TherapSid MKII

Named after prehistoric beasts that roamed millions of years ago, this synth revives the raw, aggressive bite of the classic SID chip from 80s computers, packing two of them onboard for doubled-up sonic fury.

Handbuilt in small batches in southern France, it drives three digital oscillators per SID—each with saw, square, triangle, and noise waveforms—through a multimode analog filter offering low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, or combined modes, assignable per voice. Three LFOs with four shapes sync to MIDI clock and route deeply via 35 knobs and 33 buttons for instant, hands-on tweaking, no menus needed. A 16-step sequencer, arpeggiator with auto modes and scrubbing, preset randomizer, and 99 RAM patches keep the creativity flowing, while CV/Gate inputs, three CV LFO overrides, MIDI I/O, and even audio input for external processing open modular possibilities. Multi-timbral play across three voices on separate MIDI channels supports paraphonic modes, and fat dual-SID options like mirrored, detuned, octave, or super-thick 6-saw stacks deliver everything from retro chiptune snarls to massive walls of sound.

Owners cherish its tactile control and authentic SID character—whether 6581's warm grit or 8580's cleaner edge—often calling it a gem for cutting through mixes, though its desktop size and power-hungry bridge rectifier demand a solid setup.