DIRTY DRONE LOWLIFE + ECHOBLENDER - a subbass/texture generator with experimental delay/distortion

from GRM / TOTES FORMAT

The DIRTY DRONE LOWLIFE + ECHOBLENDER is an experimental subbass and drone texture generator combined with an experimental delay/distortion unit. It is housed in a recycled wooden box with a grey aluminum face plate, both painted with broken hexagon patterns.

The DIRTY DRONE LOWLIFE can be manually triggered by a TRIGGER button and externally with a TRIGGER/GATE input. The DECAY has a SHORT/LONG switch to select the range and a DECAY pot (works counterclockwise) to fine tune it, from snappy to loooong. An orange LED indicates triggers and the decay. With the DRONE toggle switch it can be set to play a constant drone sound as well. The sound is that of two oscillators each with an array of possible settings: TRIANGLE/SQUARE and CLEAN/DIRTY toggle switches and of course a FREQUENCY control. Oscillator 1 has an additional OFFSET control, that can in the range from 1.6V-2.6V also get modulated by external control voltage via the CV input (with an orange indicator LED). Both oscillators are mixed with the BLEND control, that allows to shape the output waveform in a relatively linear manner, but the build in LDRs (Light Dependent Resistors) can also used for that. When they are selected with the BLEND SELECT toggle switch ‘throwing shade’ or ‘shining light’ allows for a non-linear modulation of the blend, by hand gestures for example. The signal then runs through a resonant low pass filter with CUTOFF FREQUENCY, RESONANCE and SATURATION control. In the end of the signal chain is a VOLUME control. From there it either goes to the DRY OUT or if nothing is plugged into the DRY OUT to the ECHOBLENDER, which also as an input for an external signal, so it can be used independently from the LOWLIFE.

The ECHOBLENDER is based on the “Echobender” by Casper Electronics with some tweaks for improved control. A device for dark echos (low pass filtered) and the ‘blackened’ noise of the internal distortion feedback. These machine is a delay/distortion bastard. Plus they kill fascists! The controls, from upper left to lower right: DRY VOLUME, FEEDBACK(DISTORTION), WET VOLUME, COARSE TIME, FINE TIME, REPEATS. It’s a true-bypass effect with a foot-switch and a ultraviolet indicator LED and an orange clipping/limiting diode in the feedback path to make better use of the self oscillations. Instead of just a blend pot, the ECHOBLENDER has two separate VOLUME pots for a precise mix of DRY and WET signal. With the WET at zero, the DRY also works as a signal BOOSTER to increase volume of the input signal. The FEEDBACK pot let’s you play with the self-oscillation and/or distortion capabilities of this versatile effect. With the DECAY fully clockwise you get classic delay self-oscillations. Get lost i a world of foggy delay noise clouds. Handmade by GRM for METSÄÄN.

Size: 32 x 10 x 8cm (including knobs)
Power: 12V DC, center positive 2.1mm barrel socket (PSU with europlug included)
Input + output: 6.3mm mono sockets (2 out, 1 in)

Demovideo: youtu.be/4j87g5kxD-E
Buy here: metsn.tumblr.com/post/676096551322599425

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