Tags: Envelope follower module

Notes: Module A-119 (External Input / Envelope Follower) is designed to allow external audio signals to be integrated into the System A-100. It comprises a pre-amp, envelope follower, and comparator.

The pre-amp has two inputs: an unbalanced input for line level signals, with a gain factor of from 0 to 20, and a balanced input with a gain factor of from 0 to 500, for insertion of low level signals, for instance from a microphone or electric guitar.

The Envelope Follower reads the signal level of the input, and puts out a proportional voltage as an envelope at its own output.

The comparator generates a gate signal whenever the input goes above an adjustable trigger threshold.

Three LED's help you keep track of overload, the envelope, and the gate signal.

Notes: Based on a new digital hardware platform, the Spectraphon is a powerhouse spectral oscillator, capable of everything from analogue-style dual complex oscillators to FM and much more.

Supplier's Notes:
The Make Noise/Soundhack Spectraphon is a dual Spectral Oscillator coded by Tom Erbe of Soundhack. It uses real-time spectral analysis and resynthesis to create new sounds from those that already exist. It is inspired by classic electronic musical instruments of the past, including spectral processors, additive synthesis, vocoders, and resonators especially the Buchla 296 and Touche, but it takes a physical form more resembling the classic analogue dual complex oscillator in the lineage of the Buchla 259 and the Make Noise DPO.

The Spectraphon is the first module to be built by Make Noise on its new digital hardware platform. This hardware, engineered by Jeff Snyder and Tony Rolando, provides more i/o at higher resolutions, and a lower noise floor than we have ever had access to in a digital module, allowing us to unleash Tom Erbe's DSP code to a previously unattainable degree.

The Spectraphon has two nearly identical sides, A and B, which oscillate in one of two ways: Spectral Amplitude Modulation (SAM), or Spectral Array Oscillation (SAO). In SAM, instead of oscillating at all times like an analogue VCO, sound at the Spectraphon's input is used to modulate the amplitude of a set of harmonics. In SAM the Spectraphon can be sequenced and frequency modulated like any VCO. At any time the current spectrum can be used to create an Array for later use in SAO mode where the Spectraphon oscillates at all times, with the spectrum at the Odd and Even harmonic outputs being drawn from those stored Arrays.

The Slide and Focus controls are mode-dependent: in SAM, they determine how the Spectraphon responds to sound at the input for Spectral AM, while in SAO, they are used to modulate the Array.

In either mode (SAM or SAO), the Partials control works as a combined amplitude and timbre gate for the Odd and Even harmonic output and the FM Bus will create high definition internal frequency modulation from the opposing side of the Spectraphon. The two sides can also interact via the internal FM Bus, the Follow and Sync modes, and by patching them together.

Width: 34hp

Power:
230mA @ +12V
55mA @ -12V

Module Depth (incl power cable): 36mm

Notes: A true legend of modular synthesis, Make Noise's Maths is arguably the definitive Eurorack function generator. Based on analogue computing circuits, Maths draws on Buchla-style techniques to offer countless ways of generating and processing modulation signals.

Supplier's Notes:
The MATHS music synthesizer module is an analogue computer designed for musical purposes. Amongst other things, it will allow you to:

Features

Generate a variety of linear, logarithmic, or exponential triggered or continuous functions

Integrate an incoming signal

With no signal applied, generate a variety of linear, logarithmic, or exponential functions

Add, subtract and OR up to 4 signals

Generate analogue signals from digital information (Gate / Clock)

Generate digital information (Gate / Clock) from analog signals

Delay digital (Gate / Clock) information

If the above list reads like science rather than music, here is the translation:

Voltage Controlled Envelope or LFO as slow as 25 minutes and as fast as 1khz

Apply Lag, Slew or Portamento to control voltages

Change the depth of modulation and modulate backwards!

Combine up to 4 control signals to create more complex modulations

Musical Events such as Ramping up or Down in Tempo, on command

Initiating Musical events upon sensing motion in the system

Musical note division and / or Flam

Perfect for modulating the DPO and just about anything else

Specifications
Width: 20hp
Max Depth
(incl. power cable): 32mm

Power:
60mA@ +12V
50mA @ -12V

Notes: The Tiptop Audio Buchla Model 296t is a 16 band spectral resonator & vocoder based on the original Buchla 296.

The 296 was first introduced in 1978 and very few were ever made. Making a module of such complexity at a time when electronic schematics were drawn with pencils, with 48 filters that were most likely hand-calculated is just incredible.

