Fred's Lab MANATEE -new SPECTRAL SYNTH (ONLY SOUNDS demo)

video upload by FutureMusic.es

"The world of synthesis gets a boost with the innovative Fred's Lab Manatee: A four-part multitimbral synthesizer with the power to transform sonic creativity"

https://fredslab.net/

"With its unique combination of synthesis algorithms and intuitive control panel, Fred's Lab Manatee is an agile and amazing tool for any producer or composer.

With its heralded spectral synthesis and multi-timbral/multi-part capability, this beautiful machine generates 16 voices (depending on the loaded preset ) and four parts , meaning great flexibility in terms of sound design power.

Manatee features a generator that combines the best of additive and wavetable synthesis architectures , inviting synthesists to agile exploration through innovative sonic textures (watch our video, above).

Initially a Kickstarter project (2023), the creative and experimental Fred's Lab Manatee is now available from retailers in limited quantities.

Advanced technology for exceptional sound
A wide range of modulation and synthesis tools make Fred's Lab Manatee a perfect instrument for any MPE (MIDI Expressive) controller . With a well-documented MIDI implementation, users will easily integrate it into their ecosystems, whether with hardware or DAW software . This total adaptability makes Manatee an invaluable resource for any experimental production environment.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Fred's Lab Introduces the Manatee - Digital Desktop Synthesizer w/ Spectral Engine Synthesis

via Fred's Lab

BERLIN. 12.05.22

At Superbooth 2022, Fred’s Lab announce working on its new machine: the Manatee

The Manatee is an ode to the golden era of digital machines with personality, together with modern twists and a crystal clear sound quality. With reminiscences of electric organ tones and out-of-this-world but beautifully contained harshness, the Manatee unveils new sound exploration paths.

Loosely inspired by digital classics, the Manatee excels at producing dark & moody pads, snappy or round bell like tones and behaves very well in known VA (virtual analog) territory. At the frontier between the beloved wavetable and the unconventional additive synthesis, by fusing a complex procedural spectral source with a top notch realtime re-sampler, the Manatee allows any musician to efficiently alter their sound timbre as they discover.

Besides the spectral generator, a versatile sub-oscillator (including FM features) and a filtered noise source (with variable sample rate) are on the menu. The sound get further refined thanks to the great sounding filter, and an extra tuned resonator followed by the overdrive module. A per-part stereo delay is also there.

Built like a tank, using only industrial grade pots, switches and connectors, the Manatee is a professional piece of gear and there to last. Would it need repairs, like with all Fred’s Lab products, service instructions including complete schematics are part of the user manual. Latest firmware can be downloaded from our website.

TECHNOLOGY
• Dual core 16 bit fixed-point DSP
• Hand crafted assembly engine
• TI (originally Burr Brown) DACs
• DIN MIDI IN & OUT (with smart THRU)
• Synchronization by ext. clock or MIDI clock
• High contrast / backlit 16x2 LCD display
• 16x aluminum potentiometers
• 25x long lasting illuminated switchs

PRELIMINARY SPECS *
• 3 part 9 voice multitimbral spectral engine
• Extensive MIDI 1.0 with MPE or multimode

PER VOICE
• 1x
• 1x
• 2x
• 1x
PER PART
• 2x
• 1x
• 1x
• 3x
• 1x

GLOBAL
• 1x
superb self-resonant filter model
overdrive module
dedicated loopable envelopes (ENV. F & ENV. A) dedicated filter LFO
spectral modulators (MOD. B - for body & MOD. F for formant) resonator module
long and modulated stereo delay
audio buses mixer (Main, Aux & Reverb)
simple arpeggiator reverb module

• Various Main and Aux buses master EQs

* These specifications will evolve during project development

PROJECT STATE

IMPORTANT: SB22 machines are technological demo units – not final instruments

Changes may include:
• form factor
• audio engine feature list
• enclosure design style
• pricing (around 600E, VAT included)

Although product research and development is self-founded, Fred’s Lab needs additional finances to make this machine production ready (to cover lab testing, procurement costs, tooling, production line rental & associated setup costs...).

