What is the Workshop System? ←

The Workshop System is an analogue modular synth and a powerful audio computer.

It was designed for the Dyski Sound Maps Residency in April 2024 — played above by Jess Borders, picture by Hannah de Oliveira Whitlock.

(By the way, you can subscribe to the Dyski mailing list here if you want to know about future events.)

The Workshop System was designed to be useful and open:

• A genre-neutral toolkit, a little box of ways to make and manipulate music and sound.
• A patchable, hackable, code-able modular synth that can be used in many different ways.
• A system that works with things you already have. Plug in your phone, a drum machine, a laptop, guitar pedals or a microphone.
• A computer that uses tiny program cards that are completely hackable. Anyone who writes code can make, share, sell their creations — sequencers, effects, interfaces.

What's inside? ←

The Workshop System has 14 modules:

• 2 x SineSquare Oscillators Simple vintage-style oscillators made of 1970s tech.
• 2 x Humpback Filters Similarly vintage-style filters, designed by Philip Goulding of God’s Box.
• 2 x Slopes These work as attack/decay envelopes, LFOs and portamento generators.
• Computer Is a multi-function module with knobs, a switch and audio, CV and pulse ins and outs. Initially, the system comes with a USB MIDI card, a Turing Machine sequencer, a Reverb card and a blank card. computer.musicthing.co.uk is a fast expanding collection of free program cards to download.
• Stereo In takes a 3.5mm stereo input and boosts it to modular level.
• Ring Mod is a great-sounding ring modulator, connected to the two sines. It also works as a simple VCA.
• Stompbox is an interface for guitar pedals, with blend and feedback controls to make boring pedals more interesting. There’s a 9v power outlet for pedals below this module.
• Amplifier contains two simple circuits. One is connected to a piezo contact mic behind the panel, the other is the transistor-based input circuit from a MiniMoog. In other words, a Mikrophonie and a Mini Drive.
• 4 Voltages is a minimum viable keyboard: four voltage outputs, one knob, four pushbuttons. More fun to play with than to explain.
• Mix a simple output mixer, with two stereo channels, two mono channels and a powerful headphone amp / line out.
• PSU behind the panel is a power supply that runs on USB-C PD power or professional 15-25v barrel connectors. It works from battery powerbanks and laptop adaptors, most likely something you’ve already got at home.

Workshop System FAQ ←

• Does it come with the case? Yes
• Can I take it out of the case? Yes
• Does it need a power supply? Yes, it needs a USB-C supply that can give 15 Volts. Details.
• Does it need patch cables to work? Yes, it makes no sound at all before being patched.
• Do I have to build it myself? No, pre-assembled kits are available from Thonk and dealers worldwide.
• How hard is it to build? If you’ve ever soldered before, you can do it. The Build Guide includes a real-time video to show what you need to do in 3-4 hours.
• Is it Eurorack compatible? Yes, you can remove the back panel PSU and put it in a Euro case - 42hp, around 250mA current draw.
• How do the program cards work? Put in a card (you get at least four with the system) and tap the little button to load the program. It might be effects, sounds, sequencers or something much stranger. There are hundreds of free programs you can write onto blank cards.
• Is there any normalisation? A little - the two oscillators cross-modulate, and are patched to the Ring Mod, and the top filter High/Band Pass flows into the bottom filter input.