The Boberg 700c is a software re-interpretation of the Buchla 700's MIDAS VII - FM synthesis, Chebyshev waveshaping, 16 sequencers, multi-timbrality and much more.
The Buchla 700 was a portable FM synthesizer with analog filters, VCA's and a Phase Shifter. It was an unusually sophisticated workstation-like system for its era. Released in 1987, its MIDAS VII firmware ran on a 68000 CPU paired with an external monitor and built in touch controls. The system had 12 multi-timbral voices, 12 four operator FM algorithms, two waveshapers and 14 envelopes per instrument. It had a stimulus-response patch system, an advanced tuning editor, 16 sequencers, and a "pianoroll" score editor making it ideal for composing as well as live performance.
Boberg 700c is a reinterpretation of that instrument as a standalone desktop application - faithful to the original in sound and feature set, UI layouts adapted them for modern usability, and extended in a few selective places where the original design left obvious room to grow.
The Buchla 700 was designed by Don Buchla. The original firmware was written by D.N. Lynx Crowe between 1985 and 1988. This project would not exist without them.
Envelope editors for advanced multi segment, looping envelopes. FM configurations, comprehensive oscillator configurator, waveshaper selector and optional built in keyboard with multi-timbral zone display. It comes with a set of presets. The Buchla 700 came with one ("De Fault"), which is present here as well.
12 unique FM algorithm configurations from the Buchla 700, featuring up to 4 oscillators and 6 modulation indices. An additional sine oscillator is included, useful when designing waveshapers.
The oscillators features sync and three pitch modes - ratio, fixed, and interval. They are extended with additional waveforms and a dedicated LFO with multiple waveforms, including different types of random values.
The waveshaper is a Chebyshev polynomial transfer function, with 32 editable harmonics or manually drawn waveshapes.
A library with 40 selected waveshapes is included, with additional slots for user created waveshapes.
Frequency (×4), level, FM index (×6), filter, filter resonance, level and location. Multi-segment envelopes with various loop functions, linear or logarithmic time axis for precision editing.
Easy to edit keyboard zones, voice groups with individually set base levels, pan, transposition and MIDI channels.
10 tuning tables, 128 notes per table, half-cent resolution and advanced batch editing tools.
12 popular microtonal tuning presets is included.
16 independent sequencers, each with a register and a boolean. A common sequence table with 1000 rows, conditional actions, notes and transients. Extended with pitch banks, randomized values, velocity and panning control.
The Buchla 700 featured an analog Phase Shifter on the stereo output, the app features a digital version. A Reverb has been added, it is based on Jon Dattorro's Effect Design, Part 1 (JAES, 1997).
MIDI Controller configuration and a Patch system where a variety of actions may be set up to trigger as a result of defined stimuli.
Stores projects to disk, export and import of instruments, waveshapes and sequences.
COMING SOON!
The aim is to stay close to the original sound, feature set, and UI layouts - adapting them for modern usability. A few select enhancements were added where the original design left room to grow. Some features has been left out, notably the piano-roll style score editor, your DAW does this better much better, look out for the upcoming AU/VST plugin version.
In a way this project started all the way back in 2009, when D.N. Lynx Crowe published some of the source code to the firmware of the Buchla 700. Back then I extracted the graphics for the FM configurations and published them here, but I left it there at the time.