Make Noise 0-COAST Semi-modular Analog Desktop Synthesizer (2024)

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"No-Coast" Desktop Patchable Analog Synth

The Make Noise Music 0̷-Coast pulls from both East and West — from Moog and Buchla — but stands alone as its own phenomenon, the "no-coast" Single-voice Patchable Synthesizer. Generally, the 0̷-Coast's front end/sound source components pull more from Buchla, and the contouring/dynamic circuits are more Moog-inspired. This desktop analog synth unit isn't made for your Eurorack case, but it is totally compatible with Eurorack modular synth signals — with the added benefit of MIDI to CV and MIDI to Gate functionality. The 0̷-Coast's four-stage envelope shaper and fast dynamics circuit make it well-suited for use with a keyboard MIDI controller, but of course, any MIDI controller will work. It's normalled for patchless synthesis and also designed for smooth MIDI utility, but feel free to experiment with the 0̷-Coast's powerful CV capabilities. It comes with patch cables, a power adapter, MIDI adapter, and mini to 1/4" jack adapter — as well as built-in stereo headphone out for monitoring your synthesis.

Powerful, versatile small-footprint analog synth

The 0̷-Coast measures only around 9" x 6", but every bit of its real estate is packed with energetic functionality, and the normalized connections are clearly marked on its surface for more intuitive, efficient music-making. It has Control, Oscillator, Overtone, Multiply, Slope, Contour, and Dynamics sections, each with dedicated panel control knobs, buttons, input and output jacks, and LED indicators to help you keep track of your signals. The 0̷-Coast is designed to generate its own signal, accept MIDI input, or smoothly handle its internal CV or CV input from other modules or controllers. Plus, its Oscillator section generates both triangle and square waves, which can be contoured, balanced, and otherwise modulated within and across the 0̷-Coast's permanent and normalized internal connections.

Control center

This section is home to the 0̷-Coast's MIDI, clock, random voltage, and CV processing circuits. You can control, modulate, or sync the unit with MIDI input, external clock input, or tap tempo functionality. If your MIDI device only has DIN ports, you can use the included MIDI adapter to hook up your controller to the 0-Coast's mini-TRS jack. MIDI is permanently wired to the Oscillator pitch control, allowing you to determine pitch with your controller. On top of that, you get voltage control of all circuits.

Voltage-controlled Oscillator section

As the voice of the 0̷-Coast, the VCO generates both triangle and square waves. Either the triangle wave, with its few audible overtones, or the square wave, with many more, can be utilized as the fundamental; use the Balance panel control at the front panel's right side to blend in more or fewer overtones. The fundamental's frequency is determined by the Pitch panel controls, MIDI, and CV patched to 1V/Oct input — but you can also use the Fine control for even more precise tuning.

Timbre-shaping controls: Overtone and Multiply

The 0̷-Coast's oscillators are hard-wired into the Overtone section so that you can add harmonics to the relatively pure waveforms. The Overtone panel control knob lets you utilize the square waveform to add an overtone to the triangle waveform, shaping the 0̷-Coast's timbre in the process. There's also a wired connection between the Overtone circuit to the Multiply circuit, where that single overtone is multiplied for a harmonically enriched sound. It's a primitive additive synthesis technique that reveals some of the influence that West Coast synth has on the 0̷-Coast's design.

Slope, Rise, and Fall

Also hardwired to the Overtone circuit is the Slope circuit, which is also normalled to the Multiply CV input. With no patch present there, Slope signal out will pass through the Multiply CV input to the Multiply CV attenuverter and onward from there to modulate the Multiply circuit. Rise and Fall modify the LFO's acceleration in their associated directions, pushing the waveform toward either a saw shape or a triangle shape, and the Vari-response control shapes those rates of change from logarithmic (convex) through linear to exponential (concave) slope.

Contour and Dynamics

The 0̷-Coast's Dynamics circuit is essentially a lowpass VCFA that gives you simultaneous control over the amplitude and the frequency of the signal coming from the Balance circuit, which has a powerful influence on the harmonic content of the oscillators. Dynamics is similar to Buchla's 292 Low Pass Gate — but it has a faster response because instead of vactrols it uses transistors in a very East Coast topology. The Contour circuit is your four-stage function generator; normalled to the Dynamics CV input, it creates voltages that drive Dynamics, resulting in amplitude envelopes which greatly define the sound of the 0̷-COAST.

Make Noise 0̷-Coast Single-voice Patchable Synthesizer Features:

• 1-voiced desktop analog patchable synthesizer with 2 oscillators and MIDI capability
• 2 Channels of MIDI to CV and MIDI to Gate; make music with any MIDI controller
• Voltage control of all circuits for enhanced creative flexibility
• Patchable with 13 sources and 14 destinations
• Compatible with all Eurorack modular synthesizer signals
• Sync to MIDI Clock for precise sequences
• Dual mode MIDI-controlled arpeggiator
• Triangle Core analog VCO with square wave harmonic functionality
• Unusual, musical timbral animation via Overtone & Multiply controls
• Unique transistor-based lowpass gate dynamics a la the Buchla 292 Low Pass Gate
• External audio input for combining with external sounds
• Headphone and line level amplifiers; use headphone amp only for monitoring!
• Patch cables, a power adapter, MIDI adapter, and mini to 1/4" jack adapter included
• Made in Asheville, NC, USA