IK Multimedia has created some of the best and most affordable audio production gear out there for years. Whether it’s a MIDI controller keyboard with a built-in interface, guitar rigs or high-quality iOS recording solutions, the company offers just about everything. It most recently launched (and has continued to support) its Syntronik Software Instrument collection, of which you can check out our review right here. Now, the company is stepping into the hardware synthesizer space for the first time.
As you would likely expect from an IK Multimedia synthesizer, the new UNO brings portability and an extremely versatile set of I/O to work with just about any of your existing recording gear. It sports an entirely analog signal path, according to IK, and a rock-bottom price tag.
The synthesizer is designed and made in Italy with help from the folks at Soundmachines with what sounds like a fairy impressive lineup of features for the price.
You’re looking at a pair of voltage-controller oscillators including saw, triangle and pulse waveforms with continuously variable wave shaping. While this is a monophonic synthesizer (only one note at a time can be played), the two oscillators can be detuned to create two-part harmonies and the like.
On top of that, there is a resonant multimode voltage-controlled filter (LPF, HPF and BPF), what IK refers to as a dual-stage overdrive for driving the input of the filter and an LFO with all the usual fixings: “Sine, Triangle, Square, Up Saw, Down Saw, Random and Sample-and-Hold”.
Other notable features here include over 40 onboard controls for patch customization, a 27-note on-board multi-touch keyboard and an arpeggiator/sequencer, plus 6 effects including delay.
Here’s a brief video on what to expect along with some audio demos:
The UNO will work with your Mac or iOS device right our of the box (cables included) and is already up for pre-order at $199.99 and is “shipping July 2018”.
That’s an amazing price for a purely analog signal path and we can’t wait to get our hands on one. We have reached out to IK to get a review shipped over as soon as possible and will report back with our findings.
Features:
- All-analog audio path with 2 VCOs with continuously variable waveshape, noise generator, resonant multimode VCF and VCA
- 2 independent analog VCOs with Saw, Triangle and Pulse waveforms with continuously variable shape including PWM of the square wave and a separate white noise generator
- A 2-pole multimode OTA-based sweepable analog resonant multimode filter with LPF, HPF, BPF
- LFO with Sine, Triangle, Square, Up Saw, Down Saw, Random and Sample-and-Hold to modulate Pitch, Filter and Amp
- AD (Filter) + AR (Amp) envelopes (full ADSR control available via MIDI CC or software editor)
- 40 onboard controls and LED display
- 10 mode, 4-octave arpeggiator
- Real-time and step edit 16-step sequencer with 20 automatable parameters
- Onboard multi-touch 27-note chromatic and scale keyboard with 13 scales
- Sync Delay audio effect and 5 performance effects
- Self-tuning with auto-tune calibration
- USB MIDI and 2.5 mm jack MIDI IN/OUT (cables included)
- Audio In to daisy chain other audio devices with no need for a mixer
- Mac/PC software Editor/librarian
- Complete MIDI implementation with all parameters and clock can be controlled via MIDI CC
- Battery (4xAA) or USB powered
- Ultra-portable and lightweight
- Designed and made in Italy
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