Digital Control, Mathematical Precision
Buchla’s 256e Quad Control Voltage Processor leverages relatively simple mathematics to great effect. While the four processors run independently, they can also be patched back into themselves for a host of sound design opportunities. Each processor implements a transfer function in order to modulate a dyad of CV input signals, essentially functioning as a VCA to mix and blend the two signals. Each transformation can be further modified with the introduction of a breakpoint, whose value and position can be modified via dedicated control knobs to create non-linear functions. The LED display provides a rough approximation of the affected output voltages along the X- and Y-axes. This visualization corresponds to the linear transformation between the input and the output; input signals can be scaled, inverted, added, multiplied, average weighted, and voltage controlled. Sweetwater’s synth mavens agree: it all equates to a level of control and possibility for sonic exploration that only Buchla can provide.
Related Videos: 256e Quad Control Voltage Processor Module
Buchla: the crossroads of sonic excellence and game-changing technology
The name Buchla is synonymous with some of the most compelling, convention-breaking technology to emerge in the musical spheres of the mid-20th-century’s electronic awakening. A pioneer of electronic music and instrument design, Don Buchla founded his namesake company in the 1960s, following the success of a modular electronic music system that was commissioned by composers on a Rockefeller Foundation grant. For the next 50 years, Don lived on the bleeding edge of electronic music synthesis. He incorporated uncommon coding languages, touch- and pressure-sensitive surfaces, and spatial location modulation, eventually innovating for the likes of Oberheim, CBS, Zeta Music, E-Mu Systems, and Moog. Meanwhile, he also dedicated himself to make good on MIDI’s promise of the 1980s to be more than just a piano keyboard controller. By the 2000s, Don introduced his magnum opus with the 200e, a love letter to a half century of unparalleled innovation in modular and analog synthesis. Today, Buchla U.S.A. works diligently to uphold Don’s rich legacy and provide his classic designs alongside new iterations of products that are “designed to introduce the unique world of Buchla synthesis to a whole new generation of electronic music makers.”
Buchla 256e Quad Control Voltage Processor Features:
- 4 independent, parallel voltage processors for a multiplicity of uses with one or more input voltages
- Linear transformations deliver intuitive changes from CV inputs
- Dedicated breakpoints offer further control of signal transformations
- LED display screen offers approximate visuals for quick modifications on the fly
- Blending functions on each processor creates ample opportunities for unique signal patterns
- Voltage control of most parameters means near-limitless modularity in production and performance
- Presets can be saved for quick access*
*Note: Presets can only be saved with the inter-system use of a Buchla Preset Manager module. If you have any questions, please contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer.
