The V5.1 is the most advanced kit to build your zynthian and get a versatile synthesizer, powerful keyboard expander, audio processor, sampler, looper, groovebox, sequencer, and midi router.
It is very easy to assemble. We keep the DIY spirit while lowering the barrier so everybody can enjoy the experience of building a powerful, professional-looking device that is designed to last, using high-quality materials and is easy to repair.
DESIGNED FOR STAGE
The Zynthian V5.1 is an excellent keyboard expander—robust, reliable and fully configurable to fit your needs on stage. It's lightweight, compact and easy to carry. With the VESA-mount gadget you can attach it to a wide variety of stands.
Zynthian is evolving fast as a groovebox and production machine. If you like to be on the cutting edge, with the testing version you will get new features, improvements and fixes almost every week. Join our community, share your thoughts and help us improve.
The V5.1 kit has been designed for the RPi5, which doubles the processing power from the previous version, allowing smooth operation with more synths and effects. This extra power can also be used to run Zynthian at higher sample rates (96 kHz), with lower latency (6 ms).
Sand-blasted, black anodized aluminum case.
Machined aluminum knobs.
20 push buttons with RGB LED feedback.
4 rotary encoders with switches.
5-inch capacitive multi-touch display.
2 x balanced audio output connectors (TRS)
1 x stereo headphone connector (TRS)
2 x balanced audio input connectors (TRS)
Variable gain preamp (-12 to 32 dB)
Input impedance 20 kΩ
3 x DIN-5 MIDI (IN/OUT/THRU)
4 x USB host (type A)
1 x USB device (type B)
Ethernet RJ-45 & Wi-Fi
Bluetooth (BLE)
Power voltage: 9 to 48V
Power switch
Main Board
A full-featured hardware framework for audio & MIDI applications based on Raspberry Pi:
- Supports RPi5 & RPi4 boards
- Power converter SIC478
- Audio Output DAC PCM5242 (TI/BurrBrown)
- Audio Input ADC PCM1863 (TI/BurrBrown)
- Headphone Amplifier TPA6130 (TI)
- Standard DIN-5 MIDI ports
- USB Type-B connector for USB-device operation
- Ultra-low power & high accuracy RTC RV-3018-C7
- CR2032 lithium battery holder
- Control connector FPC 20-pin (GPIO, SPI, I2C)
- MicroSD card holder/extender
Control Board
A flexible and reliable physical user interface built around well-known hacker-friendly parts.
- 20 x footprint conductive switches
- 20 x WS2812 addressable RGB LEDs
- 4 x PEC11R rotary encoders with push switches
- 2 x MCP23017 for interfacing switches & encoders
- 6-pin expansion connector (I2C + GPIO)
- 5-inch display mounting holes
Thermal Block
The Zynthian V5.1 kit features a passive cooling system that avoids fans and dust, allowing the CPU to run faster and totally silent.
It consists of a solid aluminum thermal bridge that conducts the heat generated by the CPU to the aluminum case, which acts as a huge heat sink.
It turns the V5.1 into a hot device with a cool brain.
If you like freedom, you may like Zynthian. It's 100% open source—free software on open hardware. Extremely configurable and fully hackable. Free as in freedom.
But remember that freedom has a price. Zynthian V5.1 is not for everybody and probably will never be. It's not a mainstream shiny device designed for those who don't want to invest some time learning how it works.
Zynthian is a complex beast designed to empower musicians who want to control the technology they use. It includes a stunning amount of functionality that solves many use cases but could also make your head explode. Basic usage is not hard to learn but it takes some patience to overcome the learning curve and master the more advanced features. Please, read the docs and ask the community!