The Micromac is a full scale integrated analog synthesizer in a very compact space.
From MacBeth Studio Systems:
The idea started a while back when the first analogue desktop synthesizers first made their appearance. I too, was considering how much sound creation facility could be put into a very small area. Historically- my designs have been integrated analogue synthesizers. I have worked on various ideas that employ the integrated aspect with the flexibility of a modular synth.
Specifications:
- 3 x 1v/octave tracking voltage controlled oscillators
- oscillators 1 and 2 featuring 4 waveforms: sawtooth, square, triangle and sine. oscillators 1 and 2 feature pwm control inputs
- oscillator 3 featuring 6 waveforms: sawtooth, square, triangle, sine, ramp and lower frequency noise
- oscillator 2 can be hard synchronized to oscillator 1
- oscillator 3 can be used as a modulation source, both in the audio range and the low frequency range. oscillator 3 can be used to modulate oscillators 1 and 2 as well as the voltage controlled filter. oscillator 3 can be disconnected from the main controlling cv
- oscillators 1,2 and 3 feature separate control voltage inputs for external control sources.
- oscillators 1,2 and 3 have separate audio outputs (pre-mixer) for external processing in other systems
- oscillators feature separate attenuated volume controls into the filter
- oscillators 1,2 and 3 feature both course and fine tune frequency controls that have a range above and below the audio spectra
- noise generator features white noise with its own attenuated volume control into the filter. setting 6 on the oscillator 3 waveform control allows a lower frequency noise to be used for modulation effects and can also be used as audio source.
- 1v/octave voltage controlled filter
- 24db/octave transistor ladder low pass filter. oscillates at high 'q'/resonance
- tracking of the filter from the main cv input can be 0%/half/full (0v/octave, 1v octave and 1.5v/octave)
- the filter also features a separate 1v/octave external cv input for other control sources
- the vcf is swept directly by its own envelope generator
- 2 x envelope generators. ads/switchable release type. filter eg can be switch between a positive going envelope or an inverted envelope. filter eg can be switched to sweep oscillator 2 for hard synchronization sweeps. vca eg can be disconnected via an external vca cv input socket.
- all analogue circuitry used in the design is the 'old school' through hole parts.