Superbooth 25: One of the last fully analogue PPG synths, the PPG 1002 from 1976 was renowned for its voluminous sound, and cherished by those few who managed to snaffle one of the original 100 units before they became a thing of legend.
Now, Liquid Sky Collective’s Cornel Hecht and PPG and wavetable main-man Wolfgang Palm have joined forces to resurrect this legend of the synthesis story in a new modular form.
Much like the PPG W2.2x4 Eurorack module announced earlier this year, this new limited edition brings everything that the original 1002 was capable of to the hands of modern music-makers - albeit sans keyboard. The re-build has been based on Palm’s original handwritten drawings.
But the lack of keyboard won’t deter the hands-on, modular synthesists that this redux is surely aimed at.
Many of whom will be flocking to this year’s Superbooth in Berlin.
At the show, users will be able to get a look at this meticulously re-crafted legend (at the Native Instruments - who own the PPG trademark - at booth H130).
But while it lacks a keyboard, this new version of the PPG 1002 throws in MIDI and velocity response, as well as an extra square waveform on the second of its twin oscillators.
Then there’s a noise generator and ring modulator, and highly flexible twin-waveform LFO.
Its routing architecture has been overhauled to play nicer with the modular landscape into which it’ll inevitably be patched (via the traditional CV/Gate ins and outs).
This new 1002 looks gorgeous, and - judging by the preview video - will be nothing short of amazing to work with.
But, there’s a bit of a catch…
Firstly, there’s only 102 of these being made - and pre-orders are being accepted now via the website here. So, you’re going to need to move quick before their order target is reached.
Secondly, the price of this special edition PPG 1002 is a jaw-dropping €10,000 (that’s roughly $11,350/£8,500).
To secure your order, you need to front an initial €4,999 asap so the units can be scheduled to be hand-crafted (no mass production here). They’ll be shipping in September 2025.
While some will likely balk at the price - it's important to stress that there’s a noble cause underpinning it.
A major part of the profit from these PPG 1002 purchases feeds Liquid Sky’s reforestation project currently underway in Southern Portugal, aiming to plant more trees and support local forest workers.
We can’t argue with that.
“This project is entirely funded by artists, musicians, filmmakers, DJs, and journalists – a true grassroots movement for ecological restoration,” the PPG website states. “The next ambitious goal? 77.727 cork and stone oaks planted across 4.4 hectares by 2026”
It’s a price tag that also underlines the PPG 1002's (we assume) exemplary hand-crafted build-quality and authentic sound.
Its scarcity and prohibitive price indicates that it's perhaps fated to join the original in the hands of the serious collectors only.
