Imagine holding a slice of electronic music history that's been reborn as the slimmest analog synth ever made, machined from a single block of aluminum just one inch thick. This isn't a retro clone—it's a forward-looking tribute to the Roland SH-101's iconic voice, with a faithful recreation of the 3340 VCO and IR3109 4-pole OTA filter, crafted in collaboration with Open Music Labs for that classic bite and warmth.
At its core, a single analog oscillator delivers saw, square, triangle waves with PWM, suboctave, and noise generator, shaped by a single envelope, LFO for modulation, and portamento including an auto mode. The 32 full-size keys on a fast-action rubber dome switch span 2.5 octaves in F-scale, paired with a 360-degree performance bender joystick for pitch, filter, and vibrato control. Dual 256-step sequencers with A/B chaining, instant jumps, modulo interleaving, and arpeggiator shine for live fluidity, storing 64 patterns internally; run one internally and another externally via MIDI, CV mod in, trigger I/O, and a mono audio out plus headphone jack. A user-replaceable rechargeable battery lasts up to 16 hours, with web config for tweaks, all in a rugged 19.3 x 9.8 x 1-inch portable slab—add the optional handgrip for keytar vibes.
Players love its durable build and sequence tricks that make jamming intuitive, though some note the monophonic limit keeps it focused rather than expansive. It's a game-changer for on-the-go acid lines and evolving patterns.
