Joy of Synths #16 Solina String Ensemble

Writing about Solina String Ensemble and Model D synths in this non-musician’s guide to creating sounds for podcasts, videos, and sampling for music using analog synthesizers.

Apr 02, 2024

SOLINA STRING ENSEMBLE REVIEW

Solina String Ensemble instrument is likely what most people picture when they think of synthesizers. However, Solina generates instrument-ish sounds and is not playing back pre-recorded samples.

Unlike semi-modular synths like the Model D, Solina has no oscillator to tune, waveshapes to select or a filter or envelope generator. Solina does not have voltage per octave or gate inputs. It has a Trigger out n Gate out.

Solina does have a VCA IN for an external signal. You could generate an Attack Decay Sustain (ADS) or ADSR envelope elsewhere and connect it to Solina’s VCA IN for a slow rise after key press. (More on this in the PLURAL JOY OF SYNTHS section below).

A slider is there for sustain once you release a key or step. Instruments are engaged by pressing a button, hence the Ensemble in its name. The Contrabass plays on the left side of the keyboard.

POLYPHONIC

Whereas most semi-modular synths are monophonic, Solina is polyphonic as it has several instrument voices you can engage with the press of a button. Unlike a mono synth which only plays one note if you mash 4 keys, Solina will play 4 notes in that situation. This allows you to play chords if you are so inclined.

EFFECTS

Mod provides a chorus effect and phaser adds movement to steady monotones. The phaser has a dial to change its speed.

MIDI

Solina is MIDI connected and controlled. It has a MIDI thru port on the back so you can pass the same MIDI messages of note and note on/off, pitch bend and modulation over from the MIDI THRU to Model D’s MIDI IN.

IMPRESSIONS & BACKSTORY

In short, I love the Solina. I bought this Behringer clone on Amazon price drop and figured I’d trial before making a final decision.

Now, this Solina wound up being free as Amazon wrote it off as damaged, refunded my $212, and let me keep the Solina. It appeared to be easier for Amazon to zero it out than to sort my request to apply a giftcard balance on an already shipped item. Ask for impossible things and the impossible may happen!

However. I decided to keep it before Amazon wrote it off. The write-off wasn’t a promo tactic on Amazon’s part. I’m not an Amazon Vine Reviewer. I’ve participated in Amazon Associates referral program for the grand sum of zero dollars over 10 years.

EFFECTS BOX

My biggest question was whether or not Solina would function as an effects box.

This features a BBD bucket brigade delay “Modulation” with MOD IN OUT and a Phaser with IN OUT jacks. Both feature buttons to engage and said patch points for audio inputs. This means you can add a phaser to another synth’s sounds. (More on this below).

The Modulation delay lacks controls for time and feedback so its doesn’t process internal and external audio like a proper delay, or even a littleBits delay.

PHASERS FOR THE WIN

The phaser is a pretty amazing effect to add to an audio signal. I love it. This makes the Solina totally worth owning.

Solina’s phaser has a rate dial to control how fast it cycles. This rate can’t be controlled by voltage so turn the dial if you want to vary cycle speed.

Solina’s phaser saves the day as I was looking to the TOAD phaser eurorack module but I don’t want to spend more on eurorack. What’s funny is they both run the same price - $299. The Solina has a whole instrument attached to its phaser, though. Still, the main reason for abstaining is that I haven’t powered the stereo mixer module I bought five months ago.

RECORDING EFFECTS

Once an ext audio signal plugs into Mod in or CV in, the Solina voices are silenced. However, the external audio then becomes the voice within the Solina.

Recording Solina

You have two options for recording either Solina voices or external audio signals that connect by Mod or Phaser In. Use the Solina 1/4 instrument cable audio output on the back AND/OR send the Audio Out/ Phones audio signal to a mixer. There is a slider for volume and both outputs are active.

MOD PHASER Active

The push button below Mod and phaser will power a light to indicate the effect is active.

Mod will pass the signal to the phaser internally. Theres no need to patch Mod Out to Phaser In.

