Moog Spectravox

• Vocoder or filter bank mode
• 10 frequency bands (lowpass, 8x bandpass, highpass)
• VCA CV input per frequency band
• Envelope follower CV output for each frequency band
• Carrier oscillator with sawtooth/rectangle with PWM waveforms
• Noise generator
• variable resonance
  
• manual spectral shift
• Shift LFO
  
• Decay envelope for the VCA
  
• 16 audio, CV, Gate inputs & outputs
  
• XLR combo socket with gain control
• Line output with large jack on the rear panel
  
• Same format as Mother-32, Subharmonicon, DFAM
  
• Can be installed in a Eurorack modular system (60HP, 450mA)
  
• incl. Preset overlays, power supply & 5 patch cables
  

What is the sound here?

The signal to be processed is connected to the two program inputs (3.5mm mono jack / XLR combo socket). In most cases, this is a microphone to distort the voice, but a line signal is also possible. The signal to be analyzed passes through the ten frequency bands (lowpass, 8x bandpass, highpass), which are equipped with their own envelope followers and VCAs; in addition, the intensity of each frequency band and the resonance of all bands can be adjusted. It gets even more exciting if you swap the envelope followers and VCAs, be sure to try it out! Part of the synthesis process is the carrier oscillator, which can be switched between sawtooth and square with adjustable pulse width and has a noise generator that can be mixed in. Spectral Shift can be used to animate the bands; this can be done manually, via control voltage and with the internal shift LFO. Here, certain bands are emphasized or attenuated on the fly. The last element in the signal path is a VCA with decay envelope. If required, the VCA can be bypassed using a toggle switch.

From robots for robots

The Spectravox can also be used as a stand-alone synthesizer. Thanks to its architecture, it can produce sounds that only very few synths on the market can produce in this form. Lively drones, multi-resonant sounds, growling basses in the medium frequency range and psychedelic textures can be generated by the Spectravox on its own. Do you know the talking drums from Members or Mayday Sonic Empire or the Transformers intro from Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock? This vocoder can do that and more! As a vocal effect, analog Vocoder is still a highlight. Use a string sound from a polyphonic synthesizer instead of the internal oscillator and the result takes you in a completely different direction. The semi-open structure with the patchable filter bands and the 16 side inputs and outputs for CV, Gate and audio offer enormous potential for sound research. The possibilities offered by Spectravox range from classic Kraftwerk vocoding to barely heard sound bending. Like the Mother-32, DFAM and Subharmonicon, the Spectravox can also be removed from its case and inserted into a Eurorack case, where it takes up 60 HP.