Tags: Oscillator module

Notes: A warm and deep sound source you can rely on

A flexible and warm Analog Multifunction Oscillator, rich in harmonics. Excellent for performance use!

ONA can work as an Audio Oscillator or as a Low Frequency Modulator and it provides control over all its parameters, making it a versatile, deep and easy-to-use oscillator.

Thanks to its triangle-core oscillator and wave-shapers you can choose between a big palette of output waveforms to give shape to your ideas.

Classic Waveforms. Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square.

2 Complex Waveforms with Pulse Width Modulation.

2 Sub-Waveforms to add some bass sounds easily.

Blend them to give unlimited depth to your sound!

Notes: The hands-on control of hardware meets the versatility of software. Bridging the gap between Eurorack and VCV Rack, the MetaModule includes over 160 built-in modules plus access to over 200 third-party options.

Supplier's Notes:
The MetaModule puts real knobs and jacks on virtual software modules. Step back from the computer and make music with hardware, while keeping the flexibility and expandability of software.

The MetaModule comes with over 160 built-in modules from 4ms Company, Befaco, HetrickCV, NonlinearCircuits, and Scanner Darkly, plus clones of popular classics such as the Mutable Instruments eurorack modules, fun physical modeling algorithms, and lots of handy utilities.

All of the included modules are also available on the computer using the free program VCV Rack. Whether you make patches on VCV Rack and transfer them to the MetaModule, or if you just create patches directly on the MetaModule, there are plenty of creative modules to inspire new ways to make music.

MetaModule Plugins

If the 160+ built-in module aren't enough, you can load more modules as plugins. Already there are over 200 modules in third-party plugins from Bogaudio, Valley, ChowDSP, NANO Modular, and the list is growing. 4ms have an SDK available to make it easy for VCV Rack plugin developers to convert their plugin to a MetaModule plugin. 4ms' licensing terms are non-restrictive: developers are welcome to distribute their plugin in any way they wish, commercially or not.

Mapping Knobs and Jacks

The MetaModule has 12 knobs that can be mapped to virtual knobs. Each knob can be mapped to up eight virtual knobs, and each mapping can have a different range and offset. You also can save a group of mappings as a Knob Set and switch between Knob Sets with the encoder. You also can map the 8 inputs and 8 outputs to virtual module jacks. Also, the MetaModule is a USB MIDI host, so you also can map MIDI CC, note, gate, and other parameters to knobs and jacks.

Expanders

There are lots of ways to customize your MetaModule. A Wifi expander allows you to wirelessly transfer patches from your computer. Add eight more knobs with the Knob expander, or buttons with the Button expander. A CV/Audio expander adds more high-resolution inputs and outputs, and the Gate In/Out expander adds not only gate jacks but also TRS MIDI and I2C.

Under the Hood

There are six CV/Audio inputs, two gate inputs, and six CV/Audio outputs. The CV/Audio jacks are all 24-bit, 48kHz DC-coupled, -10V to +10V. A USB-C jack accepts MIDI devices and thumb drives. Patches and plugins can be loaded via a USB drive or microSD Card, and internal flash memory lets you save patches you always want to come back to.

The processor is more advanced than anything 4ms has used in the past, and is among the most powerful processors found in Eurorack. Startup time and latency are blazingly fast.

Modules

160 built-in modules
Over 200 3rd-party module plugins available so far, and the ecosystem is growing
Create patches using VCV Rack or directly on MetaModule

Patches

Patches are loaded from microSD Card, USB drive, or via the Wifi expander
Patches can be optionally saved onto internal flash memory
Create patches using VCV Rack or directly on MetaModule
Patches can be given a name and description

Mappings

Map each physical knob to up to 8 virtual knobs
Set range and offset for each mapping, including inverted control
Knob mappings are grouped into Knob Sets, and changing Knob Sets can be done quickly without menu-diving
Map physical jacks to virtual jacks, seamlessly making splits/mults
Add or edit modules, cables, and mappings in real-time while the patch is playing
Create alias names for mappings like "Kick Drum Level"