Fred’s Lab will eventually run a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter (no date to be announced) to produce a limited first run of 150 machines.

The two machines presented @ Superbooth 2022 (so-called “Superbooth Edition”) will be sold on auction, also to help financing the project development. Auctions will take place on Ebay, on the 14/06/2022.

more information @ https://fredslab.net



Click the pics for full size.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Fred's Lab Manatee Multitimbral MPE Synthesizer - Kickstarter

video upload by Fred's Lab

"Kickstarter presentation for the Manatee Synthesizer from Fred's Lab.

Manatee is a 16-voice 4-part desktop synthesizer based on a unique Spectral Synthesis engine and various Virtual Analog algorithms. It offers a wide range of characterful digital sounds in compact and sturdy steel case.

Link to crowdfunding campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

For more information:
https://fredslab.net/en/manatee-modul..."

Additional Fred's Lab Manatee posts w/ demos

Fred's Lab Manatee Custom Patches by synth_nyc

via synth_nyc:

I’m pleased to inform you that Fred’s Lab released my 128 Manatee Custom Patches [Bank 1] + [Bank 2] today; they are available for purchase on Fred’s Lab new web-store: https://fredslab.net/shop/shop-front.php

You can listen to them in high resolution (24bit 96kHz PCM WAV masters, FLAC encoded) on my site (optimized for Chrome on MacOS and Windows): https://synthnyc.com/index.php/freds-lab/

Here is a short description of the sound banks by Fred’s Lab:

[Bank 1]
Crafted by synth_nyc, this bank features 64x meticulously hand-designed presets in sysex format. Taking full advantage of the advanced spectral oscillator and unique synthesis options, it is perfectly designed for atmospheres, pads and keys sounds. This bank also provides a solid set of basses, plucks, bells ... but also arpeggiated sounds with a retro / nostalgic vibe. Provided sounds have an emphasis on expressiveness, they all make great use of velocity & aftertouch controls.

[Bank 2]
As an extension of [Bank 1], [Bank 2] shifts towards classic hybrid and early digital synth sounds, featuring timbres reminiscent of wavetable and FM-based synthesizers. Still, a wide variety of presets are offered, this bank complements [Bank 1] perfectly.

Fred's Lab Manatee Synthee - Monolog und Rundlauf - FormantFreak!

video upload by SequencerTalk

https://fredslab.net/

"Moogulator erklärt den Fred's Lab Manatee und zeigt Sound und Bedienung und am Ende ein paar weitere Sounds. Spontanaufnahme, da reguläre Sendung ausgefallen ist."

"Moogulator explains the Fred's Lab Manatee and shows the sound and operation and at the end a few more sounds. Spontaneous recording, as the regular broadcast was cancelled."

Being wrong about sound design... and sea mammals | FRED'S LAB MANATEE

video upload by Ollie Music

"Fred’s Lab Manatee Synthesizer – Full Tutorial & Sound Design Walkthrough.
Hello internet 👋 In this video, I’m diving into the Manatee by Fred’s Lab. A 4-part digital synthesizer that sounds wild and completely influenced my approach to sound design."

SUPERBOOTH 2024: Fred's Lab - Manatee

video upload by sonicstate

"At Superbooth 2024, Fred from Fred's Lab showcased the final version of their long-awaited spectral synthesizer Manatee. Manatee offers a unique approach to sound design with two envelopes, two sources including a spectrum generator, sub-oscillator with FM options, classic multimode filter, distortion, bitcrusher, delay, equalizers, and a versatile mixing section. The synthesizer also boasts 64 factory presets with additional user slots for customization.

In terms of connectivity, the Manatee features MIDI in, out, through, clock input, stereo audio outs, and a headphone jack. Initially, the synthesizer will be available to Kickstarter backers, followed by pre-orders on the website at a preferential price. Fred highlighted the hard work put into the Manatee and its rich, deep sound quality. Kickstarter supporters should begin receiving their Manatees in a couple of weeks.

https://fredslab.net/manatee/"

Fred's Lab Manatee Custom Patches [Bank 1] by synth_nyc

You can find high res demos on synth_nyc's website here.

