Shruthi Phoenix

Buy it , go to the shop

As i build my first Shruthi from Mutable instrument in the past i thought, ok , can't be a big thing.

If it doesn't sound or if it is only a toy i can sell it on Ebay .

I remember the old machines i had build in the 1980/90 - like the Formant modul system and the

Transcendent 2000. Such a small Shruthi - can't be a great deal - let us look how it works.

I build it together and - uupps - damn't what in hell it this ?? I get here a realy nice analouge sounding

instrument. I was complete blown away - on the MI forum there was the JOKE - he is 'shruthifiziert' .

Infected by Shruthi - and this was true.

First i was impressed from the achitecture. Shruthi ( ok let us call it Phoenix - it is the same instrument - only the name had changed because it is a brand of MI ) comes as two hardware parts .

the motherboard
the filterboard

The motherboard is the digital heart of Phoenix. It generates the waveforms , the LFO's and the ADSR envelopes. The outputs are PWM coded. This means- you don't have this signals direct,

you have it modulated in a 39 kHz PWM .

The filterboard generates now audio and control voltages, this for the analouge filter and the VCA..

This sounds like hart electronics - but it is relative simple - using 6 dB filter 600HZ for the control voltages , and the main VCF remove the 39 khz carrier and you get on the output the analoge sound.

( quick and dirty explanation)

All in all, for me it is one of the best sounding DIY synthesizer with a lot of features.

The DIY scill is middle .

Normally it should be not a great deals to solder it together and bring it alive .

what is the difference between the normal and XT Phoenix / Shruthi ?

the 'NORMAL' Phoenix had 4 pots, one encoder and eight switches. With the switches and the encoder you can drive through the menues and submenues .

The XT version had pots for the most used functions. So there are 29 pots, and 19 switches for the direct parameter access.

But the mod matrix you had to adjust - like ob the standart Phoenix - in a menue .

Also in the XT there is no direct access to this parameter.

The XT had more potis/knobs for a direct access .

The sound is the same and also the firmware is the same .

It is possible to use all filterboards also for the XT.

For a full working XT you need the XT motherboard and one filterboard - and a case

Buy XT MOBO , go to the shop

Soundexamples Shruthi/Phoenix

and here

Soundexamples with different Filterboards

Here the actual filtertypes for the Phoenix

SMR4MK2, usefull for all kinds of sounds , veri warm and nice 12/24dB switchable per jumper, this filter comes as a default filterboard with the kit, easy to solder and DIY friendly .If you will start with the Phoenix - use this filter. DIY level - easy/middle
Four pole mission, a nice filter with 15 differen filtertypes, a little colder than the SMR4MK2 but also very usefull for all kinds of electronic sounds - and very flexible. DIY level middle
Ladder Filter, sound is crunchy , and with soft distortion . LP only DIY level - easy/middle
Shruthacon, a steiner Parker filter , gives Phoenix a very special sound. Short bevor the self oscillation it boosts the overtones. Some people says - it is like Jimmy Hendrix on dope ..... DIY level - /middle
Yellow magic, a sallen key filter with an additional delay chip is also one of my favourites , special, but also nice for Tape delay effects. DIY level - easy/middle
Polivoks, greets from russia, based on the LM4250 chip and sounds like no other filter. Dirty and a little distorted DIY level - easy
Dual VCF,this filter board features 2 independent 2-pole state variable filters with low-pass, band-pass and high-pass modes, which can be routed in serial or parallel. The routing and mode switching is digitally controlled and can be stored in patches.

SMR4-MK2

4PoleMission

Ladder

Shruthacon

Yellow Magic

Polivoks

Dual SVF

Buy Filterboards , go to the shop

Plexiglas cases for Phoenix/Shruthi

case Mounting

Buy it , go to the shop