Winterbloom Castor & Pollux
Winterbloom Castor & Pollux
Twins that move in and out of phase, unique but of the same kind, bound together in the infinite universe.
Castor & Pollux is a Roland Juno-inspired oscillator. It contains two digitally-controlled analog oscillators implemented using a faithfully modernized version of the original Juno 106 design. Like its inspiration, it can give you that wonderful 80s sound with independent and mixed ramp, pulse, and sub outputs. But the twins do not stop there- the second oscillator can be used to layer in thick detuned sounds, harmonically complex hard synced waveforms, or as a fully independent second oscillator.
The cherry on top is the digitally-controlled chorusing that applies subtle pitch shifting to the second oscillator. This gives a sound that echos back to the Juno chorus circuit but with a unique twist.
Manufactured in the United States.
Pre-orders placed after February 2021 are expected to start shipping in May, 2021.
Pre-orders placed before February 2021 are expected to start shipping in March, 2021.
Please read our update about Castor & Pollux pre-orders
Please review our pre-order policy.
Questions? Concerns? Please reach out!
Specs
14hp
Two separate oscillators with a 7 octave range
A flexible set of outputs (9 total):
Separate ramp, pulse, and sub outputs for each oscillator
Each oscillator has its own mixer to combine the ramp, pulse, and sub waveforms into a single output
A combined output with a cross-fade mixer
Pitch CV in (0v to 6v) and pitch offset knobs (-1 oct to +1 oct) for each oscillator - the pitch offset knobs have a non-linear response which makes it far easier to tune the oscillators.
Pulse-width CV in and knob for each oscillator
Hard sync mode that syncs the second oscillator to the first
Chorusing knob that imparts an LFO-modulated pitch shift to the second oscillator.
+12v 100mA¹, -12v 35mA, 25mm deep
100% open source hardware, firmware, and software
¹ Current draw can be reduced to as low as 65mA by reducing the LED brightness.
Sounds
Castor & Pollux can give you a versatile set of 80s-inspired sounds, from synthpop bass and lead:
To chiptune-inspired PWM sounds:
To moody, modern leads:
And lots of other sounds! There’s a ton of audio samples available in the user’s guide.
Learn more
You can learn more about Castor & Pollux, explore its various sounds, and find the source code and hardware design in the user’s guide. Of course, if you have more questions feel free to reach out to us.