Electric Atlas Phantom Sun is a new experimental West Coast semi-modular Synthesizer for iPadOS with AUv3 support.
Update: it’s available now!
In recent years, numerous synthesizers have been released for iOS, and a few exclusively for iPadOS. Many follow traditional synthesis methods. However, fewer West Coast synthesizers exist. A new developer wants to change that.
Electric Atlas has today released Phantom Sun, a new original semi-modular Synthesizer with a West Coast synthesis approach.
The Phantom Sun Origin
Phantom Sun is a new semi-modular Synthesizer for iPadOS. Electric Atlas says that Phantom Sun is designed for generative patches, experimental sound design, and expressive performance.
The interface looks fabulous and practically begs you to play with it. That’s how it should be, dear new developers, flooding the App Store with new releases.
A look at the features reveals a strong affinity for West Coast synth-based design, made famous and shaped by the legendary developer Don Buchla. However, Phantom Sun isn’t a clone of a Buchla Music Easel!
Before becoming an iPad instrument, Phantom Sun existed as a one-off physical semi-modular Synthesizer. According to Neil, the developer, he spent roughly two years developing the original hardware instrument shown above.
The hardware was never produced or commercialized; instead, Neil created the Phantom Sun app for iPadOS.
Electric Atlas Phantom Sun
Phantom Sun features 18 different modules, including oscillators, low-pass gates, function generators, and more.
At its core are two main oscillators with sine blending with saw, square, and folded sine. You can tweak them with five controls: coarse, fine, blend, scale, and drift. Filters aren’t included, as you would expect from a West Coast synth.
Instead, two low-pass gates give you dynamic leveling and filtering, with built-in stereo positioning. Next to these are two rise/fall slope generators that can act as envelopes, slew generators, and looping modulation.
Next to these are dual LFOs with high-frequency modes that turn them into VCOs. Plus, you get two Buchla-inspired fluctuating random generators, a pulse generator, and two logic functions.
Playing
To refine your sounds, the output section houses an overdrive, an echo processor with feedback, and a spring reverb,
Sequencing is also possible in the app. These are also close to Buchla-esque design. Instead of extensive sequencers, it’s limited to two 5-step sequencers. They’re more versatile than you might think: you can use them to modulate audio (notes) as well as CV.
Besides the sequencers, it also has Buchla Easel-style touch plates that transmit pitch, gate, and pressure CV. Neat, you can customize them with scales, and it comes with a built-in arpeggiator.
Semi Modular Patching
A highlight of any semi-modular Synthesizer is patching, which lets you dig deep into synthesis.
Electric Atlas Phantom Sun doesn’t offer this next to the knobs, but as a separate, dedicated patch bay on the other UI side, without patch cables. I really like how it’s structured.
On the left are the 42 sources; on the right, the 44 destinations. Each destination can combine up to four sources, allowing complex modulation and signal routing without covering the interface in virtual cables.
Electric Atlas Phantom Sun First Look
I had the opportunity to participate in the beta testing of Phantom Sun over the last few weeks. During that time, Neil made several great improvements—including a complete redesign of the patch browser that I very much welcome.
Phantom Sun is a beautiful, quirky, and experimental Synthesizer app for iOS. In recent weeks, we’ve seen a flood of very similar synths riding the massive “vibe-coded” wave; here, however, you get a quality app with sounds rarely found on iOS – the West Coast side.
However, the app excels in one area: visuals. It features a fantastic, fun, inspiring design. Even the patch matrix—which might feel a bit unfamiliar at first—quickly clicks into place. There are still a few things one might wish for here and there, such as a simple mixer or a noise generator.
Anyone wanting to create quirky R2D2 sounds, a self-generated Krell patch, experimental noise, or West-Coast sequences will find here a synth that does this perfectly.
And I like that it’s not a Buchla emulation; that way, you don’t have to get into technical debates about how authentic it is.
Electric Atlas Phantom Sun is now available for an introductory price of $9,99 instead of $12,99. It runs as a standalone and AUv3 plugin on iPadOS.
More information here: Electric Atlas / App Store
This is a really ground sounding app. Well done!
So many good apps coming out lately for music.
It’s about time someone did a Buchla type IOS instrument. There have been one or two.
Hello Buchla where is your IOS version!