New Music Gear Monday: Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth

I don’t usually post about musical instruments unless there’s something that I consider groundbreaking or very unusual, and I think that this week’s featured gear piece qualifies for at least one of these (not sure which). It’s something called the Motor Synth, which its manufacturer, Gamechanger Audio, claims is the world’s first electro-mechanical synthesizer.

Electro-mechanical, you might ask? The Motor Synth is a 4 note true polyphonic synth with two voices per key played that uses a system of electro-motors as its main signal generator. This is accomplished by accelerating and decelerating the eight motors to precise speeds that correspond with specific musical notes.

Each electro-motor has a magnetic pickup that generates a very industrial-sounding, over-the-top analog tone, but there’s more. Next, specially-designed reflective optical disks are attached to the shafts of each motor. Each disk contains a graphical representation of some standard audio wave-shapes. As the electro-motors spin, the disks are set into circular motion, and each wave-shape is read by a dedicated set of ultraviolet sensors, then converted into an audio signal. The wave-shapes on the reflective optical disks then become precise musical notes, corresponding to the speed of the electro-motors.

Motor Synth also features all the expected and familiar analog audio processing circuits — filters, envelopes, et al — alongside arpeggiation, cross- modulation sequencing, and multiple polyphonic mode facilities. There’s also an innovative looping system that allows users to layer rhythm and melodies, just like when using a loop station.

The synth can be played out of the box via 8 built-in control keys and four floating tuning pots. You can also connect any standard MIDI controller as well. Plus, Motor Synth is also capable of tracking a monophonic audio signal like a guitar or bass via its 1/4-inch mono input. It can even be configured to act as a harmonizer for electric guitars or other melodic instruments, recognizing the pitch of a musical tone and instantly generating a complimentary tone by operating an electro-motor at a matching frequency.

I’m not so sure how well this instrument will take to the road, given that so much of it is mechanical, but at the very least it could be a great conversation piece for a studio. Given that it has a somewhat unique sound and some unusual features, it’s worth checking out.

How much does the Motor Synth cost? Good question. An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign goes live on May 28th, so we’ll have to wait until then to find out. In the meantime, you can find out more information here, and check out the video below.