Vaemi Synterra is a new bio-interactive Synthesizer that transforms your surroundings into soundscapes, using synth engines.
A classic Synthesizer has knobs, sliders, and an input device for notes or chords, like a keyboard or touch-sensitive buttons. But there are also synths that create sounds in a different way. For example, by interacting with their surroundings.
In the recent past, there have been synths that made sound from feedback from plants; others captured the raw noise from electromagnetic waves. The Turkish company Vaemi has developed the Synterra, a Synthesizer that combines many of these ideas into one instrument.
Vaemi Synterra
Synterra is a new bio-interactive Synthesizer that is capable of interacting with organic objects, living organisms, and different surfaces in its surroundings. Visually, it has the shape of a brick with a very colorful surface.
Inside, however, the Vaemi Synterra offers quite a lot. There is no keyboard or other keys with which you can play the synth in a traditional way from the interface. This task is handled by your surroundings.
The built-in engine can interact with a wide variety of lifeforms. Synterra can use changes in the magnetic and electronic fields around it. Hold it up to your phone, for example, and it will turn them into sound.
It also interacts with liquid or solid organic materials, fruits, plants, fungi, or trees, using crocodile clips. You can also work with light as it has a built-in light sensor. This way, you can make the synth interact even without an active connection, since the light shines on it.
Another option is the touch-sensitive area on its surface, allowing your own resistance to become part of the music and the patch. In addition, you can add other sensors to it, using clip cables or via the sensor input.
Process Your Surroundings With A Multi-Engine
When you start Vaemi Synterra, it determines its initial position by using the magnetic field of its environment as a reference.
This allows the device to position itself according to its surroundings each time it is powered on and begin processing incoming signals based on this initial reference.
Like the Instruo Pocket Scion, it also converts the signals from living organisms or other sources into data. It has eight different scale options to make them musical. That’s not all.
It then processes this data through probability and quantizer structures, creating an algorithmic arrangement that generates different notes at different times. So, it becomes a generative synth that always creates new output.
To make this data sound, Synterra features nine different synth presets based on various synthesis techniques: subtractive synthesis, wavetable, resonator, Karplus–Strong, drums, and noise.
The engine has up to five voices of polyphony and an octave range of five. It’s tweakable in a limited range with the potentiometers on the interface.
This includes the output level and the amount and sensitivity values. Deeper synthesis controls aren’t available. If you don’t prefer the generative nature, you can also traditionally play the internal sounds via a MIDI keyboard.
Plus, a sample & hold structure is on the note output for organizing the timing of the notes generated by the device and making them move in sync with your music.
Connectivity
Vaemi has built the Synterra Synthesizer to be very portable. You can power it with either batteries or USB, perfect for mobile sound explorations. Alongside the USB port, you also have a MIDI input and output.
With these connections, you can output the data as MIDI information, tweak the engine with MIDI CC, and connect the synth to your computer, phone, or tablet.
Vaemi Synterra First Impression
A very intruiging Synthesizer/noise machine. Nothing completely new, but I find it interesting that all the ideas you would otherwise have in several devices can now be found in one device. And at a very good price.
Vaemi Synterra is available now for pre-order for 85,85€ instead of 103,19€ + VAT + shipping fees. Shipping starts in September 2026.
More information here: Vaemi
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