Knobcon 2021: Michigan Synth Works MSW-810 analog monosynth
Michigan Synth Works will be showing their MSW-810 synthesizer based on the obscure Roland DG CMU-810 at Knobcon this weekend.
MSW-810
The CMU-810 produced by the Roland DG Group is a rare single oscillator monosynth produced around 1983. There’s some argument over whether it is essentially an MC-202 or something more similar to the SH-9 but dirtier and different. In any case, Michigan Synth Works has decided it needs to be resurrected and they’ve built in a TB-303 style sequencer to make it more of a complete instrument.
The single oscillator has pulse width modulated square wave and sawtooth outputs, a 1 or 2-octave sub oscillator and noise generator. You can mix all your waveforms and then route through the VCA + Mixer to bring in external sources. It has a single LFO and Envelope which can modulate both the filter and VCA. The description sounds like a lot of simple Roland synths.
It will only be available as a kit and can use either CEM 3340 or Alfa 3340 oscillator chips, and the IR3109 filter. The kit will include the PCB, faders, switches and some less common parts. The kit will be available any time now with the case and sequencer boards to follow later this year. They’ll have a limited number of kits available at Knobcon which include the CEM 3340 VCO and original Roland IR3109 VCF chips.
The kit will cost $295, the additional cost of the case and sequencer is to be announced.
Here’s a glimpse of it in action.
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