getting my hands on this new version.
Dreadbox NYX Reissue is available now at 270€ + VAT as a pre-soldered DIY kit.
More information here: Dreadbox
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