M<\/span>y\u00a0recent, decisive encounter with the Sledge lies only a few weeks back. Those were turbulent times. In front of me, waiting to be tested, the 8-voice hybrid desktop-synthesizer of another highly esteemed company. I\u00a0was\u00a0a little\u00a0uneasy, something\u00a0I can’t explain. I played and twisted and twisted and played. Despite those good sounds, tantalizing possibilities and outstanding features, I\u00a0just wasn’t\u00a0convinced. The “now I’ve got it!”<\/em> eluded me.<\/p>\n As I casually\u00a0pressed the key of another synth\u00a0– distraction is good – it dawned on me: This is it!<\/em> The sound, the character that invites you to linger and enjoy. Inspiring. Your mind takes flight.\u00a0No technical description\u00a0can give you a\u00a0hint of this sunny reality. Some instruments have it. Some don’t.<\/p>\n Ok, ok, this is just me. Others might feel\u00a0entirely different about\u00a0that\u00a0well-known hybrid desktop synth in question that I was unable to test successfully.\u00a0I can only speak for myself.<\/p>\n In that\u00a0moment of sudden insight, a little Sledge BLACK ad in a local newspaper caught my\u00a0eye. Very unusual, considering that my home country – as far as synthesizers and other electronic sound generators are concerned –\u00a0is more of an Atacama Desert than a Silicon Valley.\u00a0A parched area where even the word “synthesizer” seems like a mirage, like a misprint on paper. But that instrument really existed: Sledge BLACK\u00a0was less than a 10 minutes’ drive from my apartment. The handover took place that same evening.<\/p>\n The then-Sledge owner – a likable guy called Didi – explained to me\u00a0that our Atacama Desert is not so dry after all. There are two or three recording studios in these immediate latitudes that see musicians of world format constantly on the come and on the go. Such as the Little Big Beat Studios<\/a>, with\u00a0their own Youtube channel and events such as “Studio Live Sessions”\u00a0and\u00a0“Steinway Sessions”. No absolute music electronics specialists, but still: Who would have thought …<\/p>\n With the arrival of\u00a0the Sledge BLACK in my studio, long nights of sound research began. Hours over hours with lots of music and little sleep. It soon became evident that the\u00a0Sledge had exactly that which I had been looking for.\u00a0The\u00a0magic which radiates from an intuitive instrument. Granted, the Sledge remains a fulminantly plastic box. But now with a passable\u00a0design and with an useable\u00a0keyboard.<\/p>\n W<\/span>hen sifting through the Sledge information on the net, a confusing detail pops up: the image of a\u00a0Fatar CMS 61<\/a>\u00a0keyboard from 1994, which has originally nothing to do with the Sledge. A primeval controller keyboard from those days when computer monitors resembled pot-bellied TVs and “MIDI”\u00a0was an exciting cool feature. The said CMS 61 was launched to play music data right into the computer, and to have enough space for the computer keyboard and for a mouse as well.<\/p>\n [ Odd little side note: The cover of the “Instructions Manual” depicts a musician playing the — unconnected (!) — keyboard … ].<\/p>\n Anyway. Fatar CMS 61 was re-launched almost 20 years later, spiffed up with a beautiful sound engine and big buttons. The new synthesizer was called “Studiologic Sledge” …<\/p>\n Axel Hartmann contributed to the design and the Waldorf company added their glorious wavetable engine. That sounded promising …<\/p>\n O<\/span>ff to a classical start. The tasteful design of the Sledge BLACK impresses. Black pots, two orange (!) knobs, glowing red switches …\u00a0everything clear, everything extremely well-structured. At the back nothing but the power connection and the power switch.<\/p>\n All other connections are\u00a0on the left-hand side.\u00a0This might give cause to the one or other sceptical frown (after all, the Sledge does need extra width for its cables), but the direct access<\/em> to all in\/outputs has advantages. Side cabling means easy accessibility – no lifting, no moving the instrument.