Zynthian is a open hardware platform, currently in development, that promises to be a ‘swiss army knife of synthesis’, equipped with multiple engines, filters and effects.
Zynthian’s hardware specification is public and the software is open source, so the platform is designed to be fully hackable.
Specifications:
Hardware
Powerful CPU: ARMv8 x 4 cores, 64 bits, 1.2 GHz, 1 GB RAM (Raspberry Pi 3) High Quality Audio Interface: 24 bits, 96kHz (HifiBerry DAC+) Touch Screen 2.8″ 32 GB of storage (SD Card) Connectivity
Up to 5 MIDI instruments simultaneously (4 x USB, 1 x MIDI-IN) Line Audio Output (Jack & RCA) Headphones Audio Output (mini-Jack) Ethernet Network (RJ-45) 802.11n Wireless LAN (WIFI) Bluetooth 4.1 & BLE HDMI (future applications) Software
The parts they are building it from seem to be readily available,
Raspberry Pi for Mainboard, Adafruit PiTFT, HiFiBerry DAC+, plus amp and encoders and midi parts. But yeah, obviously takes a lot of the setup and soldering and such out of the equation if you can get your hands on their zynthian box. At which point, it's exciting that they've got multiple engines and fx running on it already. I'm sort of eager to see if a mate and I can get some of our own stuff running on it.
The parts they are building it from seem to be readily available,
Raspberry Pi for Mainboard, Adafruit PiTFT, HiFiBerry DAC+, plus amp and encoders and midi parts. But yeah, obviously takes a lot of the setup and soldering and such out of the equation if you can get your hands on their zynthian box. At which point, it's exciting that they've got multiple engines and fx running on it already. I'm sort of eager to see if a mate and I can get some of our own stuff running on it.
The zynthian box looks interesting - albeit I wonder if, at present, it is a little underpowered. I will be monitoring it closely. I still have a V-Machine and a more powerful variant of the zynthian box could replace it.
I've been experimenting with soft synths on the Raspberry Pi 2. I'd like to use the RPi as a stand-alone synth box, so I'm rooting for Zynthian. Looks interesting.
If you want to go the DIY route, I wrote a few articles about my experience -- kind of a tutorial:
The RPi2 has enough compute power for light- to medium-weight synthesis. The TFT screen is a smart move. I'm using a Behringer UCA222 audio interface. With four USB ports, there isn't any real need to go to an integrated board like the HiFiBerry.
I've been experimenting with soft synths on the Raspberry Pi 2. I'd like to use the RPi as a stand-alone synth box, so I'm rooting for Zynthian. Looks interesting.
If you want to go the DIY route, I wrote a few articles about my experience -- kind of a tutorial:
The RPi2 has enough compute power for light- to medium-weight synthesis. The TFT screen is a smart move. I'm using a Behringer UCA222 audio interface. With four USB ports, there isn't any real need to go to an integrated board like the HiFiBerry.
Ya but the Rasberry Pi kits aren't expensive and as hardware you get a dedicated user interface and a compact box with a decent DAC and connectors. In other words, it doesn't feel like a Linux PC.
