A single pair of analog oscillators can tell surprisingly rich stories when you start to bend them with frequency modulation. Lore is a compact, hand-built FM oscillator pair that turns simple waveforms into evolving tones, drones, and textured noise, with nothing between you and the circuitry but a set of inviting controls.
At its heart, Lore uses two independently controlled triangle-core analog oscillators borrowed from the OVUM design, each with dedicated knobs for volume, pitch, and a waveform crossfade that moves smoothly between a crisp triangle and a bright square wave. The left oscillator can either join the right at the output for harmonies and dissonances, or switch roles to modulate the right oscillator’s frequency in a straightforward analog take on classic FM synthesis found in instruments like the DX7, opening up metallic timbres, beating tones, and shifting soundscapes. Everything is continuous, fluid, and free of menus, quantization, or digital stepping, making Lore a pure exploratory sound tool for headphones and long-form drone sessions.
Lore lives in a sturdy semi-transparent petroleum-free bioplastic enclosure, complete with a short nylon wrist strap that encourages portable, couch-friendly sound design. Power comes via USB-C, and a single 3.5 mm stereo output doubles as both headphone out and line-level feed for your interface, amp, or effects. To reduce waste, it ships with the instrument and a USB to USB-C cable, ready to plug into any USB power bank or adapter; there’s no internal battery, so you can choose the power solution that suits your setup. Simple, tactile, and focused on the nuances of analog FM, Lore invites you to get lost in the details of two oscillators interacting in real time.
