Ziggy Analog Desktop Synthesizer

Buchla Ziggy

Fearlessly explore the outer reaches of deep-space sonics with Ziggy from Buchla, an adventurous desktop synthesizer that condenses the core Buchla sound into a convenient, digitally-controlled design. In its compact and beautiful oak and steel enclosure, Ziggy is ready to race between disparate sound worlds, leveraging the exquisite Buchla complex oscillator in a desktop unit without physical patch points. Instead, Ziggy lets you program, save, and recall synthesizer patches in an instant, with convenient digital controls that make it easy to route its powerful modulators to different parameters, enabling diverse sound design techniques that sit wonderfully in the long legacy of Buchla designs. Devise decadent tones with Ziggy's dual oscillators, procure plucky percussion with its low pass gate, and get everything wiggling in synthesizer splendor with its multitude of modulators, providing a potent platform for real analog Buchla-style synthesis in a sleek and streamlined interface.

At the core of Ziggy's design are two analog oscillators that provide everything from simple sine wave timbres to dynamic and far-out tones. The star of the show is the Complex Oscillator, which provides pitch, waveshape, and timbre controls, allowing you to expand the harmonic profile of simple waves with Buchla-style shaping and wavefolding. Take your tones even further with the onboard Modulation Oscillator, allowing you to invoke low frequency or audio-rate modulation to drive the complex oscillator into new tonal territories via FM and AM techniques, as well as providing a secondary sound source which can be blended in with the main oscillator. These tones are fed through the low pass gate, which can act as both VCA, filter, and envelope control, creating a wide range of responses from classic Buchla bongos to sprawling pads and other shapes in between. For the full space-grade experience, Ziggy also includes an onboard FX processor, including reverb, delay, chorus, pitch shift, and flanger variations to add subtle depth or dramatically warp tones as you see fit.

At the left of Ziggy's panel, the powerful Cycler module offers many unique ways to shape audio parameters to create evolving and lively synthesizer sounds. Combining clock, envelope, LFO, and random functionalities, the Cycler makes it easy to trigger the gate, modulate oscillator parameters, and more, with modulation assignments taking mere seconds using intuitive switches and parameter controls on the panel. An additional XLFO source is also onboard for simple LFO duties. Add that all-important magic with a Source of Uncertainty available for all Cycler's attributes, letting you inject randomization into virtually any patch parameter. Additional chaotic modulators and other control information is available in the screen menu, including scale quantization with plenty of creative options for western and non-western scale types. Also available via the menu is Ziggy's expansive preset system, making it easy to quickly save and recall your favorite patches with over 100 factory and user presets.

While Ziggy offers a deep world of sounds to explore all on its own, its versatile connectivity makes it easy to integrate into your studio or live set-up. Stereo audio is delivered from the 3.5mm headphone jack and dual 1/4" jacks, with an external 3.5mm mono input jack for mixing other signals into Ziggy's gate. For controlling Ziggy externally, you can use MIDI via USB-C, USB2.0, 5-Pin DIN, or 3.5mm connections, letting you pair Ziggy with your favorite controller or DAW for powerful control that fits your workflow. Managing presets is just as easy, with USB connectivity allowing for Web based editing and simple firmware updates. Whether you're a long-standing space explorer in the Buchla-verse or looking to step into the sonic beyond for the first time, Ziggy from Buchla is a flexible desktop instrument that brings classic Buchla sounds into the modern era of convenient digital control.

Ziggy Features

• Analog desktop synthesizer
• Delivers classic Buchla sound design in a compact, patch-cable-free interface
• Analog Complex oscillator with waveshape, pitch, and timbre wavefolding controls
• Analog Modulation oscillator for modulating primary oscillator via FM or AM
• Modulation oscillator can be blended with Complex oscillator as audio source
• Analog low pass gate for VCA and/or filter duties with multiple envelope shapes
• Powerful Cycler modulation source blends clock, envelope, LFO, and random functionalities
• Source of Uncertainty adds randomness to Cycler attributes
• Simple modulation mapping using panel switches and controls
• Additional XLFO triangle modulation source
• CV modulation, gate, and 1V/Oct inputs for integration with Eurorack set-ups
• MIDI control via USB, 5-Pin DIN, or 3.5mm connection
• External mono audio input mixes into gate
• Support for scale quantization with western and non-western scales
• Digital effects section including reverb, delay, chorus, pitch shift, and flanger variations
• Stereo audio output and headphone output
• USB-C powered for simple, portable set-up
• Store and recall patches with over 100 factory and user presets
• Web browser based preset editing and firmware updates