Chimera Synthesis bC16

Imagine a synth that fits in your CD case but packs the punch of a vintage EMS VCS3, all hand-built from layered white acrylic and ready to run on six AAA batteries anywhere.

This pocket-sized analog beast centers on two linked VCOs blending sine, triangle, saw, and PWM square waves, with CV log modulation, linear FM, and MIDI note control—detune them via knob, CV, or MIDI for thick, evolving tones. A matching dual LFO handles waveshape modulation across the board, feeding into a punchy 24dB discrete ladder lowpass filter (knob/CV cutoff and resonance), a straightforward ADSR envelope that loops VCS3-style when sustain hits zero, plus noise and ring mod for experimental grit. Fifteen color-coded knobs tweak it all, linked by 25 mini-banana jacks in a semi-modular playground, with monophonic MIDI in (note, velocity trigger, pitchbend, portamento, mod wheel), CV/gate ports, mod matrix routing, and a built-in headphone amp—120mm diameter, seven hex bolts clamping it solid.

Music geeks snapped these up fast back in 2008 for their raw, gritty bass and siren-like chaos, earning props as a quirky British gem that's robust yet fiddly on tiny cables and hot output levels. Even discontinued, it remains a cult favorite for portable patching adventures.