A Sonic Brawl at Superbooth: synthanatomy’s Deep Dive into the PWM Mantis 2.0

In the gritty underworld of synth innovation at Superbooth 2025, synthanatomy kicks things off by heading straight to the belly of the beast – the PWM booth. With a quick handshake and a few knowing nods, we’re introduced to the resurrection of a legend: the OSCar waveforms in the new Mantis 2.0 update. It’s like spotting a mythical creature at a punk gig, something so revered catching the attention of synth enthusiasts everywhere. The Mantis, already a formidable contender in the synth arena, goes hybrid once more, nodding to its Oscar Mode laden with digital-analogue chaos. What’s particularly captivating is the original waveforms from Chris Huggott’s esteemed creation, sampled and analysed to breathe life into this new update. Like finding a rare vinyl in a dusty crate, these waveforms promise a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshingly innovative.

Diving deeper, synthanatomy reveals the guts of the Mantis 2.0 update – an operation so finely tuned, it could impress even the most sceptical sound hacker. In a low-lit corner of the booth, Paul from PWM unveils the secret sauce behind the update: original waveforms turned into delectable wavetables and assembly code wizardry akin to decoding a synth’s hieroglyphics. Imagine a sonic brawl where digital meets the analogue past; the Mantis now houses waveforms from the original OSCar, providing a crunchy, eight-bit throwback amongst other treats. The meticulous process involves not just recording these legends but reconstructing them digitally for the Mantis’s digital domain. It’s like stirring ingredients in a cauldron to create a potion of audio brilliance. By simply flipping a switch, Mantis owners can toggle between the usual suspects and these new, textured additions – from saw to square waveforms, all saturated with that timeless eight-bit charm. While this sonic upgrade is in demo mode, the promise of a full release has audiophiles buzzing with excitement like ravers at the edge of a sonic crescendo. This update is not just an addition; it’s an excavation of the synth’s potential, comparable to an archaeologist finding a lost relic.

The allure of eight-bit nostalgia is not lost on the synth community, and the Mantis 2.0 capitalises on this craving like a dodgy kebab at 3 a.m. after a night out. Paul explains that while the OSCar’s 16-bit tables were technically superior, there’s something about the eight-bit crunch that tickles the fancy of many sound enthusiasts. The fascination with the eight-bit composition isn’t just about looking back but embracing the character that these waveforms bring to the table. Paired with the Mantis’s fully analogue signal path, this update promises a blend that is both crunchy and smooth, kind of like scrumpy cider sipped on a sun-drenched festival day. The firmware isn’t just a step up; it’s like installing a stereo system into a classic car, enhancing and respecting the original essence while adding something unmistakably new.