©2015 - Compiled by Robert Anselmi
for full manual
Make Noise Soundhack Echophon
Pitch Shift / Echo FX Module
The
Soundhack Echophon
is a digital Echo, Delay, and Pitch-shifting device programmed by Tom Erbe & produced by Make Noise.
SIGNAL IN & ATTENUATOR:
Au-
dio input for the Echophon. AC coupled.
Accommodates modular synth signals
of 10Vpp for the first 70% of its rotation.
Beyond 70%, there will be clipping fol
-
lowed by digital overloading.
MIX CV IN & ATTENUATOR:
Unipolar CV input. Range 0V to +5V. The
Mix
Attenuator
blends between the Dry (un-processed) & Wet (processed) Signal. With
nothing patched to Mix CV In, works as standard panel control. With a signal patched to
Mix CV In, it works as an attenuator for that signal. Set to 12 o’clock for a typical patch.
MIX OUT:
Patch the
Audio signal output
here.10Vpp (depending
upon level setting and
source material). AC
coupled.
FEEDBACK OUT:
AC coupled,
10Vpp send for external FB loop.
CLOCK OUT & LED:
Outputs the
echo time as 4ms wide clock pulse.
Range: 0V to 5Vpp. The associated
Clock LED
pulses to the tempo of the
echo clock.
ECHO TIME ROTARY:
Sets the
time/length of the echo. Range: 7ms
(fully CCW) to 1,700ms (1.7sec) fully
CW.
Echo CV IN & ATTENUATOR:
Patch into Echo CV In, and adjust
the associated unipolar attenuator to
modulate the Echo Time. Just about
any source will work wonderfully, as this
parameter has a smooth exponential
response tailored for great modulations.
The associated
Echo Attenuator
sets
the unipolar level for the incoming CV.
TEMPO GATE IN:
Allows synchro
-
nization of echoes to a multiple or
division of an external clock. While fol
-
lowing external tempo, the Echo Time
rotary Multiplies (CCW) or divides (CW)
the incoming clock. Requires a clock/
gate signal amplitude of at least 1.5V
and width of at least 6ms.
FREEZE GATE IN, FREEZE BUT-
TON & LED:
Pushing the
Freeze
Button
or sending a gate high signal
(1.5V) to the
Freeze Gate In
causes
Echophon to close the echo chamber
and hold the sound inside. The
Freeze
LED
lights to indicate this state. The
Freeze Button is a latching toggle.
Press once to enable. Press again to
turn off. While frozen, the Pitch controls
can be used, but Feedback controls
do nothing. The Echo Time controls
change the sound destructively. Note:
the Freeze Button is top priority, mean-
ing the Freeze Gate In has no effect
when the Freeze Button enabled.
Echophon Tips & Tricks
●
Feedback:
Loop 1 goes around the Pitch Shifter, and so each regeneration will be pitch shifting again, resulting in spiraling echoes that rise out of
audibility or fall into sub sonic obscurity. Loop 2 will create traditional echo repeats. Patch a VCA or attenuator in front of the Feedback In. Or use
Feedback In for a secret sound that will occur only as an echo repeat. Use Feedback Out to skip the Pitch Shifting machine. Conversly, to achieve
pitch-shifting, Depth must be set to greater than 10%. Modulate Depth to create Harmonic sequences. Feedback will affect the harmonics being
emphasized.
●
External Feedback Loop:
Patch the Feedback Out to an external module such as the modDemix. Set up the external module to process the
Feedback Out signal. For the modDemix you could set up the typical Ring Modulation patch where you have a sine or triangle waveform from a VCO
patched to the Carrier input on the modDemix. The Feedback Out signal would be patched to the Signal In on the modDemix. Take modDemix Signal
Out and patch to the final stage in the external feedback loop, the VCA. The Optomix works nicely as the nal VCA stage in an external feedback
loop patch. Patch the Signal OUT from the modDemix to the Signal IN on the Optomix. Take the Signal Out from the Optomix to the Feedback In on
the Echophon. Set the Optomix Control level to determine the amount of regenerations. Other modules could be placed in the loop to create more
complex sounds, but it is important to have a VCA (or manual attenuator) at the end of the loop for gain control. Without this nal gain control stage, the
external feedback loop might be hard to tame and utilize in a musical way.