Manatee is 4-part 10/16-voice fast workflow desktop synthesizer with spectrum modulation and many digital algorithms by Fred's Lab, currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter and the Fred's Lab website.

[SUPERBOOTH22] FRED'S LAB MANATEE / synthétiseur spectral (proto)

video upload by Les Sondiers

"Fred's Lab présente le nouveau prototype de synthétiseur spectral Manatee."

Googlish:

"Fred's Lab introduces the new Manatee spectral synthesizer prototype."

Fred's Lab Manatee TouchOSC Bidirectional Editor v4.0

via synth_nyc

NB: This Bank B has entirely been created using the editor.

This is my favorite patch in that bank. It illustrates what the Manatee can do like a warm FM full body pad (that you can do on a DX synth) but with an aggressive attack and subtle spectral decay and movement that only the Manatee can do AFAIK.

Thanks to Fred’s Lab for providing me with the MIDI NRPN (and CC) specifications.

GENERIC FEATURES:
- Display parameter Name and Value
- Double click a slider or button to reset it to a default value
- MIDI data rate efficient: only sends a MIDI message if the parameter value is incremented or decremented by 1

SPECIFIC FEATURES (FW v1.06d):
- 1 Editor Page for the Part Main parameters
- 1 Editor Page for the Part Auxiliary parameters
- 1 Editor Page for the Multi parameters
- 1 Editor Page for the System parameters
- All 162 Part + 27 Multi + 48 System parameters implemented in the editor using NRPN. Part parameters are bidirectional using NRPN and SYSEX.
- MIDI Channel selection slider
- Bank (change) + Program (change) selection slider + buttons
- Buffer Init button using SYSEX

WORKFLOW 1 EDITING FROM PATCH (starting at 00:05 in the video above):
- Select a Bank & Program
- Go to the synth, press and hold the 1 button (the synth must be in Part mode)
- Start editing (the loaded patch) on the editor (the Patch is edited in the synth buffer)
- Go to the synth, press and hold the 1 button to record it in your DAW / SYSEX librarian; or save it manually in the synth

WORKFLOW 2 EDITING FROM SCRATCH (starting at 01:18 in the video above):
- Press Buffer Init to send an Init Patch to the synth
- Start editing (the init patch) on the editor (the Patch is edited in the synth buffer)
- Go to the synth, press and hold the 1 button to record it in your DAW / SYSEX librarian; or save it manually in the synth

CLICK FOR MORE »

Live Electro Set @ SynthFest France 2025 – Manatee Synth in Action

video upload by Fred's Lab

"Here is my 25-minute live set recorded at SynthFest France 2025 in Nantes, performed entirely with Fred's Lab Manatee synthesizer + a PC laptop as MIDI sequencer and to throw the drums & voice samples in.

Direct sound from the Manatee, with a little compression added but no more.

This short set dives into electro, techno, psychedelic vibes, a bit of drum & bass, and many things in between. All synthetic sounds, effects, and mixing were handled live on the Manatee. Just one synth, four multitimbral parts, built-in FX, deep MIDI sequencing options = a ton of potential!

This performance was about pushing the Manatee to its limits and showing how far a single synth can go when it’s designed for performance, experimentation, and musical fun.

Massive thanks to the SynthFest France team for making this event happen and much love to the stage and video crew for capturing the moment and making everything run smooth.

Looking forward to see you all next year!

Fred."

https://fredslab.net/

Fred's Lab "Synthesizer sind Liebe" 🧡 - SequencerTalk 159 - with New Manatee Digital Synthesizer

video upload by SequencerTalk

"Wir haben wieder einen Entwickler zu Gast und mit Frédéric wird es garantiert nicht Langweilig, schließlich hat er schon für einige namenhafte Synthesizer Hersteller Produkte erschaffen. Aber mit Fred's Lab hat Frédéric wohl ein paar der sympathischsten kleinen Synths der letzten Jahre geschaffen.

