When a Juno 106 meets open-source philosophy, you get the PolyKit Duo—a six-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer that proves you don't need a vintage price tag to own a classic sound. Craig Barnes took Jan Knipper's foundational PolyKit DCO design and expanded it into a fully programmable hybrid instrument that combines warm analog circuitry with the precision of digital control via dual Raspberry Pi Picos.
The heart of the PolyKit Duo is its dual digitally controlled oscillators with sawtooth and PWM waveforms, each individually mixable into multimode filters based on the CEM3372 chipset—the same filter found in the legendary Matrix-12. You get two LFOs, velocity sensitivity across filters and amplifiers, and aftertouch control over DCO and filter modulation. The analog chorus circuit echoes the character of the Juno 60, while 999 memory locations let you build and recall your sonic palette. Log and linear envelopes can loop via LFO or gate, giving you everything from classic pad textures to evolving sequences.
As an open-source project with comprehensive GitHub documentation, the PolyKit Duo invites builders into its design philosophy. Full MIDI implementation—including DIN 5-pin and USB—connects seamlessly to your setup, while whole, dual, and split modes adapt to any performance scenario. This is analog synthesis for the DIY era: transparent, expandable, and uncompromising in sound quality.
