Cre8audio East Beast

An analog semi-modular synthesizer designed to go beyond vintage formulas

The East Beast builds on the fundamentals that shaped the character of classic analog synthesizers: a powerful oscillator, an expressive filter, a snappy envelope and an analog VCA. But it does not aim to reproduce a historic circuit identically. Its architecture favors a modern, stable and highly musical approach, developed around current components.

At the heart of the instrument, the analog oscillator designed in collaboration with Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers delivers a rich and lively character. It belongs to the fifth generation of the American manufacturer’s analog oscillators, the result of several years of research. The objective is clear: to preserve the organic richness of analog circuitry while ensuring excellent tuning stability.

Supplied in its standalone enclosure, the East Beast naturally fits on a studio desk, in a compact live setup or alongside a drum machine. It can also be removed from its chassis to become a 40 HP Eurorack module: an ideal upgrade for integrating its circuits into an existing modular system.

An accessible synthesizer for immediate playing and modular exploration

The East Beast is aimed both at musicians looking to discover analog synthesis and at modular enthusiasts wanting to add a complete, versatile and patchable voice to their rack. Its preconfigured internal signal path lets you quickly create basses, leads, sequences and textures without having to connect a single cable.

Producers of electro, techno, acid, house, synthwave and experimental music will appreciate its sculpting filter and modulation capabilities. Its fast analog envelope is particularly well suited to designing sharp percussive sounds, tight bass lines and pronounced attacks. In the studio, it is also well suited to sound effects, drones, tension effects and evolving textures for ambient music or film scoring.

Its performance controls, built-in button keyboard, Arpeggiator and sequencer make the instrument particularly effective for improvisation. Combined with an external controller, a MIDI sequencer or other CV modules, it becomes a highly flexible sound source for live performance and experimentation.

Features and innovations

The East Beast is based on monophonic analog subtractive synthesis. Its oscillator covers sine, triangle, sawtooth, square and tuned noise waveforms. These waveforms can be combined to build more complex timbres, ranging from a round bass to a biting lead, as well as more unstable and textured sounds. Pulse-width modulation adds movement to square waves, while frequency modulation opens the door to more metallic, edgy or experimental tones.

The variable PGH filter is one of the highlights of this architecture. Unlike commonly used transistor ladder filters, it offers a consistent response throughout its entire range. Low-pass, band-pass and high-pass modes can be used individually or combined, making it easy to create muted, nasal, bright or aggressive timbres without any unusable part of the control range.

The modulation section includes an analog envelope designed to deliver fast, percussive attacks, an integrated VCA and a dual-range analog LFO with a triangle wave. It also features a digital multi-modulation tool offering CV-controllable modulation, a random generator, as well as additional LFO and envelope sources. This combination allows a patch to evolve subtly or be pushed toward unpredictable behavior.

The integrated 32-step sequencer stores up to 13 presets and offers a generative sequencing mode. It can be transposed and manipulated from the button keyboard or via MIDI. The clock-synchronized Arpeggiator, tap tempo, clock divider and ability to receive an external clock further enhance its performance capabilities. With its 18 Eurorack-compatible patch points, the East Beast can reroute its internal signal path or use its nine sections independently: oscillator, filter, envelope, VCA, LFO, multi-modulation tool, sequencer, MIDI-to-CV converter and keyboard.

Technical specifications

Arpeggiator	Yes	Module type	Amplifier, Envelope, Filter, LFO, Oscillator, Sequencer
Sampler	No	Category	Analog synth
Max polyphony	1	Number of keys	13
Velocity sensitive	No	Key format	button
MPE compatible	No	Accessories included	Patch cables, Midi adapter, Power supply
Number of oscillators	1	MIDI I/O	MIDI IN (MINIJACK)
Semi-modular	Yes	Inputs	Midi, CV in, Gate in
Synthesis type	Analog, VCO, Semi-modular, Subtractive	Outputs	Audio
Vocoder	No

Waveforms	sine, triangle, sawtooth, square and tuned noise	Eurorack width	40 HP
Filter modes	low-pass, band-pass and high-pass	Eurorack depth	25 mm
Nine patchable sections	oscillator, filter, envelope, VCA, LFO, multi-modulation tool, sequencer, MIDI-to-CV converter and keyboard	Oscillator input voltage range	0 to 10 V