WORNG Electronics Vertex User manual
WORNG Electronics Vertex manual
Thank you for purchasing a WORNG Electronics Vertex stereo VCA, we
hope it’s just what you need to bring your modular system into the
world of stereo.
Connecting your Vertex:
Vertex requires 8hp of space in your Eurorack system, and a depth of
25mm. Connect the included power cable to the back of the module
and to your power busboard. The connection on the module is
shrouded and can only go one way, but is also marked with a line to let
you know which way the red stripe should be facing. The module is also
protected against damage from reverse power connection, but you
should still always be careful connecting power.
Vertex essential concepts:
Vertex is much more than just two mono VCAs
with common controls to perform stereo duties, it
uses a combination of four linear and exponential
VCAs to give you convenient and powerful control
of stereo signals.
At the top of the module you will find the Gain and
Gain CV amount controls, along with a Gain CV
input. These set the gain for both L and R channels
together. The CV amount has enough range to use
with envelopes from 5V to 10V, as well as bipolar
CVs.
Below the Gain controls are a pair of LED indicators
to clearly show you the amount of CV being sent to
the L and R VCAs. These amounts are controlled by
both the Gain and Skew controls, as well as their
CVs.
The lower two controls of Vertex are Skew and Skew CV amount, along
with the Skew CV input. The Skew controls vary the amount of CV
coming from the Gain section to the L and R channel VCAs, allowing
you to manipulate the amounts of signal through each and control the
stereo image.
Finally Vertex has stereo inputs and outputs on the lower part of the
module. These are a pair of mono 3.5mm jacks marked L and R to make
the stereo pair, as per the eurorack standard. If you wish to use a signal
on a stereo 3.5mm TRS cable be sure to break it out into individual L
and R signals before patching into the Vertex.
The L input is normalled to the R, so if you patch to L and leave R
unpatched the signal will go to both outputs, allowing you to make
stereo patches from a mono source.
Vertex Controls:
Gain
The Gain control sets the baseline Gain of both L and R signal VCAs in
the Vertex. When fully counterclockwise no signal passes through,
when fully clockwise the signal can pass through at unity gain,
depending on the settings of the Skew control.
Turn this control up for manual control if you want your patch to
drone, or you’d like a baseline amount of signal to pass through when
the other controls aren’t being used.
Gain CV Amount
This control sets the amount that the voltage present at the Gain CV
input passes through to the signal VCAs. When the control is fully
counterclockwise no signal passes through, with the control at 12
o’clock a 10V envelope will fully open the VCAs, with the control fully
clockwise a 5V envelope will fully open the VCAs.
The extended range of the Gain CV control, combined with the choice
of the VCAs used in this design, allows for some interesting creative
patching. The 3320 VCAs used were chosen among other reasons for
their characteristic
of having their
maximum gain being
capped at
approximately unity.
As the CV amount
increases past the
point where unity
gain is achieved, the
amount of gain no
longer increases. Overdriving the CV has the result of clipping the CV
shape, for example changing the response of an envelope from an AD
shape to an AHD shape. Unlike overdriving audio using a VCA that has
gain greater than unity, this doesn’t result in unpleasant distortion of
your signal and can be used in interesting creative ways in combination
with the Skew controls, to get two different envelope shapes from a
single envelope.
The Gain CV Amount adds to (or subtracts from) the Gain control.
Skew
Skew controls the amount of CV from the Gain and Gain CV controls to
the audio VCAs. At its most basic level this can be thought of similarly
to a pan or balance control, as it will skew the level of the stereo signal
to the left or the right. With Skew positioned at 12 O’Clock the stereo
image is evenly balanced between left and right, moving
counterclockwise increases the left level and decreases the right, and
vice versa.
Skew CV Amount
The Skew CV Amount control is an attenuvertor which adds or
subtracts the CV present at the Skew CV input to the Skew control. As
an attenuvertor the amount is zero when the control is at 12 O’Clock,
increasing as the control is turned clockwise and increasing an inverted
voltage as the control is moved counterclockwise.
The Skew CV can be used at a basic level as a voltage controlled
balance or pan, at any rate from DC all the way to audio rates, as the
control is 100% analogue. However there are more advanced uses also.
As mentioned in the Gain section above, the choice of VCAs used in the
design of Vertex allows the CV amount to be clipped at unity gain,
which means the Skew controls can dynamically alter the shape of an
envelope stronger than 5V patched to the Gain CV input. This allows
you to skew the stereo image of your signal not by increasing the
overall peak to peak level of one side, but by increasing the apparent
hold stage of the envelope going to that side.
When the Skew is balanced to the centre the response of the Left and
Right VCAs is even, so the stereo image stays even.
When the Skew control is to the left the envelope signal going to the
Left VCA is clipped, resulting in an added Hold stage which increases
the apparent loudness of the Left over the Right, Skewing the image to
the left without increasing the peak to peak signal level.
Similarly, moving the Skew control to the right results in an increase in
apparent loudness of the Right signal by clipping the right CV into
having a hold stage without increasing peak to peak level above unity.
All of this control comes from analogue CVs and VCAs and is
dynamically available to change in real time at audio rates, allowing
you to shape the Left and Right envelopes in novel new ways.
Patch ideas:
Stereo Tremolo
Patch a stereo signal to the Left and Right inputs. Set Gain to between
12 O’Clock and 3 O’Clock, then patch an LFO to the Skew CV input.
Adjust Skew CV Amount to around 1 O’Clock to swirl your signal
around the stereo field. Try different LFO shapes for different tremolo
feels.
Voltage controlled panning
Patch a mono signal to the Left input. Turn the Gain control fully up,
now the Skew control acts as a pan pot to move your signal around the
stereo field. Use the Skew CV to pan your signal with control voltage.
Try this using an envelope to the Gain CV input rather than using the
Gain knob to take advantage of Vertex’s ability to shape the envelope
to change the perceived loudness of a stereo signal.
Simultaneous control of two CV signals
Vertex is DC coupled and so can be used to control the amount of CV
signals being used to modulate other modules. If you wanted to use a
single envelope to modulate the amount of an LFO modulating one
thing and a sequence modulating another for example, just patch the
CV signals to be modulated to the Left and Right Inputs and Outputs,
and then send the Envelope to the Gain CV input. Fine control of the
relative amounts of each of the modulated CV signals can be adjusted
with the Skew control. Try modulating Skew CV with another
modulation source to get even more complex and interesting CV
modulation happening.
Simultaneous control of XY signals to Oscilloscope or Laser
Vertex makes controlling the amplitude of XY signals simple, for polar
amplitude modulation or level control. Try modulating the amplitude
of a sine/cosine pair with a synced audio rate signal for interesting
polar modulations.
Vertex has a matte black panel which we think looks great, but over
time it may develop an inconsistent finish due to oils from your hands
collecting on the panel. To clean simply use a soft cloth and a little
isopropyl alcohol and your module will look good as new.
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