Boomstar Synthesizer Sneak Preview

Here’s a sneak preview and update on the Studio Electronics Boomstar synthesizer – a new line of four 2-oscillator synths, featuring four different filter types:

  • 4075-classic Arp 2600
  • 5089-classic Moog 24db ladder
  • SEM-classic Oberheim 12db
  • 303-classic Roland TB

The demo above features the Boomstar 4075.

Greg St. Regis comments:

We’ve spent the last month debugging the prototype pcbs and perfecting the analog circuits. At this point, I felt it was good enough to give you all a sneak preview of the sound. It has about 90% of it’s hardware functional. Still to be implemented is the software LFO.

This is raw BoomStar recorded though a Focusrite Scarlett interface (nothing special), into Reason with a Macbook Pro. We did this in about 20 minutes, one take. I played a small Akai controller with a built in arpeggiator with my left hand and turned knobs with my right. It’s “kinda cool.

It was originally about 11 minutes long; Marc did a small amount of normalizing and edited it down to 8 minutes 30 some seconds.

Put some decent headphones on and listen to huge low booms end and searingly crisp filter sweeps. I tried to take it though a full compliment of waveforms, xmod, rmod, oscillator sync, feedback looping, resonance squeals and overdrive. There is quite a bit more to come when the LFO gets in on the action.

The chassis are getting screened this week. We’ll post more demos in the days to come with video included. And no, this is not an SE1X or ATCX! They sound quite good, but there is nothing like the clarity and impact of pure discrete analog with hardware envelopes.

Enjoy!
GSR

More info is available at the SE site.

7 thoughts on “Boomstar Synthesizer Sneak Preview

  1. I make acid trax using tb303s and XOXBOX’s Your demo is of interest but the 303 machine bared no resemblance to a 303, It would be good to see a demo by someone into 303’s clean and distorted, using accent and slide etc. They look great machines and I hope future demos show the sounds off more.
    Look forward to more demos and a good uk price.

    1. This demo is only the Boomstar with the Arp-filter. We’ll have to wait for the demo of the 303 (and Moog and SEM type filters) type filter.

  2. This is a pretty cool demo, and the prototype looks beautiful. I have some suggestions for the next demo.

    in stead of showing a long progression of what the synth can do, i have always felt a patch demo style is more enticing. Find someone who can play keyboard relatively well and have them play short segments of different patches, to show off what it can do. listing the specifications gives me an idea, but i always really get pulled into a product when i hear a patch that i really like and am able to see that the machine can create that. and dont be afraid to show off the synth with some simple delay effects or reverb, just mention what was used. I am not a pro at demos, but I think a wonderful synth product needs a planned and strategic demo to let people know its character.

    I can’t wait to hear it when it is finished!

  3. I am curious: the use of “Moog”, “Arp”, “Oberheim” etc. implies that Studio Electronics has licensed, or purchased (or “borrowed”) the filter design from each of these companies respectively. Can someone from SE comment? I would hate to be purchasing a product ripped off from Tom Oberheim, for example, when he is still in business selling what has to be considered a competitor for these devices (SEM and SEM Pro). I’m not trying to be nosy, just fair. Thanks.

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