Eurorack SEM filter comparisons

video upload by John Schussler

"Looking at several eurorack clones of the Oberheim SEM filter, including:

Doepfer A-106-5 SEM type VCF
God's Box Humpback
Studio Electronics SEM
Plankton Electronics Spice VCF
Bubblesound Dual SEM20"

Eurorack SEM Filter comparison - session 2

video upload by John Schussler

"This comparison is low pass only. It would take far too long to compare (in what I view as a useful way) every output and mode, so this is it for now.

In theory they're all based on the SEM circuitry, but some do have alterations.
I'm less concerned with "purity" or adherence to the "original" sound as I am with how good they sound period.

Source VCO is an Acid Rain chainsaw. Envelope is Zadar. Sequencer is Pittsburgh Modular microSequence.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Dry
02:57 Resonance
07:43 Input gain
15:57 Knobbage"

Also see SEM vs SEM - November 2023 edition

GOD's BOX Humpback // Multimode Eurorack filter with BAGS of character!

Published on Oct 18, 2019 DivKidVideo

"Here we have a newly re-panelled version of the Humpback filter from GOD's BOX. This is an 8HP SEM style multimode filter with a 2 pole response across the individual low, band and high pass + notch outputs. The input level can drive the filter for that lovely harmonic 'burn' and the two CV inputs affect the cut off with attenuators. It responds well to audio rate modulation for YOI bass, glottal overtones and odd pinged hits. The resonance is severely "hot rodded" beyond the normal SEM inspired filters giving a wide range of soft and warm bass to all out chaotic screams. I stumbled upon a weird way to create distance concrete car park reverb trails in your kick drums too. So skip around below and if you have any clue what's happening with that odd reverb I managed to create - let me know.

More info - http://bit.ly/godshumpback
https://www.thonk.co.uk for all your synth DIY needs.

TIMING INDEX // SECTIONS

00:00 Hello and patch previews

00:56 What is Humpback? Feature run down

RAW SOUND DEMOS
01:53 Low Pass
02:26 Band Pass
02:42 High Pass
02:57 Notch

03:09 Acidic resonance, envelope modulation and key tracking

04:08 Feedback patching for BEAUTIFUL distortion. Bandpass output into the CV input.

04:48 Kick drums synthesis

06:10 Noise injection for weird distant ‘car park’ reverb

06:48 Tone shaping noise

7:00 The secret to sounding like frying bacon spitting all over the hob!

07:40 Filtered FX trails & feedback for beautiful run away echoes.

09:13 Saturated filter action! With mixed stepped random and envelope modulation. Plus a lovely compressed reverb trail with Lollipop.

11:18 Audio rate modulation - filter formants, glottal tone shaping and all the YOI you can shake a stick at.

12:48 A trip to the west coast with filter pings, sequences and audio rate modulation.

15:05 Notch output phaser-like modulations


*** This video is sponsored by THONK.co.uk. They have funded the production of this DEMO video, but had no input on the content both in what was said or the patches made and recorded. Thank you to THONK for their continued support. Any questions about sponsorship please just ask. *** "

Folktek Mescaline Eurorack sidechain jam

Published on Aug 28, 2019 While We Were Sleeping

"A jam in two parts recorded a few weeks back.

I had my Folktek Mescaline in my second Eurorack case, that is yet to be filled and had plenty of free space, this was never meant as a permanent solution and ended up a very short one as my case has 2 rows and the Mescaline really needs 3 for the dupont patch cables to get from one Mescaline module to another. I also love the small rack provided by Folktek for the Mescaline.
I ended up only using Channel and Motion as they were above each other.
I also recently finished building the God's box Lollipop compressor so thought it would be fun to add Sidechain compression to Channel.
Motion is clocked by Malekko Varigate 8+ (I mistakenly put Channel in the video captions, sorry for the confusion)
Malekko Varigate 8+ is sequencing the rest of the modules (list below).
The second video has some pops/clicks, this is because I recorded directly to my iPhone using a USB Camera Adapter & zoom USB interface, shame.
In both videos, I am using the Varigate mute function to bring parts in and out but this is especially obvious in the second part where I am funckying up the bass line.

Eurorack Modules:
Folktek Mescaline (Channel and Motion)
God's box Lollipop compressor
Malekko Varigate 8+
Hexinverter Mutant Drums (Bassdrum, Clap, Snare)
Audio damage Mad Hatter + bastl skis
Noise Engineering Basimilus Iteritas Alter
DinSync VCF303
DinSync OSC303"

Loose Fruit build & demo

Published on Aug 21, 2019 Synth Diy Guy

"Building the full kit of the cool Loose Fruit Eurorack module from God’s box!