Interface

Simple, intuitive graphical interface lets you zoom in on details, or zoom out to get a big picture
Patch View displays the patch as faceplates and cables, with knobs, buttons, and lights animating in real-time
Knob Set View simplifies the display, showing only the mapped knobs for the current Knob Set
Module View shows just one module and lists the names of each jack, knob, and control legibly
Mapping View lets you adjust details of a knob mapping
Adjust styles and visual preferences to your liking
Save, rename, duplicate, and delete patches
Firmware updater and plugin loader read from microSD Card or USB drive

Hardware

12 Knobs
8 CV/Audio outputs, 24-bit 48kHz, -10V to +10V, DC-coupled
6 CV/Audio inputs, 24-bit 48kHz, -10V to +10V, DC-coupled
2 Gate inputs
USB-C jack: MIDI Host or MSC (External drive) Host
microSD Card slot
Internal Flash RAM for additional patch storage
Dual-core 800MHz Cortex-A7 plus Cortex-M4 co-processor
512MB DDR3 533MHz RAM
Bare-metal operation for fast startup and low latency

26hp

Notes: Kermit is a 4-channel programmable supermodulator with morphing wavetable generator and internal modulation matrix. Four channels operate as LFOs, audio rate oscillators (with 1v/octave response on two channels), 1-shot envelopes, random voltage generators, or sample-and-holds, all responding to manual control, external control voltages, or synchronization to the module's master tap tempo clock. Designed for maximum patching power in small systems, Kermit carries an unmatched functionality-per-HP factor with an easily readable display that shows parameters in their real-world units.

The module has a 16-bit DAC to accurately render subtle changes of voltage at extremely low frequencies. The oscillator mode is best suited for bass frequencies, and the waveform "character" modes restrict the morph behavior or degenerate the audio to a minimum of 8 bits with limited horizontal resolution, like the Konami SCC chip used with the MSX computer. The tap tempo facility features an input jack and a manual button. The tempo is shown on the OLED display in BPM. The relevant units (hertz, seconds, volts, etc) or selected waveform of each channel are contextually shown on the display as the user programs the module.

List of operating modes per channel:

LFO (1 volt/octave)
LFO (with reset)
Tap tempo LFO
Audio oscillator
Audio oscillator (unison)
Code scan
1-shot envelope
Gated repeat envelope
Tap tempo envelope
Smooth random
Stepped random
Tap tempo stepped random
Sample-and-hold
Track-and-hold
Tap Tempo sample-and-hold

Three parameters on each channel can be modulated: frequency, amplitude, or waveform. Both external CV input and internal cross modulation are programmable with hotkeys. For example: assign the output of Channel B to morph the waveform of Channel A by holding the Channel B button while turning the Channel A Waveform knob. All channels have manual control of frequency (coarse and fine), phase, wave bank, waveform morph, and amplitude. Channels A and B have full controls, C and D have single knob controls with deep parameters accessible by hotkey combinations. Still deeper functions are accessible through the Mark III menu system.

Kermit has a microSD card slot for loading custom waveforms, like its big brother Piston Honda. The SD card accepts one .WAV file in WaveEdit format (free software editor) containing 64 waveforms, also compatible with several other Eurorack modules. When loaded into Kermit, the waveforms are organized into 8 banks of 8 waveforms each. Each oscillator can select any of the 8 banks, and the 8 constituent waves can be smoothly morphed from one to another.

The Mark III morphing preset manager is in full effect on Kermit. The discrete preset mode quickly and reliably recalls all parameters in response to triggers or CV, accessing the true power of the module as detailed, carefully programmed settings are effortlessly loaded and changed. The morphing mode causes delightfully unexpected variations of the basis preset.

Insert a master clock signal and you're ready to go. Kermit is a reliable provider of endless rhythmically coherent modulation voltages and a reasonably competent "voice module" providing most common synthesis functions on each channel with an internal modulation matrix.

