PWM Mantis Hybrid Analogue Synthesizer

A collaborative effort between the late Chris Huggett (Gnat, WASP, OSCar) and Paul Whittington (PWM) with the support of Chris' estate.

The last period of Chris Huggett's life was spent developing the Mantis - although it was left incomplete at the time of his passing, he handed the project to PWM to continue his work and see what could be made of it!

The Mantis is a unique duophonic hybrid-analogue synthesiser with dual filter, patches and full USBC-MIDI control.

OSCILLATORS

The OSC's generated at start up employ intricate mathematical algorithms. These OSCs operate on a DSP chip, providing exceptional stability and control without compromising the synth's unique sound. This combination of digital and analogue elements characterises it as a hybrid synthesiser. However, it's important to note that everything following the OSCs, including the mixer, gain staging, and filter, operates purely in the analogue domain.

VCF

The Filter employed is a state-variable VCA Filter with multiple modes and includes an overdrive feature. It utilises the SSI2164 chip in a specially designed configuration by Chris Huggett. Two separate filters are available, each dedicated to an individual analog signal path. These filters can be utilised in series or parallel, allowing for the creation of distinctive sounds unique to the OSCar. The width control and width modulation further enhance the filtering capabilities.

FX

The Mantis incorporates two straightforward digital effects: Reverb and Chorus. The Reverb effect offers adjustments for time and level, as well as the inclusion of high and low pass filters. These filters can be engaged to limit undesirable low-frequency muddiness or overly bright high-frequency twinkles.

ENVELOPES

Mantis features two ADSR envelopes, with each envelope including an additional parameter called 'Sustain Fall.' Furthermore, negative and positive velocity modulation levels are hardwired into the design for added convenience. The 'Sustain Fall' parameter enables the creation of a drop in sound before release, even while a key is held, opening up a realm of sound design possibilities. Additionally, each envelope can be set to repeat mode, effectively functioning as a pseudo LFO if desired.

VCA

The Mantis employs fully analogue gain staging, which passes through the SSI2164 VCAs. The design incorporates multiple VCAs to ensure the signal is amplified twice, resulting in a warm, naturally clipped overdriven sound.

Hybrid-Analogue Synthesiser * Mathematically Generated Oscillators with a Pure Analogue Signal Path Heritage Sound
* A Modernised Design Architecture based on the WASP with an OSCar style filter designed by the late, great Chris Huggett Duophonic * Two Fully Independent Voices each with 2 Oscillators plus Sub-Oscillator per voice Dual Filters * Multi-Mode State Variable VCA Filters with Overdrive per Voice that can be combined in Series or Parallel with Width Control * 37-Note Full-Size Semi-Weighted Keybed with Aftertouch plus Joystick •  Fully featured Keyboard, Joystick and USB-MIDI Control for Easy Integration with any Studio or Live Environment  

Features

• Duophonic with 2 discrete analogue signal paths
• 2 Oscillators + sub oscillator per voice
 * 2 Envelopes with sustain fall and envelope repeat
 * 2 LFOs with 4 waveform types and sync
 * 2 Multi-mode filters with drive, keytrack and frequency modulation
 * Dual filter mode with width and modulation
 * 37 note full sized keybed with aftertouch
 * Multi-function joystick and octave shift
• Arpeggiator with 6 modes, tap tempo, swing and sync & unique duophonic arp mode
 * Reverb with low & high pass filtering and 4 chorus modes

In the box

• Power Supply (9V 600mA)
• USB C lead
• Getting Started Guide

Video: https://youtu.be/jEgzYPkQjPQ

Product Specs

• Item Number: 27401
• Make: PWM
• Model: Mantis
• Condition: Brand New
• Finish: Black
• Categories: keyboards-and-synths ⇒ digital-synths
• Made In: China
• MPN: PWM-MANTIS
• EAN: 5060910320013