Available as an assembled Module and as a DIY project.
This Module is currently available.
Alternate panel for SMR
The Spectral Multiband Resonator from 4ms Company is an innovative resonant filter which can process audio like a classic filter bank, ring like a marimba when plucked/struck, vocode, re-mix tracks, harmonize, output spectral data, quantize audio to scales, and much more...
A gorgeous ring of colored lights displays the frequency of each filter, as well as the levels and current scale selection(s).
At a glance, the SMR works like a normal six-band graphic eq: six frequency band-pass filters are mixed together using sliders. resonance/q is variable, which changes the "ringy-ness" or width of the bands.
But here's where comparison stops. The frequency of each channel is treated like a note in a scale, and the six bands form a chord. Spin the rotate knob and the "notes" circle around the scale, rotating back to the bottom once they've reached the top. Adjust spread and the distance (interval) between each note changes. Triggers for up/down motion, cv inputs for sequencing and scale selection allow for flexible control with external modules. Morph, which automatically cross-fades between frequencies, together with variable slew allows rhythmic clocks drive the SMR as a variable-speed evolving resonant filter.
At maximum resonance/Q, the SMR can be struck like a gong or marimba by inputting clocks or triggers. The frequency of each channel is quantized to a scale: beautiful chords, ethereal tones and eerie ambiance flows easily. With lower resonance, the SMR can pull out particular frequency bands, and sweep these across the spectrum.
Two 1v/octave frequency jacks allow for tracking even and/or odd bands and creating floating melodies over evolving chord bases, or complex percussive membrane sounds.
Save your settings into one of six storage banks, and recall on the fly. On startup, the SMR instantly jumps to the last saved settings. The color scheme of the lights can be adjusted, so if you prefer all white lights on your modular, you can have that (or all red, or rainbows, pastels, etc..)!
Specifications:
Six sliders control level of filter
White led on each slider indicates gain (selectable to indicate clipping)
Six cv inputs for level of each filter (slider attenuates cv on jack)
Twenty full-color leds indicate which filters are assigned to which channels
Color on led ring match colors of env out leds
Brightness of each led shows level of each filter
Q (resonance) knob
Q (resonance) cv jack
Stereo input and output (divided into even/odd bands)
Odd input jack and even output jack serve as mono in/out
Rotate clockwise and rotate counter-clockwise trigger jacks
Rotate cv input jack maps any waveshape to a rotation pattern
Scale cv input jack selects scale from current bank
Spread knob sets the interval (spacing) between channels
Spread cv input jack
Morph knob sets speed of cross fading rotating or spreading
Morph cv input jack
Six cv outputs follow envelope of frequency content per band
Fast | slow switch selects envelope tracking speed, or trigger output mode
Pre/post switch selects whether env out jacks track the filter before or after the slider attenuates
Six lock buttons lock the frequency of each channel
Button is lit when locked
Turning q knob while holding a lock button also locks the q value (button flashes to indicate q-lock)
Lock jack toggles lock status of even or odd channels
1v/oct frequency input jack for even and odd channels
Odds switch selects if 1v/oct freq jack, freq nudge knob, and lock jack control all odd channels (1/3/5) or just channel 1
evens switch selects if 1v/oct freq jack, freq nudge knob, and lock jack control all even channels (2/4/6) or just channel 6
Slew switch enables slew-limiting of incoming cv on the level cv jacks (click and pop prevention).
Amount of slew limiting is proportional to morph setting at the time the switch is flipped on.
scale rotation switch enables filters to rotate into the next scale each time they rotate fully around
