NIGRÁN, PONTEVEDRA, SPAIN: OXI Instruments, the visionary creator of groundbreaking musical tools, has made a significant impact with its debut product, the OXI One. Originally introduced as a battery-powered performative sequencer, controller, and composition tool, the OXI One garnered widespread attention. It achieved remarkable success by surpassing its fixed funding goal on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform, securing 1,178% of its target funding in 2021. Since its initial launch, the OXI One has continually evolved with regular feature updates. Now, OXI Instruments proudly introduces the eagerly awaited Coral, a multitimbral synthesizer module designed for Eurorack systems. This extraordinary module offers eight-voice polyphony, allowing for diverse sonic exploration and manipulation. Coral’s innovative design and rich sound capabilities make it an essential addition to every music creator’s toolkit.
Coral boasts a captivating and intuitive interface presented on an anodized and beautifully silk-printed aluminum panel. Crafted with precision, the module features custom aluminum knobs that enhance its tactile interaction. This carefully engineered interface empowers musicians to craft an array of sounds, including basslines, drones, drums, pads, and riffs. Coral’s standout feature lies in its ability to seamlessly manipulate voices independently, enabling the creation of intricate and layered soundscapes right from the start.
Driven by robust computing power, Coral offers a remarkably rich sound experience within its eight-voice framework. With the potential for up to eight oscillators per voice, resulting in a total of 64 oscillators in play simultaneously, Coral redefines the concept of a multitimbral synthesizer. The module’s versatility shines through various playing modes. While Coral diverges from conventional polyphonic synthesizer behavior, it supports polyphonic play using just one control voltage (CV) and gate connection. This unique approach assigns a new voice with every new note registered, whether as part of an arpeggio, strummed chord, or sustained pad.
Each voice within Coral comes equipped with its own dedicated filter, amplifier, and modulation envelopes. In fact, Coral allows independent customization of every parameter for each voice, even including individual effect sends. Additionally, Coral enables the simultaneous playing of all eight voices in unison, a feature ideal for creating lush drones and dense textures. Internal envelopes can be triggered via the trigger input, while amplifier levels can be directly controlled using the amplifier CV.
Coral seamlessly integrates MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) functionality, ensuring effortless multitimbral operation and parameter control through MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) commands. This integration further enhances Coral’s creative potential, as its eight voices can be flexibly distributed across different parts, each with its own parameter settings. Modulation signals can be distributed across these parts using the part CV, enabling intricate sound modulation based on voltage levels.
Moreover, Coral stands out with its ability to assign multiple sound engines to each voice. These sound engines include Virtual Analog, Waveshaping, Frequency Modulation (FM), custom Wavetable, Multiple Detuned Oscillator (MDO), String, HiHat Synth, Snare Synth, Digital Kick, and Wav Player. Recent additions like the Additive with Wavefolder and Diode Distortion expand Coral’s sonic palette even further. Coral accommodates a wide range of WAV file formats, supporting mono or stereo files at 16, 24, or 32 bits without any playback time limitations. This flexibility allows users to apply overdrive, sculpt sounds using filters and envelopes, and manipulate samples in real-time using CV inputs or MIDI CC commands. Custom wavetables can also be imported using the OXI Wave app, enabling multidimensional sound manipulation.
Coral transcends the boundaries of conventional polyphonic synthesizers through its comprehensive voice management and manipulation capabilities. The module’s powerful sound engines, coupled with its polyphonic sample playback, integrated effects, and modulation options, offer endless sonic possibilities. Coral stands as the sole eight-voice polyphonic, multi-engine, multi-part synthesizer module tailored for Eurorack systems. Its unprecedented freedom in voice management sets it apart even within desktop synthesizer gear. Transitioning from intricate polyphonic patches to a versatile groove box with basslines, drums, and leads is effortlessly achievable with Coral, controllable via both MIDI and CV.
Reflecting on the genesis of Coral, Manuel Vázquez Rodríguez, CEO & CTO of OXI Instruments, acknowledges the influence of Mutable Instruments’ Plaits module, which revolutionized compact, multi-engine synth voice modules. Leveraging open-source contributions and algorithms, OXI Instruments has transformed these concepts into an enticing, compact package. Coral combines eight instances of this module with custom-developed engines, introducing novel features like independent envelopes, filters per voice, effects, comprehensive MIDI implementation, and a visually engaging interface. This module also embraces custom wavetables and a sample playback engine for each voice. The innovative multi-part concept allows users to arrange and utilize the eight voices creatively, enabling configurations like eight monophonic parts, one polyphonic part with eight voices, or hybrid combinations such as two polyphonic parts with three voices each, accompanied by two monophonic voices. Coral proves to be an adaptable and potent polysynth, drum machine, groovebox, and sound exploration module, all in a single package. OXI Instruments plans to continue enhancing Coral’s capabilities through regular firmware updates, mirroring their approach with the OXI One.
A limited quantity of Coral modules is now available for online purchase directly from here. The module is priced at €399.00 EUR (excluding VAT) for EU countries (VAT added at checkout for individual EU customers) and €459.00 EUR for Rest of the World countries (subject to potential duties and taxes upon delivery). Worldwide shipping options are available, ensuring accessibility for creators across the globe.
