MSW-810m (with MIDI)

Inspired by the ultra-rare Roland CMU-810 Compusynth from the late 1970s, this analog monosynth revives that elusive warm, punchy tone in a modern desktop package with handy MIDI connectivity.

At its heart, a single AS3340-based VCO dishes out mixable square, sawtooth, sub-oscillator (1/2 oct down with PWM), and noise waveforms, spanning 16' to 2' ranges with PWM via envelope, manual, or LFO. The AS3109 VCF sweeps from 10Hz to 20kHz with resonance up to self-oscillation, plus envelope depth, key follow, and mod sources, feeding into a versatile VCA (linear/exponential response, bypassable) and final mixer blending synth out with two external audio inputs. Controls are laid out intuitively like an SH-101—sliders for levels, dedicated knobs for ADSR (1.5ms-10s times, full sustain range), LFO (0.1Hz-20kHz rate with delay), and more— all in a sturdy 13"x2.5"x8" metal enclosure weighing around 1.5 lbs. MIDI hits via 3.5mm TRS or USB-C (cables included) for note/gate control, with CV/gate ins, 1/4" main/headphone outs, and 9V DC power.

Synth enthusiasts dig its reliable build and authentic Roland-flavored snarls for acid lines and basses, though some note the fixed MIDI implementation keeps things simple without velocity or deep CC support.