Regen is a desktop-sized module version of New England Digital’s Synclavier® II digital synthesizer keyboard. Its smaller size, lower price, and significantly enhanced performance are due to modern DSP as compared to the seminal keyboard first introduced in the 1980s.
Synclavier Digital first came up with FM synthesis, polyphonic sampling, and what later was called the Digital Audio Workstation—even before powerful computers were available. The Synclavier was expensive, making them only available to wealthier top-tier film composers, record producers, and recording artists. Regen changed all that when it appeared in 2023.
Regen is an expressly designed unit that measures 310mm (W) X 260mm (D) X 42mm (H), weighs 1.8kg and is small enough to use its VESA threaded bottom plate for attaching to a mic stand. There are MIDI IN/THRU jacks via 1/8-inch mini-jacks, not standard DIN connectors. There is a 1/4-inch stereo headphone jack for monitoring audio and separate unbalanced stereo outs in parallel with simultaneously operating +4dB balanced L/R XLR outputs with ground lift DIP switches.
For studio work, there is a USB-B port for connection to your DAW host computer and four more USB-A ports. On the side of Regen is an SD Card slot for unlimited access to timbre and sample libraries besides the 1GB of onboard factory content. On the front panel are two color OLED display, one mimics the display a 1985 Synclavier® II VPK.
The front panel also has controls for the most pertinent information including the main modal display, navigation panel that shows current parameters, user settings, timbre library, and more. There are twelve touch-sensitive selector buttons to select multiple Partials or Tracks, while the Swiper controller is a touch-sensitive fader with 128 levels of resolution for precise control of every parameter.
The new Synclavier Digital Regen sells for $2,500 MSRP.
