- AC
Alternating Current or "AC", refers to electrical current or voltage that periodically reverses direction, in contrast to Direct Current (DC) which flows...
- AC coupled
Refers to modules in synthesizers that only transmit alternating current (AC) signals, effectively blocking direct current (DC) components. This feature is...
- Amplitude
Amplitude refers to the strength or level of both audio and control voltage (CV) signals. For audio signals, amplitude correlates with loudness—higher...
- Attenuator
A module that reduces the amplitude or power of a signal without distorting its waveform. It is used to control the strength of a signal being sent from...
- Band pass filter
A band-pass filter (BPF) allows a specific range of frequencies, centered around a cutoff frequency, to pass through while attenuating frequencies outside...
- Black Noise
Black noise is another name for silence, representing the absence of noise. In synthesis, it’s used to create pauses or breaks in sound.
- Blank Panel
A physical panel used to fill unused spaces in a modular synthesizer case. Blank panels prevent dust, debris, or accidental contact with exposed power...
- Blue noise
Blue noise: Contains more energy at higher frequencies, resulting in a "hissing" sound that is more pronounced at higher pitches. Great for making hi hats!
- Blue Noise
Blue noise is the inverse of pink noise, with a +3 dB/oct increase in power, emphasizing the higher frequencies. Also referred to as azure noise, it’s used...
- BPM
Beats per minute (BPM) is a unit typically used to measure tempo in music. It represents the number of beats (pulses or clicks) that occur in one minute....
- Brown noise
Brownian noise, or Brown noise: Also known as red noise, has more energy at lower frequencies, creating a deeper, smoother sound. It is similar to the...
- Clock divider
A clock divider, also known as a frequency divider, is a module that takes an incoming signal at a certain frequency and generates a lower, divided output...
- Clock Generator
A device capable of generating regular, rhythmic pulses, triggers, and/or gates. Used to control the timing of events like setting the tempo of a...
- Comparator
A module or circuit that compares an input signal to a set threshold and outputs a signal based on whether the input is above or below that threshold....
- Compressor
A compressor is a device or module that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal by attenuating its louder parts and optionally boosting its quieter...
- Control voltage
Control Voltage, or CV, is like the secret sauce of modular synthesis. It's the electrical signal used to control parameters like pitch, volume, and...
- DC
In modular synthesis, "DC" refers to Direct Current, a type of electrical current that flows in a constant direction. In the context of modular...
- DC coupled
Refers to modules in synthesizers that can transmit both AC (audio signals) and DC (control voltages) without blocking the DC component. This feature is...
- DC offset
In synthesizer terms, DC offset refers to a condition where the average voltage level of an audio signal is shifted away from zero volts. This shift means...
- Delay
A time-based audio effect that records an input signal and plays it back after a certain amount of time, creating a delayed repetition of the original...
- Distortion
Distortion is an audio effect that alters the waveform of a signal, adding harmonics and changing its timbre. It can be achieved through analog circuitry,...
- Envelope Follower
A module that tracks the volume shape of an input signal and generates a control signal based on its amplitude variations. This control signal mirrors the...
- Envelope generator
An envelope generator is a module that controls the evolution of a sound's shape over time. The most common type has four stages: attack, decay, sustain,...
- Equalizer
A device or module that adjusts the balance of frequencies within an audio signal. Equalizers allow specific frequency ranges to be boosted, cut, or shaped...
- Feedback
In modular synthesis, feedback refers to the process of routing the output of a module or system back into its input, either directly or through other...
- Filter
A filter is a module that selectively allows certain frequencies to pass through while attenuating others. It's used to shape the frequency content of...
- Frequency
The number of times a waveform completes one full cycle in a second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Frequency determines the pitch of a sound—the higher the...
- Frequency shifter
A frequency shifter is a device or module that uniformly shifts all frequencies of an input audio signal by a fixed amount in hertz (Hz). Unlike a pitch...
- Function Generator
A module or device that generates control voltages with dynamic shapes, typically used for modulation, envelopes, or logic-based patching. Function...
- Fundamental
The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform, often referred to as the “base” frequency. It is the frequency that sets the pitch or "note" of the sound,...
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