<\/p>\n Although we have to admit that\u00a0moving the Sledge\u00a0isn’t such a big deal.\u00a0With its\u00a08 kg (!), it is amazingly light. Sure, the chassis is\u00a0definitely plastic, but nevertheless robust and of a solid overall construction. The pots are big (some\u00a0of them even huge<\/em>). In short:\u00a0The quaitly of the hardware\u00a0is\u00a0– as soon as you have accepted all\u00a0that plastic – really good.<\/p>\n To be honest, I would have\u00a0preferred a keyboard in the usual black\/white pattern (being of no detriment to the name Sledge Black Edition<\/em>), simply because slightly dirty, smeared areas are more evident with the inverted color combination.\u00a0So, either wash your hands well before playing the Sledge BLACK, or clean the keyboard regularly with a cloth.\u00a0Or both! Black, smooth surfaces are just prone to smudging\u00a0– which recently became unequivocable evident with the appearance of the\u00a0Roland JD-XA<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sledge pitch bend and modulation wheels are made of rubber. They are both comfortable and flexible to use (more on that later).<\/p>\n Small note: The free space left between the jacks and the actual synthesizer panel, where the labels of the inputs \/ outputs are, is ideal for storing headphones not in use. Whether or not this was intended does not matter. It’s extremely convenient not to have to put the headphones over the buttons and switches. That corresponding free space for storage is\u00a0right next to the headphones output! Unspectacular, maybe, but a detail among many that, in sum,\u00a0lend\u00a0the Sledge its special\u00a0aura.<\/p>\n Conclusion: Considering the low price of the instrument (under 1,000 Euros), the hardware is good to very good. Ample space, large pots, solid controls and luxurious labels yield a clear and extremely user-friendly environment.<\/p>\n Ah yes … any difference between Sledge 2.0 (yellow) and Sledge BLACK editon?<\/p>\n “Sledge 2.0 and Sledge Black Edition share the same hardware platform and the same functions. The keyboard (in addition to the color) offers slightly different feedback as the Sledge Black Edition keys are semi-weighted. We suggest trying them both to feel which touch is most suitabe to your way of playing.”<\/em> (Studiologic.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Since daydreaming is allowed, we admit that we wish that the panel could be raised and tilted. Think of the\u00a0Arturia MatrixBrute or the Hartmann ’20. But given that plastic chassis, any thought of a “mechanically moving panel” is a first-rate illusion. And so we must accept the\u00a0revised CMS 61 design\u00a0– a “table board with buttons” called Sledge – which services the Sledge musician well with a large (flat) panel.<\/p>\n By chance, we found a modified Sledge 2.0 in Italy. One with adjustable panel. Since it remains us of the Moog Voyager XL, we call this the Studiologic Sledge XL …<\/p>\n Sledge is equipped with the essentials. No more, no less:<\/p>\n T<\/span>he heart of the instrument. Sledge 2.0 \/ Sledge BLACK: A\u00a024-voice virtual analog synthesizer<\/strong> with integrated PPG-wavetable oscillator <\/strong>and sample pool<\/strong>. Exciting: The simultaneous<\/em>\u00a0activation of traditional analog waveforms with wavetables (or samples), in turn leading to completely new waveforms – with direct access<\/em> to all sound-control parameters.<\/p>\n Oscillators<\/strong><\/p>\n Oscillator 1 is the BIG ONE.\u00a0Useable as a classic “analog” oscillator,\u00a0or – as we’ve said before – as wavetable \/ sample-play oscillator.\u00a0Particularly pleasing: That\u00a0orange knob for wavetable selection.<\/p>\n – Classic waveforms:<\/strong> sawtooth, pulse (with PWM), triangle, sine [The sample pool is activated by the simultaneous selection of Wavetable and PWM waveform\u00a0– see above.]