Classic Modulation with a New Twist
Like the classic 259 before it, the 259e Twisted Waveform Generator Module is a dual-oscillator generator that leverages digital wave shaping, aliasing noise, and foldover frequencies. What the 259e adds, however, is a series of screeching, snarling, self-modifying responses — hence its “twisted” namesake. Two oscillators form the basis of the 259e: a principal oscillator and a modulation oscillator, which targets the first. A supplementary FM input provides the signal for frequency modulation. Parameters such as pitch, amplitude, and timbre can be modulated via voltage control. Flexible MIDI-sync options and pitch-tracking variables allow for a variety of tonal possibilities all within the single module. As with the rest of the e-series modules, any blue knob values can be stored and saved as a preset when the “remote enable” function is enabled within a Buchla system that utilizes a preset manager. The 259e is a straightforward powerhouse just waiting to take its place in your Buchla system — grab yours from Sweetwater today!
Related Videos: 259e Twisted Waveform Generator Module
Dual-oscillator synergy
The 259e’s 2-oscillator system is comprised of a modulation oscillator and a principal oscillator. The former operates on two ranges — audio and sub-audio — that can be individually selected to a triangle, a square, or a sawtooth wave shape, with up to three modulation targets to be chosen simultaneously. The principal, on the other hand, generates a sine wave whose frequency can be modulated via external signal with parallel application to two wave shape tables. You can utilize unique features such as the capacity to utilize FM inputs as table modulators; the morph voltage (panning between the two tables) functions are both driven by the modulation oscillator, yielding gnarly and blustering responses. With the optional expansion to MIDI control, the 259e becomes an even more enticing puzzle box of possibility!
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 259e Twisted Waveform Generator Module Features:
- Voltage-controlled modulation of numerous variables provides distinctive opportunities for unusual sound design
- 2-oscillator system streamlines design functionality without sacrificing output potential
- Setting can be stored and recalled as a preset if used in configuration with 225e or 206e
- Variable MIDI provide flexibility in remote control and synchronization
