*NOTE: FLASH draws its power straight from the MIDI socket! All MIDI OUT ports which are made to the specification of the MIDI Manufacturer's Association (MMA) will work. MIDI OUT ports not made to the MMA spec will not work! Be sure you understand this before you buy. The user manual includes instructions for testing your equipment for compatibility. We will try to compile a list of MIDI devices which have non-compliant out ports (under construction).

FLASH — THE MINI·POLY·MIDI·MICRO·SYNTH



H-Pi Instruments has teamed up with mitxela (the genius behind the world's smallest MIDI synthesizer) to bring you FLASH, the world's first and only very-tiny MIDI-powered polyphonic microtonal FM and subtractive synthesizer. Two years in development, this little 16-voice wonder fits in your pocket and doesn't require a power supply. Just plug it into a standard MIDI OUT port*, plug in your headphones, and away you go!

FLASH features unlimited dynamic General MIDI microtuning for ease-of-use with 16-channel polyphonic tuned output from TBX2, TBX1, and Tonal Plexus TPX keyboards, and also features a mini UART-programmer which allows you to assign unique microtonal tuning tables to each of 16 MIDI input channels for full microtonal output compatibility with literally thousands of standard MIDI controllers as well as multichannel controllers like MIDI guitars and MIDI organs without a tuning device, not to mention advanced 2048 unique-pitch-output for the Tonal Plexus and other microtonal controllers like the Microzone, Axis 64, and Lumatone keyboards. Of course you can also use it as a normal synth with normal tuning ... if you're into that sort of thing.

The FLASH UART-programmer interfaces via USB with Universal Tuning Editor (UTE) cross-platform software (free license included), so you can write and read tunings and patches to and from the synth (see screenshot at left). Firmware is also user-upgradable via the programmer, so features can be improved or added at any time ... and as of August 2022, the firmware is also open source on github.

Downloads: FLASH Current User Manual (.pdf v7.5 August 25, 2023)
FLASH Current Firmware (.zip v7 August 25, 2023)
FLASH-programmer MacOS Driver ← NOT necessary on most systems! (.zip)
FLASH-programmer Windows Driver ← automatically installed on most systems! (.zip)
Universal Tuning Editor (UTE)


- available ONLY directly through this website — all other offers are fake!
- you get: FLASH synth, UART-programmer, USB cable, UTE software license
... and free tech support for life
- unbreakable metal housing — no cheap plastic!
- FLASH firmware is now OPEN SOURCE! (August 2022)
- Ships within 3 business days within one business week
- Price: 199 99   discount SALE 20 € off = 179 99




"THANK YOU for such amazing Synth!!! It's sooo versatile and useful I can't even describe it! Using it since I bought it every time I do my music compositions! Can't imagine my music life without it! Take my sincere appreciation for it!" — Sergey Moraru, USA

"It's the first synth I've ever owned that I'm afraid of losing."Juhani Nuorvala, Finnland

"Awesome product! Sounds incredible!" — anonymous customer

"I love the sounds I’m getting so far, and wanted to let you know I think this is an awesome synth" — anonymous customer

"Brilliant. Thank you." — anonymous customer

"I received the FLASH recently and the quality is spectacular." — anonymous customer

"It's pretty great with a Keystep!" — anonymous customer

"Thank you very much for providing me with an awesome product." — anonymous customer

"This instrument is so good straight out of the box. Monumental. Thank you so much!" — Michael Lotan, USA

"This synth is amazing — works so well with my mpc 1000" — Julien, France

"Compiling and installing the firmware was a breeze. I've been happily jamming with my OG Novation Circuit and Flash synth. Many thanks for creating such a nice little synth and for your continuous support." — Bas Leerintveld, NL


FEATURES


SYNTHESIS DETAILS

Our documentation is now completed and available as a .pdf download (link above).

Check out our new subtractive synthesis algorithm (technically, bandlimited step synthesis via state machine, released with firmware v6).

Very short demo of algorithm 3 with no patch optimisation, just the algorithm with PWM and portamento, twisting filter knobs …

More info in this blog entry


MEET THE TEAM

Aaron Andrew Hunt (H-Pi Instruments · Germany) — Concept designer; wrote the synth specs in consultation with mitxela; researched, developed and prepared the hardware enclosures, wrote the tuning / UART-programming software; responsible for the website, sales, shipping, support, and the final product; hired the team and funded the project.

Tim Alex Jacobs (mitxela · UK) — Mad scientist extraordinaire. Inventor and designer of the world’s smallest MIDI synthesizer which directly inspired this project; FLASH synth flex-PCB designer and firmware author; did the bulk of the hard work bringing this product to life.

