Soma Laboratory Enigma is a synthesizer built around a completely new type of control interface: sound is shaped entirely by the position and movement of metallic objects placed on the instrument's surface. Coins, screws, tools, gears — any metal object becomes a controller. The sensor sensitivity is extremely high; a sub-millimeter shift of an object changes the sound. Enigma includes MIDI and CV clock synchronization and MIDI note control, allowing it to integrate into existing studio and live setups. The instrument was developed to mark SOMA Laboratory's 10th anniversary and made its official debut at Superbooth 2026.
Metal object as controller: physics instead of parameters
Enigma has no keys, knobs, or pads. Instead, the instrument responds to the conductivity, mass, shape, and geometry of metal objects resting on its surface. Changing the angle of an object, moving it closer or further, swapping one piece for another — each action produces a distinct sonic result. SOMA frames this as a "sonic game of go or chess": the arrangement of objects constitutes a score that can be performed in real time. This approach removes preset memorization and menu navigation in favor of a direct, haptic dialogue with the instrument. For a sound designer or experimental composer, it represents access to a sound source that is physically deterministic yet practically infinite in performance variation.
Studio integration: MIDI and CV clock without abandoning your workflow
Despite its radically unconventional interface, Enigma is not an isolated instrument. CV clock and MIDI sync situate it within the temporal structure of a DAW or modular system, while MIDI note control enables tonal triggering or pitch control from an external controller or sequencer. The instrument is produced exclusively by SOMA Laboratory's European division and distributed worldwide through Sound Machines. List price is 590 EUR net, excluding VAT, shipping, and transfer fees. First units are scheduled to ship in mid-summer 2026, fulfilled in order of payment.
KEY FEATURES
- Metal-object interface: coins, screws, tools, gears and any other metallic artifacts
- Extremely high sensor sensitivity — response to sub-millimeter object movement
- Sound character depends on shape, size, mass, and material type of each object
- MIDI note control — tonal control from external controller or sequencer
- CV clock sync and MIDI clock sync — integration with DAW and modular systems
- No presets, no fixed parameters — every object arrangement is a unique configuration
- European production, distributed worldwide by Sound Machines
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Interface: sensor surface responsive to metallic objects
- Sync: CV clock, MIDI clock
- Pitch control: MIDI note input
- Manufacturer: SOMA Laboratory (European production division)
- Distribution: Sound Machines (worldwide)
- Price: 590 EUR net (excl. VAT, shipping, customs, transfer fees)
- Availability: shipping from mid-summer 2026, in order of payment
