WORLD OF MUSIC ; PORTABLE KEYBOARD » Superbooth 2021: Erica Synths Perkons HD-01 thunderous drum machine and synthesizer

Superbooth 2021: Erica Synths Perkons HD-01 thunderous drum machine and synthesizer

16 Sep, 2021 Synthesizers/Keyboard Synthesizers & Modular Synthesizers

Erica Synths has unveiled yet another promising-looking percussion synth, Perkons. Perkons – named after an ancient Baltic god of thunder – is a four voice drum machine combining digital sound generation with analogue filters and effects.

Erica Synths Perkons percussion synth promises to “strike your ears like the skies breaking apart”

The four-voice beatmaker combines the best of digital and analogue.

Each of the instrument’s four voices features a digital oscillator switchable between three modes and shaped by a pair of parameter controls. Sounds then pass through an analogue filter, switchable between low-, high- and band-pass modes, and equipped with a drive control for added heft.

In addition, Perkons features an analogue bucket brigade delay and optical compressor. There’s also a global LFO with morphable waveshapes, which can be routed to any of the voices’ eight sound-shaping parameters.

The sequencer is where Perkons looks especially interesting – there are four tracks for independently programming each voice, each equipped with probability, multipliers and dividers, ratchets and play direction controls. Shuffle and last step parameters look set to add further rhythmic variety.

Around the back Perkons has individual outputs, trigger inputs, and send and return ports for each voice. There are also MIDI in and out ports, plus an additional global send and return. As with the LXR-02, the instrument also features a SD card port used to store and share up-to 64 kits and patterns.

Perkons HD-01 is due to arrive before the end of 2021, priced at €1650/$1999 excluding tax.

Erica Synths are in Booth W325.

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