The 70's were a great era of exploration and proof of audio electronics scientific theories, but for Don Buchla it seems like it was always something beyond theory.

The 296 might at first look like an equalizer, but Don Buchla had totally different ideas for it. He managed to pack into it a 16-band analogue modular spectral processor, a cross-band vocoder, plus a massive amount of patch points to work with his synthesizer system.

Notes: Pico EF is Erica Synths' take on envelope follower module in 3hp! Pico EF features a preamp with +40dB gain (enough to boost even guitar and dynamic microphone signals for use in a modular system), envelope output with adjustable attack time and a gate output with adjustable threshold. The Pico EF can be used as a preamp, overdrive unit or for controlling VCFs with audio signal, or to use with external instruments to control your modular system in other creative and experimental applications.

Technical specifications:

Preamp boost: up to +40dB
Audio output level: 10Vptp
Envelope output level: 0 - +10V
Gate level: +5V
Power consumption: 25mA, -15mA
Module width: 3HP
Module depth: 35mm

Notes: Silver version of Cosmotronic's Messor module, offering stereo compression and transient shaping in just 8 hp. Ideal for mix buss compression, whether full stereo mix or drum/synth submixes.

Supplier's Notes:
Messor is an analogue stereo compressor with lots of tricks up its sleeve, in only 8HP.

From squashing drums, sidechaining kicks and sculpting transients, to glueing a mix together, it's a very versatile dynamics manager.

At its core it's a VCA based feed-forward compressor with a low noise signal path. The magic is in the internal sidechain that shapes the gain reduction envelope. This starts with a a switchable high-pass / low-pass filter, before going into a precision envelope follower, controlled by familiar parameters: the attack, release, threshold, ratio and makeup gain.

The ratio can go past limiting and into over-compression, which can completely reshape transients, a great tool for sound design.

Being modular, of course there are CV inputs for Attack, Release and the side-chain Filter cutoff. The Gain CV controls the makeup gain, but also doubles as a Stereo VCA with the Gain knob turned fully CCW.

The gain reduction envelope is also available as an output, for turning filters or other VCA's into compressors for example, or as a standalone envelope follower.

There's a bypass switch, and a Warm mode, that can bring in a bit of additional saturation and compression in the form of analog tube simulation circuitry.

Lastly there's the possibility to insert an external sidechain, for that classic kick sidechain compression.

Dimensions
8 HP
25 mm deep

Current Draw
45 mA +12V
26 mA -12V

Notes: Envelope generator meets VCA meets sound source, combining to create a powerful sequencing tool, modulation generator, compression-style effect and more. Versatile.

Supplier's Notes:
Cascade is a ratcheting envelope generator, VCA, and sound source all within a compact form factor. The unique interactions of its feature set open up new worlds of rhythmic patching and modulation. Easily create ratcheting sequences, bouncy-ball modulation, and pumping compression, all within a single module.

At its core, Cascade is a powerful envelope generator, which is normaled to a high fidelity 2164 based VCA. You can patch in external audio to the VCA, or take advantage of 4 internal audio algorithms: white noise, 808 kick and hi-hat, and a high frequency sine tone. Cascade will open up your system in ways that make you wonder how you ever lived without it.

Tech Specs:
Width: 10HP
Depth: 28mm
Current Consumption: +12V=131mA, -12V=40mA, +5V=0mA

Notes: ASCOLTA is a dual high fidelity input preamp with envelope follower and peak detector output for each channel.

Ascolta consist of two individual high quality preamp connected to an envelope follower and a peak detector output.

On the back of the module you can select the behaviour of its internal normalization when no cable is plugged into I2:

S: the first input I1 will accept stereo 3.5mm standard cables from any source and split L and R to output O1 and O2 respectively. This way you can directly amplify stereo signals without the need of external splitters and regulate the gain of each channel individually.

G: the second amplifier will double the amplification of the first totalling a gain range of 80dB - 10.000x.

Envelope E and peak P outputs are strictly related to the gain level of their corresponding amplifier and will follow the dynamic of any input plugged.

Features

Two high quality 40dB amplifiers.
Customizable internal normalization.
Envelope and Peak output following the input signal
Audio graded potentiometers.
"Whatever" power connector a.k.a. don't mind the polarity.

Technical Specs

Width: 4HP
Depth: 25mm
50mA +12V
30mA -12V