“Didn’t know they came in that size!”: Erica Synths supersizes its Bullfrog edu-synth for the classroom

SUPERBOOTH 2024: Erica Synths have gone large at Superbooth 2024 - literally.

Following last year's introduction of its educationally minded single-oscillator synth, developed in collaboration with techno royalty Richie Hawtin, the Latvian firm has whipped a very large cover off of Bullfrog XL, a slightly augmented, but more importantly superized, iteration designed specifically for classroom use.

When the original was announced, Hawtin said "We believe that the hands-on approach and problem solving that is innate to synthesis on a semi-modular synth like the Bullfrog, contains life lessons that go beyond what we can hear."

The newly inflated version, Bullfrog XL, is 3 times the size of its predecessor, measuring 820mmx505x65 (250 with the side panels) and weighing in at just over 8kg, and adds a few key educational features, including the oscilloscope you see at the top of the unit.

Bullfrog XL is available direct from Erica Synths now, priced €1,700

Bullfrog XL key features

• Fully analog design

• Highly accurate voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that tracks great over 8 octaves

• Manually adjustable and voltage controlled waveshapes – sine-shark fin and pulse wave with pulse width modulation (PWM)

• Zener diode-based noise generator

• Resonant lowpass voltage controlled filter (VCF)

• Voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) with adjustable offset

• Delay effect with adjustable delay time and feedback amount

• Two looping attack-sustain-release envelope generators (EG)

• Sample & Hold circuit with an individual clock

• Attenuverter and two buffered splitter circuits

• Slew processor with adjustable slew time

• Two channel oscilloscope

• 6.3 mm jack sockets

• Manual gate button, Gate and Trigger out

• Voice card slot

• Built in speakers

• DIN5 MIDI input and USB connector

• Dimensions (mm): 820 x 505 x 65 (250 with the side panels)