Synthesthesia Pipes

At the 2018 NAMM Show, Synesthesia introduced Pipes, a compact sound module founded by De Franco.

It’s an audio engine, that performs simple audio playback units, has an audio interface, with an opensource program that users can customize to their feel and functionalities.

Pipes features 48KHz 24bit stereo sample playback and is WAV, AIF and MDA compatible, with up to 20,000 samples always loaded and ready to be triggered.

Synthesthesia Pipes Features:

  • 5”full-color touchscreen
  • 64 max stereo voice polyphony
  • 4-millisecond latency from MIDI trigger input to analog audio output
  • Massive onboard instrument and sound library
  • Multiple USB MIDI inputs
  • Multiple assignable internal stereo channels (which are called “pipes”)
  • Introducing ‘Tweakers’: onboard Pure Data patches for MIDI manipulation, User patches welcome!
  • Effects per stereo channel: Slicer, Panner, Pitch, Compressor, Equalizer (4 bands), Reverse, Delay, Flanger, Reverb, Filters, Distortions
  • Master Effects: Stereo Compressor, Equalizer (4 bands), Reverb
  • Effect and Tweaker parameters controllable in real time
  • Introducing MDA instrument files, including position, velocity, and round robin samples with associated trigger data
  • MIDI signal input record and playback capability
  • Analog audio output x 2: L(mono) + R
  • Stereo headphone output
  • Stereo digital audio output: S/PDIF optical TOSLINK
  • USB memory port (recognizes thumb drive for file transfers and firmware updates)
  • Open Source User Interface/Front-End allow full customization

Technical Specifications:

  • 48KHz 24bit stereo sample playback, WAV, AIF, MDA compatible
  • Up to 20,000 samples always loaded and ready
  • 5”full-color touchscreen
  • Enclosure dimensions 5.72″ x 4.77″ x 2.06
  • Multiple USB MIDI inputs
  • Analog audio output x 2: L(mono) + R
  • Stereo digital audio output: S/PDIF optical TOSLINK
  • Stereo headphone output
  • USB memory Port (recognizes thumb drive for file transfers and updates)

Synthesthesia Pipes demo video.

Pricing and Availability

Synesthesia expects Pipes to be available in mid-2018, priced at US $399.