Isla’s Caladan hybrid synth packs eight classic synths into one
Using the power of separate voice cards for each voice, Isla lets you merge Moog with Roland, Sequential and more
Isla Instruments, the creator of the S2400 sampler, has announced a new eight-part multi-timbral polyphonic analogue/digital hybrid synthesizer, Caladan.
The synth essentially lets you play multiple instruments polyphonically in one unit via Voice Expansion Cards, and these contain the sounds of classic synths by Roland, Moog and Sequential.
The Caladan is inspired by FutureSonus Parva, an eight-voice polyphonic synthesizer that uses separate voice cards for each voice. Expanding on this concept, this new unit lets you bring in the sounds of various other synths via expansion cards so you can layer multiple legendary synths at once. There are eight expansion slots for adding analogue or digital voice expansion cards, including those from the Yamaha OPL3, SID, SEM, Roland SH-101, MiniMoog, and Sequential Pro-1.
Caladan supports polyphonic playback of multi-sampled instruments, using SoundFont formats such as SF2 and SFZ. Hopefully, says Isla’s founder, Brad Holland, third-party developers will be able to create their own expansion cards that work on the Caladan.
The synth adopts a similar design to that of the FutureSonus Parva and the S2400. It has a matrix format and a digital front panel for controlling parameters, and also follows the same form factor and aesthetic as the S2400, with the knob layout organised in four rows.
According to Holland, the first prototypes of the synth are about to be made and should be ready in a few weeks. While there isn’t much news on the polyphonic synth just yet, we’ll be keeping our ear to the ground for any more developments. Pricing and availability have not yet been revealed.
Layering legendary synths on top of one another is a fantastic way to create punchy, unique synth melodies. In a helpful guide, we explore techniques used in the 1980s that involve layering synths to achieve huge leads.
Find out more information about Isla Instruments’ Caladan at islainstruments.com.
