Devices
MELANCHOLIA
MECA-24-A / April 5th, 2024 / AVAILABLE NOW
The TH/FX MELANCHOLIA is a hybrid monophonic desktop synthesizer with a big sound — but it is as small as a stompbox. It is based on a pulse wave modulated oscillator routed through a resonant low pass filter.
There are different ways to control the massive tonality of the MELANCHOLIA, either through light dependent resistors (LDRs) or through LED control via Vactrols (LEDs and LDRs combined). The cutoff, pitch, (oscillation) speed, modulation, and resonance pots let you control the device’s sound as you are used to with other synths.
The basic tuning (TUNING) and pulse wave modulation (PWM) pots enable you to define the sound basis of the MELANCHOLIA in detail.
The icing on the cake is the optional one shot mode and the optional use of the light dependent resistors, which let you achive a droning wah effect by controlling the amount of light hitting the LDRs.
On top, you can control the synthesizer with your sequencer by plugging it into the rear side CV and GATE jacks.
The MELANCHOLIA is a touring friendly and highly intuitive synthesizer with a massive in-your-face sound — put it in your modulation and distortion chain and you are good to go to build even higher walls of sound.
Additional specs:
- LxWxH 130x110x50mm
- black 1590BB enclosure
- black front plate with high quality white screen print
- rear side DC 9V center negative input
- operation only with external power supply
- no power supply included
- rear side 6.35mm audio output
- rear side 3.5mm CV and GATE input
- right side on/off switch
- one white oscillation speed and on/off LED with black aluminum bezel
- full aluminum anodized black knobs on every potentiometer
- high quality parts, like WIMA capacitors and Lumberg jacks
- built with our own TH/FX PCBs
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
The TH/FX MELANCHOLIA is based on a project by Marcus Dunn, which is originally based on the well known Atari Punk Console by Forrest M. Mims.
VIDEO: »MELANCHOLIA« demo
VOXVORTEX
VVRF-22-A / March 25th, 2022 / SOLD OUT
VVRF-22-B / Nov. 3rd, 2022 / SOLD OUT
VVRF-23-A / Dec. 11th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
The VOXVORTEX is a vocal noise machine with optional bright or dark reverb going into our own massive SPUTNIK fuzz. At first commissioned by our friends VORARE, we are now offering further builds.
In the words of Eeli, singer and noise maniac of VORARE:
“Commissioning the VOXVORTEX was my first encounter with TH/FX — the wonderful pedal/synth builder duo whose builds I stumbled on by a random chance on some social media platform. A quick glance over what they had done previously was enough for me and a friend of mine to approach them about building us a pedal particularly designed for vocals. We were met with professionalism and enthusiasm unlike anything I had experienced before, and already after our initial discussions, I knew we can expect great things.
The device they proposed to us was the VOXVORTEX, that abides to its name by being a glorious vessel of chaos and annihilation directly lifted from the deepest abyss of conceivable sonics. The pedal utilizes two different reverbs and distortion, all of which are to die for, and provide an immaculate setting for various types of musical realisation. It offers both serene subtlety and a destructive brick wall-esque mayhem, covering the ground of everything in between.
As an extra measure, it can of course be paired with anything with an XLR output, and you can turn into a pedal for any and all settings, whether you wish to record some devastating drum hits, craft some rather interesting field recordings, run a basic synth/guitar/bass through it for some extra depth, or mic the construction site under your bedroom window to at least make something worthwhile out of it.
I am glad that we pulled the device off in the best way possible, I am glad that people have found interest in our mutual mind map/mess enough for them to ask to get one, and I am glad to play a minor part in developing something as wonderful as this device with TH/FX.”
Additional specs:
- etched 1590BB enclosure, LxWxH 93x120x33mm
- DC 9V center negative input
- operation only with external power supply
- no external power supply included
- XLR 3-pol audio input
- 6.35mm audio output
- high quality parts, like WIMA capacitors and Lumberg jacks
- full aluminum anodized knobs on every pot
- built with our own TH/FX PCBs
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
VIDEO: »VOXVORTEX« vocal noise machine sound sample
VIDEO: How to use your voice as a noise generator with the »VOXVORTEX«
HARSH ANTI
HAAN-22-A / Sept. 9th, 2022 / SOLD OUT
HAAN-22-B / Dec. 3rd, 2022 / SOLD OUT
HAAN-23-A / June 12th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
The TH/FX HARSH ANTI is a device for all kinds of electric sound generating instruments. It is a wide range ringmod distortion which goes from »void« to »harsh« with just the turn of a knob. Dialing the ringmod pots to zero leads to pure distortion. But not only the HARSH ANTI’s sound is harsh. The seven LEDs also combine to create a super bright red spot.
Additional specs:
- etched 125B enclosure, LxWxH 120x65x39mm
- rear side DC 9V and 6.35mm audio connections
- operation only with external power supply
- no external power supply included
- seven red on/off LEDs with aluminum bezels
- high quality parts, like WIMA capacitors and Lumberg jacks
- full aluminum anodized knobs on every pot
- built with our own TH/FX PCBs
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
VIDEO: »HARSH ANTI« guitar/bass sound demo
VIDEO: »HARSH ANTI« synth/preamp sound demo
VIDEO: »RITA'S CRACKED POINTE SHOE« into »HARSH ANTI« sound demo
RITA’S CRACKED POINTE SHOE
RCPS-23-A / March 10th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
RCPS-23-B / June 1st, 2023 / SOLD OUT
RCPS-23-C / July 14th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
RCPS-23-D / August 18th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
RCPS-23-E / September 1st, 2023 / SOLD OUT
RCPS-23-F / September 29th, 2023 / SOLD OUT
OUT OF PRODUCTION
The RITA’S CRACKED POINTE SHOE is a collaboration between TH/FX NOISEDEVICES and Sam McKinlay of THE RITA.
