
WASP FROM MARS
Demonic Bass, Cutting Leads & Swarming FX From the Insectile Synth The WASP is a funky, dual-oscillator synthesizer designed by Chris Hugget in the late 70s, who would later go on to make the esteemed OSCar synthesizer. One of the earliest hybrid synths, it features two digital oscillators that feed an insane, multimode analog filter whose character lends itself to the buzzy arthropod it was named after. And while the WASP looks more like a prop attached to a child's bumble bee costume than a synthesizer, under its exoskeleton lies a bizarre, subtractive synthesizer capable of generating wild overtones, insane FX, slick bass lines and sweet leads. The Recording Process Despite its simple interface, the WASP can cover a lot of ground, holding down raw, fat waveforms, but clearly specializing in more complex, circuit bent-like screeches and screams. Much of the sound is due to its buzzy filter, which goes a long way in shaping the sonic spectrum of the output no matter what you