The Lyra-8 Organismic Synthesizer from SOMA Laboratory recalibrates the traditions of subtractive synthesis. Instead of having a linear or logarithmic dependency on control voltage, its sounds resemble the tone generators in older electric organs. For this reason, SOMA refers to them as "voices" rather than VCOs. Functional interactivity and endless combinations of signal paths make this a versatile electronic instrument that is truly its own organism.
Each of the voices and its envelope act as a separate FM operator, while the voices can function either in electric organ mode or in FM synthesis mode. The voices effect on the FM synthesis decreases as its envelope decays. Voices are divided into four pairs (12, 34, 56, 78); those pairs are divided into two groups with two pairs in each (1234, 5678), branching the voices out like roots in the soil. Further control over the sound is achieved through mod delay, LFO, and built-in distortion; all can affect one another to create spontaneous results. External audio can be patched via a 1/4" input, while outputs are presented on balanced 1/4" line and 3.5mm headphone jacks. CV and Gate outs are provided for additional control options.
- Hyper LFO: a complex low-frequency generator, whose waveform is synthesized from two simple LFOs by summation or multiplication of their frequencies. It features a sync mode and modulates the selected pairs of voices and the Mod Delay.
- Mod Delay: consists of delay with feedback, which has a possibility of self-modulation in which the output signal modulates the delay sample rate.
- Distortion: last in the chain, after the delay, which allows the two effects to interact.
- 1/4" balanced input
- 3.5mm headphone output
- CV voices output
- CV delay output
- hold gate output