Faktori – the most flexible solution for audio/cv processor with the combination of 5 channel audio/cv mixer with a lovely sound from Steiner – Parker filter design with switchable Lo – Band – Hi pass filter mode and all being modulate by a very flexible and precision west – coast function generator with that inspired from Serge/Buchla style function generator that can do multiple task like LFO, Enverlope, Slew Portamento, Octave Pitch shift, Low pass gate, VCO, drum voice…all in 14hp. The idea is to have a module that can combine with any multiple drum sound or waveform and turn it into a complete voice.
- Multiple creative sound process module system that create a final solution for audio/cv process. Suitable for small rack setup.
- Sweet filter sound with Lo-band-hi pass filter inspire from Steiner Parker diode ladder filter with self oscillate at max resonance.
- 5 channel audio/cv mixer plus an analog noise engine is the best solution for mixing multiple waveform VCO or drum voices
- Powerful/flexible west coast function generator with multiple function like LFO, Enverlope, Slew Portamento, Octave Pitch shift, Low pass gate, Waveshaper, VCO…
- Can become another filter based drum voice (2nd kick, tom, snare, hihat…)
So the idea is to have a filter module that can process any multiple drum sound or waveform. This is the best way to mix all different wave shape or multiple sound source (paraphonic) and the result after modulation (sub/fold/ring mod…) into a final source before going thru variable filter with a highly precision function generator as modulation source. Without any external sound source Faktori is already a filter noise sound module by itseft with capable of making sidechain noise or drum voice like hihat, snare, tom, 2nd kick drum with the little help from a wide range funtion generator that can produce from a very snappy/high pitch vco to a long lasting enverlope curve that can be use for generative modular music.
Mixer section
There are 2 different gain setting: Channel 1 & 5 are high gain input suitable for sine/triangle waveform, channel 2, 3, 4 are low gain channel to be use with square, saw, fold output.
Channel 5 without plugin a jack it semi-connected to an analog noise source to be mix with the other 4 audio channel.
With 5 channel mixer this module can be the heart of any paraphonic setup with multiple vco to create chord voice easily. 4 of those would make a quad voice polyphonic processor.
Filter section:
The signal out from the mixer section going thru a variable filter with low pass, band pass and hi pass inspired from legendary Steiner Parker filter design. Compare to the original, there is a 3 way switch filter mode instead of 3 separate input so can change the filter mode on the fly. Faktori also have a peak resonance trimpot to tweak the resonance range from nice and smooth to more and more hash sound like the traditional and also can set to self – oscilation at max resonance setting.
Without any external audio, by itseft can become a noise machine produce wind sound w modulation. Alone it can become a filter based drum voice like the Boubou and be able to create multiple drum sound like Kick, Tom, Snare, Hihat thru time thanks for it modulation. and this time with a much more precision enverlope and filter engine the result is more than you can imagine.
The depth cv input of the filter section is semi- connected to the function generator output which can be control by a attenuaveter so can be able to adjust the gain and polarity of incoming voltage.
Function Generator section:
A lot of thing to talk about it! Based on Serge/Buchla legendary function generator, this is one of the most flexible voltage modulation that can be found in the eurorack market. With Rise, Sustain, Fall control with Exp/Log shape control for each Rise and Fall as well as voltage control with attenuaverter for rates control so it can be variable thru time with another lfo or modulation source. There are 2 input for the function generator block: Trig in and Key/Slew. To use each of these input or combine both of them with diffrence gate/trig/cv source will turn it into a very flexible modulation source. Lets talk about each function:
Voltage control slew/portamento
When there is a voltage signal apply to the key/slew input, using the Rise and Fall parameter can smoothen the votage rise up and fall down rates with parameter being variable thru cv control input for each Rise and Fall. When only use the key/slew input the Sustain control have no function.
Voltage control enverlope generator
Plug a gate/trigger from keyboard control or sequencer for the “Trig in” it become an Attack-Sustain-Release (Rise-Sustain-Fall) modules with Attack (Rise) and Release (Fall) rates being shape from very short snappy pointy shape for percussive sound to a slow and long round smooth voltage curve that can be use for drone/ interactive self patch. The maximum time can be up to more than 20 minutes or as short as few milliseconds with EXP/LOG shape control.
To use both of the input when apply a Gate/trig from a keyboard to the “Trig In” and some lfo, env or cv from step sequencer at the same time help create a very flexible/complex voltage output with the mix of enverlope and slew/portamento function when rates, shape, voltage amount being variable thru time.
To send the trigger to the key/slew input instead of trig in, the sustain parameter is no more apply to the curve and it will have a shorter/ snappier sound compare to the same setting but use the trig input even the sustain is at zero.
The trig in is always stay with the original trigger information when the key/slew will only update new trigger once the last cycle is ended, so can be use to devide the rhythm from original to a time-sync slower rates. For example if you apply a 1/16th gate to the Key/Slew input when the rates setting of Rise/ Fall is slower than 1/16th it will stay as 1/16th but once its get slower it will devide it into 2/16th, 3/16th, 4/16th… depend on rates setting so by changing the Rise/Fall amount and a repeatable clock source can create a interactive rhythmic pattern in a non traditional way.
Cycle mode – VCO/LFO
This is a very interesting mode when it being re-trigger everytime it complete a cycle so depend on the Rise/Fall rates, it can be variable from very slow LFO to high pitch vco and with cv input of Rise/Fall to change the frequency, this is not 1v/octave but still can make a nice melody with a little fine tweak.
The fun part is when there is no voltage apply to the trig/key/slew in it act as a normal lfo/vco like mention above. But when its get voltage control (trig/key/slew) it also reset or start the curve so depend on the rates setting, if its longer than trigger/gate period, it will act like normal enverlope, but when the cycle is shorter than trigger/gate period it will make a complex drum roll style. We can variable the use between those 2 mode w cv control for Rise n Fall that be able to create a flex mod between enverlope and lfo/vco mode.
Function generator as a waveshaper /octave pitch shifter/ Lo-pass gate:
All the function above are require a trigger, gate or cv input plug into the trig in or key/slew input. But what about a very fast audio rates frequency from another vco? Using Rise/Sustain/Fall and the shape control parameter will shape the sound and depend on the relation of those setting will make it flexible between pitch octave switch, Lo-pass gate, waveshaper…whatever you can call it. And the result will be crazy with cycle mode to add frequency modulation to the sound.
When its act as a sound processor or vco source one idea is to plug the function output back to mixer input and with another enverlope/lfo can create an unique synth voice.
Or another idea is to use the seft oscilating resonance filter and noise as sound source and process it with the function generator to process the filter output.
Overall
Overall, there are 4 different analog engine that combine into a very flexible/powerful sound processor/cv modulation engine. The function generator section can be totally separated from the top section with noise source/mixer/variable filter or can change the order of signal process when using function generator as a sound source as well as creative waveform processor.
This module is a mixture of the beauty of east and west coast synthesis from a industrial standard east coast variable filter to a creative west coast function generator. Together with any VCO or sound source, drum voice… it can complete the voice with only 14hp that it would take 4 different modules and it would be hard to control 3-4hp each or it would take much more space to do the same task with regular size single module. The idea of making Faktori is to make a multiple module system that being optimize the space/function that give you a total solution to process your sound.
Quanalog Instruments 