Motas-6 Synthesizer £1,250

The Motas-6 has an alluring spec on paper. Bruce Aisher tests if its sound can live up to the impressive numbers

- Bruce Aisher

Motas are new to commercial synthesis, and the Motas-6, a three-oscillator, dual-filter, monophonic analogue synth, is their first product. What sets it apart from similar monosynths is its powerful modulation architecture that offers an LFO and Envelope Generator (EG) for each parameter, as well as those for broader global control duties. Motas-6 is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan

Hayes, who’s been experimenting with synth design since the ’90s. The name comes from his earliest experiments using OTA chips, hence: (M)onophonic (O)perational (T)ransconductance (A)mplifier (S)ynthesizer. Delving inside the Motas-6 you’ll find many LM13700 chips, which are dual-channel updates of an IC dating from the late ’60s. These form the building blocks for creating oscillators, filters and other analogue sound generation circuits. However, while the synth has a fully analogue signal path, it combines this with a sophisticated digital control system that can be easily updated via a firmware upload.