Moby Pixel MiniTeensy Synth is a new Teensy-based DIY polyphonic, Minimoog-inspired virtual-analog Synthesizer with USB audio.
The Black Friday sale is in full swing. This year, there are also numerous hardware synthesizers on sale. However, it’s possible that the right deal isn’t among them, or perhaps you’d prefer to build your own synths.
If that’s the case, here is a project you should check out. YouTuber Moby Pixel has created the MiniTeensy Synth, a DIY instrument that pays tribute to Bob Moog’s iconic analog monophonic Synthesizer.
Moby Pixel MiniTeensy Synth
The MiniTeensy Synth is a DIY 6-voice polyphonic virtual-analog Synthesizer built with a Teensy 4.1, a small but powerful microcontroller, for around 40€.
According to Moby Pixel, MiniTeensy Synth takes inspiration from the classic Moog Minimoog. His version has 19 rotary encoders, a 16×2 IC LED display, and a menu encoder with push button functionality.
Since this is a DIY product, including the case, you can of course customize the layout and design completely. At its core is a 6-voice polyphonic virtual-analog synth engine with features familiar to the Minimoog.
Three oscillators, each with six selectable waveforms, form the sound foundation. Oscillators two and three have dedicated frequency controls. Then you have an oscillator mixer and a white/pink noise generator.
The filter is a 24dB Moog-style ladder filter with classic cutoff and resonance (emphasis) controls. Like the original, it also has a dedicated ADSR envelope.
Alongside this, it also has another envelope for the VCA and an independent LFO that can be mapped to the pitch, filter, and amp. There is also a macro knob system that lets you remap the filter knobs to LFO controls.
The special “gnar”, “dust,” and “magic” knobs are basically empty knobs that can be mapped in the menu to existing features or later implemented ones.
Patch Storages & More
The MiniTeensy Synth also features multiple play modes, including mono, poly, and legato with glide.
Unlike the original or the Behringer Model D, Moby Pixel also implemented a preset system, allowing patch saving. The firmware ships with 20 presets, but there is space for more.
A highlight is the USB audio support. This is possible because the Teensy 4.1 supports USB audio right from the start without extra modifications or hardware. This lets you send audio to your DAW with a simple USB cable.
Of course, MIDI support is also included with MIDI channel selection or omni mode.
First Impression
A great project that Moby Pixel has created here. The sound quality obviously doesn’t match that of high-end emulations, but it’s surprisingly good for a DIY open-source project.
I’m curious to see whether the community continues to develop it. Perhaps there will eventually be ready-made builds for those who aren’t so DIY-savvy.
The firmware for the Moby Pixel MiniTeensy Synth is open source and available for free download from GitHub.
More information here: GitHub
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