Notes: *** Free software update available as a free download, along with updated documentation, at the Mob of Emus product page on the Rossum Electro-Music website***

A lot to unpack here. Six-channel multipurpose oscillator/noise source/modulation generator with quantisation, trigger generators and even more. Seriously powerful all-round digital goodness.

Supplier's Notes:
Mob of Emus is a powerful music and sound design tool that packs an enormous amount of creative power into an amazingly compact 16HP module.

Mob of Emus gives you six channels of oscillators, noise sources, cyclical and 1-shot modulators (including LFOs, envelopes, and various other shapes), sample and hold waveshapes, slow random modulators, triggers, rhythm patterns, and quantization (of both internal and external signals) in pretty much any combination (well, any combination of six channels, anyway).

In addition to being able to independently program the function of each individual channel, Mob of Emus' Hex Mode provides a macro control layer that allows you to control all of its channels simultaneously (while maintaining the relationships of each channel's independent programming).

What's more, Mob of Emus' "harmonic" control structure makes it extremely easy to combine its oscillators into rich additive timbres, to combine its LFOs into stacked harmonic low frequency modulation waves, and to create modulation sources and triggers with intricate polyrhythmic patterns.

With an external trigger input, six CV inputs that can operate in six different control modes, six independent outputs, and an assignable mix output, Mob of Emus can operate as the heart of an almost unlimited variety of patches. And its 8 real-time controls will give you immediate hands-on access to a channel's (or all six channels') key parameters, inviting (and rewarding) exploration and improvisation.

Mob of Emus features include:

Six channels that can function independently or can be further controlled by a Hex Mode macro layer that lets you control all six simultaneously. Channels can be:
Wide-range digital oscillators
Noise sources
Cyclical and 1-shot modulators (including LFOs, envelopes, and various other shapes)
Sample and hold waveshapes
Slow random modulators
Triggers
Rhythm patterns
Quantizers (of both internal and external(!) signals)
Six CV inputs that can function in six different control modes
Eight real-time controls for immediate access to key channel parameters
Six individual channel outputs and an assignable mix output
The ability to store and recall 12 user presets
And much more.

Mob of Emus is 16HP wide and 25mm deep.

Power requirements (max): 130mA +12V, 25mA -12V. Reverse polarity protected.

As of March 2021, there has been a been a small bug fix to the recent software update for Mob of Emus.

The update fixes a bug where holding the Channel Selector Buttons for a short time to select a single channel and deselect any others was not working correctly.

The update fixes a bug where some Hex Mode parameters were not ignored when Hex Mode was set to off.

The update introduces a feature allowing users to double-click and hold the Hex button to reset all Hex Mode parameters and set Hex Mode to on.

Rossum Electro-Music made a change to the behavior of the LEDS when using the utility 'Display Software Revision'

Notes: Building on the familiar dual VCO core arrangement of Carrier and Modulator, Mindphaser is a complex oscillator which departs from this bit of ancestral DNA with a modern toolkit focused on searing, phase-modulated leads, percussive basslines and other-worldly effects!

A diverse palette of intermodulation and harmonic experimentation is offered through the Modulation Bus, its unique Waveshaper and the dedicated Thru-zero Phase Modulation Bus. An intuitive interface provides colour-coded visual feedback and responsive indication while performing in dimly-lit environments.

Two precision analogue oscillator cores

Precision, wide-range V/oct ramp cores, each ranging from deep subsonic to supersonic frequencies (ramp cores, and not triangular, deliver the ideal waveforms for analogue phase accumulation in the TZ-PM Bus)
Each core generates fundamental waveshapes which interact and mangle one-another through the complex Modulation Bus and TZ-PM bus
Simultaneous waveform outputs for each base shape
Dedicated button to toggle between RAMP or SAW for each core, inverting the phase of the ramp output
V/oct, linear FM and exponential FM inputs which are all independent of the TZ-PM functionality. The Carrier's FM occurs inside the core itself, separate from the TZ-PM bus.
DC-coupled linear FM

Carrier

The heartbeat of Mindphaser, focused on audio-rate generation. Drives the WAVESHAPER and TZ-PM bus. This core's frequency range spans the audible spectrum.

