News - The new Medusa synthesizer is a fruity collaboration between Polyend and Dreadbox

The new Medusa synthesizer is a fruity collaboration between Polyend and Dreadbox

The Dreadbox company has been pleasing us with novelties during all the Spring 2018. Over the past month, they have presented a third version of their Erebus synthesizer and its smaller version Lil' Erebus, which comes as a DIY kit, but the most intriguing and long-awaited news from the company was the Medusa synthesizer prototype that they brought to the Superbooth 2018, held in Berlin from 3 to 5 May.

Medusa is a result of Dreadbox's close cooperation with the Polish company Polyend, it combines analog and digital elements and stands at the intersection of functionality and convenience. The synthesizer consists of two parts: the first is responsible for the formation of the desired sound, the second is for the sequencer, the keyboard and, in particular, parameter controls.

The sound path of this instrument is hybrid, it combines both analog and digital elements. There are 3 analog oscillators with four classical waveforms, as well as 3 digital wavetable oscillators. In addition, the instrument has a noise generator of various colors. The filter in the synthesizer is analog and classic for the company's products, it has a cutoff depth of 24 dB / oct, and three operating modes (two-pole low-frequency, four-pole low-frequency and high-frequency). Regarding modulation, Medusa has many sources and capabilities. The instrument has 5 independent low-frequency oscillators, 5 DADSR envelopes with the possibility of looping (which turns them, in fact, into another 5 LFOs of an interesting shape). All this can be applied to a very wide range of parameters. In addition, Medusa has a frequency modulation feature, which can be applied to both oscillators and a filter. There is also a seven-channel mixer for all oscillators and a noise generator, implemented for a more precise sound adjustment.

The Grid, the second part of the Medusa synthesizer, contains 64 XYZ-sensitive pads that can be used as a music controller and sequencer. The Grid stores 256 presets for the sequencer and voices. With each of the pads, you can adjust any of the parameters of the synthesizer, and when using pads as a keyboard, several dozen scales are available. The device sequencer operates in three modes, in addition, it can record not only notes and parameter automation, but also a change of presets for each step.

Medusa is still in development, but Polyend and Dreadbox promise that the synthesizer will be launched in the middle of the year. The price will be $999.