SynthFest UK 2024: Skald Modular Skald One is a new analog synth voice with the option to daisy-chain four voices to a polyphonic Eurorack Synthesizer.
Polyphony in Eurorack is still a difficult and costly undertaking. On the one hand, you need many modules per voice (VCO, VCF, envelope…), and on the other hand, a lot of patching, which can quickly lead to a tangled mess of cables. In addition, patch changes are very time-consuming.
Polyphony in Eurorack is also easy. In digital, modules like the Expert Sleepers Disting can call up entire CV-controllable polysynths as a patch. As a counterpart, the new British company Skald Modular showcased the analog Skald One polyphony system this weekend at SynthFest UK.
Skald Modular Skald One Voice Module
The Skald One system comprises four synth voice modules, a MIDI interface, and an outputput module.
A voice daisy chaining system we know from the Dreadbox Telepathy, where six modules can be grouped to form a polyphonic Eurorack Synthesizer. Only there, MIDI is already integrated into the modules.
Each Skald One synth voice features a VCO, VCF, VCA, and an envelope. The VCO is a discrete analog oscillator with three switchable waveform settings: sawtooth, pulse, and off. You can also apply PWM to the pulse wave or modulation to the pitch.
The voltage-controlled filter (VCF) is a lowpass self-oscillating 24dB OTA filter that covers a nominal 20Hz to 20kHz frequency range. You can tweak it with classic cutoff and resonance controls and apply modulation via the normalized envelope or modulation input.
You can also use the VCF in self-oscillation as an additional VCO. From here, it goes into a transistor-core VCA internally controlled by an ADSR envelope. There are knobs for the attack, and release and decay + releases share the same knob and values.
The main audio output is at eurorack signal levels, i.e. nominal 10V peak-to-peak. Plus, a PolyBus LFO is normalled to all MOD inputs in polyphonic operation.
Skald Modular Skald One Polyphony System
You need more voices and MIDI and output modules to turn the simple synth voice into a polysynth. For this, each Skald Modular Skald One synth voice is docked to the back of the PolyBus MIDI module (12HP).
It takes a MIDI input on TRS (A) and allocates four voices to the modules on a first-vacant-slot basis. Pitch bend is fed to all voices, with global depth set on the panel.
Part of the module is also a simple triangle-wave LFO routed to all four voice modules with global depth control by the mod wheel.
Further, the Output module (8HP) sums all four voices into a monaural signal with three destinations: direct output (10V p-p output) for Eurorack use, 1/4” TRS headphones, or line output on a standard 1/4” mono jack.
First Impression
I’m glad to see that developers are trying to make polyphony more accessible and easier in Eurorack. This is a good example. Price-wise, the system is too pricey for the offered feature set.
I would instead go for the Dreadbox Telephathy for $1199 (Perfect Circuit), which would give me six voices poly for Eurorack. However, the disadvantage of this is the menu diving system, whereas Skald One looks more hands-on.
Skald Modular Skald One voice module is out now for £495, the MIDI module is £245, and the Output module is $125. If you buy an entire system with four voices and extra modules, you pay £2115.
More information here: Skald Modular
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