It looks a like a Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator and iPhone morphed together. Release is scheduled for Fall of next year.
The initial details:
Exceptional
sound design in your pocket
A ground-breaking pocket-sized digital synthesizer designed for infinite customization and versatility.
Beautifully engineered for the modern producer
— Interchangeable sound cartridges
— Unibody front-plate design
— Durable and soft-to-touch materials
— LED-backlit buttons
— Universal input interface for both rhythm/sequencer and melody composition
ZONT modules change the game!
ZONT digital sound engines come in cartridge form, just like your favorite game, with four engines in your hands right out the box ready to feed the appetites of the modern producer.
Collaborate
Our sound engineers team up with prestigious electronic music producers and DJs to design custom sound engines for limited edition cartridges.
Connect
With RCA, MIDI, USB-C and 3.5mm jack outputs, the Studio Dock turns ZONT into a full member of your studio setup. Integrated Wi-Fi for cloud-based collaboration and production.
Another fascinating bit of synth history. Don't miss the UVI demos below. This is the first time the WaveFrame AudioFrame has been featured on the site. There was a controller for one featured here, and it was used by Barry Schrader and mentioned in my interview with him here and one previous post here.
This one was sent my way via swissdoc: "I just scanned my mega-sized German flyer from 1988/1989 of the WaveFrame Corporation AudioFrame. It is 600x600 dpi an weights in as about 32 megs. You can find it here [or check out the images of the complete pdf in this post - click each to zoom in].
It is similar to Fairlight or Synclavier and was kind of the first DAW. The system is still supported by http://www.waveframe.com
"Back in the 80's the WaveFrame Audioframe was the second generation of mega samplers, in line with the NED Synclavier and Fairlight CMI. A complete 48-voice system would sell for over $100,000, and at the time the feature set was worth it! The Audioframe was used by renowned artists like Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder and by leading sound designers and foley artists.
The UVI WaveFrame Sound Collection isn't a massive library dredged with tens of gigabytes of super high resolution wave files - conversely, it's a lean and mean library expertly crafted after the original, weighing in at just over 350 MB.
As you can hear in the demos, size isn't a factor for this library. The collection contains a multitude of very useful and organic sounds such as keyboards, guitars, basses, solo strings, string sections, upper brass, lower brass, brass sections, woodwinds, synths, pacific rim, percussion, drums, effects and test tones.
WaveFrame Sound Collection brings you an excellent library of bread and butter sounds that preserve the character and history of this milestone in music tech history."
Curious what this sounded like. I've never seen one before. This is only the 20th Practical Electronics post on MATRIXSYNTH. That's out of over 140,000 posts. Th others include the Minisonic and Minisonic 2, the PE Sound Synthesizer, and the the String Ensemble. You'll find a few posts from Ken MacBeth and AM Synths AM8071 SnowFall Filter, which was "a traditional diode ladder low pass filter, similar to that in the EMS VCS3, Roland SH-3, System 100 and Practical Elctronics Minisonic 2."
"Trying out the new Studio Electronics Quadnic. It's the only sound source used here. I run it thru a lowpass filter (e440) and then a hipass (polaris), then into clouds for the delay/reverb."
"This is the official demo video for the Pigtronix Bernie Worrell Signature Envelope Phaser Pedal. In this video, Bernie uses two Envelope Phasers simultaneously, one on Clav and one on Minimoog. Recorded at Highfields studio in NJ with Bernie Worrell and Members of the Bernie Worrell Orchestra."
The first patch sounds similar to Prophetic Steps on the KORG Prophecy. Same engine but slightly different some say. I always thought the Z1 was a Polyphonic Prophecy, but the parameter editing does not actually match up 1 to 1. I once tried creating Prophetic Steps on the Z1 to see what a polyphonic version would sound like and ultimately gave up. On the other hand the Yamaha UK once released a Roland JP-8000 soundset for the Yamaha AN1X that was quite spot on. I A/B'ed them and was blown away at how exact they got it in some cases. I always wondered if they ported the patches through software of if an individual meticulously recreated them.
Video description:
"KORG TRITON EXTREME EXB-MOSS Z1
"KILLER SCI-FI SOUNDS & FX" Part 1
by Rik Marston
***Watch In HD*** 100% NO TALKING!
Please Watch Your VOLUME LEVELS!!!
This is a 2 part demonstration of the sounds &
the power of the optional EXB-MOSS (KORG Z1
synthesizer engine in an expansion board) for the
KORG TRITON & KARMA series keyboard music workstations.
It's the heart & soul of the powerful Virtual Analog /
Physical Modeling MONSTER synthesizer: The KORG Z1.
I love the KORG Z1, so having it INSIDE the KORG TRITON EXTREME 61 key is GREAT!!!
And it is also EXCELLENT in the KORG KARMA!
Now that ROCKS!!!!!
The first 7 sounds are from the FANTASTIC Professional
sound designers: PRO-REC
The bank (on sale at Pro-rec.com) is called
"MOSS Film 3-D" + it's worth every penny!!
Waaay trippy sounds that will take you into OBLIVION!
Great use with the EFFECTS!!!
The last 4 sounds are from the FACTORY F Bank
PCG's or Programs.
They show off a great variety of soundscapes & the true power
of the fantastic EXB-MOSS expansion!! 6 voices of AWESOME!!!!
Here are the sound names, program numbers & time in video:
1. Planet X F079 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 00:08
2. Evolution F084 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 00:59
3. Alien Vector F061 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 01:44
4. Reactor Engine F042 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 02:25
5. Spectacles F050 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 03:30
6. Xanthers F078 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 04:46
7. Slip Sipper F058 from PRO-REC "MOSS Film 3-D" @ 07:18
8. BPF Sweep F041 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 08:36
9. Sub Lead F026 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 11:04
10. Square Hollow F009 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 12:48
11. Morph 3003 Dist F067 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 13:30
Thank You For Watching!
More Synth Demos & Ambient Chill Zen Music
Coming Soon!
Rik"
KORG TRITON EXTREME EXB-MOSS Z1 KILLER SCI-FI SOUNDS & FX Part 2 Rik Marston
Here are the sound names, program numbers & time in video:
1. Water Bell F092 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 00:05
2. Antique Strings F062 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 01:51
3. Dream Strings F038 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 03:29
4. Night Lights F017 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 05:50
5. Forest F015 from the FACTORY Bank @ 08:00
6. Vowel Phase Pad F023 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 09:37
7. Mad Scientist F0111 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 11:00
8. Ground Synth F0123 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 12:23
9. Giant REZ Sweep F048 from the FACTORY F Bank @ 13:43
"Quick play with the Monomachine MIDI sequencing the Tetra. Had some issues with recording, hence the odd glitch and fade out. All sequencing from the synths, recorded via USB out of the A4 using Overbridge."
Watch the blinky lights for what each synth is playing.
Exceptional 