<\/p>\n Oscillators 2 and 3 are\u00a0classic virtual-analog oscillators with an extra<\/em> extra. Both offer sawtooth, pulse (with PWM), triangle and sine.\u00a0The extra<\/em> extra is frequency modulation (FM). Oscillator 2 can be modulated by OSC 1, Oscillator 3 by OSC 2. Finally you can have\u00a0an obligatory osc-synchronization\u00a0between oscillators 2 and 3.<\/p>\n The frequency modulation\u00a0(FM) is\u00a0a real smash. Bear in mind that Oscillator 1 is enormously well equipped with classical waveforms, wavetables and samples, meaning the sound spectrum of\u00a0OSC1-to-OSC2-FM\u00a0exceeds\u00a0your wildest dreams. By the way: FM\u00a0amount is seamlessly adjustable\u00a0from 0 to 100% … from those “shiny” overtones to wild FM effects.<\/p>\n Also amazing: The OCTAVE switches. Huge knobs with 7\u00a0(!) stages from 64′ up to 1′. Which means a switchable audio range of\u00a06 octaves, PLUS another 2 octaves via (+\/-) 12 SEMITONES. That’s a total of 8 (!) octaves per oscillator — at your fingertips.<\/p>\n The Sledge makes sense it a lot of ways. Mix a\u00a0deep, deformed “glassy” wavetable\u00a0(64-foot, Oscillator\u00a01) with a fringed sawtooth (1-foot, Oscillator 2) and a shimmery FM modulated triangular wave (16-foot, Oscillator 3)\u00a0– and you end up with a waveform you probably have never<\/em> heard before. It’s that tasteful waveform-mixing that creates new, richly detailed timbres. And that makes the Sledge particularly useful.<\/p>\n Mixer<\/strong><\/p>\n Classic Minimoog style: All 3 OSCILLATORS can be mixed, plus NOISE (selectable: Pink or White). Incidentally, noise is “not” as noble as that emitted from a real<\/em> analog synthesizer. It sounds a little – well – synthetic, with\u00a0the occasional inexplicable artifact in\u00a0its acoustic landscape. Useful just the same.<\/p>\n Back to the mixer. As with the Minimoog, you can switch all individual audio sources on and off. Great\u00a0when performing Sledge LIVE. Depending on the musical situation, timbres can be precisely added or disabled. Finally, when serving as modulation sources (keyword OSC FM),\u00a0oscillators can be quickly and easily removed from the audio path.<\/p>\n Conclusion: As simple as mixing waveforms can seem, it\u00a0is still drastically effective … assuming a potent and versatile oscillator structure, of course! And this is exactly what Sledge offers …<\/p>\n Filter<\/strong><\/p>\n There’s a\u00a0comprehensive multimode filter:<\/p>\n Via MIDI CC, however, there are even more<\/em> filter types to choose from! Specifically: NOTCH, COMB and PPG VCF … see Sledge Hidden MIDI functions<\/a>\u00a0(PDF, source: VintageSynth<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span>In addition to the classic LowPass mode, it’s the BandPass filter we like most. As\u00a0illustrated in DEMO 2, BandPass filter sweeps can\u00a0take on a silky and appealing quality.<\/p>\n The directly<\/em> controllable filter functions are FREQUENCY, RESONANCE, KEYTRACK, DRIVE and the (envelope) AMOUNT. Resonance allows\u00a0for filter self-oscillation, but the resulting (aggressive) dominance can be problematic – more on that later.<\/p>\n Envelopes<\/strong><\/p>\n Filter and amplifier each have\u00a0their own ADSR envelope.\u00a0The\u00a0filter envelope\u00a0can be set positively or negatively\u00a0and the amplifier envelope comes with a velocity function.<\/p>\n LFO 1 \/ LFO 2 \/ WHEEL (AFTERTOUCH)<\/strong><\/p>\n For true<\/em> sound designers among you, here are 3 (!) LFOs at your disposal.\u00a0Two identical\u00a0– but independent\u00a0– main LFOs, as well as\u00a0an extra LFO related to WHEEL\u00a0\/ AFTERTOUCH movements.<\/p>\n Each LFO features:<\/p>\n LFO SPEED\u00a0remains kind of a mystery. No information on this in the (otherwise well written) user manual.\u00a0LFO speed\u00a0ranges from “very slow” (which is very nice) up to the audio area … well, theoretically<\/em>, at least.