Tag Archives: VCO

Erica synths announces firmware update for graphic vco and more

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Erica Synths Announces Three New Eurorack Modules and Graphic VCO Firmware Update
Pico LFO/S&H, Pico Mixer and PSU Input Module now shipping; New Graphic VCO firmware update features ‘drum’ mode’Riga, Latvia, July 8, 2019 — Erica Synths announces three new Eurorack modules, available immediately. The new modules include two Pico units — an LFO/S&H and Mixer — as well as a new power supply unit (PSU) input module. Additionally, the company announced a firmware update to its Graphic VCO, which adds significant new features requested by customers and also includes minor bug fixes. 
Pico LFO/S&H 
Pico LFO/S&H is full analogue modulations source — including both LFO and Sample and Hold —  providing a new dimension of controlled randomness to your modular setup in a small package. Pico LFO/S&HFeatures of the Pico LFO/S&H include: Full analogue circuitLFO with triangle and square wave outputsHighly stable S&H circuit based on AS1100CK2 ICInput and output protection against over-voltageProtection against reverse PSU connection Pico MixerPico Mixer
Meantime, Pico Mixer is simple 3 channel DC coupled mixer intended to mix audio signals and CV signals in order to obtain more complex modulations. The unit may also serve as a CV and audio attenuator. The Pico Mixer Features:3 inputsDiode protection against over-voltagePSU Input ModulePSU Input Module
If you would like to use rack ears to mount an Erica Synths 84HP enclosure in a studio rack, you may want to access the PSU connection from the front of the case rather than the top side. Then the 4HP PSU connection module is a solution for this.Recommended retail pricing for each new module is as follows: Pico LFO S&H – 80 EUR (VAT excl.)Pico Mixer  – 50 EUR (VAT excl.)PSU Input Module – 15 EUR (VAT excl.)Graphic VCO firmware 1.1New Graphic VCO firmware update
Erica Synths also announces the Graphic VCO firmware 1.1, available by following simple steps here and using the Erica Synths firmware updater app. By updating the firmware, users will be able to access the following new features and upgrades: DRUM mode (allows to use GVCO as a drum voice)Fine tuningCalibrationMinor bug fixes
 

Rossum electro music announces trident Multi-syncronic oscillator

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Trident

Multi-Synchronic Oscillator Ensemble

The latest brainchild of synth pioneer Dave Rossum, TRIDENT is a 100% analog, triple oscillator module that opens up a universe of dynamic timbral textures.

At its most basic level, TRIDENT is three precision audio VCOs, each sporting a unique variety of control voltage inputs. 

The main or “Carrier” oscillator provides its three waveforms simultaneously. The two Modulation Oscillators each have a single output and a waveform selector. The Modulation Oscillators also have a voltage controlled Symmetry parameter which varies the duty cycle of the triangle wave output from sawtooth to triangle back to time reversed sawtooth, and also varies the sawtooth output to have an upward or downward kink in the middle, as well as controlling pulse width when the pulse waveform is selected. 

And while each oscillator can be used independently if desired, it’s when they’re combined into a synchronous ensemble that the real sonic magic happens.

That magic is what we call Zing Modulation. Each of the Modulation Oscillators can modulate each of the Carrier outputs in an amount controlled by the Zing parameter. Zing Modulationis mathematically akin to ring modulation, but due to the synchronization of the oscillators (when an oscillator’s Sync button is on), the aharmonic sum and difference sidetones of ring modulation transform into complex but purely harmonic overtone spectra, which vary dynamically and dramatically with the frequency and waveshape modulations of the modulation oscillators.  Each change in the Modulation Oscillator parameters – Frequency, Symmetry, Waveshape, Zing, and (in the case of Modulation Oscillator 2) Phase – will have a different effect on the timbre of each of the three Carrier waveshape outputs.

When the modulation oscillators are set to track the carrier oscillator, the waveshape will remain constant as the carrier frequency changes.  In this case the overtone structure is determined by the settings and CV modulations of the modulation oscillators.  If instead the modulation oscillators do not track the carrier, some of the overtone structure will vary relative to the carrier frequency.

What all this means is that whether you take advantage of Trident’s unique synchronous modulation capabilities (which you, of course, should), or just treat it as three superb, wide-range analog oscillators, TRIDENT offers a vast variety of dramatic sonic textures.

TRIDENT features include:

– Three precision analog oscillators with dedicated 1V/Octave inputs and coarse control ranges of 20Hz to 20kHz and modulated ranges of 0.01Hz to 25 kHz.

– Main Carrier oscillator with simultaneous triangle, sawtooth and pulse waveforms, with exponential and linear frequency modulation and pulse width modulation.

– Main Carrier oscillator hard sync input 

– Modulation Oscillator 1 with selectable triangle, sawtooth and pulse waveforms with exponential frequency modulation, variable symmetry and symmetry modulation, and variable Zing level and Zing level modulation.

– Modulation Oscillator 2 with selectable triangle, sawtooth and pulse waveforms with exponential frequency modulation, variable symmetry and symmetry modulation, variable Zing level and Zing level modulation, and variable phase and phase modulation.

