Doboz DVNA: a chord and texture Synthesizer playable with touch

Doboz DVNA is a new chord-and-texture Synthesizer with four oscillators, playable via a 12-key capacitive keyboard.

The days when synthesizers could only be played with traditional white/black keyboards are long gone. Nowadays, various playing surfaces are available, including touch-capacitive keys. A new Synthesizer from Budapest is taking this approach.

Doboz has introduced DVNA, a new chord-and-texture Synthesizer playable with touch.

Doboz DVNA

DVNA is a new compact digital touch Synthesizer. According to Doboz, DVNA is designed to create rich harmonic textures with minimal effort.

Play a single key and get a chord, or intervals of your choice across its oscillators – with monophonic input but polyphonic output.

At its core is a digital subtractive synth engine with four multi-wave oscillators with shaping capabilities. FM synthesis is also possible with the four oscillators.

The oscillators can be independently tuned or quantized with the 25-scale note quantizer with a selectable root note. Unique is the way DVNA mixes the oscillators.

Instead of individual mixer levels, it uses a level-morphing engine that sweeps through pre-defined level configurations with a single knob.

Things get interesting when you modulate this parameter, creating rhythmic movements. The same concept applies to the panning.

Then, you have a stereo multimode filter with low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass and 12dB and 24dB options, plus classic cutoff and resonance controls.

Shaping & Modulation

You can refine the sounds with a soft-clip overdrive and with a reverb or delay FX. A bit of a downer: you can use only one at a time. Alongside this is a bit-crusher and decimator that awakens the DVNA Synthesizer’s evil, noisy sound.

Doboz DVNA has built-in LFOs to modulate various parameters, including oscillator shape, filter cutoff, level morphing, and panorama morphing. 

Additionally, you have two 3-mode envelope generators, one for the engine parameters and one for the VCA, both with looping.

There is also a single-segment envelope generator called sweep, which modulates the oscillators’ pitches. It’s a great way to add movement to the sound with each hit on the surface.

Touch Playability

The special thing about this Synthesizer is how you play it. It has a 12-key capacitive backlit keyboard that responds to finger contact area, generating a continuous pressure signal that can be routed throughout the instrument. 

Thanks to the built-in quantizer, you can play the sounds in a very unique way using the touch surface. One note or even chords. Even micro-tuning is possible, says the developer. Further, you have a built-in arpeggiator, adjustable glide, and vibrato controls.

Nice, you can save your sounds in 128 presets right in the hardware, keeping your favorite patches ready to recall instantly.”

On the connection side, it has a TRS-MIDI input (type A and B support) with 14-bit hi-res MIDI CC support and 24-ppqn clock sync.

On the audio side, you have a 3.5mm stereo line output and a 3.5mm stereo headphone socket. There is also a USB-C port for power (5V) and firmware updates.

Doboz DVNA First Impression

A lovely, compact touch Synthesizer with some interesting creative ideas. For example, the level morphing and panning are certainly exciting for creating rich, moving textures.

I hope the development continues and more interactive features are added. A parameter or touch recorder would be exciting.

Doboz DVNA is available now for 370€. It ships from Budapest (Hungary).

More information here: Doboz 

Hardware Synthesizer News