The Swarm ·
Source:
Artium Instruments
Artium Instruments The Swarm is a colorful desktop synth with a supersaw oscillator, up to eight voices, built-in effects, and an arpeggiator. Now on Kickstarter!
Artium Instruments The Swarm
It’s in the name: At the core of Artium Instruments’ new desktop synth The Swarm is a supersaw oscillator that pumps out up to eight detunable saw waves. But fat detune sounds aren’t the synth’s only specialty. Controlled via MIDI, you can play chords with up to eight notes. At this time, it isn’t entirely clear to me whether the synth offers true polyphony (eight complete voices with oscillator, filter, and envelope) or if paraphonic would be the more precise term here, although I suspect the latter. I assume that the synth interprets polyphonic MIDI input by detuning the individual saw waves to the appropriate pitches, while routing everything through the same filter. But the manufacturer hasn’t made a clear statement about this.
Speaking of the filter: There’s a bare-bones lowpass filter without resonance, as well as a simple attack-release envelope. Much of the synth’s sonic versatility comes from the four built-in effects. In addition to a sync-able delay and a stereo reverb, The Swarm offers chorus and freeze effects. The latter samples a one-second snippet of the audio output and turns it into a static drone. What’s great is that you can also use the synth as an effects unit for external gear, thanks to a stereo audio input.
Furthermore, The Swarm offers a monophonic arpeggiator that plays back incoming MIDI notes in a variety of patterns.
Besides the audio inputs and outputs, The Swarm has two USB-C connectors: one for power, the other for MIDI.
Price and availability
The manufacturer has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance The Swarm. If you’re quick, you can still grab one of the early bird specials for $359. From the second batch, the price will be $379. Artium Instruments expects to begin shipping in June 2024.
More information about Artium Instruments The Swarm
Image Sources:
- Stereo audio input for use as an FX box: Artium Instruments
- The Swarm: Artium Instruments
