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.

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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 Töörö 6-Voice Hybrid Synthesizer

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

via this auction

Espen Kraft video in the listing previously posted here. See the Fred's Lab label for additional posts, and the Fred's Lab website for additional info.

"A six-voice, four-part hybrid desktop synthesizer, the Töörö from Fred's Lab packs huge sound and customizability into a compact package. At its core are a pair of 12-bit wavetable oscillators that can be shaped with through-zero FM synthesis, ring modulation and auto-sync giving you the ability to create rich lows and icy highs. The character is further shaped by 'virtual operators' in the FM and sync architecture, as well the MS-10-inspired, FL A847 12dB/oct resonant analog filter. All parameters are accessible from the intuitive layout and can also be controlled via MIDI, and the internal memory can store 100 presents."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Töörö [Fred's Lab] - Electricity Cover 2021

adnmusic

"OMD's Electricity played on Töörö Synth by Fred's Lab.
https://fredslab.net/en/tooro-module.php

100 % Töörö sounds, no presets, no external fx.

Early Protoype : the box and main display of the synth are different now.

Thanks to Coyote14 and Fred's Lab."

Töörö [Fred's Lab] - Africa Tötö Cover 2021

video by adnmusic

"Toto's Africa played live on Töörö Synth by Fred's Lab.

https://fredslab.net/en/tooro-module.php

100 % Töörö sounds, no external fx.
Midi live playing and recording audio directly.
Drums are Töörö 's too, recorded sound by sound and sequenced afterwards.

Early Protoype : the box and main display of the synth are different now.

Thanks to Coyote14 and Fred's Lab."

I spy my with my little eye... Bernie!

Superbooth 21 Fred's Lab ZeKit 4 voice polyphonic synthesizer

video upload by Gearjunkies

"At Superbooth 2021 in Berlin, Frédéric from Fred's Lab shows you his latest 4 voice polyphonic synthesizer, the ZeKit"

Fred's Lab ZeKit posts

Démo Töörö, 6 voice hybrid polysynth by Fred's Lab

coyotesynth

"A demo made with the 6 voice polyphonic hybrid synth by Fred's Lab: the Töörö.

All sounds (even drums) made with Töörö.
Most of the FX added in DAW (logic Pro X, Dimension D Arturia, BL20 Flanger Arturia, VCA compressor Arturia, SoundToys little Plate, Eventide Ultra Channel, Native Instruments Replika, Native Instruments Raum)"

See the Fred's Lab label below for more.

Two Days to go on New Töörö - Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth Kickstarter Campaign

Fred's Lab · Töörö - Mylar Melodies

Supporting member Ray Ewan wrote in to let us know there are only a couple of days left for the Töörö - Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth Kickstarter Campaign. Click through for details.

Above are some demos from Mylar Melodies, not previously posted here on the site.

Frédéric Meslin, aka Fred's Lab was the man behind the very successful and highly rated Buzzzy! Synth. You can find additional posts featuring Fred's Lab here.

Fred's Lab Töörö Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth Coming to Kickstarter

Fred's Lab wrote in to let us know their Töörö Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth is coming to Kickstarter this Friday.

"Töörö is a 6 voice 4 part polyphonic multitimbral hybrid synth with digital oscillators, unique analog filters based on opto-couplers and a digital multi-fx. The campaign will launch on next Friday the 23/10/2020 at 22h00 (UTC+1) and will last for 3 weeks. I am looking to gather enough interested musicians and collect more than 40.000EUR to be able to produce about 100 machines, locally, in Germany. All machines are assembled, tested and shipped from Fred's Lab in Bonn. The synth will be available for 349EUR (with VAT) + shipping for early backers and then 399EUR + shipping."
You can find a demo and additional details previously posted here.

Fred's Lab - Découverte du Töörö | SynthFest 2020

SynthFest France

New Töörö 6 voice 4 part digilog synth from Fred's Lab.

SynthFest France 2020 - SynthFestALaMaison
22-24 Mai 2020 free and worldwide

via Fred's Lab

"Töörö is our new 6-voice 4-part hybrid "digilog" polysynth.

Including our latest discoveries in mixed electronics, the original FL A847 analog filters, this is the perfect module for demanding sound designers and every musician seeking distinctive tones with a strong personality, in a very compact form factor.

Each voice offers 2 complex digital oscillators with waveform morphing, 2-operator linear phase modulation and self-sync features plus a noise source, a ring modulator, the unique FL A847 lowpass filter accompanied by a digital shaper, 2 advanced LFOs and 2 ADSR envelopes.

A modulation matrix with 8 slots allow the animation of most of synthesis parameters.

A master digital FX unit with delay and chorus is also included.

Töörö is shipped with a printed version of the QuickStart Guide (in English) and a 1 meter black USB cable."

CLICK FOR MORE »

[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 "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 ZeKit 4 Voice Paraphonic Microsynth Coming to SUPERBOOTH21

via Fred's Lab

"For SuperBooth 2021, Fred's Lab drops ZeKit: a new 4 voice paraphonic microsynth, featuring a simple step sequencer, digital waveforms, an analog VCF, VCA & 2x AR envelopes. The instrument can be controlled using MIDI (notes & clock) and has both a sync and audio inputs. External audio sources can be mixed in or be processed through the VCF / VCA.

