Description

Versatile analog oscillator for your AE Modular synth (v2)

Our analog powerhouse VCO, providing all basic waveforms and good tracking over eight octaves. Spice up its timbres using different FM options, PWM and Hard Sync. 555VCO provides a great start for any synth voice patch, it’s a no nonsense oscillator with that classic analog sound.

Summary:

• A stable, 1V/Oct, fully analog VCO, based on the legendary 555 timer chip.
• Triangle, saw, square and sine wave outputs
• PWM knob & PWM CV in (with attenuating knob)
• Linear & Exponential FM inputs (with dedicated attenuating knobs)
• Hard Sync input (for some more crunchy FM-ish sounds)
• Coarse & Fine tuning knob
• 2U wide
• Now with ABS frontpanels. Design was slightly updated from the design pictured above.

v2 updates:

• New frontplate design and beautiful pictures by Francesco Bernini ( https://www.instagram.com/the.salmone/ )
• Wider tuning range with the 'coarse' tuning knob
• PWM range does no longer go into non-hearable range
• Even more stable V/oct response
• Now fits the Quickswap case. However: only half of the 5x2 pin header slots into the quickswap case. This is no problem considering stability. Only downside is that you lose the bus CV signal. This will be solved in the next iteration!

We made it! With the help from French SMD & PCB wizard M4vrick, I designed a versatile, flexible, well-tracking analog oscillator based around the old-school 555 timer chip. Unlike my other kits, this is a finished, tested & calibrated module. It's an analog oscillator unlike any that exist yet in the AE ecosystem, as it really has it's own 'tone' AND it has a sinewave output for all your soothing ambient dreams! However, it has also the option to get really gnarly with FM inputs (both linear & exponential, each with their dedicated attenuator), Hard Sync input (drive another square/pulse oscillator in that input, and be amazed!), and PWM (both with a knob & CV input with dedicated attenuator).

Tracking is close to perfect for over five octaves (less than 6ct drift if calibrated at home). Only the high (ear-piercing) tones start to 'droop' a bit. But that is the nature of fully analog synths of course. Tuning drift with changing temperature is minimal, as there is a dedicated temperature-compensation circuit added to the oscillator. Again: it will not be perfect like digital synths, but it gets close!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AE MODULAR FORMAT