The start of the new year means that many of us have resolved to learn a new skill or two, so the launch of Erica Synths and Moritz Klein’s DIY educational synth kits seems pretty timely.
Designed to teach people with little or no experience how to design analogue synth circuits from scratch, these kits - which will known collectively as mki x es .EDU - will be arriving every four to six weeks (nine have been developed in total) and will come together to create a fully-featured monosynth.
This will include a sequencer, a VCO, a wavefolder, a noise/S&H module, a mixer, a VCF, an envelope generator, a dual VCA and an output stereo mixer with a headphone amplifier. You’ll also be able to buy a Eurorack case to house everything in, along with a DIY PSU.
As well as the hardware, each kit will also come with a detailed user manual that explains the relevant electronics and sound design principles. You’ll be guided through the entire building process step by step, and the hope is that you’ll be able to understand the impact of the choices you make during it.
The first element of the kit, a DIY VCO, is available now priced at €60. Find out more on the Erica Synths website.