Shear Electronics’ Relic is a discrete analog polyphonic synthesizer built around eight independent voice cores, each combining two SEM-topology oscillators with a complex filter and modulation system.
Developed from the company’s Relic-6 prototype first announced in 2017, the instrument combines a classic analog signal path with dedicated digital control processing for each voice.
Features:
- Eight independent voice cores: Each voice has its own analog signal path and dedicated digital processor.
- Sixteen oscillators: Every voice includes two SEM-topology voltage-controlled oscillators.
- Wide oscillator range: The oscillators are calibrated from C0 to C7, with a wider uncalibrated operating range.
- Seven discrete VCAs per voice: The design uses LM13700 transconductance amplifiers and automatic calibration for subthreshold gain control.
- Supervariable VCF: A four-dimensional filter architecture combines cutoff, resonance, bandwidth, and filter profile.
- Classic filter modes: The filter can sweep between two-pole high-pass, notch, and low-pass responses.
- Modern filter modes: Additional options include band-pass, X-filter, and two-, three-, and four-pole low-pass responses.
- Voltage-controlled filter profile: Modulation can change the filter character across a range of responses.
- Four envelopes per voice: Each envelope offers delay, attack, hold, decay, sustain, and release stages.
- Four LFOs per voice: Eight waveform options include standard and bipolar triangle, sine, pulse, and sawtooth shapes.
- Tightly integrated modulation: Digital control processing generates the envelopes and LFOs for each individual voice core.
- Four-part multitimbrality: The Relic can operate with four parts and a four-zone voice allocator.
- Layered patch memory: Its memory holds 512 programs, each with four patches.
- High-resolution controls: The front panel features eight hyperfine encoders, a main lightfader bar, and eight corresponding lightfader minibars.
- Hybrid design approach: The instrument combines a discrete analog audio path with a digitally managed modulation and control system.
Pricing & Availability:
Shear Electronics says that the first production run for the Relic is in progress, with a lead time of 16-20 weeks. See their site for details.
