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VHIKK

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Vhikk is discontinued - for its succesor please refer to Vhikk X.

Modular Grid

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The vhikk twists, convulses and wails in a vortex haunted, spitting dirt and dust and time and raw energy.
Rapid shadows, alien physics, pulsating artefacts, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes possessed.

The vhikk is a multi-algorithm sound source capable of traversing sonic planes complex, raw, dense, electric, erratic, dynamic.

The vhikk trades total control/comprehension/repeatability for a [hopefully fertile] dialogical experience and breadth of sonic palette.
It is intrinsically ephemeral and is designed to encourage exploration and presence - with low cognitive overhead.

The vhikk is happy alone but thirsty for voltages. The produced output can be quite spectrally and temporally full and doesn't necessarily require [but definitely appreciates] further processing to synthesise musically useful material.

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The Vhikk is a multi-algorithm experimental synth voice specialising in [but not limited to] complex drones and basses, rich textures, and dynamic sfx. It combines sound generation and effects processing into one module with 9 different modes.
The nature of the Vhikk makes it suitable for situations where a compact, ergonomic, and self-contained sound source would be welcome - for example smaller modular systems, or large systems where a strange sound source with minimised cognitive overhead would be desirable.

The general architecture consists of a bank of wavetable oscillators [the generator] sent through a filter section which then passes into a delay-based structure [the processor] - with the specific architecture and character of these sections dependent on the selected mode.

Some of the modes implement what is referred to here as 'cluster scanning' - a smooth crossfading scan through sets of frequency/wave pairs. Imagine a wavetable scan parameter but each distinct wave position also has an associated frequency offset. In the modes implementing cluster scanning these wave/frequency offsets are different for every oscillator.

The processor in general consists of a delay-based structure which can be smoothly transformed from something resembling a delay [distinct [albeit processed] repeats] to something resembling a reverb [diffused repeats, increasing echo density, modulation].
There is a frequency shifter integrated into the processor, either post delay-structure or in the feedback loop depending on mode and FEED position.

The X jack is a signal input which is merged with the generator pre-filter and passed into the processor. The graphic in the upper middle of the panel is a level indicator for the X input.

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The general parameter space is mapped out below, but some parameters have behaviour specific to individual modes [this is detailed in the next section].
The lower 5 parameters have CV inputs with attenuverters.
[Note: CW: clockwise, CCW: counterclockwise]

WARP  - Two different types of generator cross-mod - neutral position 12:00

SPAN  - Oscillator spread - neutral position 12:00 [unison]

MIX   - Dry/wet blend between generator and processor - neutral position 12:00

FEED  - Two types of processor feedback - neutral position 12:00

BASIS - Root frequency for all oscillators

TIME  - Root scaling of delay lengths

MORPH - Generator timbral scanning

FIELD - Combo lowpass/highpass filter - neutral position 12:00

FORM  - Processor parameter - dependent on FEED:
      - FEED CW: FORM is processor structure
      - FEED CCW: FORM is bipolar frequency shift amount

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Each combined position of the two toggle switches is a different mode, giving 9 in total.
There is a rough grouping into three banks, selected by the left toggle switch.
Each mode has a fixed architecture, but upon entering modes in the upper and middle banks [left toggle] a set of internal parameters are randomised, giving a very large number of variations within each mode's general tonal and interactive space.
These randomised parameters roughly consist of: waveform / frequency / cluster offsets, delay tap spacing, diffusor lengths and delay line modulation
Below is an outline of the 9 modes indicating specific behaviour of the multi-modal controls.
The graphics on the left indicate toggle switch positions.

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Things to note:

With the attenuverter for BASIS maximally clockwise, the pitch scaling is approximately 1V/octave.

With FIELD maximally counterclockwise, the lowpass filter cutoff extends below the audio range, so the oscillators will be effectively silenced - allowing for usage similar to a LPG.

The MORPH CV input is normalled to all other CV inputs, allowing control of all CV-able parameters with a single signal.
With nothing patched into MORPH, a small DC voltage is present, allowing all attenuverters to be used as fine tune controls, via this normalling path.

On the right side of the module [side-mounted on the main circuit board - use only when not powered] is a toggle switch which can be used to adjust the output level to approximately 2.5Vpp [LINE] or to the normal 10Vpp [EURO].

There is a jumper on the rear of the module which adjusts the scaling for all CV inputs [except BASIS] to account for differences in voltage scaling across a variety of voltage sources. With the jumper in the top position, a unipolar 5V signal will cover the entire parameter range with the attenuverter maxed out. With the jumper in the bottom position, a unipolar 10V signal will cover the entire parameter range with the attenuverter maxed out. For most cases the top position will be suitable, but for example if your other modules produce 10V envelopes, the bottom position will give you finer control over modulation depth.
Power down your modular system before changing jumper position.

The internal processing takes place per-sample [i.e. block size = 1] at 96kHz and all CV inputs are scanned at full rate.

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Specifications:

18HP, 25mm depth below panel [including power header]
Current draw: +12V: 80mA, -12V: 20mA

CV/signal input voltage: 20Vpp - full param range clipped in software
Input impedance: 100kOhm
Output voltage: 10Vpp full scale [nominal signal level is around -3dBFS]
Output impedance: 1kOhm
Reverse polarity protected

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Vhikk is covered under warranty for two years following the purchase date. The warranty covers any defect in the manufacture of this product and does not cover any damage or malfunction caused by incorrect use - such as, but not limited to, power cables connected incorrectly, excessive voltage levels, or exposure to extreme temperature or moisture levels.
The warranty covers replacement or repair, details about shipping and warranty applicability will be determined upon contacting us at contact@forge-tme.com.

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