Xaoc Devices Tallin User manual
TALLIN
dual discrete
core voltage
controlled
amplifier
Model of 1956
operator’s manual rev. 1956/1.0
sALuT
Thank you for purchasing this Xaoc Devices
product. Tallin is a dual voltage controlled
unusual control features and a range of at-
tractive tonal characteristics. Each of the two
identical channels offers two simultaneously
available inputs for voltage control over sig-
nal attenuation or gain, with linear and expo-
nential response to CV. Volume control knobs
offer manual gain settings ranging from fully
-
cator displays output signal levels. A soft-clip
circuit avoids harsh clipping distortion, while
a switchable overdrive circuit offers two care-
fully crafted distortion responses, simulating
Since both CV inputs are simultaneously
active, they can be jointly exploited within
patches featuring more complex volume con-
trol that otherwise would require using two
traditional VCAs in series. As the signal path
is DC-coupled, Tallin can also be used for han-
dling the control voltages.
INsTALLATION
The module requires 6hp worth of free space
in the eurorack cabinet. The ribbon type pow-
er cable must be plugged into the bus board,
paying close attention to polarity orientation.
The red stripe indicates the negative 12V
rail and is supposed to match the dot, –12V,
or red stripe marks on both the unit and
the bus board. The module itself is secured
against reversed power connection, however,
reversing the 16-pin header may cause seri-
ous damage to other components of your sys-
tem, because it will short-circuit the +12V and
+5V power rails. The module should be fas-
tened by mounting the supplied screws before
powering up. To better understand the device,
we strongly advise reading through the entire
manual before using the module.
mOduLe OVerVIeW
Tallin consists of two completely independent
but functionally identical channels, aand b
-
transistor pair and multiple feedback topolo-
present in other VCAs that use mathemati-
cally precise and sonically pure integrated
gain cell VCA chips. With Tallin, we opted for a
discrete core, to provide a thick and charming
The signal inputs 1accept Eurorack signal
levels (typically 10Vpp, but capable of handling
-
reserve of up to +18dB. The knobs 2control
the attenuation or gain by scaling the corre-
sponding control voltages. Thus, in a min posi-
tion, they fully silence the channel, regardless of
whatever control voltage is applied to the VCA.
Turning a knob up will gradually open the VCA,
o’clock position (depending on the control volt-
There are two CV inputs in each channel, re-
spectively featuring an exponential 3and
linear 4control response. Both controls
are available simultaneously, and they jointly
determine the gain of the VCA. A CV of 0V at
2
module
explained
3
controls
overview
1
6
2
7
5
3
4
either jack will close the VCA entirely, however
both jacks are internally normalized to a con-
stant voltage, so it is possible to use both, just
is convenient to think of each channel of Tallin
as consisting of two VCAs in series (exponen-
-
nal implementation is a single circuit. Both
CV inputs are optimized for voltages up to 8V,
however they can handle envelopes as hot as
10V, or as low as 5V (although the VCA may
normalization of both CV inputs is set to 8V.
Tallin’s response to combined CV and manual
settings is discussed in next section.
Each channel of Tallin features a 3-position
drive switch 5that selects between the
non-distorted linear operation (switch in mid-
mostly 3rd harmonic distortion (switch in up
-
ing mostly 2nd harmonic distortion (switch in
more details.
output jacks 6. Signals that would exceed
18Vpp are subject to internal soft clipping to
avoid harsh distortions due to the limited dy-
The multi-color LEDs 7indicate output sig-
nal levels in four stages, from silence to the
-
and engaging the soft clipping circuit (by
OPerATING The VOLume cONTrOL
The volume knobs are scaled so that the cen-
tral position yields 0dB, or 100% of original
amplitude, provided there is either nothing
patched to the CV inputs, or there is a control
the central position will engage a boost al-
modular levels. Keep in mind that if the input
is a modular level signal you should expect
soft clipping to engage quickly and provide
a heavy distortion by the end of the knob’s
travel.
The expo input offers an exponential control
of the output amplitude, which means the
amplitude will decrease rapidly as the voltage
-
tivity to sound intensity is nearly exponential,
this exponential input yields a natural sound-
ing loudness decrease when using CV sources
that change linearly in time. Since there is a
in eurorack, the sensitivity of this input can
be adjusted to adapt to the provided control
-
position, and should be turned down to the 10
o’clock position when using a 10V envelope.
Using 10V envelopes without turning down
the knob will result in a severely compressed
response, that delivers a thick, and somewhat
unnatural, sound which can be creatively
abused if that’s your preference. For 5V enve-
lopes, the output will be very quiet. This can
be compensated with the boost range of the
knob, however you may be unable to reach
overdrive levels in this case.
4
two types
of overdrive
applied
to a sine
ASYM
5
control
characteristics
The linear input offers linear control, which
means the output amplitude will scale pro-
exponential envelope, it’s a good idea to use
this input, because it will result in signal am-
plitude that follows the envelope, decaying
towards zero with a natural exponential tail.
Envelopes with amplitude different from 8V
can be easily used here, requiring only a small
adjustment of the knob to compensate.
OVerdrIVe OPerATION
The overdrive circuit in Tallin offers two dis-
tinctive distortion characteristics switchable
via the drive toggles. The upper, symmetric
position activates a bi-polar parabolic distor-
-
a spectrum dominated by 3rd order harmonic
overtone. The resulting slightly brightened
sound is modeled after an overdriven push-
The lower asymmetric position of the switch
activates a distortion curve that is more con-
cave in one direction while it is convex in the
dominated by 2nd order harmonic overtone.
The resulting mellow and warm sound is
modeled after a classic single-ended tube am-
8
0
-8
Output signal [V]
Time [ms]
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-50
-60
-70
-80
MAXBOOST 7 8 91 2 3 5
Gain [dB]
Volume knob position
gain vs volume knob
position with
exponential cv
and linear cv at 8v
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-50
-60
-70
-80
-90
gain vs exponential
control voltage
with linear control
voltage at 8v
Gain [dB]
Exponential control voltage [V]
gain vs linear control
voltage with centered
volume knob
position
Gain [%]
Linear control voltage [V]
8V
6.5V
7V
120
100
80
60
20
0
SYM
mAIN
feATures
Discrete core
analog VCA
circuitry
Simultaneous
linear and expo-
nential voltage
control
DC-coupled for
control voltage
processing
Multi-color signal
level indication
Two distinct
amp overdrive
characteristics
TechNIcAL
deTAILs
Eurorack synth
compatible
6hp, skiff friendly
Current draw:
+50mA / –50mA
Reverse power
protection
EASTERN BLOC TECHNOLOGIES MADE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
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AND TO CONFORM WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS AT THE TIME OF SHIPMENT FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR
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