New Cwejman Modules!

Wowa Cwejman is back with a range of new modules in a stunning new livery. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the CTG-VC Complex Transient Generator and MMF-6 Multi Output Filter on Friday. Lucky, because they have already all but sold out or are spoken for. After a few hours with these modules, it's easy to see why:


Cwejman CTG-VC & MMF-6

The MMF-6 is capable of the sort of nasty, distorted sounds I never thought I'd hear from a Cwejman filter. It features two sets of three outputs, LP, BP & HP in clean, soft & hard saturation variations. According to the product page, he symmetry control makes it possible to set different cutoff frequencies for the positive and negative halves of a signal. This can have a radical effect on the sound and means you can attain a nice amount of bite even from the 'clean' outputs. The amount of grunt, growl and distortion is highly dependent on the level of the incoming audio and the amount of Q so, much like a wavefolder, it might make sense to patch your signal to a VCA before hitting the MMF-6.

Cwejman MMF-6  by  navs

This clip shows some of the aggressive sounds the MMF-6 is capable of. Manual tweaking of the cut off, resonance, input, symmetry, hard & soft controls.

And here is a rather more mundane run-through:



LP, BP then HP. Clean outs, then saturated. One bar no resonance, then with res @ 7, then manual symmetry control. Last four bars are the saturated outs.

The CTG-VC can function as both a gated ADSR-type envelope and triggered AD-type transient generator. It features a hold stage of up to two seconds to add compressor-like punch to sounds and has a variable shape decay slope. As with Make Noise's Maths, this can radically alter the character of a sound. An AD loop mode can be activated either manually or by CV, allowing the CTG-VC to release rapid-fire trills. The 'Zero Restart' function overcomes the offset experienced when an envelope is re-triggered before the release phase has completed and forces the envelope to start from scratch. Nearly all parameters can be voltage controlled, including the final output level which is bi-polar.

Cwejman CTG-VC  by  navs

This clip demonstrates the effect of changing the Hold and Decay Slope parameters. Manual tweaks: Hold first, then D-Slope. I kept the envelope times fairly short so you can hear the difference these stages make. First run-through with res @ 3, then @ 6. After onset of delay I couldn't resist toying with the symmetry. Note, this is the 'clean' output!

And here is an additional recording showcasing the Zero Reset and Looping functions:



Sequence with Zero Reset activated, then off (traditional ADSR response). AD Loop: clock divider used to provide syncopated bursts/ trills. In the latter half, the envelope is so short that the VCA is amplitude modulated at audio rate.

Both these modules look and sound great and are of the build quality we've come to expect from Cwejman. Grab them if you can!

A-143-1 Modification

Adding voltage control and a combined trigger output to Doepfer's Complex Envelope Generator. An update to these posts (1, 2).



The A-143-1 is king of the shonky rhythm. There's something about the swing generated by its four chained envelopes and comparators that is hard to replicate with a VC-LFO and sequencer. This modification provides two features I wanted when using the A-143-1 as a wonky clock: a combined pulse stream to control other modules and an automated means of influencing the rhythm.

For the latter, I chose to add simultaneous voltage control to the threshold of all four comparators. For me, this is the parameter that makes the A-143-1 tick. It means a single CV can be used to stretch and shrink the rhythm without affecting its inherent groove. Think 'Funk Soul Brother'. Just as importantly, the modification can be accommodated on the original panel.

The Comparator outputs are chopped down to 1ms pulses, so they can easily be mixed without the need for a 'proper' logic circuit. They are also hot enough to ping filters. Add a Sample & Hold to grab values from the A-143-1's bipolar mix out and the results can sound like this:

a-143-1_mod.mp3



The star of this mod is the H11F1 Photo FET Optocoupler. It may not have the cachet of a VTL5C3, but this vactrol alternative might make a better choice for some synth mods. It's smaller, cheaper and, most importantly, has a fast, linear response.

The circuitry used in this mod is simple. The difficulty arises out of the need to quadruple the parts. You can download my build-notes here (the usual DIY disclaimers apply!) to see how I went about it. See this thread for more A-143-1 modification ideas.

To close, today's Patch of the Day offers a musical example of this modification:



The patch uses just two envelopes, sometimes chained, sometimes running as LFOs. The new combined trigger was multed to ping a Cwejman RES-4 and trigger a S&H and CTG-VC envelope. The A-143-1's mixout was sampled by the S&H and sent to the RES-4's FCV and CTG-VC's Attack CV-in. The RES-4's audio output was sent to a VCA-4MX and multed to an A-199 Spring Reverb. The 100% wet signal was sent to a second VCA/ mixer channel and opened by the CTG-VC's envelope. Altering the threshold changes the timing and also the CV that is sampled from the mix output.

