Observed arrival · 2026-11-15
SYNCHRONUS 91 models the organ from the motor up
A free software tonewheel organ for macOS, Windows, Linux, and iPad/iPhone, presented as a real-time electromechanical simulation rather than a sample library.
- For
- Musicians seeking a software tonewheel organ
- Worth noticing
- The site describes 91 continuously spinning tonewheels driven by a modeled synchronous motor, with keys closing contacts onto waves already in motion.
Field notes
The site explains its model as a chain of mechanical stages rather than a note-triggered sample: a motor drives the tonewheels, while key contacts pick up waveforms already in motion. It specifies 12 gear ratios, 91 wheels spanning 2 to 192 teeth, and nine contacts per key. The described instrument also includes scanner vibrato, tubes, spring reverb, and a rotary speaker; the page presents START and RUN controls and says the modeled pitch falls by inertia when RUN is switched off.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
One card from the complete issue