Published
Sun, Aug 27, 2023, 16:00
- The analogue instrument has eight voices, no MIDI and no presents.
Latvia-based synth company a Elta has opened pre-orders on a new instrument.
Called Solar 42, it's a semi-modular drone synth, combining eight microtonal voices, two filters modelled on the Soviet Polivoks instrument, a five-step sequencer, two white noise generators and two sample-and-hold circuits. Six of the voices are used to create drones while the other two are playable via a touch-sensitive capacitor keyboard.
Solar 42 is an updated version of a previous synth called Solar 50, released in 2021 by Elta. That synth was made in small quantities and is no longer available. Like the Solar 50, the new synth has no MIDI control. It can be triggered using control voltage but only in very limited ways. It is primarily a machine built for live playing and experimentation.
There is an inbuilt digital FX engine which operates using little cartridges. They can be bought separately and plugged in to access different FX algorithms.
Watch a demo of Solar 42.
Solar 42 is available to pre-order now for €1,500 by emailing [email protected]. It's expected to ship in October.