Not sure I can really do this, but I just wanted to share it. Maybe someone else can. I’ve kept the thought to myself for awhile. It’s not revolutionary, but it is original, I think. It’s the culmination of what I’ve learned releasing EDM music.
So my synth idea has 3 3340 analog oscillators. Each goes to 3 separate parts of a 3 band butterworth crossover network with bypass. You can treat all of them individually with waveshaping/distortion FX. 1 analog distortion per channel, and a couple digital distortions. And modulate the crossover.
Then, most, if not all, hardware synths make the mistake of not being able to put effects before the filters. Distortion, feedback, wave shaping, combs, phaser… but before the filters. So essentially 3 west coast oscillators, but more because they have an fx compliment and are band separated from each other.
It’s how you get all sort of complex alive tones but with total control over the messiness that distortion causes or the smearing combs cause. It’s very common in production to put a midi controlled filter after fx to contain things, but why not in a synth? If you’ve used serum, you know it’s necessary to use this chain to make complex wtf bass sounds.
So that concept, but with the benefits of being frequency isolated within the crossover. Distorted lows stay fat and contained. Mid definition is controlled. High end is amazingly easy to make bright or dark. The oscillator gains control it perfectly. Essentially, a multiband distortion pre-cutoff, but the multiband distortion is driven by unique oscillators! If this doesn’t make peoples heads explode you haven’t used multiband distortion enough lol.
In edm production it’s common to copy your bass and separate the sub bass in a new channel and high pass the tonal bass but this does it automatically. super clean, heavy subs/bass with tone on top. Subs can even be distorted but the crossover will keep them fat and clean. Or you can make super clean tones wit scooped mids just by turning down the gain of the middle band. No need for EQ to clean up mud, just put the middle band at 200-300hz and turn it down. It would be so clean without any broad strokes eq and at the same time could take massive amounts of saturation.
That goes to main filters. Idk prolly 4 pole OTA. Then high pass filter. Then another diode distortion stage.
You can’t tell me this wouldn’t be sick. Layering the oscillators through multiple octaves would be amazing.
3-4 Digital envelopes and 2 digital lfos
Even in an all digital implementation it would rock. Other additions, (that I’ve already made with daisy and max) is FM wavetables. Maybe it’s switchable for some 2 op wavetable PM. It’s a lot, but simple enough to mostly be knob per parameter. It’s so easy to make FM wavetables in gen…
There’s some stretch goals in there, but that’s the just of my idea that I’ll never make lol… I mean I’m going to make it for me 100% I already have all the parts. But manufacturing perfect cases and handling bugs is a whole other thing and I can’t actually code, just know how to do analog circuits. So idk enough sitting in this alone.
Maybe if I share it enough someone will go ahead and make it. I patch my eurorack all the time like this so I know it’s a hugely useful orientation for a synth. If you’ve seen my 3 part distortion for daisy (download at spacepupsound.com in the free section), that’s what it’s for and why you have 3 channels summing to one and no crossover inside. It’s case I’m personally isolating the bands with analog filters before it.