Cwejman Complex Transient Generator

If you checked the Cwejman site recently, you might have noticed the addition of a couple of new modules, for example the VCEQ-4 & CRV-24 crossover filter. I got to play with a prototype of the latter when Wowa visited Berlin last Summer and was very impressed with the sound and possibilites. However, the module that has me most excited is the CTG-VC Complex Transient Generator as it is the result of discussions I've had with Wowa since that meeting. The idea was to design a compact, flexible envelope generator capable of both ADSR and AD functions.

It offers variable slope shapes, is capable of looping the AD stages, has a hold stage for added punch and output attenuation/ polarization. The 'zero restart' option resets the envelope regardless of whether the release stage has been completed. The only option that doesn't seem to have made it through to the final design is a CV-All input, which would allow for a 'key follow' effect, although this could be attained by multing the pitch CV to the relevant VC-ins.

Availability & Price TBA.

CTG-VC product page & PDF.

4ms Shuffling Clock Multiplier & Expander

Some patch ideas featuring the 4ms Shuffling Clock Multiplier and Breakout box.

For an overview of the concept and functions of the SCM, see this post.

This first example makes use of the SCM's tap function. Given two gates, it will 'remember' the tempo until it receives new marching orders. The most obvious clock source is an LFO, but this feature means you could also feed it with a gate signal from your keyboard:


fingered

2 VCOs, left gated by keyboard, right by manually-clocked SCM. The shorter the intervals between played notes, the faster the trills.

Here's a variation on the above using a tail-chasing Wogglebug to generate gate and pitch information. I used the x1 output of the SCM to trigger Maths and fed its envelope to the level VC of a Cwejman CTG-VC to fade out the echos. This works better in the slower sections i.e. the beginning of the clip. An option would have been to VC Maths' fall time with the pitch CV e.g. higher notes = faster echos = faster fade. If you don't have a Cwejman envelope, you could use a second VCA to add similar dynamic control of your your envelope.


echo

Because the SCM 'reads' the interval between two pulses, large timing changes from fast to slow will display an amount of lag as the SCM catches up with the new tempo. This is possibly the only failing of the module but, given the difficulties in implementing clock multiplication (the SCM can't 'predict' the new tempo before it has happened!), two taps are more than acceptable and this lag can also have its musical uses as a 'ghost' beat.


lag
LFO as clock, speed manually changed.

The most obvious use for the SCM is as a drum trigger/ sequencer driver, but this last recording is an example of the SCM in an auxiliary role, helping to time the changes of a quantizer to generate sync'd glissando.


gliss
Main VCO left, clock reference right. At six seconds a slewed sequence is patched to the VCO. At about 18 seconds the sequence is re-patched to an A-156 quantizer. The quantizer responds to changes in voltage, so the steps are not in sync with the main clock. Patching an output from the SCM to the A-156's trigger input (27 seconds) resolves this and, with some rotation and slip, allows for swung or odd time glissando.

The SCM and breakout box have undergone some changes since I tested the prototype. The main differences are the addition of a x1 output, or mult of the clock source, and the loss of some of the 'straight' gate streams. I found the former to be useful on the RCD and, because the SCM generates pulses even without an input, it can function as a main clock source in a patch. The lack of some of the 'un-swung' outputs means you'll have to rotate the SCM if you want to make use of the phasing effects I demonstrated in my original post. The Breakout box has also undergone some changes, now offering a global x4 multiplier and mute function. As I previously noted, if you have an SCM, you really need the expander. Not only does it offer access to the swing & skip parameters, but it brings the SCM to life as a playable instrument. The breakout box should be available soon, so plan for one in your rack!

Cwejman Update

For those of you for whome the MMF-6 demo recordings were too 'heavy metal', here is a recording of some of the more subtle shades of saturation Cwejman's new filter is capable of:


MMF-6 Subtle Saturation

Low Pass 'clean' output. An analogue sequencer was used to modulate the cutoff frequency while the resonance and symmetry parameters were manually tweaked. The VCO's frequency was constant.

I liked the effect of this 'harmonic sequencing' so much, I tried it with my MMF-1. In the following example, I manually tweaked the frequency, resonance and 'spacing' while in dual-peak 12 dB band pass mode:


MMF-1 Dual Peak Harmonic Sequencing

Some more information on the CTG-VC and new look:

With no gate applied, the CTG's sustain is 'high' and can be used as an offset.

Despite lacking a D-Slope CV input, this parameter can be voltage controlled by taking a mult of the envelope and feeding it back to the decay CV. This is exactly the same patch trick I used to attain CV control over Math's curves. Depending on whether the feedback is positive or negative, one can change the response from exponential to logarithmic. Again, +1 for Doepfer's A-133 VC Polarizer!

And finally, Wowa says he plans to successively change all panels to the new, classy 'pearl white'.

4ms PEG Demo

Audio examples of the 4ms Pingable Envelope Generator. An update to this post.



