RaspiAudio Modulox Brain is a new pocket-sized hardware Synthesizer with an open-source firmware architecture, including granular synthesis.
RaspiAudio is an independent development company from Paris focusing on dedicated audio hardware for Raspberry Pi projects. The portfolio includes custom DACs, microphones, speakers, and more.
However, this latest project moves away from the Raspberry Pi basis. Modulox Brain is a pocket-sized hardware Synthesizer with an open-source synth engine.
RaspiAudio Modulox Brain
Modulox Brain looks very inconspicuous on the outside, with a small 320×240 color display, a silver clickable knob, and a few buttons. On the inside, however, it is an exciting project.
Don’t be fooled by the company name. There is no Raspberry Pi in the unit. The RaspiAudio team uses an Ardunio-compatible microprocessor with firmware/software developed with Arduino IDE. The hardware also hosts a 24-bit DAC/ADC, a MIDI interface, a micro-SD card, an onboard microphone, and a speaker.
The core, i.e., the firmware/software of the Modulox Brain hardware, is open source and available on GitHub. The developers aimed to develop a hardware instrument with a synth engine environment that would grow over time with the community’s help. That sounds very interesting.
Modu-Grain
Different synth engines are planned: sampler/sequencer, virtual analog synthesis, FM synthesis, and granular synthesis. The included editor makes these easily exchangeable.
Today, RaspiAudio released Modu-Grain, a 4-voice polyphonic granular Synthesizer engine for the Modulox Brain hardware. It’s an engine that applies granular synthesis to samples.
In addition to its built-in ready-to-use factory samples, you can sample in the hardware using the external input or the built-in microphone.
It is not a super extensive granular engine à la Beetlecrab Audio Tempera or Tasty Chips GR-1. Still, it offers various parameters to alter the sound: grain size, density, grain envelope, random playback, and sample duration.
Then, you can refine your sounds with a set of real-time effects, including filter, delay, and an assignable LFO. Everything is visualized on the screen, and all this granular fun is fully MIDI-controllable and recallable from presets.
More Engines
Virtual analog, sampler, FM synthesis… The developers do not yet share all the details about the other engines. Besides the new granular engine, there is a wavetable engine with three wavetable oscillators with custom wavetable support and a parametric filter.
Further, it houses three envelopes and LFOs, an arpeggiator, and a multi-FX processor with two slots, each with up to four effects.
Connectivity
On the connection side, you have an audio input and output, MIDI in/out ports with 3.5mm jacks, a USB-C port for MIDI and power, and a sync RX port. It sounds like a solid set of I/O for the size.
Two magnetic connectors allow the attachment of other MODULOX devices. These are small, affordable MIDI controllers that can have knobs, sliders, or a touch keyboard surface. Once connected, they are recognized by the RaspiAudio Modulox Brain engine, giving you more control options.
The developers also added a nano pad anti-slip bottom to the hardware to give more grip on surfaces.
RaspiAudio Modulox Brain First Impression
On paper, it’s a fascinating project. However, it depends heavily on the community’s input. For that to happen, many people have to buy the Modulox Brain hardware, and some have to develop it for it.
From experience, I know that many projects like this have already failed because there was too little input from the developers and the community. We will have to wait and see how the platform develops, how quickly other engines follow, and how well all this performs.
For now, it’s an exciting project that I will continue to keep an eye on.
RaspiAudio Modulox Brain is available now for an introductory price of 120€ instead of 150€. The firmware/engine is open-source and available on GitHub.
More information here: RaspiAudio
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