<\/p>\n As with many digital synthesizers, modulations in audio range tend to end up as a desaster.\u00a0Seems as if the obtained\u00a0modulation effect\u00a0can’t be calculated by the internal processor. Instead, it reproduces a peculiar mix of alias sounds, bombastic acoustics and minor explosions.<\/p>\n So, all modulations above\u00a050 Hz (or so) end up\u00a0uncontrollable. That\u00a0makes clear why there are virtual-analog synthesizers\u00a0that cost 3890\u00a0Euros\u00a0(like the\u00a0John Bowen Solaris<\/a>) and\u00a0others that cost only\u00a0890\u00a0Euros (like the Studiologic Sledge 2.0).\u00a0The first have enough CPU power\u00a0to truly simulate high-frequency audio modulations,\u00a0and the second, well, they\u00a0just don’t.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, having 3 LFOs is superb. And\u00a0there’s OSC-FM as well, for those drastic modulation effects.\u00a0Which means there are heaps of modulation possibilities at your disposal.\u00a0DEMO 3 focuses on this topic – have a listen!<\/p>\n 2 effect units, both very useable. Not\u00a0high-end, of course – don’t expect a Lexicon reverb, or a ping pong triple delay.\u00a0But you’re still getting a lot for your money:<\/p>\n “Chorus” is gorgeous. Especially at slow\u00a0rates, where the sound moves steadily from left to right. And “Delay” is again a pleasure, especially in conjunction with the Arpeggiator. The acoustically “correct” or “nearly correct” synchronization of delay- and arpeggiation-time ensures vibrant patterns.\u00a0Minimal\u00a0fluctuations\u00a0in speed radiate a 70’s charme, reminiscent of those early works by Jean-Michel Jarre\u00a0when he used\u00a0tape delays.<\/p>\n W<\/span>e’ll keep this part short. The arpeggiator (ARP) is good and useful, if not really extraordinary. Playing modes\u00a0include UP \/ DOWN \/ ALT UP \/ ALT DOWN, ranging from 1 to 5 octaves. The individual notes follow one of these chosen settings: AS PLAYED, REVERSED, KEY LO-HI, KEY HI-LO.<\/p>\n Trigger Mode lets you choose between MULTIPLE and SINGLE triggering. As with many analog synthesizers, it is possible to decide whether the envelopes, LFOs, etc. are automatically triggered with each<\/em> note played, or only with the very first<\/em> note you start with. MULTIPLE\u00a0triggering means “free run” of all LFO modulations (very handy). SINGLE triggering is especially useful in GLIDE\u00a0mode, where only over-bound (legato) notes trigger the glide effect.<\/p>\n Selecting MONO turns Sledge into a “quasi” monophonic synthesizer. No matter how many keys you hit, only the last note will\u00a0be audible. Ah yes … and there even UNISON mode … have a look at the hidden MIDI functions’ info.<\/p>\n … gold. Sledge 2.0 \/ Sledge BLACK are wonderful instruments, but don’t throw caution to the winds …<\/p>\n – Sledge is digital technology. Moving knobs slowly results in\u00a0minimal sweeps of sound. Solo sounds especially require\u00a0careful tweaking\u00a0…<\/p>\n – At high settings, filter resonance\u00a0is known to run\u00a0out of control\u00a0(very Korg MS-20-like). Screaming and aggressive. And since there is no transition from “little to maximum”, that aggressive tone color seems to jump into your sound, from one second to the other.<\/p>\n – The filter itself is flexible and quite good, but\u00a0it’s\u00a0definitely not a true analog filter. That’s no absolute\u00a0criticism,\u00a0since Sledge being a\u00a0virtual-analog synthesizer, but sometimes we just miss the “cutting” edge of a real hardware filter …<\/p>\n – From time to time, there are unforseen peaks in the audio signal. By sensitively controlling the oscillator signals (mixer), the filter settings and the main volume control, these peaks can usually be avoided.<\/p>\n – Although “LFO1, LFO2 (phase synchronized)” is claimed on the manufacturer’s website, we have no clue as to how to set this function.\u00a0As far as we know, the 3\u00a0LFOs can not<\/em> be synchronized\u00a0with each other. They are all free running, function independently of each other. MIDI synchronization is also not\u00a0possible.