neutral labs ELMYRA 2 User manual

ELMYRA 2 v2.1
by neutral labs
Manual
Hello, owner.
ELMYRA 2 is a digital/analog hybrid platform for microtonal sonic
exploration, capable of creating anything from lush ambient
soundscapes to gritty droning textures and shrieking noises, available
as a Eurorack module or semi-modular desktop synth. The included set
of preset cards or individual electronic components like capacitors or
diodes can be used to change the sound character.

Specifications
●Width: 42 HP
●Supply voltage (either):
○Eurorack 10-pin header: +12V/-12V
○USB power: +5V
●Current draw:
○Eurorack
■+12V: typ. 65 mA, max. 100 mA
■-12V: unused, 0 mA
■5V: unused, 0 mA
○USB
■typ. 75 mA, max. 120 mA
●CV inputs: 0V to 3.3V usable, -12V to 12V max.
●Utility inputs: 0V to 5V usable, -12V to 12V max.
●Audio input: ideal 3V-10V, max. 15V peak-to-peak (mono)
●Audio output: 4V peak-to-peak (mono)
Connecting ELMYRA 2 to USB power
Connect the provided USB-A-to-USB-C cable (or any other such cable) to
a USB power source. Unlike typical USB-A jacks, the USB-A connector of
the provided cable is reversible. It may take a little more force to
fully insert on the USB-A side. The device will not work with a
USB-C-to-USB-C connection unless a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter is also
used. If you have previously removed the module unit from its case,
make sure the internal power cable is once again correctly inserted
into the white XH connector on the back of the board.
Connecting ELMYRA 2 to Eurorack power
Connect a 10-pin Eurorack power cable to the 2x5 power header on the
back of the module. There is an arrow indicator next to the word
STRIPE on the circuit board. Unsurprisingly, the red stripe side of
the cable goes on the side that says STRIPE. The module (and your
power supply) is protected in case you should ever connect it the
wrong way around, but it won’t turn on if you do.

First setup
Elmyra 2 contains some controls that can cause extreme types of sound,
or no sound at all. To make sure your first session will not be
frustrating, follow these steps before turning on the unit or module:
●Set MIX to minimum.
●Set RESO to minimum.
●Set CUTOFF to maximum.
●Set CHOKE to maximum.
●Set BITE to minimum.
●Make sure the master volume knob (top left) is not set to
minimum.
Hint: During your first session, you will notice that the mix of the 4
voices gets heavily saturated, because the OUCH circuit (described
further below) loves a saturated sound in order to do its thing. If
you’re looking for a more subdued ambient sound (or an even dirtier
one), you can adjust the saturation level (see Advanced settings).
Updating the firmware
For the desktop version, unplug the USB power cable and remove the 4
screws attaching the module to the case. If the power cable is
unplugged, the internal XH cable can remain in place. For the Eurorack
version, remove the module from the rack and unplug the Eurorack power
cable. Set the jumper connector on the back of the module to the
UPDATE position, connecting the middle and upper pin of the pin
header. Plug a Micro-USB cable into the Micro-USB socket on the back
of the module, and the other end of the cable into your computer. The
module will appear as a USB drive in your system, whether you’re using
macOS, Linux or Windows. Copy the provided update file (suffix .UF2)
onto this drive, which should only take a few seconds. Unplug the USB
cable, put the jumper connector back into the NORMAL position, place
the module back into its case or rack and enjoy the new functionality
(and possibly fixed bugs)!

Main signal flow
Elmyra 2 has 4 identical voices that are mixed together with the mix
getting saturated. The level of saturation is adjustable (see Advanced
Settings) for softer or even dirtier sounds. This mix is then sent
through a resonant low-pass state variable filter (LPF) – that can be
changed to various other filter types (see Advanced Settings), and on
to a delay. (Optionally you can add a lo-fi reverb after the delay,
see Advanced Settings). The delay output gets mixed with any external
audio that might be connected, and is sent through the OUCH effect,
which is an analog circuit containing a unique combination of
distortion, waveshaper and low-pass filter. The specific sound of this
effect can be modified using the modifier ports, which expose the
circuit’s feedback loop to the front panel. The final result is then
adjusted in volume by the volume knob and sent to the audio output.

