vintage tape player returns as wooden synthesizer by love hultén

RGB 2.0 by love hultén is a modern wooden synthesizer

Love Hultén is back with the second version of his RGB Stepper Motor Driven Synth, a modern wooden synthesizer inspired by vintage reel-to-reel tape player. The instrument is housed in a wooden cabinet-like material with visible grain, giving it the impression of a handcrafted piece of furniture. There at the front panel lie three rotating discs colored in red, green, and blue.

At the lower section, three stacked keyboard rows allow users to play notes, sequences, or control parameters. Above the keyboards are the switches and knobs to control the sounds. These rotating disks resemble reels from early tape machines or industrial control dials. Each disc contains cutouts and moving elements, and they are driven by stepper motors capable of moving rather than spinning freely.

all images courtesy of Love Hultén

Panel surface with lines connecting to the knobs

Design-wise, the modern wooden synthesizer by artist Love Hultén, which was commissioned by a client, combines retro and contemporary influences, as the wood enclosure references vintage studio equipment and mid-century furniture, while the flat, neutral panel surface and geometric layout reflect the modern industrial design. The red, green, and blue discs carry a catchy visual identity, drawing the users in quite instantly with their saturated colors.

The keyboards at the bottom are also designed quite minimally, but the last button on the righ are colored by red, green, and blue, too, continuing the name and theme of the device. On the panel where the discs are, the design is clean, with lines directing the names of the knobs and switches as well as ‘connecting’ the related modules. They modernize the wooden synthesizer by Love Hultén, reviving the style of the reel-to-reel tape player back in the day.

Love Hultén is back with the second version of his RGB device