Innovative Analog Technology

Taiga is a complete, modern, modular instrument that allows us to explore beyond the boundaries of a traditional analog synthesizer. The sound of Taiga can be attributed to three uniquely Pittsburgh innovations. A trio of huge analog oscillators, the unmistakably smooth sound of the Pittsburgh Filter, and the warmth of our Dynamics Controller. These enable us to not only create sounds that we would traditionally expect from an analog monosynth, but to also explore new sonic textures and performance possibilities.

Taiga oscillators

Waveforms generated by the three Taiga oscillators stretch beyond the basic geometric shapes and sounds associated with analog synthesis. Taiga waveforms pass through up to three proprietary, cascading waveshapers designed to precisely manipulate their symmetry and harmonic content. In addition, each oscillator includes a robust six-stage wave folder to add even more complexity and depth to the diverse sonic palate of Taiga.

The “Pittsburgh Filter”

The Pittsburgh filter has defined the sound of Pittsburgh Modular from the moment it was introduced. A signature gummy and relaxed sound with no dead spots that has been tweaked to perfection. It offers a warm, smooth sweep through the full frequency range and a sweet resonance that does not roll off the low end. This generation of the Pittsburgh filter is specifically designed to ensure a remarkable interplay with Taiga’s oscillators.

Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller

Pittsburgh's new Dynamics technology imparts Taiga with a uniquely organic depth and presence. By simultaneously managing both amplitude and harmonic content, the Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller expands beyond the one-dimensional VCA found in other synthesizers. It does this by utilizing new advancements from traditional low pass gates to add additional definition and dimension to the voice of Taiga. When used in low pass gate mode, sounds shed harmonic content and become warmer as they decrease in volume. This mimics how sound waves react to their environment. Because of this connection, the Taiga sounds more natural or complex compared to other instruments.

Echos, Mixer, MIDI, and Much More

Pulling no punches in rounding out Taiga’s capabilities, Pittsburgh has included MIDI to CV conversion, mixer, preamp with soft clipping overdrive limiter circuit, analog bucket brigade delay, dual envelope generators, digital multi-modulation tool, LFO, noise generator, clock-synced arpeggiator, and an internal clock with tap tempo (can be externally synced too). You can use Taiga without patching or dive into its 60 patch points to use its components as separate modules with external devices or reroute its internal patching. The creative possibilities abound!