SOMA Roat 8-bit synthesiser

General

Synthesisers are becoming increasingly complex, but the SOMA Roat (Rumble of Ancient Times) is heading in the opposite direction. SOMA built this instrument around a simple 8-bit microcontroller – the sort of chip you’d expect to find in an old fridge – and has managed to extract four fully-fledged oscillators, each with its own LFO, from it. These oscillators are mixed using a wide range of algorithms, from ring modulation to bitwise logic. This allows you to shift from rich soundscapes to glitchy, rhythmic patterns without ever hearing the same thing twice. The Roat was designed by Kakos Nonos, who has channelled his love of old acoustic instruments into this synthesiser.

Simple controls and long battery life

You control this minimalist device using touch sensors and buttons that let you switch the oscillators on and off instantly. And the built-in sequencer can record and repeat up to one bar. Thanks to sync-in and sync-out, the Roat functions as both a master and a slave, so you can easily connect it to other gear in your setup. And because this vintage chip uses very little power, the unit will run for up to 130 hours on four AAA batteries! Compactly designed for portability, it lets you experiment at length with the unique lo-fi sounds of the SOMA Roat.