Review: PWM Malevolent
The compact semi-modular analog synthesizer Malevolent is the debut of the British company PWM. We tested whether the synthesizer can really sound as evil as its name suggests.
PWM and British, with this combination connoisseurs must of course think directly of the colleague Nick Batt from Sonicstate. But he probably has nothing to do with the Malevolent, because behind PWM is the Brit Paul Whittington, who previously worked creatively for Novation and M-Audio, among others. To realize his own concept of a semi-modular synthesizer, he teamed up with the British Eurorack company Future Sound Systems.
Malevolent comes up with an independent concept and sound character, but also uses
proven structures. «
Independent concept
The result of the collaboration is fortunately not a pure clone of a well-known vintage synthesizer. Malevolent comes up with an independent concept and sound character, but also falls back on proven structures. Two VCOs offer FM synthesis and waveshaping in addition to the standard waveforms. A powerful multimode filter that is also very aggressive at high resonance, in conjunction with the Drive control, provides fat and dark sounds that evoke memories of the Korg MS-20. Complex modulations can be designed via a total of 19 patch points and brought to life in combination with the arpeggiator.
Compact with mini keys
With dimensions of 49 x 25 x 8 centimeters and a weight of only 2.6 kilograms, the synthesizer is surprisingly compact and portable. This is without question also due to the keyboard, where the manufacturer has relied on 32 mini keys. However, the keyboard can be played quite well, and you won‘t want to play piano overtures with the monophonic Malevolent anyway. The keys react to touch dynamics, which can be routed to various parameters via the patch sockets – something we would have liked to see on the Korg MS20 mini! The feel of the buttons and knobs is also okay, even if everything doesn‘t feel particularly high-quality. But you shouldn‘t expect miracles from a boutique instrument from a small manufacturer at this price, especially since the direct competitor MS-20 mini has the same problem. However, the jacks make a robust impression and should survive even frequent patching well.
USB-powered
The following connections are located on the back from right to left: Headphone output and mono audio output, input and output for analog clock (as Eurorack-friendly mini jacks), MIDI IN/OUT in large DIN format, and a modern USB-C port. The USB port not only transmits MIDI data to and from the computer, but can also power the synthesizer. This is rare for analog synthesizers due to the higher power consumption and is welcome, because it saves a power supply in the
studio and allows the use on the road via powerbank. Alternatively, a power pack can take over the power supply.
Two VCO with extras
Besides a noise generator, the two voltage-controlled oscillators are primarily responsible for the basis of the sound. They are identically equipped and each offer the waveforms sawtooth, square and triangle. If required, the waveforms can also be recorded in parallel via the patch sockets, an additional AUX input with adjustable volume in the mixer module allows looping in. Of course, the pulse width of the square wave can be adjusted and modulated by a controller. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is obviously a must for a company with the name PWM Instruments. But Malevolent offers more, because the shape control can also change the character of the other two waveforms and thus create mixed waveforms like a somewhat punchier or bulbous sawtooth wave. With suitable modulation of the shape parameter, exciting sound progressions can already be created at oscillator level.
Frequency modulation
In addition, the frequency of each oscillator can be modulated by two sound sources. An envelope is hardwired to FM1 and the LFO to FM2, but any other modulation source can be integrated via the associated patch sockets, e.g. the waveforms of the other oscillator. If both VCOs frequency modulate each other, this results in quite organic or even really weird sounds rich in overtones. Unfortunately, in practice, the quality of the controls is only average, as they do not transmit every movement cleanly. Especially with FM, where every smallest change can have audible effects on the sound, one notices certain inaccuracies and value jumps from time to time, which make it difficult to create the perfect sound. You should also keep an eye on the volume controls of the two oscillators, since Malevolent already drives the downstream filter very hot in the factory state and distortions quickly occur at high volume of the oscillators, which in connection with FM can be too much of a good thing.
Powerful multimode filter
This brings us directly to another important sound shaper in the Malevolent, the opto-FET controlled 2-pole Sallen-Key multimode filter. It is pre-wired as a low-pass filter integrated in the signal path, but it can also be used as a high-pass or bandpass filter via the patch sockets. Any source can be used to modulate the filter via two controllable patch inputs. If a VCO is used, filter FM can also be implemented.