Voices
Control
Function
Touchpads
The metal pads at the bottom of the unit react to the touch
of a finger (both pads of a voice must be touched). They
modulate the volume of the voice depending on the intensity
of the pressure as well as the conductivity of the skin
(extremely dry skin will result in a lowered volume). An
orange LED beneath the pads indicates the current volume as
set by the envelope.
The touchpads also generate a CV signal that is available
via the voice’s ENV output.
GATE
This input simulates the touch of a finger on the voice’s
touchpads. It is not strictly a gate in the on/off sense,
but rather continuous. A higher voltage will simulate a
more intense pressure on the pads.
ENV
This sets the attack and release times for the voice’s
envelope. In the counterclockwise position, the attack time
is short, with the release time slightly longer. Attack and
release time increase as the knob is turned further
clockwise. The resulting envelope affects voice activation
by touch as well as activation via the GATE input.
PG
A short press of this button cycles through the 4 available
wavetable pages.
A long press (> 1 second) sets the voice to drone mode –
where the envelope is continuously at maximum – or exits
drone mode. During drone mode, the envelope is decoupled
from the voice. The envelope LED will not light up
continuously, but the touchpad and/or GATE input can now be
used to generate a CV signal that is available via the
voice’s ENV output, without affecting the voice’s volume.
(Another way to get the voice to drone is to patch a cable
between the same voice’s ENV output and GATE input. This
will cause the LED to light up.)
The PG buttons have a number of secondary functions (in
combination with other controls) which are explained in the
relevant sections of this manual.
WAVE
This sets the position in the current wavetable page used
to generate the main waveform for the voice’s oscillator.

MOD
This sets the amount of the current MODP voice modulation
program. In the counterclockwise position, the voice will
always be clean (unaffected by the modulation), unless the
low-pass filter MODP effect is selected, in which case the
voice will be clean in the clockwise position. The MODP
programs are described in detail in a table further below.
TUNE
This sets the frequency of the voice, which can be changed
either continuously or in quantised (chromatic) fashion,
according to the current CHRM setting. Microtonal scales
are supported, as is portamento, see Advanced Settings.
The corresponding CV input follows the Eurorack 1V/octave
standard. While a jack is connected to the input, the TUNE
knob has no function.
Left side buttons
Control
Function
SYNC
This button can be pressed multiple times in order to tap
in a tempo for the internal clock. This clock tempo will
then be used in the sequencer (and optionally for syncing
the delay time or LFOs, see Advanced Settings). The LED
will flash in sync with the clock while the clock tempo is
set. You can unset the tempo (and stop the flashing) by
pressing this button for more than 1 second. Instead of
tapping in a tempo, the socket above the button can receive
a continuous clock signal from an external source.
MODP
There are 9 MODP programs, each of which will modify the
plain oscillator output of a voice in different ways. The
intensity of the selected effect is determined by the
voice’s MOD knob setting (and/or its MOD CV input).
Pressing and releasing the MODP button will cycle through
those 9 programs. When doing this, the program is changed
globally across all voices.
If you want to change the program for a single voice only,
press and hold the voice’s PG button, press MODP repeatedly
until the desired program is selected, and release the PG
button. (The PG button will not execute its other functions
of changing the wavetable page or enabling drone mode in
this case.)

If you changed the program for a single voice only, the
MODP LED will blink in the color of the last selected
program to remind you that the settings are now different
across the voices.
This can be repeated for other voices, so each voice can
have a different MODP effect (but the LED will only blink
in the color of the last selected program). Pressing and
releasing MODP normally will align the voices again, and
cause the LED to stop blinking. (It will also stop blinking
in case you set all 4 voices to the same program
individually.)
CHRM
Pressing this button will activate/deactivate chromatic
mode. The LED lights up while chromatic mode is active.
In this mode, the TUNE knobs are quantised to the notes of
the 12-tone equal temperament chromatic scale, based on
A=440 Hz. This makes it easy to play chords and other
harmonic structures, and also play in tune with other
instruments. You can also set the scale to one of several
microtonal scales instead, see Advanced Settings.
Chromatic mode can also be activated/deactivated
selectively per voice. Press and hold any PG button, press
and release the CHRM button, and release the PG button
again. (The PG button will not execute its other functions
of changing the wavetable page or enabling drone mode in
this case.) Chromatic mode will be toggled for this voice
only. The LED will blink as long as chromatic mode is only
activated for some of the voices. You can at any time press
the CHRM button in order to align all voices again.
(Hint: If you want to avoid the audible stepping of notes
while adjusting the TUNE knob in chromatic mode, but still
want the tuning to be quantised once it settles on a note,
portamento can be used, see Advanced Settings.)
REC
Press and release the REC button in order to start
recording a sequence of TUNE settings on voice 1. Or press
and hold any combination of voice PG buttons, then press
and release the REC button to start recording sequences on
all of those voices. Each voice has its own sequence memory
and the recording of sequences can be done in parallel or
one after another. Stored sequences are not persistent
across device restarts. The maximum number of steps per
voice is 128.

