Isla Electronics (formerly Isla Instruments) Caladan multi-timbral hybrid poly synth is now in the pre-production phase, plus new engines, including an Andromeda emulation.
Brad Holland of Isla Electronics (formerly Isla Instruments) has been working on the Caladan for more than three years: a desktop hybrid multi-timbral Synthesizer that, in terms of features, is a true flagship instrument
According to the latest information, Caladan is currently in the pre-production phase. A release is planned for this summer. Over the past months, the developer has turned it into an almost production-ready Synthesizer product.
Multi-Timbral With Voice Cards
As a reminder: Caladan will have eight parts, each with its own synth engine based on either custom-designed voice cards or native running engines. They enable analog, digital, or hybrid synthesis instruments. Already finished are the following voice cards
- DCO3, an analog 3-oscillator voice card with analog filters and VCA.
- OPL3 is a 6-voice 4-OP FM/subtractieve hybrid card with analog filters based on the Elka Synthex
- Quadrowave: 4-voice digital wavetable with analog SSI2144 filters, containing 256 waveforms with morphing
Still under development but in its final stages are two other synths. Callisto is an authentic emulation of the Roland JP-8000 supersaw synth, with 16 voices per instance.
Another Synthesizer coming to Caladan is not yet listed on the website. Brad recently unveiled an emulation of the legendary Alesis Andromeda, which is also nearing completion.
This is the world’s first emulation of this synth. According to Brad, he modeled the ASICs, the Moog 921B VCO, the SEM state-variable filter (SVF), and the Moog ladder for it.
More cards are also coming in the future. In the forum, he said that he wants to focus for now on the cards with analog components.
Programming & VST Hosting
Each of these engines is a fully functional Synthesizer and fully programmable on the Caladan hardware. So, you can have a different synth in each part. Or you can pack 8 analog cards into it to get an 8-voice polyphonic analog synth.
Additional editors will be available for programming them as well. Cleverly, they are built into the unit, and the UIs are transmitted via the synth’s HDMI output. So, they are not dependent on other OS. In the picture, you can see the editors for the Andromeda and the Callisto.
For sample fans, it also houses a multi-sample playback engine with up to 32-note polyphony per instance, using SoundFont (SF2 and SFZ) files.
On top of that, if you need more instrument power, you can even host Linux VST3 and LV2 plugins in the Caladan. For all those who describe hardware digital synths as a VST-in-the-box synth, here you finally found your final boss: hardware that can load VSTs.
Mixing With Plugins
A big mixing system regroups all eight parts. For each part, you have a dedicated channel strip where you can add up to four insert FX per part plus two 2 AUX sends. For the insert FXs, you can choose onboard FXs or host VST3/LV2 effects plugins as well.
Alongside this, each part comes with performance features like arpeggiator, step sequencer, trance gate, and more.
Isla Electronics Caladan – When?
If everything comes together harmoniously in the end, it’s a flagship synth that can do analog, hybrid, and digital with VST hosting.
Brad Holland still needs time for that to happen. As mentioned at the beginning, Caladan is currently in the pre-production phase.
Whether he can stick to the summer 2026 plan remains to be seen. The Caladan is a huge project, and I’m looking forward to when the instrument is ready.
Early adopters were able to pre-order the synth back in 2023. The pre-order list will be open again for everyone else interested once the final, production-ready revision has been built and fully tested.
More info here: Isla Electronics
Article from September 29, 2023
Isla Instruments Caladan is a new hybrid analog/digital 8-part multitimbral poly synth inspired by the FutureSonus Parva.
In the middle of summer, when things are quieter in the synth world, Isla Instrumenten announced the Caladan. A hybrid, multi-timbral Synthesizer based on the concept of the Futuresonus Parva.
Good news from Isla: the Caladan is available now for pre-order. Plus the complete feature set is now official.
Caladan Feature Set
According to Isla Instruments, Caladan is an expandable 8-part analog/digital multi-timbral desktop Synthesizer module boasting multiple synth engines by way of voice cards. It shares much of its DNA with our S2400 desktop sampler and the Futuresonus Parva MPE Synthesizer, released in 2015.
The engine is pretty wild. Without any voice cards installed, Caladan is a 32-voice (target) digital Synthesizer with both synthesis and Soundfont (.sfz2) and SFZ multisample format playback ability. They also plan to add a host to run Linux VST, LV2, and CLAP plugins, possibly multiple. You get:
- 3 Digitally-controlled analog oscillators per voice with multiple waves, PWM, and hard sync
- 2x configurable voltage-controlled filters per voice (24dB/12dB Oct lowpass or highpass modes, 12dB bandpass mode) and filter FM
- 4x ADSR envelopes per voice with exponential + linear modes and loop function
- 4x multi wave LFOs per voice with stepped LFOs, free-running/key-sync and polyphonic aftertouch
The analog part comes into play via cards with up to 8 voices. But the cards can also be digital or hybrid. Plus, the API will be open-sourced, allowing third-party developers to create their own voices for it.
Isla Instruments says the unit will ship with an improved version of the original Parva voice card. But there will be more voices: dual OPL3 4OP FM card with analog filters, SEM/OB-X, Minimoog, SH-101, string machine, and more.
Furthermore, it will also have full MPE support.
Connectivity
On the backside, you get eight stereo output busses, main & sub-mix outputs, 5-pin DIN in/out/thru, USB host and device ports, and four independent CV/gate inputs.
