The Analog Tone Chameleon ATC-1 uses external cartridges for convincing recreation of classic synthesizers and sounds. In fact, the ATC-1 is analog, through and through! It's highly and easily editable, but a bit ugly. It has two LFO's and three envelopes. The filters, however, are on external inter-changeable cartridges. The ATC-1 usually ships with the Minimoog filter cartridge. It sounds pretty convincing too. There are also filters of the Roland TB-303, ARP 2600 and Oberheim SEM each of which cost about $150. With all that analog circuitry they all sound incredible.

There are three envelopes to control VCF, resonance, VCA, OSC2 freq, OSC2 level, pulse width, LFO depth, rate and amount. And there are two great LFOs that will modulate the pitch, VCF freq, resonance, OSC1, OSC2, pulse width, noise and main volume.

Programming the ATC-1 is also vintage in its design and layout. There is one data knob to which you must assign a parameter for editing. An annoying method that reminds many of the old Moog Source or Alpha Juno synths. This limitation in the 'hands-on' approach to sound editing is OK for studio work, but makes live performance use difficult. The ATC-1 is well equipped with MIDI and CV / Gate ports. There is also an external audio input to the VCF filter. In all the ATC-1 is a state of the art synthesizer with a simple goal, emulating the classics while offering current specs for MIDI, memory and extensive edit-ability in an expandable, compact and intuitive machine. It is used by Fatboy Slim.

10 VISITOR COMMENTS

Tristan

December 15, 2011 @ 9:33 am

For Josh : It is a classic! There is no real hip-hop studio without ATC.
You can recognize its sound in many productions.

heisenberg

May 13, 2011 @ 11:24 am

recently picked up the oberheim filter and fell in love immediately. may not sound exactly like a real SEM but it definitely has a very similar character, and is quite different from the moog filter. the bandpass mode is fantastic. i also recently tried splitting the audio output and running one signal back into the ext. audio input for some really awesome overdrive effects. i already loved this synth to bits but these additions take it to another level.

alias

December 9, 2010 @ 8:11 am

stevenclements:
Actualy, there is! From ctrlr.org

Here is a link to it:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ctrlrv4/files/Windows/Stu dio%20Electronics%20-%20ATC1%20-%20Win32.zip/download

I haven't tried it becuse I dont have this synth.. YET!
but it looks nice.

heisenberg

November 4, 2010 @ 10:00 am

i don't get the ugly comments at all, i think it's a really fun synth to look at. the single knob is thankfully a great-feeling one, and the membrane interface is quite easy to get used to. i'm controlling mine with an akai mpk61 now and have most paramaters mapped to knobs and sliders, allowing me to tweak them simultaneously and really opening up the sound exploration possibilities. the sound is warm and full when you want it to be, but with cross-mod and hard-sync you can add plenty of wood and grit to the sound as well. if yours isn't running OS 2.3 already you can get it from SE for $25. phenomenal synth made by a really great company.

KJX Electone Supernova

October 22, 2010 @ 11:37 am

Josh wrote "I still wonder why this synthesizer isn't a Classic?" - - only because of the butt-ugliness and relationship to all things 1980 - - which is totally unfair. But by not being a classic, the price stays down at the point where we smarter people can scoop them up for good prices. Good gear should be cheap.

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