Description
The Modstar Oscillation module is a top notch VCO designed by design guru Tim Caswell. Taking inspiration from the circuits of classic Arp and Oberheim hardware and the wave shaping circuits of the 2nd Generation Minimoog Model D, the result is a hybrid beauty!
The Modstar VCO has such a great sound that you’ll immediately notice the difference. As such a fundamental part of your modular setup, getting the basic sound right is a priority. The Modstar Oscillation module has such a wide range of tones, you would be forgiven to think that the raw tone was part of a bigger setup. With everything from a massive sub that you feel rattling round your chest to the sweet highs at the top, this oscillator has got you covered.
Designer Tim Caswell notes,
“What’s nice about our OSCILLATION stunner is that the waveforms are DC-coupled, so they keep their shape even at sub-Hz speeds. The outputs are also buffered, so the amplitude is independent of the load they are driving. The waveform levels on some modern eurorack OSCs are often all different, and they vary depending if they go into the mixer or directly to the filter!”
This design of direct circuitry coupling without in-line capacitors frees up the whole frequency spectrum and ensures a near identical response for years to come as it protects the transistors. A perfect balance which makes this gorgous sounding oscillator one of the best of the best!
Specifications
Potentiometer Potential
Three attenuation, and three attenuverter pots control the FREQUENCY, TUNE, PW CV IN, PUSLE WIDTH, FM CV IN, and SUB LEVEL, delivering smooth, detailed, and complex expression.
Switch it Up
NORMAL and LOW RANGE – wide sweeping audio frequencies, or clicks (respectively) for creating a rhythmic pulse or sweep; SINE, TRI, SAW, SQR – your friendly waveform on and offs.
Patch it Up
Eleven patch points: 1 V/O, FM IN, WAVE MIX, SYNC IN, PW IN, SUB OUT, SINE OUT, TRI OUT, SAW OUT, RAMP OUT, SQR OUT direct the deepest manipulation.
All Controls and Patch Points
FREQUENCY – Oscillator frequency attenuator.
NORMAL / LOW RANGE – Oscillator domain switch.
TUNE – Oscillator fine-tune attenuverter.
PULSE WIDTH – Variable pulse wave width control.
SINE – Sine wave on/off.
TRI – Triangle wave on/off.
SAW – Sawtooth wave on/off.
SQR – Square (pulse) wave on/off.
FM CV IN – Frequency Modulation control voltage input attenuverter.
SUB LEVEL – Sub (one octave down) level attenuator.
1 V/O – One volt per octave control voltage input.
FM IN – Frequency Modulation control voltage input.
SYNC IN – Oscillator Sync control voltage input.
PW IN – Pulse Width control voltage input.
SUB OUT – Sub Oscillator output.
SINE OUT – Sine Oscillator output.
TRI OUT – Triangle wave output.
SAW OUT– Sawtooth wave output.
RAMP OUT – Ramp (reverse sawtooth) wave output.
SQR OUT – Square wave output
Vitals
Size – 16hp
Depth – 39.7mm with ribbon cable attached
Power Usage – 44mA, 39mA (+12 / -12)
