Michigan Synth Works Xena

[Supercollider]

There is probably already a thread about this synth. But I didn't find one when doing a search.

Regardless, the Michigan Synth Works "Xena" is a reissue of sorts of the cult classic Mutable Instruments "Ambika" 6-voice analog/digital hybrid synth. The Ambika was a polyphonic version of the perhaps even more cult classic "Shruthi" analog/digital monosynth.

The Shruthi is awesome, IMO. I actually own two of them, each with a different analog filter board and both in nice metal cases. The digital oscillator models, in particular, sound fantastic, versions of which are used in the Arturia Minifreak and previously in the Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules.

I always wanted an Ambika and was absolutely delighted to recently discover that Michigan Synth Works have been making versions of the Ambika in nice metal cases with various filter board options.

The Ambika is maybe one of the most unique-sounding hybrid synths of all time. And the fact that Michigan Synth Works sells a fully-assembled version of the Ambika called the "Xena" in an all-metal case for the low, low price of $435 is amazing!

Michigan Synth Works have even created a new 3109 filter board that is supposedly based on (or at least "inspired by") the classic analog filter in the Roland SH-101 and other Roland synths from that era. This filter sounds incredible.

Given the insanely low price of $435, I'm planning to pick up two Xena synths, one with the Roland-inspired 3109 filter and the other with the State Variable Filter. The Xena doesn't take up much desktop space so these two units will be terrific additions to my hardware synth setup which is once again getting out of control after selling off a ton of rackmounts analog and analog/hybrid synths over the past few years.

[Supercollider]

Here's a picture of the Xena from the Michigan Synth Works site:

[cryophonik]

I’ve had my eye on the Xena as a potential upgrade/replacement for the Shruthi XT I sold a while ago, but then they announced the MSW-830 and that’s got me pretty intrigued.

[Supercollider]

I’ve had my eye on the Xena as a potential upgrade/replacement for the Shruthi XT I sold a while ago, but then they announced the MSW-830 and that’s got me pretty intrigued.

Yeah, the 830 looks pretty sweet. However, it's a more complex synth than something like a Roland SH-101 (which the MSW-830 seems inspired by). So the lack of patch storage becomes more important to me.

But for someone who creates all of his/her sounds on the fly and never needs to come back to the "exact" sound they were using, the MSW-830 looks like an awesome synth.

If I had unlimited funds, I would buy one just to sample sounds from it which I could then use later.

[cryophonik]

Yeah, patch storage would certainly be welcome, but I don’t mind having some synths without it.

Interested in hearing your thoughts on the Xenas after you get them. My Shruthi XT had the SVF and it was a great fit for that synth, so that’s the one that interests me most for the Xena, if I were ever to buy one. I’ve got plenty of synths with 4-pole LP already, and I love the variety of sounds you can get from digital oscillators running through a 2-pole SVF.

[Supercollider]

Yeah, patch storage would certainly be welcome, but I don’t mind having some synths without it.

Interested in hearing your thoughts on the Xenas after you get them. My Shruthi XT had the SVF and it was a great fit for that synth, so that’s the one that interests me most for the Xena, if I were ever to buy one. I’ve got plenty of synths with 4-pole LP already, and I love the variety of sounds you can get from digital oscillators running through a 2-pole SVF.

One of my Shruthis has the standard SMR4 mkII 4-pole lowpass filter (which does sound great and is probably best for bass). My other Shruthi has the "4-Pole Mission" filter board which is beyond awesome. Again, not quite as good for bass and maybe a bit "fizzier" and not as smooth on the top end. But it goes WAY beyond your standard "State Variable Filter" and includes crazy "vowel" filters and so forth. Plus, the wildly and weirdly different resonance options make that one an absolute keeper. I want to be buried with it along with my beloved dog's ashes. Ha ha.

It's such a shame that the "4P" filter option for the Xena doesn't include all of the same filter options as the 4-Pole Mission board for the Shruthi. The Xena's "4P" filter board is "just" another 4-pole filter with slightly different sonic characteristics than the "SMR" and "3109" filters. So that's why I'm getting the "SVF" (State Variable Filter) board in one of my Xenas.