Description
Plinky 12 is a family of 3 expressive polyphonic synthesizers. Three distinct instruments built around an all new synth engine, an expressive touch-first musical language, and full of unmistakably Plinky character.
It consists of a 16×16 RGB matrix of pressure sensitive capacitive touch pads, a built in multi-timbral synth engine, with CV and MIDI connectivity in a sturdy steel enclosure just 12mm thick. Along the top edge it has 12 x 3.5mm TRS jacks offering connectivity to midi, eurorack and other hardware.
Plinky 12’s hardware is designed around swappable panels. Instead of one fixed control surface, it can become different instruments built for different kinds of musical thinking.
The built-in sound engine uniquely combines sample playback with wavetable synthesis, with flexibly onboard modulation, parameter editing, XY automation. With a full VCF, VCA, wavefolder, ADSR, XY pad with 2 motion recording LFOs, 5 additional modulation LFOs, accelerometer, CV input and a full 5×30 modulation matrix, the sound design possibilities are endless.
Plinky 12 is sold pre-assembled, with additional panels available separately.
The plinky12.com website provides not just online documentation, but also a full in-browser sample editor, bank creation tools, a visual MIDI controller designer, and even a coding environment that lets you create your own synths, controllers or instruments in C++ without having to install anything on your computer. This flexibility means that Plinky 12 will be an evolving platform that the community will be able to create new instruments on over time. The 3 initial designs, Blocks, Chords and Toadstep represent the first examples of Plinky 12 instruments. While they stand alone as instruments in their own right, by replacing the panel on the Plinky 12 main unit, the same core device can be turned instantly into any of the other versions, without having to upload any firmware.
There are 3 members of the family. Each works as a standalone instrument:
PLINKY 12 BLOCKS
Blocks is an open panel built for experimentation and customization, with Plinky style touch synthesis. It provides 10 tracks of sequencing, live performance and editing. With clip launching, live insert fx, chord sequencing, piano roll view on top of the multi-timbral play surface, it extends the concepts behind the original Plinky into a multi-timbral groove box. Choose this if: you want distraction free plinking, custom grid controllers or a path toward making your own panel ideas real.
PLINKY 12 CHORDS
Plinky 12 Chords is a harmonic inspiration machine. It lets you improvise melodies and chords, with expressive control over voicings, progressions, and immediate musical play. Created by Making Sound Machines, Chords is the panel for finding beautiful harmonic movement quickly.
PLINKY 12 TOADSTEP
Plinky 12 Toadstep is a 4-track step sequencer built for super funky riffs, experimental self-generative melodies, and good ol’ Acid. Created by Toadstool Tech, the designer behind the Ectocore Eurorack module, Toadstep is fun, immediate and easy to jam with. It offers fast, direct sequencing optimized for live performance and improvisation, or if you want to use Plinky 12 like a groovebox.
BLOCKS: Grid Controller & Synth
Blocks is the no-nonsense ‘I want to play beautiful polyphonic plinky sounds live – let’s go!’.
It divides the panel into large blocks: on boot, almost every pad on the entire surface can be used to play sounds live, across 6 different tracks.
But blocks also hides a lot of depth: clip launching, piano roll editing, live FX inserts, chord sequencing and more.
The panel is also almost entirely distraction and label-free. This makes it the perfect panel to use Plinky 12 with other devices as a controller, or even to create your own custom instrument via the forthcoming web-based coding environment.
Choose this if: you want distraction free plinking, custom grid controllers or a path toward making your own panel ideas real.
Blocks is designed by mmalex
Plinky 12 Links:
Plinky 12 Specs:
- Power:
- USB-C, 5V 500mA
- 12 × 3.5mm Jack Connectivity:
- CV Clock In, CV Reset In, CV Clock Out (selectable PPQN)
- 2 × CV In (-5V to 5V)
- 2 × CV Out (0-5V)
- 1 × TRS MIDI In (type A/B compatible; also USB)
- 2 × TRS MIDI Out (type A/B selectable; also USB)
- (Second TRS MIDI Out can be set as a pair of CV Trigger outs on one stereo jack)
- Stereo unbalanced Audio In and Out
- USB class compliant audio out, MIDI in/out, serial, and WebUSB
- Storage:
- 2MB firmware
- 14MB persistent sample flash (114 seconds)
- 512k RAM, 8MB PSRAM; 128k + 7.5MB free to use by panels
- SD card for presets, samples, and song
- CPU: RP2350 microcontroller
- Interface: 16×16 RGB pressure sensitive capacitive touch pads
- Other Features: Stereo microphone, accelerometer, 4 tactile side buttons, swappable front panels
- Dimensions: 12″ x 12″ (305mm x 305mm), 12mm deep
- Construction: Steel case, fiberglass PCB front panel
