Michigan Synth Works brought back one of the most beloved DIY synthesizers ever created when they released the Xena, a fully assembled remake of the Mutable Instruments Ambika that trades the soldering iron for machine precision and modern engineering.
The Xena is a six-voice polyphonic desktop synthesizer with two digital oscillators per voice, each offering 36 wavetable algorithms and waveforms to shape your sound. Every voice also gets a configurable sub-oscillator that can function as a transient generator, followed by a pre-filter overdrive and bit-crusher for grit and character. The SMR4 filter card uses the same smooth, warm topology as the classic Shruthi SMR4mkII—a four-pole OTA-C filter with that characterful "Rolandish" quality that sits somewhere between clinical precision and musical coloration. The signal path continues through a VCA, then splits to six individual outputs plus a mixed mono output for flexible routing into your setup.
Control happens through an LCD screen where you navigate parameters for all six voices and access a 14-slot modulation matrix for virtual patching. You get three ADSR envelopes, three patch-level LFOs, and one voice-level LFO with multiple waveforms, all working together to shape movement and expression. The real magic is voice flexibility: configure all six as a single polyphonic instrument, split them into independent mono parts, layer two three-voice synths, or build unison basses and leads simultaneously. There's also an arpeggiator, note sequencer, and two step sequencers per part, plus full MIDI I/O and SD card storage for your patches.
The community has embraced the Xena as a genuine successor to the Ambika, appreciating the improved build quality, updated layout, and modern power supply without losing the sonic character that made the original special. It's a synth that rewards deep exploration while remaining approachable from day one.
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