– Both Modulation Oscillators with independently selectable options to sync to the Main Carrier oscillator and track the Main Carrier oscillator

– Trident, like all Rossum Electro-Music modules, features solid construction, with thick aluminum panels, solid aluminum knobs, and quality components throughout. 

TRIDENT is 30HP wide and 25mm deep.

Power requirements (max):  250mA +12V, 225mA -12V. Reverse polarity protected.

TRIDENT will be available this spring from Rossum Electro-Music dealers worldwide.

Qubit electronix introduces Scanned wavetable vco

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Scanned

$349.00

Scanned is an organic wavetable oscillator. It uses an unexplored technique known as Scanned Synthesis to animate wavetables that are created in real-time. This synthesis method was conceived by the father of computer music, Max Mathews, as the next paradigm in digital oscillators, and until now, has never been implemented on hardware.

The wavetables are dynamically generated from a set of “objects” tied together on a virtual string. These objects have physical properties including Mass, Stiffness, and Damping which affect the way that the string moves through space and time. Unlike physical modeling, however, this algorithm is a means of creating new electronic sounds, not replicating acoustic instruments.

To animate the waveform, the objects are morphed into the currently selected hammer shape and then released. This excitation of the sound generates evolving timbral landscapes that contain harmonic movement without external modulation. The hammer section also determines whether Scanned is a free-running oscillator, or a triggered sound source allowing it to function as a complete voice without additional filters or VCAs.

  • First hardware implementation of Scanned Synthesis
  • Organic wavetable generation and animations
  • Can be a free-running oscillator or triggered voice
  • Inject input allows external audio or CV sources to excite the string
  • Evolving timbral landscapes without external modulation
  • Four hammer shapes with interpolation

Lab Lounging with the Vermona uniCYCLE VCO

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The Vermona uniCycle is the new VCO from synth masterminds Vermona. Sharing its core with the ’14 synthesizer the uniCycle adds some tricks for the modular system.

From the vermona site 

Oscillator-circuits are used in our VERMONA synthesizers, we know how to design them. But instead of copy and paste, we reworked many aspects when adapting our circuits for modular purpose. What is great for closed systems might not always be perfect for modular systems.

All that development work resulted in uniCYCLE: compact, high-performant and stable.

Simple interface and quality without compromises

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Pittsburgh Modular Double Helix VCO and new Lifeforms modules NAMM ’17

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Designed to be the nucleus of a synthesizer, the Double Helix Oscillator is a modular waveform generator like no other. A set of beefy, analog oscillators paired with voltage controlled shape contouring, deep modulation and a performance-ready voltage controlled modulation matrix create a dynamic, analog waveform playground.

At the core of the Double Helix are two, wide-range precision oscillators. The primary oscillator includes a full complement of waveforms and multiple modulation options. The secondary oscillator offers a more focused set of waves and frequency modulation. Both oscillators reach deep into LFO range and can be used as voltage-controlled modulation sources.

The contour section of the Double Helix Oscillator features a highly tuned wavefolder paired with an exclusive dynamic impulse low pass gate. The contour signal chain starts with a two-channel mixer. This allows multiple waveforms or multiple oscillators to be combined before passing though the contour section. The first half of the contour section is a voltage-controlled, 6-stage wavefolder used to add odd harmonics to the incoming waveform. The timbre and timbre CV controls set the density and amplitude of the folds. When processing a sine wave, the wavefolder creates a spectral change from zero harmonics to square, with an infinite harmonic series.

The second half of the contour section is a dynamic impulse low pass gate. The effect of the low pass gate is similar to pairing a low pass filter and VCA together. As the dynamics control is opened, the filter adds harmonics and the VCA increases the amplitude of the waveform. As the dynamics control is closed, the filter removes harmonics and the VCA decreases the amplitude of the waveform. This pairing mimics how sound behaves in the real world creating a more naturally tonal response. The impulse input adds the ability to strike or ping the low pass gate circuit creating a very organic, percussive sound. The decay time of the impulse input is set by the dynamics response control allowing the strike to be tuned to a specific musical context.

The modulation section includes an LFO offering simultaneous sine, square, and random waveforms. A noise source is also available for audio or modulation use.

A pair of voltage-controlled routers manage all the CV inputs creating a dual, voltage controlled modulation matrix perfect for complex signal paths, experimentation, and live performance. The matrix consists of two voltage-controlled amplifiers designed to control the modulation amount inputs that can be routed to any of the Double Helix CV inputs. Each of the CV inputs can be switched to channel a, bypass, or channel b and mixed with a dedicated CV input.

