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SynTesla JARRE Lab One is a new 4-voice hybrid polysynth custom-built for French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.
Pierre Jean Tardiveau, aka SynTesla, used to craft unique steampunk synthesizers from existing instruments in his spare time. This became a full-time job when film composer Hans Zimmer contacted him via Facebook and commissioned him to build a Synthesizer.
The Giorgio III modular Synthesizer was born in less than a year in collaboration with Yves Usson. Full story in this video. Pierre also showcased the first commerical version with the MegaHertz at SynthFest France 2026. And things are moving full steam ahead.
None other than Jean-Michel Jarre, the pioneer of electronic music, commissioned Pierre Jean Tardiveau to build him a custom synthesizer as well.
After three months of meticulous handcrafting, the new SynTesla instrument is finished and bears the name JARRE Lab One. The exclusive news!
JARRE Lab One stylishly returns to SynTesla’s roots in the steampunk realm. It strongly resembles the SynTesla VII, which Pierre-Jean Tardiveau built in 2022.
A red tower of an instrument divided into four distinct zones with large backlit dials, rotary selectors, and a lot of retro visual feedback.
It is no coincidence that the JARRE Lab One is heading in the same direction as the VII. Jean-Michel Jarre explicitly requested to craft a Synthesizer with the same specs.
At its core, the JARRE Lab One is a hybrid polyphonic Synthesizer with the same specs as the SynTesla VII.
It uses a Korg Logue ARM architecture voice card with 4-voice polyphony, two analog oscillators per voice, one VCF, VCA, LFOs, and an SDK-based multi-FX unit (modulation, delay, and reverbs).
Additionally, it has a stereo analog saturation stage, 3-band EQ, and a mixer with an insert for external effects. Part of this is also the classic Logue 16-step digital sequencer and multimode arpeggiator.
Jean-Michel Jarre also wanted the JARRE Lab One to have a full-size 61-key Fatar keybed, classic pitch and mod wheels, and a joystick. A bigger one than those on the Korg Logue synths.
Another specific request was dual control of the VCF cutoff, which can be adjusted via either a rotary potentiometer or a linear slider.
It’s important to note that this is not a simple case flip of a minilogue XD or prologue 8/16. Only the Logue voice card was used for this.
Pierre Jean Tardiveau of SynTesla developed a completely new control unit that allowed him to create an all-new parameter layout.
In terms of sound, the instrument offers the same sound spectrum as the Logue synthesizer lineup but also a bit more thanks to the additional features. The developer writes:
it reproduces the pad and analog synthesizer sounds so dear to JMJ, but it also offers a more modern sound palette thanks to custom digital oscillators—as well as a more “aggressive” ” sounds—notably thanks to the distortion stage and the equalizer, which prove particularly effective on brass and lead sounds but also add a delightfully analog touch to pads and ethereal sounds.
There is no dedicated demo for the JARRE Lab One, but there is one for the SynTesla II, which has the same specs.
It doesn’t always have to be a completely new Synthesizer from scratch. This nicely illustrates the great instruments we have on the market today.
Sometimes, simply giving an instrument a new playing experience and enriching it with small extras is enough to give it a new personality. A lovely project.
The JARRE Lab One is a one-of-a-kind custom instrument and is not available for purchase. However, discussions are underway between SynTesla and Jean-Michel Jarre to release a consumer version in 2027/2028.
More information here: SynTesla
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