Perfect for synced modulations, the PEG generates LFOs and envelopes which can be locked to a master clock. Once 'pinged', its variable slopes run at either the base time or are stretched/ shrunk to a divided/ multiplied rate. Here it is in action:

4ms PEG demo by navs

The PEG offers voltage control over most of its parameters, various trigger outputs, an analogue OR and a variety of triggering options. The toggle function can be a creative source of surprise, as it flips the activity of the two envelope generators. The curves can be extreme, especially when the skew is maxed in one or the other direction, so you might want to use a linear VCA. That said, a 'whiplash' setting is great with low pass gates.

I've only scratched the surface with this demo: you could try the PEG on drones, slow pans or feeding it to a quantizer for synced, stepped CVs. QNT trig mode allows gated repeats or trills like the Plan B Model 10 or Cwejman CTG-VC. When used with a sequencer, you could set different length envelopes per note, or use the toggle jack to combine the two.

The PEG is rich in possibilities, so make sure you read the extensive manual. Once you've grasped the concept, it's easy to use. If you've ever wanted to keep your wobbles in time, the PEG might be what you've been looking for.

It's the Envelope, Stupid!

An early Easter bunny.

(Repost from Easter 2008)

I dug these old tests out of the archive in response to these (1, 2) threads at Muff Wiggler's forum.

Bear in mind that this was 2008 and that the range of modules now on offer is far greater. Given the choice today, my recommendation would be the Cwejman CTG-VC and Make Noise Maths. Nevertheless, I hope the tests are still of use!

IT'S THE ENVELOPE, STUPID!

"Common wisdom has it that the most important module for shaping your sound is the filter. I beg to differ: it's the envelope, stupid!"

Download the test (3.3MB) here. Features Doepfer A-140, A-142, A-143-1, Cwejman ADSR-VC2 (rev.1) & Bananalogue/ Serge VCS.

Later that summer, I posted the following:

SOFT BOILED EGs

"Faster is better, right? Not necessarily ..."

Download the test (1MB) here for a comparison between the Roland MC-202 and Doepfer A-140 envelopes.

Sometimes 'sluggish' is just what you want.

Patch of the Day - Define Time

Thru-zero linear FM fun with the Cyndustries Zeroscillator and Toppobrillo Sport Modulator.





Today's PotD showcases some of the lovely linear FM timbres and stereo effects that the ZO is capable of. It's a single-pass recording of the 0 and 270 quadrature outs, panned hard left and right, with only a little plate reverb from Audio Damage's Eos added. I used a self-oscillating Cwejman MMF-1 filter as modulator, manually offsetting its pitch with four pre-set voltages from a Fonitronik mh01.

The Sport Modulator drives the patch, delivering both CVs and gates. The cycle/ sample times were nudged manually, with some cross-modulation and the stepped random signal of a Wogglebug. The latter's smooth out modulated the attack time and loop trigger of a Cwejman CTG-VC. At high speeds, the envelope amplitude modulates the VCA-2P used as the final gate, adding further sidebands to the mix.

Patch Tips #14 - Sub-Harmonic Division

Using Maths or the VCS to generate sub-harmonic variation.



Today's Patch Tip is cribbed from Seth Nemec's Bananalogue/ Serge VCS demos and the 'Undertone Generator' patch in Rich Gold's Serge book:

"Sub-Harmonic Generator: If a series of triggers are applied to the VCS faster than the total rise and fall times, the module will divide the incoming signal by a whole number. In the audio range the output will be the sub-harmonic series."

The VCS has the benefit of an AC-coupled output, but I feel Maths offers finer control over the settings. As this patch relies on the rise time, Math's EOR pulse can be used to provide an even beefier sub signal.

The technique simply involves patching a mult of your principal oscillator to Maths' trigger input and mixing either the envelope or EOR with the main VCO in a filter etc. Set the response to linear, fall to fully CCW and then gradually increase the rise time. Additionally altering the fall time will give you more control over the timing and hence sub-divisions.

Here's what it can sound like: subharmonix.mp3

The patch relies on the envelope's inability to respond to a second trigger until it has completed its cycle, meaning it will 'skip' pulses and thus generate a lower frequency. You can try this patch with other trigger-able envelopes like the Plan B Model 10, Cwejman CTG-VC or Doepfer A-143-1, bearing in mind that the minimum possible cycle time and trigger response will affect the possible sub-divisions.

Release: Best of Patch of the Day

I've just released The Best of Patch of the Day Vol. 1, which is available from my bandcamp page for three Euros.



The EP contains some patches from the past plus one new recording. Prebloom is a live performance featuring a Cwejman RES-4 & CTG-VC, Toppobrillo TWF, Doepfer A-143-1, Plan B Model 15 & Harvestman Hertz Donut VCOs, Makenoise Pressure Points and f(h) Choices joystick. I'll leave you to figure out the patch configuration from my previous examples!