KNOBS - VFE // Klein Bottle

[popvulture]

Dr Zeeeeeee, white coil-eeeeeeeeeee [splurt]

[askashrub]

MORE DEMOS
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsYFyEHrLNk[/youtube]

[Ruiner]

damn.

[chrisdermo]

As neat as that was, and it was super neat, I still maintain that the price point for this will prevent me from buying. But then I've never needed near-perfect tracking on my guitar synths.

[Jwar]

Damn that's got the closet filter sounds I've heard to some Kool Keith level shit. Too bad it's soooooo fucking much. Geez.

[$harkToootth]

Awesome demo per usual. Really above and beyond this time.
I personally won't be getting but I feel like (if the price does not prohibit you) this is a good pedal for those "bored" with what is coming out to put their money where their mouth is (sorry, I was just reading the bored thread).
ACO...who would have thought (not me)?

[jrfox92]

damn.

At least you can say you sold one, Knobs.

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

Okay, but isn't this basically a really nicely featured PLL circuit? It seems like it's monophonic, which would suggest it's a PLL. That's what a PLL does. So is "ACO" just a marketing term?

[jrfox92]

Okay, but isn't this basically a really nicely featured PLL circuit? It seems like it's monophonic, which would suggest it's a PLL. That's what a PLL does. So is "ACO" just a marketing term?

Yes and no.
According to the builders, it's a specially designed IC.
http://sonicsmith.com/audiocontrolledoscillator/

[cherler]

Okay, but isn't this basically a really nicely featured PLL circuit? It seems like it's monophonic, which would suggest it's a PLL. That's what a PLL does. So is "ACO" just a marketing term?

Yeah I thought the same thing, it's still pretty sick though.

[Strange Tales]

Okay, but isn't this basically a really nicely featured PLL circuit? It seems like it's monophonic, which would suggest it's a PLL. That's what a PLL does. So is "ACO" just a marketing term?

They posted once or twice here and said it's a brand new IC design by themselves which is pretty damn impressive.

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

So basically they designed a circuit including a PLL, did a layout, and had it fabbed (and took a nice picture of the chip bonded in a package). The only difference is that instead of making the circuit out of standard COTS parts, it's an ASIC. Someone clearly paid a lot of money to make this, but it still looks like standard electronics industry stuff with a specific application. I guess I'm bothered by how they seem to be marketing this in a grand sense? It's a cool application and a logical step in the progression of technology, but it feels like the marketing is trying to make into more than that?

I should stop bitching about it. It's a pretty fucking cool circuit.

[lordgalvar]

Most likely a series of tracking bandpass filters to filter out harmonic, then a set rise ramp/saw slope that triggers at the through zero crossings with a compression setup to even out unequal amplitude. Something like the Roland gr-300 (which was supposedly the best tracking and least laggy of the guitar synths). This setup is supposedly faster than pll.

Or it is digitally controlled analog in someway (but probably doing something very similar). (Ha just read that page...probably something like that gr-300 setup digitally controlled). Though, it could be a comparator too.

Analogue Systems has had the rs-30 and rs-35 for a while and I've heard it can do great things....but depending on the input there may need to be additional signal prep (mostly filtering and compression). Disting also has a frequency to voltage mode (I keep meaning to check that out....haven't had stuff setup in a while). Doepfer pll is pretty cheap too. I've had good luck using a pulse edge sharpener straight off a hot guitar signal into a hard sync input too...somewhat limited in range, but it works fine for the most part.

My biggest thing is that it is pretty basic synth stuff. Nothing too fun and unique outside the the aco. Could've livened it up a bit with something fun (like more waveshapes, crossfading, slope gen...I dunno just something).

[Jwar]

Well you guys just ruined me wanting one! LOL!

I'm glad though as it'll save me a lot of money.

[Ruiner]

but does it VCO?