Pittsburgh Modular Waveforms

A wide range, high quality, complex VCO designed to be the core of a modern, analog synthesizer. The Waveforms module offers a full complement of standard waveforms including sine, triangle, saw, and pulse waves in addition to a sub octave generator and a unique modulatable blade wave. The oscillator offers 5 octaves of 1 volt per octave tracking, and a frequency range starting as low as 7 seconds per cycle, allowing it to double as an LFO. Additional features include oscillator reset for hard syncing, attenuated linear or exponential FM input, pulse width, and pulse width CV input.

• Excellent Logarithmic Conformance
• Temperature Compensated 1 Volt Per Octave Operation
• Multiple Simultaneous Waveform Outputs
• Sawtooth Wave Based Oscillator Circuit
• Unique Modulatable Blade Waveform
• Modulatable Square Wave Sub Oscillator
• Linear and Exponential Frequency Modulation
• PWM Input: 5% to 95%
• Hard Sync Input
• LFO Below Audio Frequency Operation

The centerpiece of our 2nd generation oscillator is the extreme amount of modulation options available. Frequency modulation is switchable between linear and exponential and pulse width modulation is augmented with a manual pulse width control in addition to a dedicated pulse width cv input attenuator.

The sub oscillator is a CMOS based square wave pitched one octave below the core frequency of the oscillator. It can be controlled using the pulse width controls to create 2 distinct effects. Using the pulse width CV input and attenuator creates a unique pulse width modulation effect. Adjusting the manual pulse width control sets the range of the modulation. Setting the pulse width range control to the extreme left or right creates a gate effect on the sub oscillator allowing it to be switched on and off within the oscillator.

The blade wave is a saw wave pitched one octave above the core frequency of the oscillator. What makes the blade wave unique is how many modulation options are available at the same time.

The shape of the blade wave can be controlled using the pulse width CV input and attenuator creating a sweeping or chorus effect on the wave. The manual pulse width control can be used to manually sweep the blade wave. When used in combination with the pulse width CV input and attenuator, the manual pulse width control sets the positive or negative starting point of the pulse width CV input and attenuator.

In addition to the pulse width controls, the blade wave has a dedicated modulation CV input and attenuator. Using the blade CV input and attenuator creates a shifting or pulsing effect.

The third option for blade wave modulation is the most extreme. The wave shape of the modulation source plugged into the Blade In jack directly defines the overall shape of the blade wave. Using a low frequency modulation source creates a square wave amplitude modulation effect. Using an audio rate modulation source creates waveshaping effects similar to ring modulation.

Using any combination of the 3 modulation sources produces a living, breathing, evolving waveform that is still capable of tracking 1 volt per octave.

Waveforms Controls:

Coarse and Fine Tune Frequency Controls - Full range sweeping coarse tune and limited range fine tune knobs.

Pulse Width Modulation CV In - Pulse width modulation CV input attenuator.

Pulse Width Modulation Control - Adjusts the width of the Pulse waveform.

Frequency Modulation (FM) CV In - Attenuated CV input can be switched between exponential and linear response.

Blade Wave Modulation CV In - Attenuated CV input controls the amount of blade waveform modulation.

Oscillator Patch Points:

• 1V/O IN - One volt per octave CV input.
• RESET IN - Oscillator reset Gate input.
• BLADE IN - Blade wave manipulation input. PWM IN - Pulse width modulation CV input. SUB WAVE OUT - Sub Oscillator wave output.
• SINE WAVE OUT - Sine wave output.
• TRIANGLE WAVE OUT - Triangle wave output.
• BLADE WAVE OUT - Blade wave output.
• PULSE WAVE OUT - Pulse wave output.

Size: 10hp
Module depth with ribbon cable attached: 36.5mm
Power Usage: 25mA