February 2023 Eurorack module round-up
This month’s best new modules include three very different mixers, Endorphin.es’s envelope generator and a powerhouse effects module from TipTop Audio.
Animal Factory Tannhäuser Gates
Three of this month’s best new modules can be loosely categorised as mixers, although the way they go about their business is quite different in each case. Animal Factory’s Tannhäuser Gates is probably the most creative and leftfield option of the three. Loosely based on the Buchla 110 Dual Voltage-Controlled Gates from the 100 Series modular system, the Tannhäuser Gates offers four channels based around discrete VCAs, with tilt EQ, pan, CV control of levels and mute buttons
Animal Factory are masters of gritty distortion, so it’s unsurprising that the point here is to add colour to your signals. Push the levels and things break up nicely, with the potential to go from subtle overdrive to distinct scuzz. You can also chain up to four modules together for a truly characterful 16-channel summing system. Call it a quad VCA, a chainable stereo mixer or just a signal processor, whichever way you look at it the Tannhäuser Gates is a lovely choice.
ADDAC System ADDAC713
ADDAC’s 713 mixer is another stereo module inspired by vintage classics, this time the transistor-based CP3 mixer design dating back to legendary 60s Moog designs like the IIIP. With three stereo inputs and one mono channel, it’s versatile enough to handle a range of signals but, once again, a big part of the appeal here is the way the channels break up when overdriven. The party trick here is the feedback/gate control, which is used to overdrive the whole mix as one. Wind it up slowly and the whole summed signal gets clipped until the point where it exceeds the top rail voltage and cuts out, creating a gate effect. Two soft-clipping modes also allow you to engage a low-pass filter before the output. It’s a much more simple design than the Tannhäuser Gates, but at just over £200 it’s great value for quality sound and character.
Rides In The Storm SED
Rides In The Storm’s SED is a module which could be filed under filters, VCAs or mixers. That might make it sound like it’s a module having an identity crisis, but really it ticks off all those purposes well, summing three inputs and running them through the VCF before hitting the VCA. The main character comes from the filter, a silky 24dB/octave design with the option to boost the signal when the resonance is cranked up, quickly hitting the point of self-oscillation. Tap the overdrive button and things take on a nicely edgy character. The SED (‘single-ended, discrete’) is a smart little module, offering character and versatility for little more than £100. Great value.
TipTop Audio Z-DSP
It’s been around a while, but the recent redesign of TipTop Audio’s Z-DSP gives us the perfect excuse to revisit it. An absolute powerhouse of a stereo effects unit, the Z-DSP has no internal effects but can be loaded with a huge range of different programs via cartridges. The module is supplied with Valhalla DSP’s Halls of Valhalla and the Dragonfly Delay MKII cartridges, but the full range available from TipTop includes everything from ‘F#@% S#$^#^ UP’ distortions to Karplus-Strong synthesis effects. Sound quality is absolutely second to none and even the basic reverb and delay effects are hugely impressive. The digital heart of the Z-DSP is key in terms of sound quality, but what proves most important in terms of usability is the extensive CV control, offering impressive modulation options as well as the possibility to sequence and manipulate the sound in creative ways.
Endorphin.es Airstreamer 4
Designed to cram as much envelope generation power into a small format, the Endorphin.es Airstreamer 4 is hugely versatile for just 4 HP, coming in even smaller and more capable than the original 6 HP Airstreamer module it replaces. It’s based around a digitally generated looping AD/ASR envelope, although for good measure there’s also a slew limiter and sample-and-hold thrown in for processing external signals. The real strength comes from the ability to alter the shape of the slopes independently of time, which allows for some versatile modulation options at slower settings, but also pairs very nicely with the option to run the envelope at audio rates in looping mode, turning the Airstreamer into a surprisingly capable oscillator. Simple but effective.
Greg Scarth