The step length is arbitrary, so you could e.g. record a
looping 3 step sequence on voice 1 and a looping 7 step
sequence on voice 2 (if you record them one by one).
While the REC LED is lit up, press and quickly release the
REC button to record one step (the current TUNE setting for
the voice or voices) and advance to the next step. The LED
will blink once to confirm. Repeat as desired.
While the REC LED is lit up, press and hold the REC button
for more than 1 second in order to end and store the
recording. You may also press and release the PLAY button
to end and store the recording and start playback.
While the REC LED is off, you may press and hold any number
of PG buttons and then press and hold the REC button for
more than one second in order to delete the recorded
sequence for those voices. The REC LED will blink once to
confirm, after the REC button is released.
PLAY
Press the PLAY button in order to start looping sequence
playback for all voices that have a sequence in memory.
Press it again in order to stop playback.
Note: The sequencer records only the voice TUNE setting, it
does not record or output gates. In general, you will want
to put the sequenced voices in drone mode (by long pressing
on their PG buttons) during playback and recording,
although it can be an interesting effect to play the
sequenced voices manually via the touchpads. If you want
gates or rather envelopes, try synchronizing one of the
LFOs to the clock (see Advanced settings) and use it to
modulate either the main filter, the GATE input or the MOD
input while on the LPF MODP setting.
Note: The sequencer will not initiate playback unless a
clock speed has been tapped in via the SYNC button or a
clock signal is connected to the corresponding input. The
SYNC LED will flash with the internal or external clock
pulse if either is the case.

LPF (low-pass filter)
The default main filter is a resonant 2-pole state variable low-pass
filter. The mix of all 4 voices passes through this filter and is then
sent into the delay. It is possible to switch to one of several
alternative filter types: a 4-pole ladder filter or a 2-pole state
variable filter in band-pass or high-pass configuration, see Advanced
Settings.
Control
Function
RESO
This changes the resonance of the filter. In the
counterclockwise position, there will be no resonance. In
the clockwise position, the resonance is at maximum.
CUTOFF
This changes the cutoff frequency of the filter. If set to
the default low-pass filter: In the counterclockwise
position, the sound will be almost completely cut off. In
the clockwise position, the filter is completely open.
Delay
Control
Function
TIME
This sets the delay time, with the shortest time in the
counterclockwise position and the longest time in the
clockwise position (about 1.6 seconds). The delay time can
be synchronised to the clock, see Advanced Settings.
FDBK
This sets the amount of feedback. In the counterclockwise
position, there is no feedback added to the delay. Around
the middle position, the feedback is at 100%, increasing
even further towards the clockwise position.
There is a saturator in place that keeps things (mostly) in
control even while at crazy feedback levels. Still, in
certain cases it’s possible for the audio signal to break
up due to too much feedback. This occurs gradually, and as
you start noticing it, you can try changing the delay time,
the waveforms or the tuning of the voices slightly in order
to prevent it. If this fails, you’ll want to dial back the
feedback setting, and then slowly increase it again.

