With its 29-note capacitive touch keyboard and prominent joysticks, the new Future Retro Vectra looks quite unlike any other synth on the market. Whether that will be to its benefit or detriment remains to be seen.
It certainly offers plenty of features: four oscillators, white and pink noise sources, four ring modulators, a four-channel mixer, five LFOs, six morphing envelopes, six primary multimode analogue filter types, a main analogue VCA, and numerous internal modulation routings and VCAs controlling modulation amounts.
Future Retro says that the Vectra nods to synthesis techniques of the past while bringing some new ideas to the table. The digital oscillators offer standard analogue modelled waveforms and a further 500 digital waveforms, and we’re told that a wide variety of sounds can be created.
There’s an arpeggiator and sequencer, too, while standard MIDI ports mean that Vectra can easily be hooked up to other gear in your studio.
Although the interface is definitely unique, it’s designed to be easy to use, with the assignable joysticks making it truly hands-on. Buttons, knobs, and a central display are also present.
Vectra can be pre-ordered now and costs $1,100 plus shipping. A $550 deposit is required to place a pre-order; once Future Retro has received 100 orders, it’ll begin ordering parts and putting the synth into production. Shipping is expected to begin in spring 2022.
Find out more on the Future Retro website.
