ZeKit Paraphonic Hybrid Desktop Synthesizer

Fred’s Lab ZeKit

Design everything from classic acid basslines to house chord stabs with the Fred’s Lab ZeKit, a “four-voice” paraphonic hybrid synthesizer built to fit into any rig, no matter how compact. Offering a variety of digital waveforms to choose from and utilizing additive sawtooth synthesis, the ZeKit can stack up to four individual and playable pitches to create harmonic progressions that can’t be achieved in traditional monosynths. The digital waves are then shaped completely via analog processing—including filter, VCA, and envelopes—starting with the selectable band or low pass filter sporting a 2-pole cutoff design. The filter offers two flavors of fixed resonance, featuring “chill” for a more relaxed & subtle effect and “acid” for classic, gnarly lines that squelch for days.

Speaking of acid, the ZeKit features a sequencer with up to 16 user-programmable patterns, where each pattern can hold up to 96 steps of up to 4 notes per step for full-on motivic and harmonic progressions. Patterns can be performed in sequence, while maintaining easy access for pitch transposition. More focused on simple envelope structures such as A/D and A/R, ZeKit’s envelopes feature looping and re-triggering for making even more complex and intriguing patterns and sounds. With flexibility to sync and be controlled externally over MIDI or analog clock, the ZeKit offers tons of hybrid sonic shaping for making synth basses, acid lines, key stabs, percussion, or whatever you need.

ZeKit Features

• Compact paraphonic hybrid synthesizer
• Four “voices” based around digital oscillators, with various selectable waveforms (either mono or paraphonic)
• Analog 2-pole low and band-pass filters with two selectable resonance modes—chill or acid
• Analog optocoupler VCA and analog A/D & A/R envelopes
• Envelopes can loop and retrigger for complex modulation
• 96-step sequencer saving up to 16 user programmable patterns
• Up to four notes per-step of paraphonic sequencing with live pitch transpose and pattern transitions
• External sync to MIDI or analog clock
• External stereo input for passing audio through