<\/p>\n Now, these criticisms are not\u00a0really\u00a0<\/em>criticisms, they are information for the customer.\u00a0We prefer to say that care is necessary when programming or playing this instrument. That’s it!<\/p>\n And thus back to Sledge\u00a0– to one of its most outstanding details …<\/p>\n P<\/span>ure enjoyment. Sledge time dimensions are of another world. Generous. With results that are not easy to put into words.<\/p>\n Scenario “maximum release”: Set the filter and amplifier release time to maximum, play a note (or chord), listen to the full sound for\u00a0the\u00a0twinkling\u00a0of an\u00a0eye, then release the keys.<\/p>\n Now walk around a bit, listen to Studiologic Sledge (its sound is omnipresent in your studio), turn on the coffee machine, buy some milk in the shop around the corner, return to your studio, make some sandwiches … and notice with astonishment that the sound has remained unchanged. No audible volume drop, no release so far.<\/p>\n While\u00a0reflecting on the fact that\u00a0the instrument might be damaged or that it might feature a hidden function you didn’t realize it had (maximum release could mean HOLD, right?) … slowly, veeery slowly release finally begins reducing the sound, minimally, barely measurably … exciting!<\/p>\n Sitting on the couch (walking around\u00a0just got boring at some point), you’re completely fascinated. How effective will the final fade-out be?\u00a0Well – amazingly! The sound disappears gradually, very gradually, it fades away\u00a0in some acoustic Nirvana without a hint of a hezitation. You sit there in deep\u00a0meditation, close to tears,\u00a0overwhelmed by that\u00a0impressive\u00a0transition from sound to silence.<\/p>\n DEMO 2 tries to\u00a0reflect the magic of long – ok, ok, in this case medium<\/em> – Sledge release times. Listen!<\/p>\n Attack times are impressive, too. Not quite as stunning as release behaviour, but still a lot better than the standard attack times of many synthesizers on the market.<\/p>\n But\u00a0the overwhelmingly long\u00a0release\u00a0does have a real soulmate: GLIDE.\u00a0Speaking of maximal glide ranges, we’re talking of minutes, not seconds.\u00a0Whether this is musically tantalizing\u00a0(or not) depends on your personal taste. Turning the RATE knob counter-clockwise brings you back into the classic two-or-three-seconds glide range – just in case you’ve\u00a0had enough\u00a0of super-slow gliding.<\/p>\n S<\/span>ledge has 3 menues: ARP (see\u00a0above), MIDI and GLOBAL. That’s it. Critics will surely miss the one or other feature, or the one or other detail … but I really like the simple (almost\u00a0little old-fashioned) structure of the instrument. The MIDI menue contains: Channel<\/em>, Local<\/em>, Velocity Curve<\/em>, Clock<\/em>, Send \/ Receive Control<\/em>.<\/p>\n The latter function\u00a0allows recording and controlling all (!) knob\u00a0movements of Sledge. See the\u00a0corresponding\u00a0Sledge MIDI CC List<\/a> (PDF) for more details.<\/p>\n The GLOBAL menue deals with all basic\u00a0default settings, such as\u00a0Tune <\/em>(ranging from 430 to 450 Hz),\u00a0Knob Mode<\/em>\u00a0(snap \/ direct),\u00a0Pedal Assignments<\/em>*, Pitch Wheel Range<\/em>, etc.<\/p>\n [* Studiologic offers its own Expression Pedal VP 27, which can be set to control filter cutoff, but also MOD WHEEL. All those powerful modulation functions at a drop of a foot.]<\/p>\n S<\/span>ledge 2.0\u00a0\/ Sledge BLACK can play 2 sounds simultaneously – split or layered. For many (many) days, this was the well-kept secret of “how” to program 2 simultaneous sounds. Once you\u00a0had done that (I\u00a0won’t tell you how it works …), sustain pedal and pitchbender could be set to the one of the two sound\u00a0only<\/em>.\u00a0Great stuff.