Using and working with control voltage (CV) in your modular synthesizer is essential, but often people tend to focus more on audio signals and audio effects. However there is a lot that can be done with CV signals to widen the potential of your modular synthesizer. Here, we are talking about some utility modules for processing CV signals. Some are offering more basic functions, but with a nice twist, like the Livestock Electronics Felix and Doepfer Precision Adder. Others are feature packed CV-super-tools or bring new ways of mangling CV in eurorack to the table.

Doepfer A-185-2 Precision Adder / Bus Access

Having more than one voice playing in your system you might want to transpose them together, or you want to combine two or more sequences. This is where the Doepfer A-185-2 Precision Adder comes in handy. with its four in- and outputs it can be used as a tool to tie your different sequencers together or work as a simple octave switch for your oscillators. A simple but effective module with a wide range of functionality, especially when handling pitch CV.

Livestock Electronics – Felix

Felix can be used as buffered multiple and/or signal distributor. At the price of other simple buffered multiples it covers way more ground than these. Each output features an attenuator / attenuverter, emitting signals in the range of either 0 V to +5 V or -5 V to +5 V. The level of signals can be adjusted via potentiometers. As long as you don’t plug-in a cable at the left input, the outputs generate voltages in the range of 0 V to +5 V (attenuator mode) respectively -5 V to +5 V (attenuverter mode).

Rabid Elephant – Knobs

The Knobs by Rabid Elephant is one of those CV-super-tools. It is built with only the best parts available and rock solid, but what makes it really special is its playability.  This ultra-precise dual CV processor (with attenuversion, offset and slew) and voltage controllable crossfader is a perfect tool for playing control voltages like a DJ – a thing you might have never thought of yourself. It is a quality module, it is lots of fun to play with and opens new perspectives. The crossfader is a nice addition to a CV processor that can change to way you look at things. A “boring” CV can become an exciting thing to play with.

4ms Shifting Inverting Signal Mingler (SISM)

The SISM is one of three modules with that “4-channel-layout” by 4ms. In fact it features a header for connecting a Quad Clock Divider, Quad Pingable LFO or the VCA Matrix by 4ms. But what does it do in the first place? The SISM is a CV processor with four channels of attenuation, attenuverting and offsetting incoming CV. For this purpose it is equipped with four in- and outputs. Additionally there are outputs for the mix of all positive or all negative voltages, a mix of channels where no cable is inserted into the output socket and a mix that represents the direct sum of all four channels. So you get three additional CV sources that are related to your inputs – very useful.

Doepfer A-152 Voltage addressed S&H / Switch

The A-152 is a bi-directional switch with either eight inputs and one output or vice versa. This way you can send up to eight different signals from different sources to one destination or one signal to up to eight destinations, eihter by switching via gate, one stage after the other, or address the different stages via CV. While doing this the A-152 derives additional information from what you are processing, e.g. it gives out a gate at the stage that is active at the moment and it holds the last value a stage had as long as it was active. See?  –  This module lets you work very creatively with your CV’s and it even derives additional Gates and voltage sources from what you are feeding the module.

All in all there a way more modules and options out there to process CV in eurorack. This is just a brief overview of some of the creative concepts module designers have come up with in the last years.

This is by no means a complete overview of the available modules or a full review of the modules discussed. The what about… texts are here to give you new ideas and maybe another perspective on things. All these modules offer more features than we have talked about in this post. For further information please click the provided links or – even better – visit the shop and ask the SchneidersLaden experts in the showroom.