Unlike the first version we custom built for Sam, the series model is based on a completely analog circuit and acts like a harsh Geiger counter with firecracker vibes.
It is intended to be used as a handheld device and the effect’s intensity can be controlled continously variable via a pot.
In addition, you have the ability to control the volume and the effect’s amount (bias) with two internal pots, which lets the device produce even harsher mayhem.
Use it like Sam in its raw state to create THE RITA aesthetic, or send it adjusted through your effects chain to build some ominous walls of sound.
Additional specs:
- etched 1590A enclosure, LxWxH 90x37x30mm
- right side DC 9V input
- rear side 6.35mm audio output
- operation only with external power supply
- no external power supply included
- white on/off LED with black aluminum bezel
- high quality parts, like WIMA capacitors and Lumberg jacks
- full aluminum anodized black knob on the pot
- built with our own TH/FX PCB
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
VIDEO: RITA’S CRACKED POINTE SHOE demo
VIDEO: »RITA'S CRACKED POINTE SHOE« into »HARSH ANTI« sound demo
BAIKAL
BKLD-22-A / April 1st, 2022 / SOLD OUT
BKLD-22-B / April 17th, 2022 / SOLD OUT
BKLD-23-A / November 8th, 2023 / MADE TO ORDER
The TH/FX BAIKAL is a hybrid monophonic desktop synthesizer that offers the best of both analog and digital worlds.
It is designed in two halves — the main circuit board is all digital, generating various sound sources, mixing and treatment options, envelopes, LFOs, and a 16-step sequencer and arpeggiator. It is equipped with an 16-line by 2-character LCD display, an encoder pot to navigate through parameters/pages shown on the display, four pots to modify the synthesis parameters, and six push buttons to cycle between groups of related pages, to switch between the synthesis pages and the sequencer/system pages, and to load and recall presets.
The all analog LP2 filter plus delay board forms the second half of the BAIKAL. It combines a raw OTA-C 2-pole filter with a classic lo-fi delay. It contains the voltage-controlled filter and amplifier, and has the ability to treat external audio.
The two digital oscillators are playable over a 11-octave range with a wide variety of waveforms, each with variable waveshaping parameters. You get basic square, sawtooth, pulse, triangle and filtered noise, a set of eight wavetables and trans-waves ranging from slap bass and bowed cello, through digital PPG-style sounds to tone-bar organs and male voice. In addition, you have a user wavetable option, so you can download your own creations via MIDI SysEx dump.
The BAIKAL is really compact (LxWxH 96x133x44mm), fits neatly on a desktop, can be powered by a 9V adaptor, features standard MIDI I/O and 6,35mm audio I/O sockets, and it can store many presets. Its innards are easy to navigate via a simple-yet-effective user interface consisting of the rotary encoder, the four rotary controls whose functions are linked to the four parameters currently displayed on the LCD display, and the yet described set of six push buttons with associated LED readouts to let you move between the various menus.
Additional specs:
- acryl housing, glossy black, LxWxH 96x133x44mm
- DC 9V center positive input (rear panel)
- operation only with external power supply
- no external power supply included
- on/off switch (right side panel)
- Midi input (rear panel)
- Midi output (rear panel)
- 6.35mm Line-level mono audio output (rear panel)
- 6.35mm Line-level mono audio input (rear panel)
- 512kB memory chip
- high quality parts
- full aluminum anodized knobs on every pot
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
VIDEO: »BAIKAL« sound sample
BAIKAL XT
BKXD-22-A / Nov. 15th, 2022 / SOLD OUT
BKLD-23-A / November 8th, 2023 / MADE TO ORDER
The BAIKAL XT is the extended version of the BAIKAL. It is a hybrid monophonic desktop synthesizer that offers the best of both analog and digital worlds.
It is designed in two halves — the main circuit board is all digital, generating various sound sources, mixing and treatment options, envelopes, LFOs, and a 16-step sequencer and arpeggiator. It is equipped with an 2/16 OLED display, an encoder pot to navigate through parameters/pages shown on the display, 4 pots to modify the synthesis parameters, and 6 push buttons to cycle between groups of related pages, to switch between the synthesis pages and the sequencer/system pages, and to load and recall presets. In addition the XT version features 25 pots and 13 push buttons for editing parameters directly.
The all analog LP2 filter plus delay board forms the second half of the BAIKAL XT. It combines a raw OTA-C 2-pole filter with a classic lo-fi delay. It contains the voltage-controlled filter and amplifier, and has the ability to treat external audio.
The TH/FX BAIKAL XT is based on the Shruthi XT synthesizer. PCB and firmware originally designed by Émilie Gillet under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 3.0 license.
Additional specs:
- acryl housing, glossy black, LxWxH 96x133x44mm
- DC 9V center positive input (rear panel)
- operation only with external power supply
- no external power supply included
- on/off switch (right side panel)
- Midi input (rear panel)
- Midi output (rear panel)
- 6.35mm Line-level mono audio output (rear panel)
- 6.35mm Line-level mono audio input (rear panel)
- 512kB memory chip
- 2/16 OLED display
- 1 encoder pot
- 4 synthesis parameters pots
- 6 cycle push buttons
- 25 pots for editing parameters directly
- 13 push buttons for editing parameters directly
- high quality parts
- full aluminum anodized knobs on every pot
- all electronic parts soldered by hand
- all parts RoHS compliant
VIDEO: »BAIKAL« sound sample