Gene Synths Chromagene is a unique analog stereo polyphonic Synthesizer playable with plenty of touch plates.
A year ago, also in December, I reported on the peculiar Gene Synths Polygene multi-timbral analog polysynth that looked fresh from another synth dimension.
Now there’s news from the developer. Gene Synths has released another fascinating analog touch polysynth, the Chromagene.
Gene Synths Chromagene
Chromagene is an all-analog, multi-layer, stereo, polyphonic Synthesizer with two distinct sections. According to Gene Synths, Chromagene takes inspiration from the earliest polysynths of the 1970s.
There are two sections: the first is an 8-voice 2-VCO polysynth, where each oscillator can be tuned independently or transposed together, while the second is another 8-voice polysynth. It uses the ring-modulated output of each pair of oscillators as its signal source.
In the top panel, there are 16 tuning controls for the eight pairs of oscillators, each with a momentary pitch-bend touch sensor, allowing you to articulate each note individually.
This section is tunable to any scale, from a standard equal tuning to any microtonal, non-Western, or even unison tuning. VCO-1 offers a PWM control, and each set of oscillators has a master tuning control and an individual LFO control.
The lower section consists of eight analog ring modulators that multiply the VCO signals. VCO-2 is converted to a triangle pre-ring-modulator so that the ring-modulated signal is fully continuous and not binary like pseudo-ring-modulators in some synths.
This means you can create virtually any waveform by carefully tuning the input VCOs, and an endless variety of tones can be generated for each note individually.
Filtering & Playing
Chromagene also features two analog all-transistor low-pass filters per voice with independent controls (cutoff, resonance, and envelope mod) and mono and full stereo panning options.
VCF-1 also has mixer controls for VCO-1, while VCF-2 is designed for the ring-modulated tones and offers a LFO cutoff modulation and panning. On the modulation side, it has 16 ADSR envelope generators with independent controls for each stage.
Further, there is also a built-in sequencer that can be internally and externally clocked. If you want more advanced, custom features, you can contact the developer.
Besides its unique voice structure, what makes Gene Synths Chromagene special is how it can be played.
Instead of the classic white/black keys, it features a 16-note gold-plated touch-sensitive keyboard and momentary pitch-bend touch sensors around the oscillators. With these, you can play the analog engine polyphonically and very expressively.
The synth is made in the US and it comes with a hand-made wood case
First Impression
I repeat what I say on the Polygene here. Chromagene is an analog multi-timbral polysynth that stands out both visually and conceptually.
This will certainly not be a best-seller like the Arturias, Behringers, or Sequentials, but it looks like a truly unique polysynth. The sound is great, but nothing particularly unusual or extraordinary, more like classic, juicy, vintage-style analog sounds.
The design and the way the instrument is played make it so beautifully experimental and different.
Gene Synths Chromagene is now available for pre-order at a special introductory price of £1055/1231,94€ incl. tax. Delivery will be approximately one month after you pre-order (date will be confirmed via email).
It uses a standard guitar pedal-type power supply (9V tip negative) and is omitted.
More information here: Genesynths
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