MIX
This determines the wet/dry mix of the delay effect. In the
counterclockwise position, you’ll hear only the dry signal
and the delay has no effect. In the clockwise position, you
will only hear the delay effect without the dry signal.
OUCH
This is a special analog circuit – a unique combination of
waveshaping, distortion and filter that is able to wreak havoc on the
sound, if you so desire.
With BITE set to minimum and CHOKE set to maximum, the sound will pass
through unaffected.
The modifier ports that are exposed on the front panel to the right of
the knobs can be used to customize the sonic qualities of this circuit
by using the included preset cards (or other Neutral Labs preset
cards), or individual electronic components like diodes or capacitors.
This is described in its own chapter below (see Modifier Ports).
Control
Function
CHOKE
This control filters the sound: The filter will be closed
when turned fully counterclockwise. With BITE turned
partially or fully up, CHOKE will affect the phase of the
signal and create weird artifacts in the sound at certain
settings.
Turn the control fully up (clockwise) to disable it.
The BITE control loves to be modulated at audio rates via
an LFO (turn the BITE knob almost fully up and set the LFO
close to maximum speed).
BITE
This control shapes and distorts the sound and adds
harmonics in the high frequency range. Turn fully down
(counterclockwise) to disable it. Turning it up beyond the
middle position makes it more and more destructive, to the
point where depending on the current sound’s
characteristics and volume, the output may break down
completely. This can be counteracted by turning down the
CHOKE control.

LFOs
Elmyra 2 has 2 separate LFOs that can be patched into any of the modulation
inputs. The waveform for LFO1 is a sine wave, while the waveform of LFO2 can
be changed along a continuum of wavetable entries. The LFO’s frequencies can
be synced to the clock, see Advanced settings.
Control
Function
LFO1 FREQ
This adjusts the frequency of LFO1 from slow
(counterclockwise) to fast (clockwise).
LFO2 FREQ
This adjusts the frequency of LFO2 from slow
(counterclockwise) to fast (clockwise).
LFO2 WAV
This adjusts the waveform of LFO2 from a wave with a short
attack and long exponential decay (counterclockwise) to
some more complex waveforms, then to a rising sawtooth
wave, square wave and finally to a sine wave (clockwise).
The waveform in the counterclockwise position is ideal for
modulating a low-pass filter’s cutoff frequency (either the
main filter or the low-pass filter MODP effect). Although
Elmyra 2 is more suitable for experimental sounds, you can
use this in combination with the sequencer while the LFO is
synced to the main clock (see Advanced Settings) in order
to generate some pretty basslines as well.
ATT Controls
This utility acts as a voltage generator, buffered multiple and attenuator.
With a signal present at the IN socket, and both knobs in the clockwise
position, it will simply buffer the incoming signal and output the same
signal at the 2 OUT sockets.
With the knobs in any other position, the incoming signal will be attenuated
as set by the knobs.
Finally, with nothing patched into the IN socket, it will attenuate a fixed
voltage of 3.3V, thus generating arbitrary voltages between 0V and 3.3V at
its outputs.

Control
Function
OUT1
Sets the attenuation level for this output.
OUT2
Sets the attenuation level for this output.
ADD Controls
This utility attenuates and then adds 2 control voltages: Patch 2 signals
into the IN sockets, attenuate them as needed using the knobs and use the
result from the OUT socket to modulate a destination of your choice.
Control
Function
IN1
The knob attenuates the incoming CV signal.
IN2
The knob attenuates the incoming CV signal.
CV (control voltage) inputs
Almost all knob functions can also be controlled via CV from an external
source, or from any of the modulation sources within Elmyra 2.
When connecting external modulation sources, keep in mind that the functional
voltage range is between 0V and 3.3V. Lower or higher voltages will not
damage the unit, they will simply be limited to the threshold and be
presented as 0V or 3.3V internally.
The incoming CV is combined with the current knob setting in such a way that
the effect of the CV is highest around the middle knob position, and gets
lower towards either side. In the fully clockwise and counterclockwise
positions, incoming CV has no effect. For an LFO signal with a 0V to 3.3V
swing, as output by the Elmyra 2 onboard LFOs or ENV outputs, this means that
in the middle knob position the effect of the CV signal would span almost
across the whole range of the parameter modulated by the knob. Turning the
knob towards either side adds a positive or negative bias to the modulated
parameter while also attenuating the incoming CV the further the knob is
turned.