●
Echophon as Clock Multiplier / Divider:
If you patch an external clock signal to the Tempo In, the Echophon follow that clock’s tempo, and the Echo
Time controls act to set a Divisor or Multiplier of that master tempo. The slowest clock (input or output) is limited to the delay time, so to get 12/1 out,
you need a fairly fast clock in (1.7s/12 or 15s).
●
Sequencing Pitch & Comb Filtering:
To sequence the full range of Pitch, set the Pitch rotary to full CCW, and patch a sequencer CV to Pitch 2.
When the delay time is below 20 milliseconds, the delay is acting like a comb filter.
●
Dry Mix Bleed:
Because the Mix control uses a vactrol, it is prone to bleeding. As a result, the Mix signal may not go fully dry. You may be able to
acheive something closer to a fully dry signal by opening the Mix Attenuator fully CW, and patching a negative DC offset to the Mix CV In.
Feedback IN:
AC coupled return for the
external Feedback loop. Expects standard
signal level of 10Vpp.
PITCH ROTARY & LEDS:
Bipolar
panel control. Turn CCW for pitch shifting
down. Turn CW for pitch shifting up. At 12
noon, there is no pitch shifting. The range
is always dependent on the Depth setting.
The associated
Pitch LEDs
display the
pitch shifting mechanics and whether the
pitch is travelling downward or upward.
This rotary controls alter the perceived
pitch of the sound. It has an associated
bi-polar attenuator, allowing you to add or
subtract the control signal patched from
the setting of the Pitch rotary and Pitch 2
CV In. Pitch 1 CV In is perfect for patching
an LFO for Vibrato effects. By adjust-
ing the Pitch 1 Attenuvertor, the depth
of the Vibrato is programmable. Pitch 2
is well suited for patching a sequencer
CV or Keyboard CV. Since most analog
sequencers generate unipolar CV in the
range of 0V to 5V, you will need to set the
Pitch rotary fully CCW in order to control
the entire range of pitch.
DEPTH ROTARY:
Unipolar rotary that
sets the index of the pitch shift, rang-
ing from sub-microtonal chorusing to 4
octaves harmonizing.
The Depth rotary acts to set the index
or range of the pitch shifting. It could be
thought of as a Digital VCA for the CV
patched to Pitch 1 & Pitch 2, as well as the
Pitch rotary. Fully CCW there is no pitch
shifting. Up to around 12 noon, the pitch
shifting is subtle, introducing chorusing
effects. Increasing the Depth CW creates
increasingly deeper pitch shifting, until
fully CW the full 4-octave range of harmo
-
nizing is possible. Depth is best modulated
with linear functions, such as an envelope
generated by Maths into the Depth CV In.
DEPTH CV IN & ATTENUATOR:
:
Unipolar control signal input. Range: 0V to
+5V. The associated
Depth CV Attenua-
tor
sets the level for the incoming CV.
PITCH 1 CV IN
& ATTENUVER-
TOR:
Bipolar CV
input. Range: +/-4V.
The associated
Pitch 1 CV Attenu-
vertor
sets the
bipolar level for the
incoming CV.
FEEDBACK ROTARY:
Bipolar rotary determining
the amount & direction of
Feedback. Turning CCW
sends more feedback to the
Pitch Shifting loop. Turning
CW sends more feedback
to the Echo loop. At 12
noon, there is no feedback.
FEEDBACK CV IN &
ATTENUVERTOR:
Bipolar CV input. Range:
+/-8V. The associated
Feedback Attenuvertor
sets the bipolar level for the
incoming CV.
PITCH 2 CV IN:
Bipolar
CV input. Range: +/- 2V; to
-
tal 4-octaves. Set the
Pitch
rotary
fully CCW for uni-
polar control, such as an
analog sequencer, or set to
12 noon for a bipolar signal,
such as a CV Keyboard.
