Description



Being able to produce sounds ranging from laser-shots, computer effects, robotic chit-chat, techno-zaps and analogue-like frequency sweeps, DROID-3 was not meant to be an all-in-one synthesizer, but mainly to supply the ever-increasing number of new-age, ambience and techno freaks out there with a new digital up-to-date matrix based way of making sound.

This small digital sound device was made with the intention of giving the user a cheap and unique sound source with flexible real-time control possibilities and easy integration into any MIDI setup.
• Demo-MP3s is found in the DEMOS section.
• Early development pictures are in the HISTORY section.
DROID-3 is a hand-made lo-fi stand-alone monophonic sound device with 2 DCOs, 2 envelopes and a lot of modulation features. Preset sounds come via MIDI and every parameter reacts in real-time like with an analogue synth - no need to retrig the notes to hear the changes you make. All parameters can be controlled either via MIDI or by using the dial and the buttons on the unit itself.

Starting out only as a hobby project this little synth has in fact made its way into the history of Denmark by being the very first Danish manufactured synthesizer.
DROID-3 has a four note arpeggio buffer. The two digitally controlled oscillators have 7 waveforms that can be modulated in a quite unique way (distortion modes like mirror or wrap) creating lots of new waveforms. One of the DCOs can be synced to the other (sync slave mode) and the DCOs are mixed through one digital high/low/band pass or band rejection filter with optional overdrive/boost or two parallel high/low pass filters. The arpeggio speed, the filter(s) and almost all the parameters of each DCOs (such as waveform number) can be controlled in realtime by a range of MIDI controllers or internal sources including the output from each DCO and the two envelopes. Both envelopes can loop, thus functioning as LFOs. Today most synths are custom made with features that are impressive but only capable of doing the one thing they were meant for; LFOs controlling pitch, envelopes controlling amplitude or filters, pitch wheel controlling pitch etc. In the old days the sound programmer could interconnect everything and have e.g. the oscillator control the filter even though it was not really meant to do that. This is what the term matrix modulation means to us and that is what we tried to do with DROID-3; bring back the long lost freedom and creativity in a healthy balance with a simple user interface.




Specifications


Software

• Output
    Mode 1: 10500 Hz, 8 bit, S/N ~ 80 dB average (when LEDs are disabled)
    Mode 2: 13300 Hz, 8 bit, S/N ~ 80 dB average (DCO 2 output, envelopes, filter and LEDs disabled)
• 2 monophonic DCOs
    Waveforms: Saw up, saw down, square (0-100% pulse width), tri, noise, S&H noise, digital and silent
    4 overload modes (for each DCO)
    Retrig on/off (for each DCO)
    Key follow on/off (for each DCO)
    Sync slave mode for DCO 1
• 2 envelopes
    Offset, attack, attack level, decay, sustain level and release
    Legato mode
    Loop mode: Envelope 1 = retrig LFO w/fade in, envelope 2 = LFO/free run
• Filter
    Mode 1: Low, high, band pass or band rejection - all w/input boost option
    Mode 2: High or/and low pass
• Matrix modulation
    16 sources:
          Envelope 1  
          Envelope 2
          DCO 1
          DCO 2
          Pitch bend
          Pitch bend downscaled
          Modulation
          Velocity
          Gate
          Velocity gate
          Channel pressure
          Key follow
          Key follow upscaled
          Hold pedal
          Expression pedal
          Breath control
    15 destinations:
          Arpeggio speed
          DCO 1 amplitude
          DCO 1 pitch
          DCO 1 waveform
          DCO 1 pulse width
          DCO 1 offset
          DCO 2 amplitude
          DCO 2 pitch
          DCO 2 waveform
          DCO 2 pulse width
          DCO 2 offset
          Envelope 1 offset
          Envelope 2 offset
          Filter cutoff
          Filter width (or cutoff2)
• Arpeggio
    4-note buffer - very fast
• Step mode
    Decreases Envelope 2 and DCO2 output resolution 0-7 bits



Hardware

• Top
    Three LEDs: Output (red), MIDI input (green) and DCO2 rate (yellow)
    LCD, 16 characters 2 lines, backlit
    Two Enter and two Escape buttons
    Dial
• Rear
    DC connector 9 V (+/- or -/+)
    Line output jack (mono)
    MIDI in
    On/Off switch
• Bottom
    LCD contrast
• Dimensions
    ~ 12 (W) * 12.8 (D) * 4.2 (H) cm
• Weight
    545 g
• Power consumption @ 9 V DC
    ~ 200 mA



 Signal routing and filtering

                                                              •-]
                                                         off
          •-------------------------------------------------(
          |                                              on  \
          |      •-]                                          •
,------.  | off          FILTER                FILTERS        |
| OSC1 |--•----(     ,-------------.          ,-------.       |
`------´    on  \    |             |          |       |       |    /|
                 •---| HP/LP/BP/BR |      •---| HP/LP |---•   |  ,-|| 8 bit
                     |             |-- or     >-------<   •---•--| || 10 kHz
                 •---|    Boost    |      •---| HP/LP |---•   |  `-||
,------.    on  /    |    on/off   |          |       |       |    \|
| OSC2 |--•----(     `-------------´          `-------´       |
`------´  | off                                               |
          |      •-]                                          •
          |                                              on  /
          •-------------------------------------------------(
                                                         off
                                                              •-]

Matrix modulation

A parameter/destination can only read one source at the time. However, one source can easily control several destinations. 

 Sources
 ,------. ,------. ,------. ,------. ,------.
 | OSC1 | | OSC2 | | ENV1 | | ENV2 | | MIDI*|                * MIDI sources
 `------´ `------´ `------´ `------´ `------´                  ------------
    v        v        v        v        v     Destinations     Pitch bend
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.         Pitch bend downscaled
    |        |        |        |        |     | OSC1 |         Modulation
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |         Velocity
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|wave  |         Gate
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|pwm   |         Velocity gate
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|pitch |         Channel pressure
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|amp   |         Key follow
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|offset|         Key follow upscaled
    |        |        |        |        |     `------´         Hold pedal
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.         Expression pedal
    |        |        |        |        |     | OSC2 |         Breath control
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|wave  |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|pwm   |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|pitch |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|amp   |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|offset|
    |        |        |        |        |     `------´
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.
    |        |        |        |        |     |FILTER|
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|cutoff|
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|width |
    |        |        |        |        |     `------´
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.
    |        |        |        |        |     | ENV1 |
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|offset|
    |        |        |        |        |     `------´
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.
    |        |        |        |        |     | ENV2 |
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|offset|
    |        |        |        |        |     `------´
    |        |        |        |        |     ,------.
    |        |        |        |        |     |ARPEG |
    |        |        |        |        |     |      |
    •--------•--------•--------•--------•---->|speed |
                                              `------´

In the interest of product development, the specifications are subject to change without prior notice.