MODP (MOD programs)
Colour
Name
Description
red
DETUNE
Adds 2 detuned oscillators to the main oscillator, one
slightly lower and one slightly higher. Both volume
and frequency deviation of these oscillators are
increased as the MOD amount increases.
green
SUBOSC
Adds 2 sub oscillators to the main oscillator, a
sawtooth wave 1 octave below and a square wave 2
octaves below. The volume of those oscillators is
increased as the MOD amount increases. This sounds
especially pleasant if the main oscillator is set to
higher frequencies.
purple
SHAPER
A special waveshaper that shifts part of the wave up
or down, similar in function to the Neutral Labs Meg
Eurorack module.
blue
SATURATOR
A saturator effect that will fatten up the wave.
cyan
BITMANGLER
Flips individual bits of each sample, resulting in
digital artifacts reminiscent of circuit bending
experiments.
yellow
SRR
Gradually reduces the sample rate giving the sound a
chiptune-like quality. At more extreme settings, this
can affect the perceived pitch of the voice.
white
NOISE
Gradually crossfading white noise into the oscillator
output. At the maximum MOD setting, the oscillator
gain is zero and the white noise gain is at maximum.
This pairs well with the main filter set to band-pass
at high resonance, see Advanced Settings.
pink
LPF
Non-resonant low-pass filter. The MOD control must be
turned fully up in order for the sound to pass through
unaltered. With the MOD control turned down, the voice
will generate no sound, which is useful in order to
use its touchpads for CV control via the ENV output,
without also generating any sound by the voice itself.
lime
HPF
Non-resonant high-pass filter. This is especially
useful in order to subtly bring in a voice.

Audio input
Connect a line or Eurorack audio source to the external audio input socket
(the one with the horizontal arrow going towards the socket). The audio will
be processed by the OUCH circuit in parallel to the internally generated
sounds. A line level signal may benefit from boosting in case the effect is
not as desired. It is also possible to connect the output of one of the
onboard LFOs while the LFO FREQ is set to audio rate.
Advanced settings
Some special settings cannot be accessed directly via dedicated front
panel controls. Instead, they are set by entering a 3- or 4-digit code
using the MODP and PG buttons. These settings are not persistent
across power cycles (with the exception of calibration), so you can be
sure to be using Elmyra 2’s default settings whenever it was just
turned on.
To access one of these settings, press and hold the MODP button. While
holding it, enter the numeric code using the 4 PG buttons, where each
PG button’s number corresponds to the number of its voice. Then
release the MODP button. (The MODP and PG buttons’ normal functions
will not be executed if you use them in this manner.)
E.g. to enter code 331, press and hold MODP, press the PG button for
voice 3 twice, then press the PG button for voice 1 once, then release
the MODP button. Or if you were, say, looking for easter eggs hidden
in the firmware and wanted to try out code 1234, you’d hold MODP,
press the PG buttons for voices 1, 2, 3 and 4 in this order, and
release the MODP button.
If you enter 5 digits or more, there will be no effect. This can help
in a live situation if you’ve made a mistake while entering the code –
and don’t want your audio affected by the setting you mistakenly
accessed, but are still holding down the MODP button. In this case,
just press any PG button a couple of times and release the MODP
button.
The default settings are marked with an asterisk (*) in the table.

Setting
Code
Function
Description
Filter
331
ladder LPF
This switches the main filter (the one
accessed by the RESO and CUTOFF controls)
between a 4-pole ladder low-pass filter and
a multimode 2-pole state variable (SV)
filter in low-pass (LPF), band-pass (BPF)
and high-pass (HPF) configurations.
332
SV LPF*
333
SV BPF
334
SV HPF
Reverb
441
off*
Elmyra 2 shines with an external stereo
reverb. Alternatively, this setting adds a
crude lo-fi mono reverb behind the delay in
the signal chain.
442
on
Mix
saturation
121
none
This changes the level at which the mix of
the 4 voices is saturated. If you’re
temporarily inclined to make some soothing
ambient, you may want to lower this setting.
Just be advised that the overall output
volume will be lowered and the BITE control
will not have the same effect. (It may break
up the sound instead, so best leave BITE in
the counterclockwise position while the
saturation is lowered.)
122
soft
123
hard*
124
dirty
Microtonal
tuning
111
7-EDO
This changes the scale used while the CHRM
setting is active. 12-EDO is the default
(this is the common western 12-tone equal
temperament scale). When using another
scale, the range of the TUNE knobs is scaled
accordingly (only while the CHRM setting is
active) so that the knob travel distance
between two neighbouring scale tones remains
the same. All tunings start on A0 (27.5 Hz).
112
9-EDO
113
15-EDO
114
17-EDO
1111
12-EDO*
Delay sync
131
unsync*
When synced, the delay time will be
synchronised to the clock (if a clock tempo
has been set and the SYNC LED is flashing).
In this case, the TIME knob adjusts the
delay time from 1/2 (counterclockwise), 1/1
(10 o’clock position), 3/2 (2 o’clock
position) to 2/1 (clockwise) of the clock
period. If the resulting delay time would be
longer than the delay buffer size of about
1.6 seconds, it will instead be limited to
that time.
132
synced

