Erica Synths Pico System III


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This is brilliant.


DivKid interview at Modular Day Barcelona.

Great that you can have a complete Eurorack system like this in a small light-weight portable box.

Features: Two VCOs, two 3-channel mixers, a 4-waveform LFO, two loopable ASR envelopes, two low-pass gates, a BBD delay, a 4-step sequencer and a master output section.

Plus there are multiple other functions added to what’s built-in. VCO1 has pulse and triangle outputs with CV controlled PWM. VCO2 has a built-in waveshaper with its own output. There’s a VCO controller section for managing FM inputs and levels to the oscillators. The LFO has noise and S&H alongside the regular sine and pulse outputs and a random trigger output. And you can loop the envelopes and use them as LFOs.

Plus there’s the cards and card slot (similar in concept to the cards on some Buchla systems). This allows you to solder together your own custom patches and recall them more quickly by just plugging them in. There are also preset patch cards too from Erica Synths. You can still use patch cables, like regular eurorack as well.

Great price too at 450€ complete box, or 400€ for Eurorack only. The price is less because it’s made as a one circuit board so it’s not separable, and that saves a lot of manufacture cost.

(Why am i thinking of this next to the Dreadbox Antiphon Kit and its spring reverb and effects? Would also be a good add-on to some of the semi-modular systems, like the ones from Behringer and Moog.)

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My analog keys needs a friend

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If I take individual module prices (Schneidersladen.de)

Pico Seq 2 = 89€
Pico VCO 2 = 119€
(No VCO CTRL module in the Pico line)
Pico VCO 2 = 119€
Pico A Mix = 59€
Pico RND = 95€
Pico VC EG = 107€
Pico VC EG = 107€
Pico LPG = 129€
Pico LPG = 129€
Pico BBD = 136€
Pico A Mix = 59€
The master output mixer is also not a module from the Pico line)

=1053€ (no case and no preset cards ofc)

What exactly is the 400€ eurorack system? Whats the difference compared to the 450€ one? No preset card system?

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Pretty sure the 450 one is a stand-alone in its own powered case. The 400 one goes into your rack

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Makes sense^^

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I was looking over the cards that plug in to this thing. The solderable connections on them look to be arranged like the plugs on the board. That means taking a plug patch that you like and making a patch card should be pretty direct. And soldering this up shouldn’t be too difficult either. Even for someone who’s never soldered before, it should be a cinch by the second board. :smiley:

So you can use resistors instead of wires and the make attenuators. What about other things? How about a diode? Or another 3.5 mm plug connection? Or jumper plugs?

Jumper%20plugs

Heck the plug card could be a whole 'nother circuit.

I think i’d paint the edge of various patch cards different colors to tell them apart. Maybe i could paint on the pot settings too. I like the idea of being able to quickly and accurately change patches.

Potentially Erica Synths can make more Pico Systems in a variety of other layouts.

Yeah v00d00ppl the AK would be excellent with this. I’ve got a Novation SL MkIII as well that has the sequencer and the CV connections – that would be nice too.

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The lack of drums/samples really puts a downer on this for me.

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Well, it is a great idea and a great synth voice at a silly low price, BUT you make a good point. If they could do this for 450 euros, then a similar, expanded setup with drums for a couple hundred more would be amazing.

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Yeah I just always saw the first two incarnations as all in one groove boxes to spit stuff out with.
Oh well, money saved :slightly_smiling_face:

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Is this something that would benefit from keys added as I may be about to buy a bluetooth midi keyboard ( for IOS ) At the mo my volca drum gets sync ( and hopefully sequence experiments ) via ios so my audio interface output is taken by the drum, then drum syncs out to volca modular. I think idealy I would be able to still use bluetooth by which comes back out to the pico and even be able to use ios sequencers. Not that I dont like volca modular. Just asking before buying midi keyboard. Was going to buy 49 key instead of a keystep.

The card storage system is hilariously brilliant! I like it a lot.

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OK, so it lacks dedicated drums but that’s not to say it can’t do drums!

I’d be really tempted to get the eurorack version, if only I had the space for it in my rack.

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This thing sounds nasty in a good way! I’m very tempted. I too have no space in my eurorack case but I think I prefer it in its own case anyway.

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Is there a release date? I couldn’t find it :confused:

It does sound gnarly. I imagine it would make an awesome companion for the Digitakt.

I’ve run out of rack and desk space too. I know this is a good problem to have!

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What a nice system. Love the cards!

October 1st. My reference.
I looked around for places selling it. So far only found this one through reverb. That also sell the Eurorack verion. You no doubt can beat this price if you wait a few days, when it will be showing up other places too.

You can order it now through Erica synths store :confused:

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in most of the demos I think it sounds cheap like some monotrons paired together, mostly I miss the Buchla sound design attitude and depth. looking at my 2x Neutron poly system I can pass all of this with a big laugh.

such a great and rich Synthesizer Behringer has done. :kissing_heart:

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