Black Corporation ISE-NIN

Not simply a clone or revival of a classic instrument, Black Corporation’s ISE-NIN is a desktop-friendly analog synthesizer inspired by the legendary Roland Jupiter-8 that truly aims for the stars. Adorned with sliders and vivid orange labeling straight out of the 1980s, the ISE-NIN is true to the original with eight voices loaded up with legitimate analog VCOs and liquidy lowpass and highpass filters. But in true Black Corp. fashion, they’re not content with conceptualizing a modern synth and leaving its capabilities dampened by technology from over 40 years ago.

Dual oscillators per-voice allow for synthesists to craft the rich textures harkening back to the golden age of analog synthesizers, offering the ability to freely mix and match waveforms (or noise on VCO-2). One or both VCOs can be modulated by the LFO or one of the ADSR envelope generators, affording the implementation of vibrato or other special pitch effects into patches, while VCO-1 provides a VCO-2 cross-modulation option, and VCO-2 can sync to oscillator one. Before heading into the filters, both VCOs are summed in a crossfade level control—this approach allows, for example, one oscillator to provide the harmonic, musical bed for a patch, while the other can be dialed in to a relatively fine amount for additional grit, bite, or special effect.

Some say that the filter is what makes a synthesizer special, and if the sound of the Jupiter-8 is any indication, ISE-NIN is sure to win the hearts of many. A non-resonant highpass filter cleans up the low end frequencies, but the main attraction is certainly the lowpass VCF—selectable 12 or 24dB/Oct slope, resonance all the way up to self-oscillation, key-tracking, velocity and aftertouch control, and more provide the means to sculpt the sonic spectrum with freedom. Dual ADSR envelope generators round out the onboard modulation options, but it’s the deeper menu settings and external control capabilities that really open up the ISE-NIN.

Like the other instruments from Black Corporation, ISE-NIN is MPE compatible, meaning that pairing it up with a compatible DAW or a controller like the QuNexus or Linnstrument unlocks the magic of per-note pitch bend and expression, polyphonic aftertouch, and more. But if that weren’t enough, ISE-NIN can split or layer two presets at once, and while this reduces polyphony down to four voices per patch, the musical potential vastly outweighs the polyphonic limitations. Pair this with the onboard arpeggiator and extensive microtuning options compatible with ODDSound’s MTS-ESP, and this is a synth that pushes analog sounds in territories never before imagined.

If you find yourself enchanted by the sounds of classic analog instruments but will only settle for the flexibility of a modern synthesizer, ISE-NIN just might be the thriller of a synth needed for your studio.