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TYPE-2 Autonomous Polyphonic Synthesizer

25082026-DSCF3607-Compressed

Version: v1.0.0
Author: Alexandre Esnard

The TYPE-2 is a microcontroller-based hybrid polyphonic synthesizer. Engineered entirely around a highly optimized DSP core, it leverages fast polynomial saturation, a dual-rate processing architecture, and analog-modeled filters to deliver a heavy, studio-quality audio signal flow.

Designed with accessibility in mind, it is highly affordable (around €35 in total components) and features a near-zero difficulty build process requiring minimal wiring.

Hardware BOM

  • ESP32-S3 Microcontroller (16MB Flash, PSRAM strictly required)
  • PCM5102A I2S DAC Module
  • SSD1306 128x64 OLED Display
  • KY-040 Rotary Encoder
  • 1x Tactile Navigation Button
  • 2x MPR121 I2C Capacitive Touch Sensors
  • Copper tape (for creating capacitive touch keys)

Core Features

  • Hybrid DSP Engine: Fast polynomial saturation and dual-rate architecture.
  • Signal Chain: Factorized 24dB/Oct Moog Ladder Filter, Tube Overdrive, and Studio Digital Delay.
  • User Interface: Cylindrical rotary menu interface and responsive topological grid visualization.

Setup & Installation

  1. IDE Setup: Install the Arduino IDE or PlatformIO with ESP32 board support.
  2. Compiler Settings: To ensure the DSP engine and display tasks run properly, configure your IDE with the following exact parameters:
    • USB CDC On Boot: Enabled
    • CPU Frequency: 240MHz (WiFi)
    • Flash Mode: QIO 80MHz
    • Flash Size: 16MB (128Mb)
    • Partition Scheme: 16M Flash (3MB APP/9.9MB FATFS)
    • PSRAM: OPI PSRAM
    • Upload Speed: 115200
  3. Libraries: Install Adafruit GFX, Adafruit SSD1306, and Adafruit MPR121.
  4. Wiring: Refer to the provided wiring diagram schematic to route the I2S, I2C, and GPIO connections correctly.

Roadmap

  • Core 7-voice polyphonic DSP engine implementation
  • Tube overdrive, analog slop, and delay effects
  • Real-time topological grid UI and hierarchical menu
  • Advanced firmware optimization
  • Improved menu navigation
  • Adding an arpeggiator effect
  • Manage the creation of presets from a dedicated menu
  • External MIDI communication (USB/Serial)
  • ESP32 Bluetooth communication integration
  • Battery management and portable power components integration
  • Custom PCB design
  • Enclosure design and manufacturing

Links & Contact

Support the Project | Donation Page

This project is 100% open-source and developed entirely on my own in my spare time. If you find it useful or like what I'm doing, you can support its development here!

Buy Me a Coffee

License & Copyright

This project is an open-source initiative developed for the benefit of the maker and synthesizer community.

  • Community Use: You are entirely free to study, modify, and build upon this code for your personal projects.
  • Commercial Restriction: The commercial resale of this project, its code, or any hardware derivatives based directly upon this architecture is strictly prohibited.
  • Patent Restriction: No patents, trademarks, or restrictive intellectual property rights may be filed on this work or its derivatives.