Face it, fixed filter banks are boring. They do exactly what they are supposed to do, alter and adjust the harmonic structure of sound at fixed intervals. And while the inclusion of FFB's in modular synthesizers acheives this task, they fail to utilize one of the primary conventions of the medium - that of voltage control.

The Model 16 Spectral Multiplexer addresses this by incoporating full VC of most of it's features -- some of which are common to filter banks and some that are quite unique. Utlizing the high performance SSM2164 quad VCA, the M16 is equipped with both manual (pot) and voltage controllable gain for each of the tweleve filters in the matrix (25Hz, 50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 350Hz, 550Hz, 1.1k, 1.6k, 2,2k, 5.2k, 7.5k and 11k). Add to this variable resonance which increaes the response curves in all filters from 6dB to a high res 12dB, taking it timbrally from what you'd expect from a standard fixed filter bank to the response of a Vocorder.

A unique SWEEP function behaves much like the center frequency pot in a variable filter, coursing through the matrix in either bandpass of lowpass modes via a pot or external voltage control. As a compliment to this, as each filter threshold is breached a timing pulse is sent to the STEP output so that external devices (such as envelopes) can be synced to the filter activation activity. The behavior of the the sweeps can be further modified between two selectable response curves: HARD (steps abruptly between filters), or SOFT (slightly crossfades between each).

Along with the summed output, the addition of the 16A Matrix Bus will give each filter in the Model 16 matrix an independent non-attenuated output tap, user selectable to be either the low res 6 dB or high resonance 12dB 4th order filters

Sound Samples:

The following is a sample of a single ramp wave being routed thorugh the Model 16 set to high resonance mode. Only four of the 12 filters are being heard in this sample and each are being gated by separate envelope generators. All sounds are coming from the M16 in real time. Click here

This a short improvisational composition done in real time which uses only three filters from the 12 to process a timbrally rich drone generated by single Model 15 Click here

This sample consists of two VCOs, slightly detuned at octaves that DO NOT CHANGE PITCH. I'm using the VC sweep function in Bandpass mode and stepping through four of the twelve filter outputs (same four heard in sample 1), then slowly increasing the resonance from full CCW to full CW, roughly giving the effect of a crossfade from a standard fixed filter bank to a vocorder. You may have to turn the volue down a bit on this one. Have a listen here