Analog Sweden Machines - SWEN2

The SWEN2 is a monophonic desktop synth from Malmö's Analog Sweden, and the second life of a fairly obscure machine. It grew out of their SWEnigiser, a 2023 recreation of the rare Orgon Systems Enigiser from the mid-nineties. The analogue circuits carry over more or less untouched — now in SMT form — but this time there's a digital brain alongside them, adding a second oscillator, MIDI, a clock-syncable LFO, auto-calibration and a generative sequencer. Same raw soul, but considerably more to play with.

The signal flow is a very familiar VCO → VCF → VCA, just with more options than usual. The analog oscillator offers six waves plus octave and tune controls, backed by a chorus-like Ghost OSC2, switchable noise, and two sub oscillators for the low end. Then the centrepiece: a 12-mode multimode filter modelled on an early Enigiser prototype lent by Anthony Linell of Northern Electronics. Four 6dB cells in series give you lowpass through bandpass to highpass, and pushed into self-oscillation it pings and rings in that unmistakable way. After it, a VCA with a CLIP switch to add some nice diode saturation. You also get a bipolar offset which can take you from sustained drones to short plucky hits.

Modulation runs fairly deep for a mono synth — three envelopes, two LFOs and the GSEQ generative sequencer, which spits out quantised melodies at the press of a button with control over probability, range and scale. The 28-point patchbay on top is Eurorack-ready without gate converters, with individual outputs for every waveform, LFO and envelope. All of it lives in a 1.5 kg alu-and-steel case that runs off USB-C or a power bank, great stuff!

Very nice for fat analogue basslines, acid sequences and self-oscillating noise — odd in the best way, and light enough to take with you.

Features:

• Monophonic analogue desktop synthesizer, evolution of the SWEnigiser / Orgon Systems Enigiser
• Analogue VCO → VCF → VCA signal path (original analogue circuits, now SMT)
• Digital MCU adds second oscillator, MIDI, clock-syncable LFO2, auto-calibration and generative sequencer
• Analogue VCO with six waves: sine, triangle, square, PWM pulse, PWM saw, off
• Octave selector and fine/coarse tune toggle (HI ±12 semitones, LO ±1 semitone)
• Ghost OSC2: digitally tracks VCO pitch with a slight reactive delay for chorus-like thickening; detune ±1 octave or switch to EQ-able white noise
• Sub-sine routed straight to the VCA
• Roland SH-101-style –1 octave square sub (jack doubles as external audio-input attenuator)
• 12-mode Proto VCF/A multimode filter based on an early Orgon Systems Enigiser prototype (lent by Anthony Linell / Northern Electronics)
• 4× 6dB filter cells in series with selectable inputs (A–C) and outputs (1–4): lowpass, bandpass, highpass
• Cutoff, resonance (self-oscillates around 3 o'clock), and cutoff tracking up to 1V/oct (filter usable as an oscillator)
• VCO/VCF crossfade mixer for wet/dry blending
• Two cutoff modulation slots, each with attenuverter
• Proto VCA with ~6dB improved noise floor
• Bipolar CV offset: positive for drones, negative to truncate envelopes for plucky sounds
• CLIP switch — dual-diode asymmetric saturation / overdrive
• GSEQ generative sequencer: 4 patterns × 2–16 steps, hold GEN to generate
• 6 scale modes: Octaves, Sus4, Pentatonic minor, Minor, Chromatic, MIDI note input
• Note probability, range up to 5 octaves, step length, weighted accents and slides
• Playback modes: forward, reverse, ping-pong, random; pattern chaining; clock division
• Three envelopes — AD, AR and full ADSR — each with GSEQ trig toggle
• LFO1 (analogue): hi/lo range, square/triangle toggle, shape control, env trigger
• LFO2 (digital): hi/lo range, six waveforms, clock sync to GSEQ or external clock
• 28-point Eurorack-ready patchbay, no gate converters needed
• Individual audio-rate outputs: sine, triangle, pulse, saw and OSC2
• CV outputs: LFO1, LFO2 (±5V), ENV1–3 (0–5V)
• CV inputs: 4× general (to mod-source selectors) plus linear FM, shape width, LFO2 frequency, VCF cutoff
• Gate inputs for envelopes 1–3; GSEQ clock in, trig out and V/oct CV out
• Dedicated headphone out (dual mono), Eurorack-level audio out, external audio in
• 5-pin DIN MIDI in, USB-C MIDI in/out and power, plus separate 5V DC input
• Web-based auto-calibration (VCO/PW/VCF/VCA) and firmware updates
• Powder-coated aluminium and steel chassis, VESA M4 100mm mount
• Runs from USB-C power supply (not inluded) or an optional power bank (approx. 2 hours from 5000mAh)
• 250 × 200 × 50 mm,
• 1.5 kg