<\/p>\n O<\/span>k, ok … I’m not a huge fan of sample synthesis. To me, it’s always seemed\u00a0to be a concession to pop music. Yeah, well,\u00a0here’s the piano … and yeah, yeah, here are some drum loops. Alright …<\/p>\n However,\u00a0you can load any sample (.wav file) into your Sledge and use it as a regular\u00a0Oscillator 1 waveform – with all filter- and effect-processing, which is really useful. SLEDGE SPECTRE, a software\u00a0which will manage, load and save your samples, is available\u00a0for free at the Studiologic Website<\/a>.<\/p>\n C<\/span>omplex, rich in overtones, beguiling. So my observations and experience with the Sledge BLACK. Flexible, lively, expressive. So my findings when browsing the Sledge demos on Youtube.<\/p>\n Almost immediately after purchasing the instrument, and\u00a0just a few hours of sound research, Sledge had already risen high in my personal polyphonic synthesizer ranking. Many nuances of sound were new territory\u00a0to me.\u00a0Sounds, which of course can be achieved with some other synthesizers as well, but often\u00a0at the cost of\u00a0operation potential (panels with just a few controls or overloaded structure menues – think of Waldorf Blofeld). The immediate, simultaneous, and (very importantly) intuitive Sledge\u00a0access to all aspects of sound<\/em> design\u00a0<\/em>amazes.<\/p>\n But down to the nitty gritty.\u00a0That intuitive sound doesn’t come on a silver platter. As a matter of fact, the Sledge PRESETS are rather AVERAGE. Dusty bass-, brass-, pad- and lead-sounds with a quacking filter here and much-too-fast-vibrati there —\u00a0you get what I mean.\u00a0But with just a little effort, you can\u00a0turn those sounds into something special. And with that\u00a0huge and knob-crowded Sledge panel, tweaking, playing\u00a0and programming\u00a0is relaxing and fun.<\/p>\n Those “big” buttons\u00a0are particularly useful. A\u00a0starteling number\u00a0of nuances – slow movements through wavetables,\u00a0adjustments of fine oscillator beatings (> huge detune knobs!),\u00a0perfect adaptions of envelope times, etc. – can be effected with pinpoint accuracy.<\/p>\n Potential for the creation of new timbres<\/em> is in my opinion\u00a0one of the greatest strengths of Sledge. Delicate overtones, shimmering wavetables nuances, tasteful use\u00a0of the modulation wheel \/ aftertouch … The ingredients\u00a0for\u00a0that special sound recipy: 3 oscillators with\u00a0wide audio range\u00a0(64′ to 1′), a luxurious choice of waveforms (wavetables, samples, classic analog waveforms\u00a0… even the odd PulseWidthModulation sounds great),\u00a0combined with nuanced mixer possibilities and oscillator FM … and the availability of 3 LFOs (with individual control of oscillators, waveforms, frequency modulations).<\/p>\n All this guarantees a barely comprehensible spectrum\u00a0of tone colors \/ timbres. That gaudy yellow chassis (Sledge 2.0) or that classy dark gray chassis (Sledge BLACK) give no hint of the rainbow of sounds that could be at your fingertips.\u00a0A\u00a0tiny hint of “digital” in the sound character (not to be completely avoided),\u00a0can be easily counterbalanced with good programming.<\/p>\n We’ve attached 40+ minutes of audio material. As always, the demos reflect my special musical orientation. And as always they are just a small part of what you can do with the Sledge 2.0 \/ Sledge BLACK. By the way, the used delay and chorus effects are all directly “Sledge”.<\/p>\n Youtube videos\u00a0should intensify\u00a0your overall impression of the Sledge. I find the demos of\u00a0Adam Borseti<\/a>\u00a0particularly comprehensive and sometimes quite funny. In addition to countless “hits” of synthesizer history,\u00a0Mr. Borseti convincing presents Sledge E-Piano \/ Rhodes \/ Rock-Organ\u00a0sounds, sensitive lead sounds and painfully good Vangelis imitations.<\/p>\n The attached 40+ minutes of soundfiles are\u00a0Sledge BLACK pure. Only exception: “DEMO 1” features a harmonica contributed by\u00a0Arturia’s MatrixBrute. An Italo-French cooperation … how lovely.