This synth is available in two versions:

- the DIY KIT version (requires soldering)
- the fully assembled version

Electronic music roots in building one’s own gear and this is what ZeKit is about.

This synth has been engineered to be an uncomplicated kit, from its schematics to its user operation, while providing great and powerful vintage & modern sounds, straight at its output. Compared to many kits, ZeKit isn’t a toy! You'll end up with an instrument that generates serious tones, gracefully synchronizes, and will nicely integrate your studio setup or follows you on tour, thanks to its compact size.

Being accessible to DIY beginners, ZeKit offers a lot to learn about analog and digital electronics for music gear, from building it and later playing it. A comprehensive and well illustrated, 30+ pages assembly guide (pdf) will assist you at each building step, from start to finish. This guide also includes ZeKit complete schematics and bill of materials, as well as a detailed explanation of the inner working of all circuit blocks.

Last but not least, most ZeKit design files are provided under Creative Commons and Open Source licences, allowing you to get inspired, modify, improve and distribute your creations, within the limitation of non-commercial use.

ZeKit is an adventure, it's yours! Build it and succeed!

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

• 129 EUR w/ VAT – DIY Kit Version
Includes: PCB, all components, housing, printed quickstart

• 179 EUR w/ VAT – Already Assembled Version
Includes: Assembled ZeKit, printed quickstart

• 12 EUR w/ VAT - Universal Power Adapter (optional)
Please reuse any compatible one you own already

• 6 EUR w/ VAT – Battery kit + set of AAA batteries (optional)

From the 01/10/2021, ZeKit will be available to order directly from our website https://fredslab.net


The first batch is a limited run of 100 units which are available immediately.

CLICK FOR MORE »

THE DISC (excerpt 5) featuring Fred's Lab Töörö

video upload by adnmusic

"THE DISC (excerpt) feat. Fred's Lab Töörö

Thanks to Ar No for the Rhodes.

the concept:"

THE DISC [NEW ALBUM] : the concept


"Découvrez le concept de mon nouvel album : THE DISC.

https://fabienlabonde.bandcamp.com/al..."

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."

ESK - Fred's Lab Töörö Sound Demo

video by Metunar

"Sound demo of Fred's Lab Töörö polyphonic digital synth with analog filters.
Direct recording without external effects. All sounds are from the Töröö only.
Sequenced by the Elektron Digitone or played through the Behringer VC340.

http://www.metunar.ch"

SYNTH DEMO #28 Unboxing Töörö [Fred's Lab] and Beethoven

video by adnmusic

"Unboxing Töörö by Fred's Lab
Ludwig van Beethoven - Pastoral Symphony
Both are born in Bonn.

No external fx. No external sounds. 100 % Töörö.
Yamaha Motif XF7 used as as keyboard and sequencer."

Buzzzy! - The digital polysynth

Published on Apr 10, 2019 Fred's Lab

"The Fred's Lab Buzzzy! Kickstarter campaign is live:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Buzzzy! is an affordable 16 voice / 4 part digital sound module including 4 audio engines (Pulse / FM / Wave and Noise) and built-in quality FXs.

I am relying solely on your support to afford going in production and make out of this prototype, an instrument you can actually get and play!"


"The Buzzzy!

Good instruments don't need to be convoluted.

Instead, they should provide musicians with confidence and astonishment.

Despite it’s simple appearance, Buzzzy! is an advanced 16 voice polysynth capable of a broad and beautiful range of tones. It is fast and immediate, ideal for use onstage and for instant music production.

For the oscillator, choose one of the many variations of Pulse tones, FM timbres, grainy Waves or filtered Noises. Then, adjust the amplifier envelope, pump-up the volume and top with some prime quality effects.

Buzzzy! features 4 powerful oscillator engines, 9 built-in audio effects (with reverbs, delays and filters), a fast arpeggiator and offers 16 save slots to store your multi configurations.

Coming with an extensive MIDI implementation, Buzzzy! will be the perfect match with your hardware or mobile software sequencer.

About

After having designed instruments for different companies, I felt it was time to introduce my own projects. By pledging today, you are not only making the Buzzzy! possible, you are also supporting the work of an independent creator."

Töörö [Fred's Lab] Om Zanka - KA III (Magma cover)

video by adnmusic

"Köhntarkösz Anteria III or Om Zanka, as you like it :)
New explorations of Töörö [Fred's Lab] : envelops, tracking, LFO, ring modulation, sync, aftertouch, multi-fx...
A theme composed by Christian Vander and played by Magma.
100 % Töörö : no presets, no external fx, no external sounds.
Yamaha Motif XF7 as keyboard and sequencer
Tascam Portastudio 464 for the tape recording and the faders."

Töörö - Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth is Funded!

Just a quick post to announce Fred's Lab Töörö - Hybrid Polyphonic Supersynth has been funded on Kickstarter. Click through for details. There's 45 minutes left to go as of this post, so if you were thinking about picking one up during the campaign, not my be the time.

See the Fred's Lab label for additional posts featuring demos of the new Töörö!