Jhonatan López of NoiseRoom UIO wrote in to share about a free and open-source polyphonic subtractive synthesizer developed in Ecuador, designed both as a musical instrument and as an educational platform for exploring audio DSP and plugin development.
Andes JX features two oscillator models based on PolyBLEP and DPW techniques, per-voice state-variable and nonlinear Moog-style ladder filters, modulation and performance controls, and 33 factory presets inspired by locations across the Ecuadorian Andes.
The instrument’s design draws on the warmth and character of classic analog synthesizers while introducing a sonic and visual identity rooted in the Andean geography of Ecuador. Preset names, color palette and overall aesthetic reference real places: volcanoes, snow-capped peaks, high-altitude lakes, paramos.
Andes JX is also an open-source educational project. Its complete source code is published under GPL v3 and documented bilingually (English and Spanish), so it can be studied as a reference for learning DSP and audio plugin development. This dual nature — production tool and learning resource — runs through every aspect of the instrument.
Andes JX is available as a VST3 plugin for Windows.
More information: Jhonatan López
