John Bowen Solaris (by Brandon Daniel from Sunnyvale, CA, USA, via wikimedia commons)

As the synth addict I am, I’m completely overwhelmed by the machine John Bowen has designed. I had no occasion yet to put my hands on a real device. However, musictrackjp provides a great overview, regardless I do not understand japanese :) .

Even via the internet, one senses the organic character of its audio engine, e.g. by listening to the string sounds. In case you’re after a machine providing aggressive solo sounds, the fun starts at 10:30. If you know how to recreate this mooguesque sound using an Access Virus, a Korg Z1, or a Korg Kronos, please let me know.

The device emulates components (oscillators, filters) of several classic synthesizers from Sequential Circuits, Oberheim, Moog, and Waldorf. The latter emulation provides the original wavetables of the Microwave, which I sold about three years ago. A unique selling proposition are its two modulation rotors, which can be used for a lot of animations.

The price tag is almost 4k €, and it usually requires preordering. A lot of money for »just another subtractive synth«, though I presume it is worth every ¢.