Dark Star

Super compact full modular synthesiser voice bursting with character and features!

Chipset:

For this item we offer a CHIPSET which contains the following:

For all other components required, please see the build document.

Description

A couple of years back, we developed Cosmic Background as a standalone percussion voice. The concept was to bundle all required sub-modules behind one panel, pre-patched, yet also fully modular, with each sub-module having it’s own inputs and outputs. We loved it, as did you. We soon realised that is we were to replace Cosmic Background’s noise generator with a VCO (and do a few other tweaks), we’d have  a cute little fully modular synth voice ripe for sequencing – and that’s how Dark Star was born!

Dark Star consists of 4 sections:

  • Voltage Controlled Oscillator based on AS3340 with sawtooth, triangle and pulse waveforms
  • Voltage Controlled Filter with lowpass and highpass options, Drive control, Sweep control which attenuates amount of Release CV
  • Release generator with CV input for voltage control of release time. Option for sustain via jumper on rear panel.
  • Voltage Controlled Amplifier

Together they form a pre-patched super versatile analogue synthesiser voice.

Additionally, each section is fully modular in it’s own right, so there are patch points for:

  • 1V/oct CV input
  • PWM CV input – attenuator doubles as manual pulse width when no external signal is present
  • Gate input for Release or Sustain/Release
  • Release CV input for voltage control of Release time
  • VCF audio input with attenuator, for introducing external audio
  • VCF CV input with attenuator (1V/oct CV is normalised to this input)
  • VCA audio input (VCF is normalised to this input)
  • VCA CV input (Release CV is normalised to this input)
  • Release CV output
  • VCO audio output
  • VCF audio output
  • VCA audio output

Here are some useful patches to try:

  • Release CV output to PWM CV input, for swept PWM
  • VCF OUT to VCF IN, thickens and further overdrives the filtering
  • VCO OUT to VCF CV input, for fizzy FM of the filter
  • use a multiple to patch 1V/oct to Release CV input, lower notes will have longer release, higher notes will have shorter release

Product Specifications

12V draw

28mA

5V draw

0mA

-12V draw

28mA

Depth

35mm

Width

16HP