Bastl Instruments Robot Operated Tape Machine Effect Laboratory THYME Is Now Available For Pre-Order

SYNTH ANATOMY uses affiliation & partner programs (big red buttons) to finance a part of the activity. If you use these, you support the website. Thanks! 

Looking back, it can be said that the new products of the Czech based Synthesizer company Bastl Instruments were my highlights of this year’s Superbooth. The monophonic DUDE mixer and the experimental softPop Synthesizer, which have been presented there, are already available, but there is still a lack of news about the amazing THYME multi-effects processors. Maybe you remember the Musikmesse 2015 where Bastl had already presented a first prototype, but after there was a lot of silence.

Then, surprisingly, on the Superbooth 2017, the finished version of the THYME was presented and afterwards it was then again quiet around this effect device. Until today. The Bastl crew announced officially that the development of THYME is done and that the device will go very soon in the production.

THYME is not an ordinary effect processor, but as usual for Bastl Instruments, a very musical, experimental effect unit which can also be described and used as an instrument. The developers described THYME as a sequencable robot operated digital tape machine. The strength of this device is not only the experimental approach but also the hand-on character. With the help of various parameters, which are immediately accessible on the interface, various time based effects can be created very quick. So you can work very quick with classical multi-effects like delay, phaser, reverb, chorus, pitch shifter, multi-tap delay, tape-delay, tremolo, vibrato, compressor and more in stereo. THYME also has modulation possibilities, but it is differently solved otherwise it would not be a typical Bastl Instruments device.

To offer a maximum of flexibility in the modulation source, the developers (Lennart Schierling, Václav Peloušek, Ondřej Merta) use here a feature called the Robot which can be find in each of the 9 different parameters (Tape Speed, Delay Coarse & Fine, Feedback, Filter, extra heads Spacing and Levels, Dry Wet Mix and Volume).  This can be phased out differently for left and right channel to create crazy and psychedelic unheard sound effects. Interesting is the character of the Robot. It can be either an LFO with many different complex waveshapes, external CV sources (modular,…) or an envelope follower that enables effects reacting to dynamics. An additional built-in meta sequencer allows users to sequence 8 different presets with help of 8 buttons. Clever also here is that you can synchronise the complete engine (sequencer, robots and delay) to internal and external clock so you can use the TYME also with any other gear in sync.

THYME comes with a full range of audio and MIDI connections so you can use it in combination with any professional setup. It includes a MIDI interface, analog clock and CV, a switchable stereo/mono input, stereo output, headphone output with level and foot switch jack.

In my opinion, another product of the Bastl Instruments that shows how different and further the company thinks. It does not try to emulate a sound but develops exciting new concepts for each new product. Thumb up for this new release.

Features

  • analog Input Gain knob up to +20dB
  • 9 parameters: Tape Speed, Delay Coarse & Fine, Feedback, Filter, extra heads Spacing and Levels, Dry Wet Mix and Volume
  • each parameter has a dedicated modulation source called the Robot
  • each Robot is a powerfull modulation source: LFO, envelope follower, external CV
  • freeze button reconfigures the signal flow to create tape loops
  • link button compensates the change in Delay time caused by adjusting the Tape Speed
  • tap tempo
  • internal or external clock for synchronising Delay, Robot or Sequencer
  • 8 presets organized in 8 banks (64 presets)
  • 32 step sequencer with 4 patterns for sequencing presets
  • switchable stereo/mono input
  • stereo output
  • stereo headphone output with volume knob
  • MIDI Input and Output
  • analog Clock Input
  • CV input 0-5V (volt per octave for Tape Speed and Delay Time)
  • footswitch jack for bypass
  • hi-fi audio quality

Bastl Instruments THYME is now available for pre-order for a price of 439€ excl. tax and the first batch ships January 2018.

More information here: Bastl Instruments THYME

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*