LFO sync
141
LFO1 free*
When synced (and if a clock tempo has been
set, meaning the SYNC LED is flashing), the
LFO cycle will restart with the clock cycle
and the period will correspond to the clock
period (if the LFO FREQ knob is clockwise
from the middle position) or half the clock
period (if the LFO FREQ knob is
counterclockwise from the middle position).
142
LFO1 sync
143
LFO2 free*
144
LFO2 sync
Portamento
221
none*
This sets the portamento slew rate to none
(default), fast, medium or slow. The setting
will be used for the TUNE knobs both in
normal and chromatic modes, for the TUNE CV
inputs as well as for the sequencer.
222
fast
223
medium
224
slow
Calibrate
1V/octave
211
calibrate
This is used to calibrate the 1V/octave TUNE
inputs. See chapter 1V/octave calibration
below.
212
store
213
5V default
214
12V default
1V/octave calibration
The 4 TUNE input sockets adhere to the 1V/octave CV standard, meaning
they are compatible with Eurorack and other gear using this standard.
In order for the tuning to be precise, the device may need
calibration. There are 2 default settings that can be used, which
should be sufficient for most situations. Depending on your (USB or
Eurorack) power supply, additional custom calibration may be
desirable.
This is not needed if you’re only going to use the TUNE knobs.
Calibration affects the TUNE CV inputs only. It also does not alter
the scales used in chromatic mode.
In order to recall the default setting for the desktop version, enter
code 213 as outlined under Advanced settings above. In order to recall
the default setting for the Eurorack version, enter code 214. In both

cases, these default calibration settings will be stored and then
recalled automatically whenever the device is powered on.
If the tuning is still off, this means your power supply deviates from
the standard 5V for desktop or +/-12V for Eurorack, thus affecting the
voltage readings slightly. In this case you may want to manually
calibrate. Power cycle the device and then enter code 211 to go into
calibration mode. In this mode, the RESO and CUTOFF controls do not
control the filter, but the calibration settings. (The actual cutoff
will be at maximum and the actual resonance at minimum, so make sure
not to have the high-pass or band-pass filters selected.)
Calibration will only have to be done once for a given power supply.
You only need to calibrate using any of the 4 voices, as the
calibration settings are the same for all of them. Simply pick one
voice and turn its MOD and WAV controls to minimum.
Now plug in a jack into the voice’s TUNE CV input (with the other end
of the cable being connected to a sequencer or keyboard), set the
voice to drone by holding the PG button for more than a second and
then releasing. Use a tuner module or tuner app on your smartphone to
inspect the tuning.
The RESO control sets the linear correction and the CUTOFF control
sets the exponential correction. As a good starting point for your own
calibration routine, for the desktop unit, set the RESO control
between the 12 and 1 o’clock position and the CUTOFF control to the 9
o’clock position. For the Eurorack module, set the RESO control to the
11 o’clock position and the CUTOFF control to the 2 o’clock position.
Now follow these steps:
●Send a low note from the keyboard or sequencer, corresponding to
0V or slightly above.
●If the note being played is too high, slowly turn down the linear
correction. If it is too low, slowly turn up the linear
correction.
●Send a note one semitone higher and repeat the previous step,
using only linear correction for now. Go back and forth between
the notes until both are in tune.

