RND synth allows you to generate 4.29 billion sounds with just one button
"Most instruments are designed to give control; over pitch, over timbre, over time. Not this one," says co-creator Bambounou
RND (pronounced “random”) synth is the second instrument from Parisian boutique hardware makers cyma forma.
Developed in collaboration with French producer Bambounou and Nick Donaldson of Infrasonic Audio, it has exactly one button; no keys, no knobs, no display.
Press it and the device generates a complete musical idea from scratch. Press it again and that sound is gone, replaced by something new.
Every press randomises all parameters at once, pulling from a pool of 4.29 billion possible combinations.
Despite the minimal interface, there's a lot going on internally. RND synth runs eight sound engines covering subtractive, FM, additive, noise, Karplus-Strong, supersaw, speech, and acid synthesis, along with five filter types and reverb.
Each generated idea has four instrument tracks, each with its own sound and sequence. Those sequences are built using Euclidean rhythms, a randomly chosen scale, and a random time signature.
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You can also sequence the engines manually via 4-channel MIDI over USB if you want more control.
On the connectivity side, USB-C covers MIDI in/out, MIDI clock, and multi-channel audio output for recording each track separately. There are also 3.5mm jacks for analogue sync and a stereo mix output.
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"Most instruments are designed to give control; over pitch, over timbre, over time. Not this one,” Bambounou explains.
RND synth is priced at €125 (roughly US$140) and is available for pre-order now, with first units shipping at the end of June. Pre-order here.
