Created by Erica Synths & Richie Hawtin, Bullfrog are educational electronic music instruments designed to captivate and inspire both youth and professionals alike. Bullfrog invites you to unlock musicality while combining the thrill of electronic music production with a comprehensive learning experience. There are 2 Bullfrogs synths, simply named Bullfrog and Bullfrog XL, and most recently at Superbooth24, Erica Synths provided a sneak preview of Bullfrog Drums, a drum machine that will soon be part of the Bullfrog ecosystem.
Bullfrog
Bullfrog is a classical subtractive synthesizer – it consists of several “modules” for sound generation, ‘VCO’, ‘NOISE GENERATOR’, and treatment– ‘VCF’, ‘VCA/DELAY’, as well as “modules” that generate control and modulation signals: ‘ENVELOPE GENERATORS’ and ‘SAMPLE & HOLD’. The Bullfrog will not make sound on its own unless it is patched – using Eurorack patch cables to interconnect the “modules” or by inserting voice cards that create internal connections between the modules in a specific way and add extra functionality- like sampler/looper, sequencer or groovebox. This approach helps illustrate the functionality of a subtractive synthesizer and the principles of basic sound design.
Bullfrog features:
• Fully analogue 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
• Manual gate button
• Voicecard slot
• Built in speaker
• DIN5 MIDI input
• USB connector
• Dimensions: 40 x 385 x 210 mm
• Weight: 1.8 kg
Bullfrog XL
Bullfrog XL is designed specifically for teachers to use in front of a classroom, expanding the concept of the regular Bullfrog by inflating its size by a factor of 3 and adding a built-in oscilloscope.
Bullfrog XL 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
• Slew processor with adjustable slew time
• Two buffered splitter circuits
• Two channel oscilloscope
• 6.3 mm jack sockets
• Manual gate button
• Gate and Trigger out
• Voice card slot
• Built in speakers
• DIN5 MIDI input
• USB connector
• Keyhole slots on the rear panel
• Dimensions (mm): 820x505x65 (250 with the side panels)
• Mass: 8.3 kg
What’s included:
• BULLFROG XL synthesizer with sidepanels
• Universal 12VDC wall wart adapter with the power cable
• User manual
• 12 1/4” patch cables
• Sequencer, Sampler/Looper, Acid Bassline, Hipass filter, LFO and Electric Organ Voice cards
• 3 DIY voice cards
Bullfrog Drums
Extending the Bullfrog ecosystem by adding another essential component for electronic music production, comes the Bullfrog Drums. Now, combining Bullfrog or Bullfrog XL with Bullfrog Drums creates a complete and self-sustained contemporary electronic music performance and production setup.
Richie Hawtin, a pioneer in rhythmic electronic music and one of the world’s most renowned Techno artists, has always been at the forefront of technological innovation. Adding an educational drum machine as his latest endeavor is a logical and consistent step in the manufacturer’s combined efforts to make electronic music technology more accessible and inspire the next generation.
“As a producer who’s created many percussion-only tracks under my Plastikman moniker, it only makes sense to add a drum machine to our developing Bullfrog ecosystem. This exciting development will allow both novices and pro’s a new way to learn drum programming and enjoy some fun new capabilities that we plan to feature on our new machine!”
Richie Hawtin
The main focus of Bullfrog Drums is to teach drum programming and the basics of sampling. Its user interface- inspired by classic drum machines- includes everything necessary for building advanced drum patterns using sampled drum sounds. The system features seven sample-based drum voices, each with hands-on sample manipulation- including tuning, start point, sample length, attack, decay, overdrive and stereo panning. Bullfrog Drums will contain an easy-to-program CV/Gate sequencer which allows it to be paired with the Bullfrog synthesizer.
It is anticipated that Bullfrog Drums will be available at the end of 2024.
For more on the Bullfrog range, visit the Erica Synths Bullfrog page.
