PWM Mantis Duophonic Hybrid Synthesizer

A Unique Duophonic Hybrid-Analogue Synthesiser with Dual Filter, Patches and full USBC-MIDI Control

Mantis is a unique, duophonic hybrid synthesizer that was co-developed by the late Chris Huggett (of EDP Wasp, OScar & more fame) and is dubbed as a spiritual successor to the OSCar, sporting precision digital oscillators, dual state variable filters and more.

Mantis is a premium synthesizer, sporting a high quality 37-note velocity and pressure sensitive keybed, SSI2164 IC's for the VCF's and VCA's, custom high performance processors for the oscillators coupled with a pristine analogue signal path, which features a twice amplified gain structure for maximum clipping capabilities plus lush stereo digital FX.

The modulation capabilities are vast with:

• Two unique ADSR's that feature "sustain fall" that allows you to create a drop before release...even while a key is held for greater sound design possibilities. The envelopes can also be set to cycle.
• Two tempo-syncable LFO's with four waves, fade in and fade out parameters and a seriously wide operating range.
• Ring modulation available at the mixer
• And a unique modulation routing controller with 6 choices of modulation parameters, 6 choices of modulation sources and scale control, which used to scale the effect of the modulation.

OSCILLATORS:
The OSCs are generated at boot-up using complex mathematics. They run on a DSP chip that gives ultimate stability and control without compromising the unique sound. This is what makes the synth a hybrid but don’t be fooled - everything after that through the mixer, gain staging and the filter is analogue.

VCF:
The Filter is a multi-mode state variable VCA Filter with overdrive. It is built using the SSI2164 chip in special configuration designed by Chris Huggett. There are two filters - one for each analogue signal path. They can be combined in series or parallel and used with the width control and width modulation to create that distinctive sound only heard on the OSCar.

FX:
The Mantis has two simple digital effects: Reverb and Chorus. Reverb has a time and level adjustment but also a high and low pass filter that can be switched in to limit unwanted lower mud and/or higher bouncy twinkles (!)

ENVELOPES:
Mantis has 2 ADSR envelopes but each has an additional ‘Sustain Fall’ parameter and negative and positive velocity modulation level hardwired for convenience. ‘Sustain Fall’ allows you to create a drop before release even while a key is held for greater sound design possibilities. Each envelope can also be put into repeat mode to act as a pseudo LFO if you wish.

VCA:
The gain staging on Mantis is, of course, all analogue and is run through the SSI2164 VCAs - we have a few of them in the design! The signal is actually twice amplified to ensure the overdriven sound is warm and clips naturally.

Key Features 

• Duophonic with 2 discrete analogue signal paths
• 2 Oscillators + sub oscillator per voice
- 2 Envelopes with sustain fall and envelope repeat 
- 2 LFOs with 4 waveform types and sync 
- 2 Multi-mode filters with drive, keytrack and frequency modulation
- Dual filter mode with width and modulation
• 37 note full sized keybed with aftertouch
- Multi-function joystick and octave shift
• Arpeggiator with 6 modes, tap tempo, swing and sync & unique duophonic arp mode 
- Reverb with low & high pass filtering and 4 chorus modes
• Mixer with Noise and Ring Modulation