Speak & Glitch GND-1T

Circuit Bent Speech Chip Synthesizer

Embrace the mayhem...

 explore circuit bending and controllable chaos like never before

The GND-1T (Glitch&Drum 1 Touch) is based on a faithful emulation of the TMS speech synthesis chip found in the classic vintage Speak and Spell game. It was inspired by many years of circuit bending hardware Speak and Spells to produce musical sounds,  but takes it far beyond anything that’s possible in hardware. It offers a whole new approach to chip sound synthesis, looping and rhythm generation.
The GND-1T contains all the amazing features of the original GND-1 SPEECH SYNTH plus a whole load of new ones. The 1T is a complete stand-alone chaos monster, producing things you never thought possible from a circuit bent speech-chip synth. You can use it in total stand-alone mode using its built-in drum kits or driving external MIDI drum devices, or hook it into your system as a synth module, MIDI drum generator / sequencer,  effects processor, or a whole range of other uses.  It adds to the GND-1 a resonant post filter, overdrive and echo effects,  unique internal drum kits, USB digital audio I/O capabilities, analog AUX input, host USB port for external controllers, touch screen control and parameter editing, headphone output, assignable encoders for live parameter control, and many amazing new modes and parameters (the revised DRIFT and MORPH functions are a sound-sculptor’s dream tools).
Click on any of the icons above (or the main image) to hear some audio demos straight from the GND-1T.  These are single patches without any morphing or drifting activated. 
For more extensive demonstrations, check out some of these YouTube videos:
Demo of the latest Factory Loops (VOL.2) presets
Official GND-1T introduction and quick-start 
Official GND-1T YouTube channel short topical tutorials (more coming)

Loopop’s extended GND-1T review (pre direct MIDI clocks)

Richard Devine takes the GND-1T  for a spin
Joe Manton GND-1T demos who contributed to the development of the GND-1T with me
Hideaki Shirato stepping through some of the original GND-1T factory sounds
You may also want to download the USER MANUAL to see why you won’t find another synth on the planet like it!  I can particularly recommend reading the two “Essentials” pages, and time permitting also the “Core Parameters” pages, which describe the key concepts in the GND-1T

Buy Now (Paypal)  

Order your GND-1T using the links below. Prices are in Australian Dollars and are inclusive of free world wide shipping. The optional hard case (AUD $39) is a heavy duty hard plastic case (Pelican Style).       

GND-1T + world wide express shipping AUD $829

GND-1T + hard case + world wide shipping AUD $868

  • Highlights

  • • Faithful emulation of the classic vintage Speak and Spell speech chip
    • Digitally circuit bent and capable of so much more than in hardware
    • Synthesis: formant / vowel / glottal / speech / rhythm / groove / circuit bent / glitch / complex oscillator
    • Expansive / feature rich / sophisticated / deep architecture allows you to get inside the speech synthesis chip 
      and explore this highly unique synthesizer (This ain’t your dad’s spelling machine)
    • Around 150 real time parameters, with full stand-alone control and editing using the touch screen and encoders,
      or via MIDI over both USB and 5-pin DIN (with user defined thru connectivity)
    • MIDI USB HOST port for external controllers / keyboards
    • Five GROUPS of (3+3) assignable encoders for instant ‘live’ parameter control via 30 virtual encoders
    • MIDI clock master or slave with direct clock sync of Drum triggers, Echo delay time, LFOs, Tempo, and Block Step Morphing
    • Additional MIDI clocked scaling options with individual PPQN scalers for Drum Rate limiter, LFOs, Tempo, and Loop Length

    • Automation capabilities that enable parameters to randomly DRIFT, and MORPH between patches (with lots of modes)
    • Full bidirectional MANUAL MORPH control between any patches with save option at any morph setting
    • Powerful Expression Matrix allows every parameter (including MIDI clock BPM) to respond independently to modwheel,
      velocity, breath-control, after-touch, and a dedicated expression LFO (XPlfo) modulation block
    • Unique modulation blocks that mix twin waveforms selected from ~40 different wave shapes and signal sources each
    • Audio rate modulation of amplitude, pitch and speech filter using the “MFO” (Medium Frequency Oscillator)
    • Touch Sensor, main rotary encoder, and MIDI note number assignable to expression matrix controllers and much more
    • Extensive randomisation possibilities with undo

    • Ultra dynamic MIDI Rhythm Generator algorithm improvises drum grooves on-the-fly as it interacts with the synthesis engine
    • Over a dozen Drum parameters, with the same extensive control as synth parameters and saved with each patch
    • Drum note triggers can be sent to 40 unique built-in drum kits and external MIDI devices, and act as modulation sources
    • Ability to also trigger the built-in drum sounds using external MIDI channel 10 note-on events

  • • Full stereo 44kHz analog and digital USB Audio I/O , stereo overdrive, (fat) resonant Post-Filter, and echo / looper functions
    • Store up to 1000 presets with seamless preset switching and morphing
    • Store up to 1000 instantly switchable Driftbuffers
    • Store up to 1000 SCENES that can capture and recreate complete GND-1T (morphing) states

These are the original factory patches 0-100 that ship with the GND-1T at locations 0-99 by default. The zip file includes 10 variations in case you want to relocate the bank: starting at 0, 100, 200… 900

Vol.2 Factory Loops were added September 2025 to incorporate many of the new functions that were added since the original factory bank was released. By default they are at locations 100-199 in your GND-1T. You can choose to place them elsewhere by selecting the appropriate bank in this zip file. 

See a demo of these sounds HERE

These are melodic patches specifically developed to be played using a keyboard or external MIDI notes. They are included by default at locations 500-599. You can choose to put them elsewhere by selecting the appropriate bank in this zip file. 

GND-1T Editor, Librarian , and Interactive User-Manual
** Advance Notice **
(September 2026)

Joe Manton, who developed the GND-1T with me, is now beta-testing his combined editor, librarian, and interactive user-manual app for the GND-1T. It will be available for  Android, iOS (iPhone/iPad), and Mac OS platforms. Keep an eye on this page for further details when it’s ready for GND-1T owners to  download.

NOTE THAT SENDING A SYSEX BANK  FILE TO YOUR GND-1T WILL OVERWRITE ANY PATCHES  IN THOSE LOCATIONS, SO BE SURE TO RELOCATE THOSE FIRST IF YOU WANT TO PRESERVE THEM.
Power cycling your GND-1T after sending it a SysEx bank is recommended

Latest firmware and manuals

When viewing the manual,  turn on any index/outline options in your viewer to use the clickable index. 

The ‘printer friendly’ version is in grayscale, which also more readily shows highlighted search terms

 

Latest firmware revision V2.25F
FW260810 uploaded August 10, 2026
See the Firmware update info document for details

If you are a GND-1T owner, and would like to receive email notifications whenever there’s a new firmware update
just send me a message to that effect.