Buchla Ziggy, announced at Superbooth 2026, is a new West Coast synthesizer, but it’s been delayed because of hardware changes.
At Superbooth 2026, Buchla surprised visitors with the Ziggy—the first portable Buchla Synthesizer that follows the workflow of a traditional programmable synth, without patch cables. They had a working prototype on site and planned to ship it in the autumn.
However, that is no longer happening. In a statement, Buchla announced that Ziggy is delayed and will not ship until the end of the year, as the synth has undergone major internal improvements
Thanks to public feedback and work on the first unit, they decided to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, build cost, build quality, and user interface.
They spent the summer reworking the circuit for better sound, easier manufacture, and better alignment with supply chains. This includes:
- customized some parts for better feel on the fingers
- USB audio, MIDI, and power on a single USB-C connection
- redesigned modulation to make them more complete
- improved memory usage for more presets
- a browser-based editor for both librarian and creative control of Ziggy
According to Buchla, they will be receiving their first articles soon, having just wrapped another round of pre-production prototyping.
I find it very positive that they decided to improve the synth in that advanced state. Otherwise, it would have been released rushed and unfinished.
That might well have led to an early MK2 version incorporating these improvements—leaving early customers unhappy. It’s good that they stepped in and made these improvements right away themselves.
Buchla Ziggy is available now for pre-order for $999 or 1039€.
Available from my partners
Available to pre-order from partners
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Perfect Circuit
Article from May 5, 2026
Superbooth 2026 will feature up to 300 exhibitors. And every now and then, there’s a big surprise. This year, it’s coming from Buchla.
The American manufacturer is usually known for its larger and more expensive synthesizers. Now they’re taking a different route. Ahead of Superbooth 2026, Buchla has released the Ziggy Synthesizer.
Buchla Ziggy
Ziggy is a new West Coast Synthesizer, and it’s the most portable and accessible Buchla synth so far. It has a flat design with a slanted interface. Looks cute to me.
According to Buchla, it incorporates many of the Buchla innovations long taken for granted: digital control over analog audio, additive synthesis, unique and musical interactions, and more.
Ziggy consists of classic analog complex and modulation oscillators. The complex oscillator starts with a sine wave and adds frequency and amplitude modulation via the modulation oscillator. Plus, you have a timbre wavefolder to add harmonics.
The modulation oscillator can operate at low or audible frequencies and has selectable shapes, including sawtooth, square, and triangle. You tune and quantize for Western and non-Western scales.
Buchla Modulation
Like a classic Buchla Synthesizer, it has no traditional filter. Instead, it has an advanced low-pass gate (LPG) that operates as a VCA, filter, or both, with a Sallen-Key filter architecture.
Envelopes are blended shapes, rather than traditional ADSR, encouraging discovery rather than precision. Also onboard is the Cycler modulator, which offers a variety of mixable shapes. You can easily assign it to parameters to create living, breathing sounds.
On top of that, you have an XLFO that acts as an extra LFO with a triangle shape, mappable to any parameter.
Digital
While the core of the Buchla Ziggy is analog, it offers the advantages of a digital Synthesizer. A digital effects unit shapes the final sound with a selection of reverbs, a pitch shifter, flanger, delays, distortion, and more.
Neat, you can save your favorite patches in the user memory to recall them later. Or use one of the 100+ factory presets.
On the connection side, it has 1V/oct pitch, gate, and CV inputs, so it works with Eurorack synthesizers and the Buchla LEM 218 controller. Also onboard is USB-C MIDI support, five-pin DIN MIDI, and a Type A 3.5mm MIDI port.
On the audio side, you have stereo connectivity via 6.3mm mono sockets and a phone socket. The synth can be powered over USB-C with a power bank, computer, or wall adapter.
You can use a web browser with WebMIDI to edit and archive patches, and to update firmware as we improve it.
Early Impression
This is a big surprise, and a very positive one for me. An affordable Buchla is something many have been waiting for. Ziggy looks like an exciting West Coast synthesizer with a modern mix of analog and digital.
Buchla Ziggy is available now for pre-order for $999 or 1039€.
More information here: Buchla
Wow a new mini Buchla. That looks very desirable!
Interesting, do you know who designed it? Was it Roman from Black Corporation?
Oh, yes, another mono synth for $1,000. The samples above of its capabilities are the most repetitive monotonous boring things I have ever heard. It is like something you play to torture someone for hours. Nothing musical whatsoever. What in blazes is this thing for? Dinking around in your basement making weird sounds? I really don’t get who the market is for.
Many people enjoy this and there is a market. I’ve told you several times: just because something doesn’t fit in your music thinking or music doesn’t mean it’s bad in general, and there is no market for it. Otherwise, can we ask the same question about your beloved workstation market.
“Dinking around in your basement making weird sounds” describes the last 10 years of my life.. Preordering!
bad day?