Wir sind gespannt was er uns über den neuen polyphonen Digital-Sythesizer 'Manatee' erzählen kann!"

Googlish:

"We have another developer as our guest and with Frédéric it is guaranteed not to be boring, after all he has already created products for a number of well-known synthesizer manufacturers. But with Fred's Lab, Frédéric has created some of the most likeable little synths of recent years.
We are curious what he can tell us about the new polyphonic digital synthesizer 'Manatee'!"

You can find additional posts featuring the Manatee here.

Fred's Lab Manatee Custom Patches [Bank 2] by synth_nyc

You can find hi-res demos at SYNTH_NYC

Details:

"This bank 2 has been created using a TouchOSC mk2 editor I developed (with LUA Scripts) for Manatee firmware v1.03 thanks to Fred’s provided specifications for the parameters control. It’s using NRPN for Editor -> Synth and SYSEX for Synth -> Editor. I had to reverse engineer the 211 bytes SYSEX dump for 1 Part for this effort. In v1.03, there are 233 parameters total, including 162 for Part."

This is my favorite patch in that bank [TouchOSC editor pics below]. It illustrates what the Manatee can do like a warm FM full body pad (that you can do on a DX synth) but with an aggressive attack and subtle spectral decay and movement that only the Manatee can do AFAIK.

Lastly I’ve tried to highlight new things in that bank 2 (which I haven’t used in bank 1), most patches use them:
- The Spectrum Editor
- The 1-shot LFOs (firmware v1.03): NDLR this is my favorite feature on the Modal 002 / 002R

Most patches have Velocity and PB configured / used in the demo to showcase the Manatee expressivity; and external FX have been used.

Only Manatee Part 1 is used."

CLICK FOR MORE »

This Synth Is More Powerful Than It Looks | FRED’S LAB MANATEE

video upload by Ollie Music

"Fred’s Lab really went off the rails with the Manatee. At first glance, it looks like a weird little box but under the hood? This thing is a psychedelic sound design machine.

In this video, I dive into what makes the Manatee so unique and why it completely blew my mind during sound design sessions. 👽✨"

Timetable :
00:00 Intro
00:39 Unipolar Mods
01:56 Hidden Envelopes
04:41 Hidden LFOs
05:08 FM anything
08:23 RingMod Forest Pads
13:05 Melt in time FX
16:36 The hidden Phaser
20:11 Fake a formant filter

Fred's Lab Manatee - A little tour + Q&A

video upload by Fred's Lab

"Let's play around with Manatee prototype and answer your questions about the instrument."

https://fredslab.net/

ESK - Manatee Delay Jam

video upload by Metunar

"Jam with the Fred's Lab Manatee Synthesizer. The Nord Modular i use only as Keyboard.
I play mostly with the Manatee Delay Time of 4 Sounds.
Direct recording with soft mastering."

http://www.metunar.ch

Short Manatee Demo

video upload by Fred's Lab

"Short Improvised Demo / Extracted from the 17/08/23 live stream. [posted here]

Manatee is the latest 4 part 10/16 voice digital synthesizer from Fred's Lab.
It produces a wide variety of classy sounds based on a unique take on Spectral Synthesis, 2 OP Linear FM and several modern Virtual Analog algorithms. Per part delays & equalizers in addition to a global master reverberation unit are also included in the sonic package."

Fred's Lab Manatee 4-Part Spectral Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

You can find demos of the Manatee in additional posts here.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Fred's Lab Manatee: SUPERBOOTH 24

video upload by Bonedo Synthesizers

"Thanks to our sponsors: Kurzweil, PWM and ESI."

https://fredslab.net/

Fred’s Lab Manatee Module Digital Spectral Synthesizer w/ Original Box

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Retro Gear Shop Listings

CLICK FOR MORE »