Future Retro opens preorders on the Vectra Synthesizer
Future Retro Vectra · Source: Future Retro
Future Retro Vectra · Source: Future Retro
Future Retro Vectra · Source: Future Retro
With the 4 joysticks of the apocalypse, the Future Retro Vectra Synthesizer will soon be upon us leaving modulated morphing waveforms in its wake.
Vectra Synthesizer
We caught a glimpse of this back in September but now Future Retro has released all the details on this crazy looking hybrid synthesizer designed for many hands and lots of fiddling.
It has a lot going on; there are 4 digital oscillators, white and pink noise, 4 ring modulators, 5 LFOs, 6 morphing envelopes, 6 analogue filter types, lots of VCAs and a 4-channel mixer. A powerful modulation matrix takes control of almost 500 internal signal routings to control around 256 parameters.
The oscillators feature virtual analogue waveforms and 500 digital waveforms. They can be independently tuned, detuned, modulated and have their own glide times. There’s sync, PWM and Future Retros own Phase Slive and Fade features. There are monophonic and 8 paraphonic voice modes along with FM, AM, Ring-Modulation and dedicated LFOs and envelopes.
But what about those joysticks? The joysticks can control several parameters simultaneously. One is dedicated to pitch-bend and mod-wheel action, another for the 4-channel mixer for classic vector-style waveform mixing synthesis (which sounds like fun), the third for controlling the filter and the last one can be assigned to anything you want up to 8 parameters.
The Vectra also comes with a sequencer and arpeggiator and can save up to 999 sequences and patches. It has full MIDI implementation and a 29-note capacitive-touch keyboard with velocity, aftertouch and auto-glide features as well as scale options.
Beyond the pull of those 4 joysticks, the key to the Vectra is in the massive modulation system. My only concern is how well that can be navigated via a small screen and 8 encoders. What they really need is a couple of decent explanation videos – there is a great sound demo video from a few months ago which is impressive but you don’t really come away knowing anything about how it works.
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Pre-orders are open now and it will cost you $1,100 plus shipping and you’ll need to put down a non-refundable deposit of $550 to secure one. Future Retro is expecting to ship in Spring 2022.
More information from Future Retro
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