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SOLAR PANEL
SOLAR PANEL
Solar Panel is a light-controlled analog synth designed for noise musicians.
It has 18 analog oscillators controlled exclusively with light, making it not just an instrument, but a performative experience, perfect not only for noise sets, but any experimental gigs in general.
It has 18 analog oscillators controlled exclusively with light, making it not just an instrument, but a performative experience, perfect not only for noise sets, but any experimental gigs in general.
Main Solar Panel features
- Small but mightySxLab Solar Panel is roughly the size of a credit card and fits effortlessly into any live setup or pedalboard. Don't let it's size fool you! It also features an internal battery and USB-C charging for maximum convenience.
- 18 analog oscillatorsSolar Panel has 6 registers, each containing 3 oscillators mixed through a multiplexing wave generating analog circuit, producing a dense, powerful sound.
- CV / Audio inputSolar Panel features a CV/audio input which modulates the pitch of all oscillators at once — connect it to any CV source (-2.5V — +2.5V range) or to an audio source with sufficient amplification to use Solar Panel as a sound erosion effect.
- Interaction with lightSolar panel has 66 photoresistors controling induvidual oscillator pitches and oscillators mixing circuit. This opens up unconventional and performative ways to control sound — from subtle gestures to full-on stage interaction. Use flashlights, stroboscopes, laser pointers, paper cards or just lay your phone display on the synth — you are only limited by your imagination.
Audio samples
Raw noise output on all registers without any CV
Sine signal applied to CV input
Drum loop applied to CV input
Synth overview and characteristics
On the back of the synth:
• USB-C input for battery charging and powering from an external power supply (not included).
• 3.5mm jack dual mono audio output. You can connect either mono or stereo audio 3.5mm cables, or even connect Solar Panel straight to 32 Ohm headphones. Output protection impedance is 100 Ohms.
• CV/Audio input is a -2.5V — +2.5V CV input, which modulates the pitch of all oscillators at once. With sufficient amplification (use a booster or an overdrive pedal) it can work as an audio input as well, turning Solar Panel into a sound erosion effect.
• Light switch, which turns on 4 dim red LEDs near the photoresistors, which aid you to play with Solar Panel in darkness but do not blind you straight in your face. Their output is barely enough to play the Solar Panel synth, though, so using a flashlight, stroboscope or a laser pointer is still preferable.
On the front of the synthesizer are 6 switches, turning on or off each of the 6 registers from the lowest frequencies on the left to the highest ones on the right. Each register consists of 3 oscillators mixed in a special way with a multiplexing analog circuit. Each row of photoresistors corresponds to a single register, with the leftmost 3 photoresistors controlling the pitch of oscillators and the rest changing the oscillator mixing pattern, affecting both the amplitude and timbre of the output signal.
• USB-C input for battery charging and powering from an external power supply (not included).
• 3.5mm jack dual mono audio output. You can connect either mono or stereo audio 3.5mm cables, or even connect Solar Panel straight to 32 Ohm headphones. Output protection impedance is 100 Ohms.
• CV/Audio input is a -2.5V — +2.5V CV input, which modulates the pitch of all oscillators at once. With sufficient amplification (use a booster or an overdrive pedal) it can work as an audio input as well, turning Solar Panel into a sound erosion effect.
• Light switch, which turns on 4 dim red LEDs near the photoresistors, which aid you to play with Solar Panel in darkness but do not blind you straight in your face. Their output is barely enough to play the Solar Panel synth, though, so using a flashlight, stroboscope or a laser pointer is still preferable.
On the front of the synthesizer are 6 switches, turning on or off each of the 6 registers from the lowest frequencies on the left to the highest ones on the right. Each register consists of 3 oscillators mixed in a special way with a multiplexing analog circuit. Each row of photoresistors corresponds to a single register, with the leftmost 3 photoresistors controlling the pitch of oscillators and the rest changing the oscillator mixing pattern, affecting both the amplitude and timbre of the output signal.