UK synth brand Future Sound Systems has made a name for itself with a string of innovative and distinctive Eurorack modules. Now the company is preparing to take a significant step up with its most substantial hardware product to date, Cric.
Cric is an all-analogue, semi-modular synth that makes use of a number of design elements lifted from the company’s Eurorack modules. This includes a three-VCO oscillator section based on the brand’s Recombination Engine, which uses the output of a Scissor operator to combine the outputs of two DNA oscillators. As a result it’s able to create some fairly complex harmonics and unique timbres.
Cric also features a filter section based around the excellent Timbral Sculptor, a module that combines elements of West Coast-style wave folding with a more common state variable VCF. The synth’s modular influence carries through to its modulation tools too, which include a sample & hold generator along with four cycling function generators capable of acting like both envelopes and LFOs.
The synth’s most visually distinctive feature, however, is the pin matrix used for patching its various elements together. This features 24 input sources and 32 destinations. This too has heritage elsewhere in FSS’ line-up – the brand previously released a standalone MTX8 matrix for patching external inputs.
Cric takes influences from beyond Future Sound Systems’ own back catalogue too. Speaking to Sonic State at the recent Machina Bristronica event, FSS founder Finlay Shakespeare described the inspiration behind the synth.
“It’s not just those [previous] modules in a box”, he explains. “There’s been a lot of tweaking to make sure these things play well together.
“It’s kind of what I’ve wanted to see on the synth market for a long time,” Shakespeare continues. “It’s taking experiences from playing with some of the greats and taking influence from what is brilliant about those and what I think maybe could be added to them now that we’re in the 2020s.”
Cric is equipped with four DC-coupled inputs and outputs for multi-channel audio and/or CV use. Input 1 has a mic preamp, while there’s a headphone amplifier on output 1.
According to FSS, all these elements can be combined using the matrix to allow Cric to function as a standard triple-VCO subtractive synth, a paraphonic synth, a drum machine, noise box and more.
Cric will be available to order from 7 November priced at £2,499. Find out more at the Future Sound Systems site. Hear it in action via the audio demos below.