The user interface will have RGB-LED rings, enabling simultaneous viewing of parameters across different voices/cards per knob. For visual feedback, that’s a great addition. The enclosure will be made of a high-quality steel/aluminum enclosure, comparable in build/looks to the S2400.
The Pro Synth Network videocast had a live show with the developers today. There is an extra discount; the code was announced on the show.
Isla Instruments Caladan is available now for pre-order in two different versions: $949 with two cards and $1149 with four cards. One is the improved Parva voice card.
They estimate Caladan to be shippable by July 2024. Important: the price is an early bird offer intended to help finance the development and move the project forward. This looks like a very exciting hybrid Synthesizer project.
Article From June 30, 2023
Analog polyphonic synthesizers were popular in the ’80s. Juno, Jupiter, CS-80, PolySix… to name a few. In recent years, the enthusiasm for analog synthesis has returned. First in heaps of monophonic synths, and later with new affordable polyphonic instruments.
One of those who caught this new trend of the 2010s was FuturSonus with the Parv, an exciting boutique digitally controlled multi-timbral poly analog Synthesizer. However, the business and project failed after only a few batches. Isla Instruments, the developers of the SP2400 drum machine, now want to revive the Parva operation concept under the name Caladan.
Isla Electronics (Isla Instruments) Caladan
It’s not official that they want to revive the FutureSonus synth concept, but the new Caladan has an interface with many similarities.
The knob layout in rows and several displays to the left are strongly reminiscent of the Parva. It’s basically a digital front panel with all the controls powered by a matrix format.
Caladan’s core is, however, different from the interface. It’s like an all-in-one box. It features a polyphonic SoundFont engine allowing you to play back multi-sampled instruments. But that’s only a tiny part.
The most exciting thing is the possibility of upgrading the synth with new voices. Inside the synth, you get eight expansion slots that can be filled with different analog or digital synth voice cards.
According to Isla Instruments, they will develop voice cards with the OPL3, SID, SEM, SH-101, Minimoog, Pro-1, and more.
Every synth voice is realized on expansion cards, and all are operable by a common UI. And another great news, they open this platform to third-party developers.
The backside of the first Caladan design looks also very promising. You get USB hosts, as well as individual voice outputs.
Currently, there is no sound demo of the synth. Caladan is currently in development but in the early stages. Isla Instruments published a video about its interface on YouTube in April
A very exciting Synthesizer project. Especially the idea of offering synth voice cards that can be exchanged is very interesting. I look forward to more information.
Isla Instruments Caladan availability and price TBA. Caladan is fully in development, and more information will follow when there is more available.
More information here: Isla Instruments
This is literally a black box. Nothing to see on the pictures. With that lack of contrast it will be next to impossible to use it in live performances.
it’s an early prototype, we must wait for the final product
Use your eyes. This is a render :’)
A black on black render it is 🙂
I hope it has nothing to do with Brad Ferguson, the original creator of the Parva. Whilst I think his early efforts were made in earnest, he completely abandoned the community of supporters and followers, and stopped responding to outstanding quality issues and bugs that make the Parva unusable!
don’t have info on this
I just checked his website. It’s a guy called Brad…Holland.
Brad Holland is the founder of ISLA, not Future-Sonus, founded by Brad Ferguson. Ferguson worked many years in China in the electronics industry. They are unrelated, however what I was saying is that I hope this is not a collaboration between the two entities.
I don’t think as the Caladan will be another synth with other features
Future Sonus not longer exist and Brad from Isla took over the Parva project rights etc.
I haven’t used my Parva in a number of years, but don’t remember any problems. I need to pull it out again I guess.
It is very usuable and works great, do you even have one?
Jesus. I’m getting shades of the Waldorf Kyra here.
let’s just hope Isla don’t abandon the users a few years down the road like Waldorf did.
The cowards.
Initial Parva backer here. This Isla Electronics concept seems cool, and I hope it’s successful, but yeah, there are some similarities between this and the Parva development and release (not just that both guys are named Brad). Both 1) appear (on paper) to be really cool synths 2) to be mostly be a one-man show, and 3) the development and release have been fairly drawn out.
Yeah, the Parva DID have problems: the rollout was slow even to the Kickstarter backers, and when it finally arrived many units were buggy or had hardware problems. Some folks had it better (almost no problems), others worse (almost unusable). I was sort of in the middle. No show-stopping issues for me, just some performance/operation irregularities for sure. The firmware and OS updates helped…until the updates just stopped. I think Brad Ferguson just got snowed under with the problems, as he also became a new dad around the time this was happening.
Soooo…once this rolls out, and I see some confirmation it’s a solidly performing product, hell yeah, I’d be interested…
Such an ambitious product makes me wary. It remains to be seen if it’ll be released in an actually usable state and if they’ll go the Redshift 6 route, providing constant updates.
If the base unit loading samples and Linux plugins is finished, maybe he should just release it as is and then do the voice cards.
I just feel this is too much in such a small package. Kind of competing with Zynthian DIY project, but there’s a reason projects like those are extremely niche and why limited synths like the Prophet 6 are found in stages and studios. around the world
How I’ve waited for a desktop/ rack Andromeda. Will definitely keep an eye out for this one.
This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting devices in recent times, and there’s a lot of competition.
Hopefully the architecture is flexible enough to allow solely filter and fx cards to shape the other cards’ output.
Either way, a great form factor, feature set, kvm, open architecture, clearly a heap of horsepower built in. For those saving up for a flagship that can evolve with them rather than be frozen in time once bought, this is one to watch.
For existing eurorack designers it’d be crazy not to investigate how they could adapt their modules for this.