Pittsburgh Modular’s Taiga synthesizer is an adventure into new sonic terrain

This semi-modular synth has some quirky features – and a bizarre launch video to match

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Pittsburgh Modular Taiga

American synth manufacturer Pittsburgh Modular has released Taiga, a semi-modular paraphonic synthesizer inspired by nature.

At the heart of Taiga are three analogue oscillators boasting waveforms that “stretch beyond the basic geometric shapes and sounds” of traditional subtractive synthesis, according to Pittsburgh Modular. The three cascading waveshapers ensure this, letting you warp the sine, triangle, sawtooth and square waves into each other. Then come the wavefolders.

A six-stage wavefolder is present on each oscillator to warp the sound. Pittsburgh Modular says the wavefolders feature new technology that allows you to fold “previously unfoldable waves” for creating richer timbres. You can also modulate the wavefolders and randomise them on every note.

Pittsburgh Modular Taiga

These wacky wavefolding oscillators feed into the Pittsburgh filter, which the brand claims has been tweaked to absolute perfection. With no sonic dead spots, it sweeps through the full frequency range with a resonance that doesn’t roll off the low end. Anyone familiar with the Cre8Audio East Beast will know what this filter can do.

Along with dual ADSR envelopes for the filter and other modulation is the Dynamics section – a unique controller that has three modes for managing amplitude and harmonic content. You can use it in VCA mode, for a more standard envelope mode, or in low-pass gate mode for evolving the harmonics of a sound as they decrease in volume. The company says this makes Taiga sound “more natural or more complex compared to other instruments.” You can find the same controller on the Cre8Audio West Pest, too.

Rounding out the synthesizer is a host of effects and connectivity options. This includes MIDI to CV conversion, a mixer, a preamp with an overdrive circuit, an analogue bucket brigade delay, an LFO, a noise generator, and a digital multi-modulation tool.

You can create patches with Taiga on its own or use the 60 patch points to connect it to other modules and hardware gear. A clock-synced arpeggiator and internal clock with tap tempo is on board, as well. To use Taiga in two-voice paraphonic mode via the velocity output.

All in all, Taiga looks set to be a synthesizer with a unique feature set, and we look forward to putting it to the test.

Taiga is available for preorder now for $800.

Learn more at pittsburghmodular.com

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