Two Dutch guys, Toon and David from Dato introduces on Kickstarter the DUO, an instrument for two. A flashy sequencer paired with a gritty-sounding synthesizer. For kids aged 3 – 99 and up!
The Dato DUO combines a synthesizer and sequencer into one fun electronic instrument that is aimed at children and adults alike. It doesn’t matter whether you already know how to play an instrument; anyone can create their own sounds and melodies on the Dato DUO. And while most instruments are designed to be played alone, we designed the DUO to be playable by two.
The Dato DUO has a circular sequencer. It loops the last eight notes that you play. There are further buttons and knobs to change the melody on the fly. You can turn notes on and off, speed up the sequence, play notes at random or change the pitch. And it’s a synthesizer. Two large sliders control the two digital oscillators and the filter-cutoff frequency, with basic envelope controls to shape the sound. There are two touch pads – one for percussive bursts of noise and the other for an aggressive bit crusher effect.
The DUO has no screens and menus, so it’s impossible to get lost in settings or presets. What you see is what you get. That doesn’t mean you can’t make serious music with it though. The Duo has plenty of power and potential for musicians, and it feels right at home with most other music gear. You can hook it up to external effects like guitar pedals. We’ve also added a sync input and output, so the DUO plays very well with gear like the Korg Volca or Pocket Operators.
- 2 oscillators: 1 pulse (variable width) and 1 sawtooth
- Digital low pass filter with resonance
- Amp envelope (note length and release time)
- Sample rate reductor
- Noise-based percussion synthesizer
- 8-step circular sequencer
- Pentatonic keyboard. Two octaves
- Audio out capable of driving headphones
- Sync input and output, compatible with Korg Volca, Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators
- Micro USB for power and firmware update. 5V, 2A max.
The Dato DUO is now live on