ST4 Hybrid Synthesiser And Tracker Unveiled By Tasty Chips (video)

Tasty Chips Electronics has created a new ST4 Hybrid Synthesiser and Tracker they have unveiled this week that they say is part monster synthesiser and part computer offering a huge variety of features and functionality.

Check out the video below to learn more about the ST4 Hybrid and the inspiration behind the new Synthesiser and Tracker, that has taken to Kickstarter to raise the €30,000 it require to go into production.

Tasty Chips Electronics explain more about the functions and specifications of the ST4 Hybrid.

The ST4 is a unique device that combines a powerful hybrid analog/digital synthesizer with a 16-bit style tracker music machine. It has digital oscillators backed up with sampling for versatility, with analogue VCF’s and VCA’s for character. It’s packed with features, yet these are almost all usable hands-on with dedicated knobs and buttons. It’s usable stand-alone for live gigs but also mountable in a standard 19″ rack, and fully MIDI controllable.

You can use the unit as a MIDI controlled synth, at which it performs an admirable job, if we may say so ourselves. But if you plug in a USB keyboard, the thing transforms into a portable music computer! It is capable of 4 track, multi-pattern sequencing, with added support for polyrhythm.

The concept was done by stu.atari.org, a Swiss-based musician who possesses a wealth of chip and synthesizer music experience. Additional concept, hard- and software design and engineering done by Tasty Chips Electronics. The machine is basically an ode to classic synthesis and Atari home computers.

For more information on the new ST4 Hybrid jump over to the Kickstarter website for details and to make a pledge from €100 for the kit version of the new hardware or €150 for a fully assembled ST4 Hybrid with delivery expected to take place next month during February 2016.

Specifications of the ST4 Hybrid Synthesiser and Tracker include :

4 Stereo voices
Analog multi-mode VCF per channel including voltage controlled resonance.
4 Stereo VCA’s
2 LFO’s with saw, square, sine, noise and sample modes
Direct LFO modulation matrix: 4 channels x VCO, VCA, VCF
loopable ADSR envelope for VCO, VCA, VCF per channel
MIDI IN: Monophonic on ch1..4 and polyphonic on ch5
MIDI OUT ch1..4 (via tracker)
Sampler and built-in microphone:

8 sample banks
configurable loop start, end
tuning
wav import/export

Digital oscillators: saw, square, sine, noise, sample
128 instruments (MIDI patches):
VCO, VCA, VCF env’s settings incl looping
VCF mode
oscillator mode
sample mapping
instrument chaining
Direct control of voice pair detuning
Built-in bit crusher
3.2″ high color TFT display
On-board multi-channel sequencer “16 bit tracker style”, in conjunction with USB keyboard:
4 channels 16 steps, panning & volume definable per step
1024 positions powerful editor with many block functions
independent glide per channel
polyrhythm support, shuffle, tap tempo, BPM display
Sturdy and Versatile casing usable as desktop or 19″ rack mount.