Published on Oct 15, 2018 the.room.dis.connect
Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.
"Dark Arcade is a $120 paraphonic synthesizer with digital oscillators and an analog filter, amplifier, envelope generator, and LFO.
What is Dark Arcade?
Dark Arcade is intended to be an entry level hardware synthesizer for musicians looking to branch out from software synthesizer based workflows, as well as a distinctive addition to any hardware synthesizer collection. Its hardware features microcontroller-produced digital oscillators, an analog OTA band-pass and low-pass filter, an analog OTA amplifier, an analog ADSR envelope generator, an analog LFO, and MIDI input and output. External audio can be processed by the filter and amplifier section and external CV signals can be used to control the filter cutoff and amplifier gain. In addition to the hardware features, the software extends the feature list to include 4 voices of paraphony, 8-bit Karplus Strong synthesis, waveform blending, and many more. Below is a song produced with Dark Arcade in which all sounds (minus drums) are generated by Dark Arcade and then mixed with some basic effects (delay, reverb, and compression).
What features does Dark Arcade have?
The full feature list for Dark Arcade includes,..
Digitally produced oscillators including sine, triangle, square, and sawtooth waves
4 voices of paraphony
OTA based analog filter including low-pass and band-pass output, cutoff control, and resonance control
OTA based analog amplifier
Analog ADSR envelope section with depth control
Analog LFO section with depth control and slew control
8-bit Karplus-Strong synthesis mode
MIDI input
MIDI output
External audio input jack for processing external audio with filter and amplifier
External CV input jack for modulating filter cutoff (+/-9V)
External CV input jack for modulating amplifier gain (+/-9V)
Inverse envelope output for filter and/or amplifier modulation
Switches for choosing filter/amplifier modulation sources
Suboscillator volume and waveform control in monophonic mode
Waveform blending control between two separate oscillators on monophonic mode and paraphonic mode
Waveform blending LFO control
Waveform blending envelope control
Portamento with glide speed control on monophonic mode
Portamento triggering control (on every note press or only when a previous note is held)
Bitcrushing on paraphonic mode and Karplus Strong mode
What does Dark Arcade sound like?
The combination of digitally produced oscillators and an analog filter and amplifier give Dark Arcade an earthy tone with a cybernetic veneer. Distinctive, full-bodied sounds are easily created by tweaking knobs controlling both the software and hardware components. Below are audio examples of several patches created with Dark Arcade. Each example includes the dry sound (no effects) first and then the same sound with reverb and/or delay. These examples were not mastered and were recorded directly by an Akai EIE Pro audio interface.
How was Dark Arcade created?
Dark Arcade began as BITBA555, a personal project to design a simple analog/digital hybrid bass synthesizer using 555 timer ICs for envelope generators and an LFO section. Shortly after that goal was achieved, the electrical design was modified and the software was overhauled to push the limits of the internal hardware. The first mockup of the enclosure design was drafted and Dark Arcade was born.
(First Mockup of Enclosure Design)
Where does the name Dark Arcade come from? What is the design inspired by? These questions are best answered by knowing its designer.
Who designed Dark Arcade?
The person responsible for the electrical, software, graphic, and plastic part design is siike92, aka Stevey Yarusinsky. He is currently a graduate student pursuing his M.S. in Computer Science at Purdue University's Northwest campus and he holds his baccalaureate in Acoustics from Columbia College Chicago. He is a hobbyist musician and has been designing DIY audio hardware since he was in high school. Aside from audio and music, his other interests include CAD, 3D printing, graphic design, programming, and video games: all of which were utilized in this project. siike92's design for Dark Arcade was actually inspired from his childhood experiences in a dimly lit arcade that was located inside his local shopping mall.
'All of my influences, both in design and music, are rooted in video games. I remember my first experience in an arcade as being an overwhelming display of what the combination of sound and visuals could do. It was a dimly lit arcade in the local mall of my small town and each of the arcade cabinets called to me with their inspired visuals, music, and sound effects. And being the creatively inclined kid I was, their designs inspired me pursue my own artistic endeavors upon arriving home. What I wanted to do with Dark Arcade was project a bit of that same feeling. I wanted to provide musicians with a source of inspiration through my design and fuel their personal creative endeavors. Most importantly I wanted it to be set at an accessible price. I wanted the process from purchase to play to be as close as possible to the experience of entering a dark arcade and being inspired by your favorite video game, hence the name.' - siike92"
Front Plate of Dark Arcade (Colors Not Representative of Final Product)
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