Music Thing Modular designed the Workshop System as a complete, self-contained modular synth that fits in a hardback book-sized case, originally created for a sound residency in 2024 and now refined into a production instrument that bridges the gap between approachable and genuinely powerful.
The core synthesis engine centers on two SineSquare oscillators with vintage 1970s character, fed through a pair of multimode Humpback Filters that can be patched in series or parallel. Two Slopes modules handle both envelope and LFO duties with a nice performative touch—each has a linear and exponential response option, plus a momentary trigger position for live tweaking. The RP2040-based Computer module is the real wild card here, shipping with a USB-MIDI interface, Turing Machine sequencer, and reverb effect, but designed so anyone can code custom cards to add new sequencers, effects, or control interfaces. You get a ring modulator normalled to the oscillators, a stompbox interface for integrating guitar pedals with feedback control, and an amplifier section that doubles as a contact microphone input for scraping and tapping the case itself. The 4 Voltages mini keyboard gives you four buttons and a knob for hands-on control, while the output mixer handles two stereo and two mono channels with a solid headphone amp. Everything runs on USB-C PD power or a standard 15-25V barrel connector, meaning you can power it from a laptop adapter or battery pack you probably already own.
The assembled version arrives in a protective flightcase ready to use, and the whole system can mount into Eurorack if you want to expand it later. The community has embraced the hackable card system, creating and sharing custom programs, which speaks to how Music Thing positioned this as a tool that grows with your needs rather than a fixed instrument.
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