Making Sound Machines Plinky 12 Blocks Polyphonic Synthesizer + Grid Controller

Plinky 12 Blocks is a polyphonic desktop synthesizer and open-ended touch controller developed in collaboration with mmalex. Part of the Plinky 12 family of swappable-panel instruments, Blocks pairs the 12-voice Plinky synthesis engine with a minimalist, unlabelled grid of 128 touch-sensitive controls, creating an instrument that can be played as supplied or transformed into a completely custom interface.

At its core is the Plinky 12 synthesis engine, which generates complex wavetables from simple source sounds for a wide range of evolving digital textures. The standard Blocks firmware divides the playing surface into several functional areas, including a six-string touch interface, clip launcher and XY controller. The six-string layout provides immediate expressive access to the synth, while the XY surface can smoothly morph between sounds and timbral states.

The integrated clip launcher provides 128-step polyphonic sequencing for each clip, with performance features including muting, shuffling and per-step probability. Sounds and sequences can be stored on SD card, making Blocks equally useful for spontaneous performance and more structured composition.

Blocks can also operate as a 128-control Monome grid, opening the hardware to entirely different applications. Using the web-based Code Editor, custom panel layouts and behaviours can be created for Plinky 12 or for controlling external hardware and software. Its swappable panel and firmware architecture makes Blocks as much a platform for designing instruments as it is a synthesizer in its own right.

Extensive connectivity allows Blocks to interact with modular, MIDI and computer-based setups. CV and Gate connectivity provides control over modular synthesizers, while TRS MIDI and USB offer integration with hardware and software instruments. External audio can be processed through Plinky's tape delay and shimmer-capable reverb, and an onboard stereo microphone provides another source for sampling, processing and custom applications.

Specifications

• Synthesis: Plinky 12 Wavetable Engine
• Polyphony: 12 Voices
• Control Surface: 128 Touch-Sensitive Controls
• Performance Layout: Six-String Touch Surface, Clip Launcher and XY Controller
• Sequencer: 128-Step Polyphonic Sequences per Clip
• Sequencing Features: Muting, Shuffling and Per-Step Probability
• Sound Morphing: XY Control Between Synth Sounds
• Effects: Tape Delay and Reverb with Shimmer
• Customisation: Web-Based Code Editor and Custom Panel Layouts
• Sound Editing: Web-Based Plinky 12 Editor
• Grid Mode: 128-Control Monome Grid Compatibility
• Storage: SD Card for Sounds and Sequences
• Audio Input: External Audio Processing and Mixing
• Microphone: Built-In Stereo Microphone
• CV Inputs: 2
• CV Outputs: 2
• Gate Outputs: 2
• Clock: Input, Reset Input and Output with Selectable PPQN
• MIDI: TRS MIDI Input, 2 × TRS MIDI Outputs
• USB: Class-Compliant Audio, MIDI In/Out, Serial and WebUSB
• Power: USB-C, 5V / 500mA
• Dimensions: 305 × 305 × 12 mm

Video: https://youtu.be/Cn_PYCsgsI0

Product Specs

• Item Number: 43454
• Make: Making Sound Machines
• Model: Plinky 12 Blocks
• Condition: Brand New
• Finish: Black
• Categories: keyboards-and-synths ⇒ desktop-synths
• Made In: Germany
• MPN: MSM-P12-BL