●Send a note about an octave higher.
●If this note plays too low, turn up the exponential correction,
if it is too high, do the opposite. Go up a few times in single
semitones and repeat.
●Go back to the first step and repeat these steps until you are
satisfied with the result, with ever smaller adjustments. If you
are unable to achieve a good result, you may have turned linear
correction too far from the middle position, or exponential
correction too far clockwise. Reset and start over.
●Once everything is looking well for a single octave (also test
the notes in between), now go two octaves higher and do small
adjustments if necessary.
When you’re done, enter code 212 in order to store the calibration
settings. The device will leave calibration mode and the RESO and
CUTOFF controls will revert to their default functions. The
calibration settings will now be recalled automatically whenever the
device is powered on.
Modifier ports
The ports at the top right of the unit labeled P|S|G|S|P support the
plugging in of preset cards (bundled or available from Neutral Labs),
as well as individual passive components like resistors, capacitors or
diodes. LEDs and LDRs (light-dependent resistors) can be used as well.
Any combination of components and/or cards will change the OUCH
circuit behavior in its own unique way. The effect on the sound will
be noticeable when using the BITE and CHOKE controls simultaneously.
You may not hear any change in sound when using none or only one of
those controls.
There are 2 rows of ports which work exactly the same, and they can be
used at the same time. E.g. it is possible to connect two cards to
both rows of ports simultaneously, or one card and a number of
components on the other row of ports. When using cards, their
orientation matters: You can plug them in either way and the effect on
the sound may be different depending on the orientation.

Caution: As shown by the warning icon to the top left of the ports, do
not use normal (unipolar) electrolytic capacitors unless you know
exactly what you’re doing! Reverse voltage may make them explode
violently. Large value bipolar ceramic capacitors are easily available
and should be used instead. The use of active components like
transistors could result in unexpected behavior and might damage the
unit, so avoid them as well. Rule of thumb for the novice user:
Plugging in any kind and combination of diodes, resistors and ceramic
capacitors is always safe.
Connection type
Function
Parallel (P)
Connecting a component between the left and right P ports
puts this component in parallel to the circuits’s main
feedback loop. Doing the same on the other row of ports
will put both of these components in parallel.
Accidentally shorting these ports will not harm your
component or the unit.
Serial (S)
This is used for putting two components in series, the
combination of which will then be in parallel to the
feedback circuit. Put the first of the two components
from P to S and the other from the other S to the other
P. Both of the S ports on either row are interconnected,
so a series connection will be made between the
components. E.g. put a resistor between P and S on the
left side, and an LED between S and P on the right side.
Ground (G)
This is for components that should go from the feedback
circuit to ground. In this case, components should be
placed in such a way that one of their legs connects to
either P port and the other connects to a G port.
In case two components should go to ground in series,
connect the first one between a P and an S port and the
second one between the other S port on the same row and a
G port. In case two components should go to ground in
parallel, connect either of them to one of the P ports
and both of their other legs to a G port.
Accidentally shorting from P or S to ground will not harm
your component or the unit.

Troubleshooting
Problem
Possible Solution
The unit doesn’t
turn on.
For the Eurorack version, make sure the power cable is
properly connected and in the correct orientation.
For the desktop version, make sure you’re using a
USB-A-to-USB-C cable. USB-C-to-USB-C cables will not
work. A USB-C-to-USB-A adapter is fine. If you’re
using the original cable, make sure to fully insert
it on the USB-A side. It’s a reversible connector that
may need a little more force than standard ones.
Check the internal power connection that goes from the
USB-C socket on the back to the XH connector on the
board.
There is no sound.
Make sure the audio output jack is in the audio output
socket (the top one with the vertical arrow going away
from the socket).
Make sure the jumper connector on the back is not in
the UPDATE position.
Turn down the BITE and delay MIX controls and turn up
the master volume as well as the CHOKE and CUTOFF
controls. If the current MODP effect is LPF, turn up
the MOD control(s) as well.
There is tatic
noise or hissing.
If you’re using a USB power supply with the desktop
version, check if the noise persists while powering
the unit from a battery such as a laptop, smartphone
(via USB-C-to-USB-A adapter) or USB battery pack. If
it doesn’t, you’re dealing with an extremely noisy
power supply. Elmyra 2 goes to great lengths to filter
all but the most extreme types of power supply noise,
and works well with most supplies, but unfortunately
some supplies are just crazy in this regard, which is
why you will have to get another.
The MODP LED colors
are off.
This can happen with the desktop version if your USB
power supply provides less than 5V. The unit will work
fine on a lower supply voltage, but the LED colors may
look a little different. If that bothers you, you may
want to get a different power supply.