If Mod is not active the signal will stop there. So either power on Mod or connect audio to the Phaser In.

VCA IN

If you send the Solina’s gate out to an envelope generator (EG) ADSR module or Loud Cont of a Model D, then the dials for Attack and Decay will change the Solina’s volume over time when you send the EG/Loud Cont to the Solina’s VCA IN.

This Attack Decay is useful for Solina Voices as well as external audio signals. Otherwise the Solina voices are Note On/Off with a sustain slider to add more to the sound’s duration.

ARPEGGIATOR BEAUTY

I am not musical however the Solina easily creates usable phrases if you have an arpeggiator connected. B Swing can do this.

This is the most surprising part of the Solina- how interesting it sounds w an arpeggiator and hold engaged.

I’m still not interested in learning keyboards to play the Solina BUT it might be helpful to learn which keys to press to form a chord since those are, well, musical enough.

Combined with the Solina voices, Modulation BBD and Phaser, the music passages can be used for ambient background mood or front and center score.

REASONS TO BUY

Effects box for audio signals both internal and external.
It has a Phaser!
Polyphonic voices.
Easy to figure out built in voices.
Pairs nicely with a Model D or other semi modular synth to process signal or mix in.
Retail price of $300.
Close in price to virtual instrument.
Joy of Discovery!

Reasons to Skip

Even with patch points it is not semi-modular synth where you synthesize audio with voltage controlled oscillators, mixer, filter, or envelope generator. But if you own semi-modular synths already then this is a nice effects box.

PLURAL JOY OF SYNTHS

The advantage of a Modular Eurorack Synthesizer is you can build your own instrument. The disadvantage is buying all the modules for your modular system. If you’re starting from zero you need to acquire a means of powering the modules. This runs from $100 on upwards.

An alternative to Modular is Semi-Modular, which is a powered synth box that is prewired with “modular” sections to generate a sound.

With two or more synths, you can achieve the same benefits with Semi-Modular Synths that have CV and Gate input jacks. In this example, I’m using two Behringer Synths: the Solina String Ensemble and the Model D.

The Solina String Ensemble has a Phaser effect, which I don’t believe other Behringer clones to this point have included, and an analog “Modulation” Bucket Brigade Delay (BBD) chorus effect.

SOLINA STRING ENSEMBLE & MODEL D

The patching between the Solina String Ensemble and Model D is pretty amazing because you have the option of generating sounds on the Model D and then sending the audio signal to the Solina for its Modulation BBD and/or Phaser effects.

You also have the option of generating sounds on the Solina and sending that audio signal to the External In at the Model D’s mixer and applying the Model D filter to Solina’s audio.

Two cables on Solina: VCA CV IN from Model D’s LOUD CONT. Solina’s AUDIO OUT/PHONE to Model D Mixer’s EXT Input and EXT IN VOLUME dial and On switch.

MIDI Controller Set Up

The Solina String Ensemble has a VCA input for voltage but it doesn’t have a voltage per octave because the Solinia’s Contrabass sounds play on the left side of the keyboard. So you need a MIDI keyboard like the Behringer Swing.

The MIDI connects to the MIDI IN of the Solina. You have the option of MIDI THRU to MIDI IN of Model D, or just using voltage from Gate and CV outputs from the Swing to the Model D’s OSC 1V/OCT input and LC GATE input. (LC stands for Loudness Contour, as does LOUD CONT.)

Recording Set Up

In both cases, because the 1/8” Main Audio Out is occupied, you can take the synth’s mono 1/4” jack output and connect that to an audio recorder with instrument cables.

And because both synths have both an 1/8” Main Audio output and 1/4” output, you can record the untreated and treated signals with the Mono Left and Right inputs on a two channel audio recorder or audio interface.

My suggestion is to put the treated signal on Channel 1 (Left) and the untreated on Channel 2 (Right).

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END NOTE

I’ll be reviewing the Behringer Eurorack stand for the April 15 24 newsletter. It arrived Saturday and assembly is required.

This issue is sponsored by CoWolves. Buy vinyl at https://discogs.com/seller/cowolves.