- An external hard SYNC IN forcibly resets the core, useful for punchy sequences, percussive basslines and drum synthesis -- or to sync to another VCO.

- Coarse and fine controls conveniently span the audible spectrum. Ranges further with external CV.

Modulator

An extremely wide range oscillator, spanning from deep LFO frequencies all the way up to supersonic sound! Four base waveforms and diverse internal routing options form a versatile palette of modulations for the CARRIER to feed on.

- Activating hard SYNC on the Modulator locks its core to the Carrier's heartbeat. The effect can be dramatic. Try this while phase modulating!

- Octave RANGE switch lets you quickly flick up and down between octaves. All the way beyond audio-rate and LFO speed octaves. Perfect for experimenting with different PM sidebands and taming the wide frequency range of the Modulator.

- Manual PW (Pulse Width) control and dedicated CV input for PWM.

Waveshaper

This isn't a classic waveshaper! Developed anew from the ground up, this waveshaper is focused on deep harmonic experimentation and audio obliteration. Each waveshaper parameter is capable of being "turned up to 11".

FOLD up to 5 octaves above the fundamental Carrier frequency. A ceiling forms at maximum, imparting additional harmonics.

FEEDBACK the waveshaped and phase-modulated audio through a signal path internal to the waveshaper.

AMPLITUDE modulation spans thru-zero, allowing for full-range ring modulation effects with bipolar CV or audio signals.

CLIP the final stage of amplitude with the switch to introduce a last stage of harmonics before the complex signal exits through the final OUT.

Switchable inverting attenuators on each CV input, for quickly inverting the behaviour of your modulation. The indicator illuminates red to tell you the attenuator has been inverted.

Two distinct waveshaping modes

A press of the shape switch toggles Mindphaser between RAMPOID (green) and TRIANGULAR (yellow) waveshaping modes.

These modes have a remarkable effect on the behaviour of wavefolding and overall character of the final complex OUT, in addition to TZ-PM Bus character.

RAMPOID mode folds more asymmetrically, with raucous, buzzing harmonic artefacts as you sweep and introduce TZ-PM

TRIANGULAR mode folds more symmetric, splitting the complex sine wave at its peak centre of the waveform. TZ-PM character is less raucous, and more smooth.

TZ-PM Bus

Thru-zero phase modulation in the ANALOGUE realm! Unlike its digital counterpart, analogue TZ-PM has its own character we've come to expect from analogue circuitry!

A dedicated, voltage-controlled phase modulation bus completely separate from the Mod Bus
Modulator's SINE wave normalled to the PM SOURCE input
SOURCE input allows you to modulate phase with any signal you patch in
Dedicated voltage-controlled INDEX (amount)
Manual phase lets you zero in (or not!) on the base phase before introducing modulation
Independent of the Linear FM circuitry in the Carrier core

Mod Bus

The internal modulation powerhouse, normally fed by the Modulator core, but external signals are patchable as well.

Select from the PULSE, RAMP/SAW or SINE output of the MODULATOR, or inject your own SOURCE to the bus.

Voltage-controlled INDEX behaves like a macro control when combined with various amounts and polarities dialled in at each CV destination.

Internal sends include the Carrier's classic Linear FM, Amplitude, Feedback and TZ-PM Index, with variable amounts and polarities!

Modulator waveforms internally feeding the Mod Bus behave unipolarly, for predictable modulation of every Mod Bus destination, without external patching. By patching in one of the Modulator's bipolar waveform outputs manually (or any external signal), you can override this behaviour.

Dimensions
30 HP
24 mm deep

Current Draw
110 mA +12V
100 mA -12V