<\/p>\n S<\/span>ledge 2.0 \/ Sledge BLACK Edition are very special instruments. 890 Euros (Sledge 2.0) or 990 Euros (Sledge BLACK) gives\u00a0you a 24-voice SYNTHESIZER in the true sense of the name. Sledge offers a huge variety of musically high-quality, easily adjustable sounds. If you’re in the mood\u00a0for some serious filing, you can use OSC FM, OSC Sync, MultiMode Filter (BandPass!), the 3 LFOs, the powerful ModWheel \/ Aftertouch performances … and you have complete control of all parameters via MIDI CC\u00a0at your fingertips.<\/p>\n Sledge is often compared to the Waldorf Blofeld.\u00a0The two instruments\u00a0have similar structures (3 oscillators, 24- or 25-voice polyphony, arpeggiator, …) and are equally powerful. Which gives you advocates here as well as there. On the one hand, the Blofeld with a\u00a0more sophistcated sound design (e.g. two<\/em> filters per voice). On the other hand, the Sledge that offers direct access to all<\/em>\u00a0sound parameters.<\/p>\n But such comparisons are only of secondary importance. The point is: The Studiologic Sledge, as one of the most potent synthesizers on the market\u00a0today, offers you excellent sound\u00a0architecture\u00a0and generous hardware for your money.<\/p>\n We recommend.<\/p>\n x<\/span> 2.5.2<\/strong> 2.5.1<\/strong> 2.5<\/strong> 2.1<\/strong> x<\/span>![\"Studiologic](\"https:\/\/greatsynthesizers.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Studiologic-Sledge-Black-Synthesizer-01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSledge Chassis: Old FATAR Design<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHardware<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nConnections<\/h2>\n
\n
The Sound Engine<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
– Wavetables:<\/strong> 66 PPG-wavetables, adjustable starting position (“Wave” knob)
– Samples:<\/strong> 60 MB,\u00a0delivered:\u00a0piano\/drums\/etc., own samples (.wav) to be uploaded<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
x<\/span>
– Sawtooth<\/strong>
…\u00a0positive\u00a0or negative: +\/- depth adjustment
– Rectangle<\/strong>
– Triangle<\/strong>
– Sine<\/strong>
– Sample \/ Hold<\/strong>
– Ramp<\/strong>
x<\/span><\/li>\n
x<\/span>
– OSC 1\/2\/3<\/strong>
… individually or in almost all combinations selectable
– PWM \/ Wave \/ FM<\/strong>
… which in itself is a tonal treasure chest (!)
– VOLUME<\/strong>
– CUTOFF<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nEffects<\/h2>\n
\n
Arpeggiator, Trigger Mode and MONO<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nNot everything shiny is\u00a0…<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nGenerous release-times \/ generous glide-times<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nMIDI and GLOBAL<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSPLIT and DUAL Mode<\/h2>\n
SLEDGE SPECTRE –\u00a0organizing the internal sample-pool<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe SOUND and Sledge Programming<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\n
Update 01\/2020 and 02\/2021: Studiologic is regularly working on Sledge OS upgrades … further info (and download) – see www.studiologic-music.com\/support\/sledge<\/a><\/p>\n
Fixed: a random issue of some Sledge, not generating sounds at Power on or on selecting a Program, which required further selection.<\/p>\n
Fixed an issue that did not allow to install new samples.<\/p>\n
Enhanced audio output level (+ 100% peak level) for a stronger, cleaner and fatter sound.
Synchronized LFO2, allowing to keep the same modulation phase on all notes.
Sample Licence included (free of charge) that allows all previous Sledge to play samples, with no need of further updates or extra costs.<\/p>\n
Implementation of the MIDI standard message “All notes Off” (also known as “MIDI panic”) in case of hanging notes …<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Youtube Video – excellent demo-sounds by\u00a0Adam Borseti<\/strong> (2017):<\/p>\n