Musikmesse: Formant Helmtronic Challenger

via theheartcore, via AH:

1.) 4 VCOs (4th VCO can function as an LFO), waveforms include saw, tri, square and pulse with 2 or 3 duty cycles - can't remember which ones but I think it's 25% and 5%)
2.) 2 filters (VCF1: multimode 12dB highpass, 12 dB lowpass, 6dB
>> notch, VCF2: 24dB transistor ladder)
3.) 2 analog ADSRs for the filters, each filter gets its own ADSR
4.) 2 analog ADSRs for VCA
5.) flexible routing with separate knobs: each VCO can be sent to either VCF1, VCF 2 or both
6.) modulation busses ala Voyager style.
7.) polyphony: 1 voice
8.) keyboard: 4 octaves
9.) controls: pitch and modulation wheels (wooden ones)
10.) construction: wooden, with flip-up panel ala Minimoog
11.) no patch memory, no LCD supposedly the price would be a bit more than Moog LP pic on the front page of number 17 of this magazine: http://www.synthesizer-magazin.de/ (go to link and scroll down, currently the second image on the page)"

Update: additional info via cheater cheater on the AH list:
"Oh hey, in the meantime I picked up that mag from Schneider's...

here's some info...

- 4 oscillators, two filters (multimode 2pole lp/hp/bp/n + moog style
4pole), 2 mod busses, 1 lfo, osc4 switchable to be a second lfo, two
amp envelopes and vcas, pan

- oscillators: 32' - 1', each has a tune knob (+- 5 semitones) and a
knob for modulation depth from the busses (dunno which osc from what
bus), each has waveforms sin/tri/saw/square/low duty cycle 1/low duty
cycle 2. The last two waveforms look like 25% and 12.5% but it's not
mentioned and all i'm going by is the drawing on the panel!

- more oscillator stuff: soft sync osc 1-2, ringmod osc 1-2, hardsync
osc 3-4, crossmod osc 3-4, cv can be turned off for osc 4. All those
things are via switches at the bottom of the osc section. osc 4
switchable to lfo via the range knob. Osc 4 can be used as an FM
source through the mod busses.

- oscillators are said to be 'temperature controlled', and then Achim
Helmstedt talks about how after a 5 minute warm-up the synthesizer is
good to go.

- filter input routing: each input has a level knob (i expect it to be
possible to make nice distortion at this stage) and can be routed to
filter 1, 2 or 1+2. Inputs are osc1/2/3/4, noise and ext. There's an
overload indicator for the ext in.

- the same section has midi activity diodes and midi learn buttons for
midi 1/2. Dunno what they do.

- noise switchable to pink or white

- each filter has knobs for cutoff/res/env/modulation depth. Filters
self-oscillate. Env comes from each respective adsr envelope. The mod
knob changes mod depth from each of the CV busses. Each filter can
have kb follow turned off, envelopes can be inverted.

- output stage: two adsr envelopes one for each VCA (I assume osc 1-2
go to vca1 and osc 3-4 go to vca2). Pan sections for vca1/2. Each vca
has a 'manual pan' knob. There are rotary switches called 'select amp
1/2' with the settings off/kbcv/mod wheel/pitch wheel/mod-fix/manual.
I assume the 'manual' is when the manual pan knobs do something,
although it would be nice if they did 'something' either way, working
as an offset, via a CV mixer. Mod wheel means that the modulation goes
through the mod wheel and then to the pan; mod fix means the
modulation doesn't go through the mod wheel and is always present;
pitch wheel means the pitch wheel pans left/right. Master volume knob,
headphone volume knob.

- 440Hz switch

- power switch on the front panel (huh?)

- modulation and routing (this panel is all the way to the left): two
cv buses with separate tune (+/- 5 semitones) and portamento speed.
Pitch wheel column: osc select: off/1/2/3/4/1-4; destination:
osc/filter/pitch/pan; pitchwhell range knob. Mod.fix column: source:
tri/saw/neg saw/ s&h/osc4/env1/env2; dest: osc/filter/pitch/pan;
mod.fix range knob. Mod wheel column: source: tri/saw/neg
saw/s&h/osc4/env1/env2; destination: osc/filter/pitch/pan; mod.wheel
range knob. Below those 4 columns is a row with the lfo rate knob; rdm
rate (i assume it's the rate of the random S&H, but no idea really);
velocity: off/filt1/filt2/filt1+2 (controlling the cutoff). Below that
switches: sync lfo (i assume it's the gate sync that he talks about in
the article); cv lfo; s&h source: rdm/osc4; cv1: keyboard/mod1;
cv-split (on/off). LFO goes from 30 sec to 45 Hz. It isn't really
explained what 'rdm' actually is, I assume it's a funny shortening for
'random' and means the s&h samples noise and not osc 4. I suggest
changing it to 'rand' which is the normal shortening, 'rdm' is going
to confuse everyone.

- can be played as two separate monosynths each with 2 osc (osc 1/2 or
3/4) + 1 filter. This can be done when cv-split is 'on' in which case
it suddenly makes sense why there are two portamento knobs, although
separate portamento for oscillators can sound nice in its own regard.

- wooden pitch/mod wheels. If someone likes something like this..
surface might be too slick for my taste, but I haven't tried them in
person.

- potentiometers so no fail in that regard

- panel can be hinged, but how good that turns out to work in 20 years
is yet to be seen


BTW, at the end of the article Achim mentions that the Formant 2000 is
still being sold, so if you want to go and buy it. The website is
'being built' but he can accept orders through the synthesizer
magazine (where he works it seems). www.synthesizer-magazin.de

All in all it looks like an interesting synth, there are some open
wishes such as less slick pitch/mod wheels, changing the 'rdm' label
to 'rand', being able to use the keyboard in split mode for when
you're using the synth in bitimbral mode (there's enough panel space
for that functionality!), and the little bit about pan offset. The
synth would gain much value if it were made (semi-)modular. Of course
this can be modded in, but I don't think you get warranty in that
case, so unless it's there from the factory it's not going to really
be a possibility.

Funnily enough there's some table at the end, it lists settings for 10
'sound demos', but I can't actually figure out where the sound demos
should be, there are none mentioned anywhere, the magazine website
says nothing about that either.

D."

Update via 7ate9 in the comments: "Helmtronic (Hans-Joachim Helmstedt who wrote the second Elektor Formant "Pro" book)"

Update via Florian: "The designer of the Formant was Cyril Chapman - not HaJo Helmstedt. HaJo wrote a book ("Formant Pro") in 2000, where he described the adaption of mostly wellknown circuits for the Formant."

Update:

Musikmesse 2010 - Mini Formanth Challenger

YouTube via accordoTV. via Davide Mancini.

"http://audio.accordo.it/art..."


Update: Pic via the Synthesizer-Magazin booth via sequencer.de [click for more pics].

Update: video via moogulator of sequencer.de added below.


Musikmesse: Helmtronic Challenger Synthesizer behind the scene at our Booth (Synthesizer-Magazin)
YouTube via Moogulator.

"HaJo Helmstedt demoed his Challenger and Black Moon Synthesizer at our Booth (synthesizer-magazin.de) - quick little video (nothing special) - by sequencer.de synthesizer database - it's 4 OSCs, 2 Filters, all analogue. filter FM is no problem, mod busses are there, too.

Ok, this is NOT the demo, I just shot this behind the scene, so don't get it wrong ;)"