Jordan Dimitrov Petkov (Largonet Ltd., MIDI Boutique · Bulgaria) — Electronics engineer. UART-programmer PCB engineer and firmware author; responsible for synth assembly. Victim of COVID-19 † 7.Nov.2020 We mourn with Jordan's family and pledge to honour him with our continued work. We miss you, dear friend.

Jhh "Henry" Lowengard (jhhl.net · USA) — Long-time computer music programmer. Since 2023, developer of FLASH firmware. The only software instrument builder ever featured in Bart Hopkin's Experimental Musical Instruments newsletter; associated with the American Festival of Microtonal Music, Pauline Oliveros's AUMI project; developer of microtonal iOS synthesis apps on the Mac App Store.


VIDEO (mitxela)

See also: mitxela's technical explanation of the synth design.


MILESTONES

2017
29 Oct

AAH contacts mitxela with proposal for a microtonal MIDI-powered polyphonic synth project. Project started within the next week, budget outlined, first specification written.

21 Nov

first prototype produced by mitxela using hand-soldered breakout board with STM32F series chip

2018
24 Feb

first microtonal MIDI file rendered in triangle waves by prototype —
[Prelude in 13ET by AAH]

18 April

same MIDI file rendered with fm synthesis (still initial prototype) —
[Prelude in 13ET by AAH]

5 Aug

smaller and more powerful STM32L series chip selected for second iteration, new hand-soldered prototype produced by mitxela

13 Sept

custom flexible folding PCB designed by mitxela with laser-cut model for stability testing

15 Oct

synth hardware selected by AAH: Lumberg DIN housing, Tensility headphone jack

2019
16 May

AAH completes programmer USB-UART bridge physical design, sends to JDP with contract for PCB engineering and manufacture, firmware programming and synth assembly

24 May

mitxela records demo of various new synth sounds —
(in normal 12ET tuning)

1 June

Preparation of synth housings completed by AAH and shipped to JDP for flex-PCB assembly

12 June

flex-PCBs order placed by mitxela, paid by AAH, shipped to JDP

16 July

mitxela records demo of mono synth mode arpeggiator and portamento —
(in normal 12ET tuning)

29 Aug

AAH adds FLASH to the H-Pi product catalog and creates this webpage

18 Oct

mitxela publishes video and project page about FLASH

29 Oct

assembly completed by JDP, shipped to AAH for firmware programming

31 Oct

150 assembled synths arrive in Germany. Here is our UART FLASH-Programmer (without bi-color LED installed and without enclosure)

2 Nov

All 150 units sold! (through pre-order — see above)

8 Nov

Here is FLASH connected to the UART FLASH-Programmer which comes with it.

15 Nov

synth documentation (draft) by mitxela delivered to AAH

25 Nov

150 UART Programmer PCBs by JDP delivered to AAH

2 Dec

Documentation completed by AAH, .pdf and firmware .zip file posted for public download (see above)

14 Dec

First-run completed. Units shipped worldwide.

31 Dec

UTE-FLASH software (live UART programming and MIDI) completed by AAH.

2020
13 Jan

Firmware v3 is released with UTE 1.5.0 update which supports the synth and programmer. FLASH-programmer drivers (FTDI) for Mac and Windows now available (links above).

4 Mar

next batch of synth flex-PCBs received by AAH, sent with prepared hardware to JDP for assembly.

23 Mar

Firmware v4 is released along with UTE 1.6.0, allowing the receive channel to be selected.

1 May

synths and programmers assembled by JDP, received by AAH to prepare for sale.

9 May

second (very) short run of 25 units sold out! We will make more ...

7 July

new "pandemic" shipping calculator implemented due to changes in international shipping costs

16 July

preparation for next small batch of synths planned for August 2020

1 Aug

third short run of 30 units sold out! Yes, we will make more ...

31 Oct

Firmware v5 released with UTE 1.8.2, allowing tuning tables to be auto-selected at startup

1 Nov

preparation for next small batch of synths planned for the end of November 2020

26 Nov

Firmware v6 released with UTE 1.8.3 — new pulse-wave band-limited subtractive synthesis algorithm

2021
15 Jan

New sales schedule announced: instead of having short-run announcements, a small number of synths will be available periodically. The synths should be available around the middle of the month, though this may not happen every month.

2022
1 Aug

FLASH firmware is now OPEN SOURCE!

2023
1 Jan

We're happy to bring Henry Lowengard to the team to maintain and develop FLASH firmware! Updates to follow.

25 AUG

Firmware v7 released with UTE 2.3.6, including an important bug fix for algorithm 3, new CC 119 for selecting patches without patch change messages, and a new feature: startup patch auto-selection.


IN THE MEDIA

H-Pi Instruments operates (since 2006) with no advertising budget! It's great to see other websites like these posting stories about FLASH!


⪡ Help spread the word about FLASH via twitter · facebook · reddit · email or copy a link