Analogue Solutions Portable SynthBlocks Mr Hyde & Dr. Strangelove Are Now Available

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Analog Solutions is actually a manufactory from UK that develops rather large and more expensive analog music devices. Now they are trying to reach the market with an affordable range of analog products with the name synthBlocks. The first products now available are two table top portable effects units.

Mr. Hyde is an analog filter effects box that allows users to make extreme filtering and modulation effects. Second is Dr. Strangelove, a portable high-quality analog ring modulator, with analog LFO modulation, featuring a Lo-Fi echo. Both products are super interesting and brings warmth and fatness to any sound.

Mr Hyde was the first out of the starting blocks in its synthBlocks series as an analogue filter effects box bringing subtle to extreme filtering and modulation effects to the analogue processing production table. To further aid ease of use, Mr Hyde has quarter-inch input and output jacks on its rear, so can be connected straight to an audio interface or mixer without the need for adaptors.  Specification-wise, Mr Hyde doesn’t disappoint by boasting a two-pole 12db/octave analogue multimode filter (featuring lowpass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch filtering options); resonance with a Q BOOST feature to make it SCREAM (self oscillate); LFO with triangle and square wave signals; and a range switch (to bring the modulation speed into audio frequencies).

Hands-on control comes quickly, thanks to a selection of switches and knobs — not least the largest knob of all: FREAQ (filter cutoff frequency). Furthermore, the smaller Q knob sets the resonance level, CHANGE changes the frequency range of the LFO from SLOW to FAST at the flick of a switch, SPEED sets the LFO modulator’s speed, and LEVEL controls the modulation level/depth that affects the filter cutoff. More meaningfully, Mr Hyde can change sounds subtly, such as satisfying sweeping filtering, right up to mangled FM (Frequency Modulation) mayhem — perfectly in keeping with its naughty name!

Features of Mr Hyde 

  • Multimode 12db analogue filter, featuring Low pass, High pass, Band pass, and Notch filters.
  • Resonance with Boost feature to make it self oscillate.
  • LFO with Triangle and Square wave signals.
  • Range switch, to bring the modulation speed into audio frequencies.
  • 1/4” and mini jack sockets for audio / CV input and output.
  • Small compact desktop site format. Will fit into your palm!
  • Exceptional build quality.

Analogue Solutions’ Dr Strangelove is a compact, high-quality analogue ring modulator (with two audio inputs) and an analogue LFO capable of going into audio range (with two waveforms), plus a lo-fi echo (giving an ‘analogue’ bucket brigade-style sound). The ring mod itself does not have any controls as such, since a ring mod does not have parameters that can be altered — other than input and output levels. Just plug in audio cables and it does its thing! Ring mods do need two audio sources, however — namely, the main signal to be processed (carrier) and the signal that will modulate the carrier (modulator). In the strange case of Dr Strangelove, one of those sources, the MOD (modulation) input, can be audio or a low frequency signal (from, say, an LFO).

Literally switching switches — HARD/SOFT (selects between square and triangle wave modulation signals — triangle resulting in softer modulation while square results in sudden, harder changes) — and turning knobs — CHANGE (sets the modulation depth or ‘loudness’ of the modulating signal fed into the ring mod’s modulation input), RATE (sets repeat rate), and MIX (sets the mix level between fully dry and a 50/50 balance between wet and dry) — makes music mangling child’s play. Other controls clearly allude to the aforesaid film: FALLOUT alters the speed of the analogue LFO modulator while HALF LIFE sets delay time. All told, then, Dr Strangelove is ideal for subtle or extreme modulation effects. Like its Mr Hyde synthBlocks sibling, Dr Strangelove includes minijack (Eurorack-accommodating) audio and CV (control voltage) I/O for direct connection to modulars.

Features of Dr. Strangelove

  • Analogue Ring Modulation with 2 audio inputs.
  • Analogue LFO that can go into audio range, with 2 waveforms.
  • Lo-fi Echo / Delay.
  • 1/4” audio inputs and outputs.
  • minijack (eurorack) audio & CV in / outs for direct connection to modulars.
  • Superior build quality.
  • Small footprint.

Both products are available now for a price  £255 GBP inc. UK VAT each.

More information here: Analogue Solutions 

Available here: Analogue Solutions 

 

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