We have a lot of modules that languish in prototype for a long time. Sinc Bucina was one of these. SB started life several years ago when Stephen just wanted to make a low-pass gate because they’re cool (obviously). The first version didn’t really do much, though, so it sat on a shelf. September 2016 saw the passing of Don Buchla and reminded us of this module, and we dusted it off. A bit of tweaking and we had some great features.

Use the Ping input for standard LPG behavior: stick a trigger into it, and you get variable release time. However, it’s velocity dependent: a higher voltage trigger opens the gate more, a lower voltage trigger opens the gate less. Run your trigs through an attenuator like the Lapsus Os or Sinc Defero for awesome performability, or through a VCA for sequenced, expressive dynamics.

Next, the Gate input offers slew behavior, meaning it does a lot more than your standard ASR envelope. Run in a voltage sequence and use the Attack and Release controls to smooth things out. And, again, since it’s a slew, even if you’re just using gates you can vary their voltage to create new dynamics.

SB has three modes: A 12db filter slope, a very resonant 6db filter slope, and a VCA mode. SB is technically our first analog filter. It’s based on simple 2164 single-pole low-pass filters. It’s also one of the most aggressive and expressive LPG’s we’ve ever played with. SB is 100% analog, but doesn’t use vactrols (for a whole host of reasons). The envelope section includes a simple model of some of the odd nonlinear behavior that vactrols exhibit so the attack and release times will vary a little based on how they are triggered.

Around the time we fleshed the ideas out for this, we were running low on our old clamping VCA module, the Sinclastic Empulatrix. SE was one of our very first modules, and had a great run, but rather than offer two VCA-type modules in a very similar package (they’re completely different under the hood), we opted to discontinue the former and offer only the new SB. (Watch the blog for more info on the differences between the two in a few weeks!) Basically, we think SB is awesome, and we hope you’ll like it too. Go get it on April 18th!

Want to read up so you’re prepared the second it comes out? Check out the manual and preorder yours on the shop page!