Sonic Potions' LXR drum synth, until now, was only available as a DIY kit. For the LXR-02, the German-based company teamed up with Latvia's Erica Synths to launch a redesigned new version.
What fans loved about the original is all still here: digital sounds with analog richness, extensive control of the synth's six voices and individual parameters, and a complex sequencer. But the new version makes it easier to customize each voice and includes faders for each as well as for master volume.
The synth's structure lets you get hands-on with your own sound design. Drum tracks one, two, and three can be a variety of instruments—kicks, toms, percussion—built up from sine waves, triangle, saw, pulse, or noise. The snare, claps/cymbals, and hi-hats each get their own dedicated channels.
Beneath the faders, there are a series of buttons for further sound-shaping of each individual track. AEG is a standard attack envelope control; Mod lets you change velocity modulation parameters and the destination of the track; FM lets you mix in FM synth sounds; Click lets you choose additional transient sounds for different flavors of attack; Filter controls the multi-mode 2-pole filter (low-pass, high-pass, notch, peak, and more); and LFO.
There are four assignable outputs, an SD card to save sounds and songs, and the amount of connectivity you'd expect from a modern instrument including USB MIDI and full-sized MIDI in/out.
Other features, according to Erica Synths, include:
- Over 30 adjustable parameters per voice
- 4 assignable 6,3" jack outputs (2x stereo or 4x mono)
- Flexible, performance-oriented 64 step sequencer
- Performance mode with mutes, rolls, master bitcrush, and kit morphing
- Kit, Pattern, Performance, and Song memory
- SD card for easy FW updates and Project backup
- Headphone output
- Extensive MIDI implementation
- Durable and compact aluminum casing
Find your LXR-02 on Reverb.