Features

  • Panel size: 28hp
  • Depth: 37mm
  • Power Usage: +12v 223mA, -12v 205mA
  • Does not require +5v

Radikal Technologies releases the eurorack Swarm Oscillator RT 311

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Radikal Technologies releases radical Eurorack-compatible oscillator module with a DSP-driven difference

MÜNCHEN, GERMANY: having turned heads, opened ears, and blown musical minds with a successful showcase at The 2017 NAMM Show, January 19-22 in Anaheim, California, high-quality synthesizer developer Radikal Technologies is proud to announce availability of its RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR — an advanced DSP-driven Eurorack-compatible oscillator module that, as implied by name, goes far beyond the realms of standard oscillator fare, firstly thanks to two oscillators that can both build swarms of (up to eight) oscillator ‘clones’ capable of being pitched in musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes, dutifully backed by having all parameter settings saveable as interpolatable snapshots, enabling even more radical results — as of March 28…

A dictionary definition of swarm typically reads: a large number of things… or oscillators, in the case of Radikal Technologies’ radical RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR, which, when switched to its highest SWARM setting, sees a maximum of 16 oscillator ‘clones’ running simultaneously. Something that stands out from the sound of the (ever-expanding Eurorack modular) crowd — to (partially) paraphrase the early-Eighties British breakthrough hit from synth-pop pioneers The Human League (themselves no strangers to the small-format modular system popularised by fellow German developers Doepfer Musikelektronik) — and surely something to behold? But building swarms of oscillator clones using both (OSCILLATOR 1 andOSCILLATOR 2) banks’ specialised set of TUNE, OCTAVES, DENSITY, SPREAD, and DETUNE controls to create pitched musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes does not necessarily mean that all 16 of those clones have to sound simultaneously.

Switched into (its default startup) Manual-Mode of operation, the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR can function much like any other Eurorack-compatible all-analogue oscillator out there with OSCILLATOR 1 and OSCILLATOR 2 respectively appearing at the two (OUT 1 and OUT 2) outputs as sound sources for further manipulation elsewhere — using Radikal Technologies’ own RT-451 DUAL MULTIMODE FILTER module, for instance. In this scenario, the sound of the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR module matches exactly what would be expected from the potentiometer-controlled parameter positions on its 32 HP (Horizontal Pitch) sized front panel; putting yet more controls at adventurous users’ fingertips, both banks of oscillators feature WAVE controls for smooth transitions between waveforms and TLM (Timelinearity Modulation), a variation of pulse-width modulation — known from Radikal Technologies’ SPECTRALIS 2 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER/ BEATMATRIX/FILTERBANK desktop hybrid — that can be applied to all waveforms, while exponential FM (Frequency Modulation) and linear FM modulation or PM (Phase Modulation) are also available alongside oscillator synchronisation. Pitch is, of course, controlled by the (calibrated) 1V/OCT input (which can be quantised so that only pitches of a certain tone sequence or scale are output).

Other operational modes make more radical results really shine through, though. Switching Snapshot-Mode into play permits the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR to store up to eight memory setups, each with eight snapshots, saving all oscillator settings and memorising them even after whatever Eurorack small-format modular synth system is playing host to the module has been powered down! Such snapshots are assigned to one of eight positions accessible via the ‘big knob’ dominating the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR’s front panel. Put it into Interpolator-Mode and everything (literally) revolves around the cyclic traversal of those snapshots, smoothly crossfading from one to the next with transitions taken care of via voltage control, an internal LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator), or the big knob itself — either way, the surrounding eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) illuminate accordingly in user-chosen colours, helpfully highlighting which snapshot is playing at any given time.

To make room for an RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR in any Eurorack small-format modular system means making more sound colours available to the sophisticated synthesist… Radikal by name, radical by nature, now a swarm of oscillators need not take up too much valuable rack space, so why not add one (or more) modules to your setup today to start puttingRadikal Technologies’ latest DSP-driven design through its unique-sounding paces? 

 

Now shipping, the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR is available for purchase from Radikal Technologies stockists at an MSRP of €598.00 EUR (in Europe) and $659.00 USD (in the US).

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR webpage here: https://www.radikaltechnologies.com/index.php/rt-311-swarm-oscillator/

Watch a short demonstration video of the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR here: https://youtu.be/u3q03WoDwyk

 

Soulsby Oscitron Eurorack VCO Demo part 1

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Soulsby Oscitron is listed as a 8 bit oscillator, but I think that is underselling what this thing really is.

The truth is this is a Vocoder, oscillator, wave shaper, phaser, bit crusher, and much more all in one module that can be freely hacked and updated. The wood ends are the first sign that this is a module unlike any other. you can use those wood end checks to hold new faceplate cover templates in place as they are released essentially updating the whole faceplate as you go. This is a truly novel approach to the idea of a multi function eurorack module. The menu system is easy to navigate while having quite an impressive depth of features. For that reason I have decided to handle demo videos of this module in parts. enjoy the first part in this series below! for more info check out Soulsby Synths. price is roughly $299 at USA dealers

Play

  • 8-bit wavetable module
  • Unique wavetable PWM Synthesis audio engine.
  • Quick and intuitive controls, no complex menu systems
  • White aluminium faceplate with walnut side panels
  • Nearly all parameters controllable by CV
  • 16 preset sounds that can be overwritten with your own patches

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