Future Retro - XS

The Future Retro XS offers charming, yet hefty sound with remarkable expressiveness. It is perfect for creating meaty basses, soft to aggressive leads and powerful drums. Thanks to its thought-through routing system, that incorporates audio signals as well as control voltages, the monophonic desktop synthesizer is also capable of creating a wide range of experimental audio effects. MIDI connectors plus Audio and CV jacks allow easy integration in any studio or live setup.

Please note: Rack ears are not included!

The Future Retro XS comes along in a solid metal case. The instrument features two main VCOs plus a sub oscillator / ring modulator. Besides creating normal waveforms, the VCOs can also be used to tie-in the white noise generator or the audio input of the unit. Following the synthesis section, a mixer sums up all signals. The results are then fed into a multimode filter with four modes of operation. Afterwards, there is a VCA in the signal path. For modulation purposes, the instrument offers a LFO with four waveforms and two envelopes with different designs. One of the latter has two sets of attack and decay potentiometers for normal use and accents. The XS is semi-modular and can be used as a MIDI-CV interface.

Specifications:

Oscillator A:

• Frequency range: 0,5 Hz to 100 kHz
• Octave range: -1 to +4 octaves
• Fine tuning: -6 to +6 cent
• Waveforms: Saw, square, white noise, external input

Oscillator B:

• Frequency range: 0,5 Hz to 100 kHz
• Sync option
• Octave range: -6 to +5 octaves
• Tuning: -9 to +9 semitones
• Waveforms: Sine, triangle, saw, pulse with variable width, white noise, external input
• PWM sources: External input, LFO, mod wheel, potentiometer, velocity, envelope 1

Oscillator C:

• Modes of operation: Sub oscillator, ring modulator, white noise, external input
• Sub oscillator modes: 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 divisions of the second oscillator’s frequency

Sources for pitch modulation:

• VCO A: External input, LFO, LFO via mod wheel, mod wheel, oscillator B, oscillator B via envelope 1, envelope 1 with positive or negative polarity
• VCO B: External input, LFO, LFO via mod wheel, mod wheel, velocity, oscillator A, oscillator A via envelope 1, oscillator C, envelope 1 with positive polarity

Mixer:

• Three inputs for oscillator A, B and C
• Level adjustment with overdrive capabilities

Filter:

• Modes: Low pass, band pass, high pass, notch
• Slope: -12 dB per octave
• Frequency range: 5 Hz to 18 kHz
• Resonance: 0 to self-oscillation
• Overdrive circuit

Sources for filter modulation:

• Key follow: 0 to 100 percent
• Velocity: 0 to 100 percent
• Envelope 1 with positive or negative polarity
• Multi modulator (Available sources: External input, LFO, LFO via mod wheel, mod wheel, oscillator B, oscillator B via mod wheel, oscillator B via envelope 1, oscillator C)

Amplifier and sources for amp modulation:

• Volume potentiometer
• Velocity: 0 to 100 percent
• Envelope 2 with four modes of operation (AD, ASR, two accentuated types)

Envelope 1:

• Retrigger: On / Off
• Attack: 0,5 milliseconds to 4 seconds
• Decay: 2 milliseconds to 10 seconds
• Sustain: 0 to 100 percent
• Release: 1 milliseconds to 10 seconds

Envelope 2:

• Attack: 1 millisecond to 4 seconds
• Decay: 3 milliseconds to 7 seconds
• Sustain: 100 percent
• Release: 3 milliseconds to 7 seconds

Accent:

• Sensitivity: 0 to +10 volts
• Attack: 0,5 milliseconds to 4 seconds
• Decay: 2 milliseconds to 10 seconds

LFO:

• Waveforms: Triangle, saw, square, random
• Speed (free-running): 4 seconds to 18 Hz
• Speed (MIDI synchronisation activated): 8 bars to 1/32