Get yours at Thonk: https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/loosefruit/"

Loose Fruit demo

GOD's BOX Loose Fruit (a unique and inspiring dual eurorack waveshaper)

Published on Nov 30, 2018 DivKidVideo

"**TIMING INDEX BELOW** So here's my fulsome demo of the new Loose Fruit from GOD's BOX. For some reason I keep saying stage rather than state for the two main controls, they mustn't teach us to read in Yorkshire. Loose Fruit is a dual channel / dual state wave shaper that inspires exploration and experimenting with your patching. Stereo operation, series or parallel processing, modulation (audio rate yay!), cross fading, processing audio or CV it takes to whatever you throw to it nicely.

www.godsbox.co.uk
Available at https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/loosefruit/

TIMING INDEX // SECTIONS

00:11 Patch previews

01:08 Feature run down and basic sound/function demo

05:30 Drones & addressing states, pitch shifts/harmonics and modulation

07:35 Parallel processing two different waves at different pitches. This also covers the crossfader, making dry/wet blends and stereo processing.

10:49 Series processing, input to state 1 then state 1 output to state 2 for more processing

13:06 Processing granular loops (reversed piano) and using Loose Fruit to create “distant noise memories” while trying to make Hainbach love me through the sounds I’ve created.

16:16 Processing CV to create new complex, infinitely more interesting CV modulation signals.

20:07 Processing drums and using other modules with Loose Fruit to create melodies & textures from drum sounds.

23:56 Exploring Feedback both with static waves and melodies.

27:34 Audio rate modulation over all CV inputs.

31:41 Outro waffle and with a crunchy little beat."

GOD's BOX Lollipop - FET & Vactrol/Opto based compressor for Eurorack

Published on Nov 30, 2018 DivKidVideo

"**TIMING INDEX / SECTIONS BELOW** Here's the lovely sounding FET and Opto (vactrol) based compressor from GOD's BOX called 'Lollipop'. It has a great input/output gain stage and some nice drive and saturation when pushed. You get control of threshold, ratio, attack and release with external CV input and level for side chain (works well with audio or just triggers) and CV input and level control for threshold. Take this video as a tutorial and series of ideas on how to make use of a compressor, there's some production tips in the video that will hopefully help people get the most out of any compressor, but of course grab a Lollipop it sounds great and I want another one! :)

New shiny GOD's BOX site - http://godsbox.co.uk
Available from - https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/lollipop/

Note - all the examples here are a bit more heavy handy with compression than you may want to use them. That's purely as demoing a compressor over YouTube is really hard, so I wanted to make sure things were as obvious as possible while also showing the range of the device.

TIMING INDEX / SECTIONS

00:19 Patch previews // what’s to come in the video

01:09 Quick verbal feature run down and look at the panel

01:50 DivKid’s school of audio compression - a quick primer on compression and the common controls

03:18 Compressing beats - compression demo and look at CV over threshold for dynamic / random modulation. This also look at parallel blends aka New York Compression.

08:18 Sidechain compression - ducking a bass against a kick MEGA PUMPING!

11:29 Sidechaining / ducking fully wet FX against their dry sounds - production tip for bigger FX sounds that don’t swamp the raw sound. I do this with a big reverb and a delay in this example.

14:11 Creating a “ducking delay” (see patch above, but at this point it moves to the delay instead of the reverb).

15:04 ABUSING THE LOLLIPOP - distortion, saturation and extreme compression. Looking at the in/out gain stages as well as heavy compression.

17:58 Transient Designer style functions - Compressing raw tones, much like an SPL transient designer - using the Lollipop to reshape the attack/sustain portions of a snare drum.

19:23 Compressing a guitar - Fender Telecaster (50s style for those that care, with rusty strings too they’re not from the 50s though). Both tight slappy/smacky funk and more subtle dynamic control.

21:07 Compressing a full mix - both subtle low ratio settings to add weight and control to a mix and more extreme control in parallel as a thickener."

GOD's BOX Loose Fruit *FIRST PATCH* (dual waveshaping goodness)

Published on Nov 15, 2018 DivKidVideo

"Here's my 'first patch' video with the new Loose Fruit dual wave shaper eurorack module from GOD's BOX. Going into it I was expecting great things as I love the Humpback filter and Loose Fruit certainly delivers. I'll have a full demo coming soon but for now enjoy this stereo (the two outs are hard left and right through independent LPGs) patch..."

God’s Box - Humpback - Eurorack VCF

God's Box - Humpback - Eurorack VCF from thonk on Vimeo.

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/humpback/

"A full DIY kit for a 2-pole multimode filter reminiscent of the classic ‘SEM’ style state variable VCF. Special features include a hot rodded resonance circuit and increased frequency range."

"The God’s Box ‘Humpback’ kit is produced exclusively in collaboration with Thonk.

This kit includes everything you need to build the module apart from tools and solder. The module is 8hp wide and is skiff friendly; 38mm deep. The kit is packed to the same high standards customers have come to expect from all Thonk kits.

Contents
Aluminium 8hp Eurorack panel – High Quality two colour Aluprint process
Red PCBs with ENIG gold traces
All electronic components required including matched transistor pair
Genuine and new/unused Rochester CA3080AE chips
Knobs, power cable, M3 rack screws
Description
The Humpback multimode voltage controlled filter is a 2-pole, CA3080 based implementation of the classic state variable architecture. The controls of the filter are as follows:

Filter cutoff – a hardwired DC voltage frequency control
CV inputs – two frequency CV inputs are included on the panel and controlled by attenutators.
Outputs – lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch are available simultaneously
Signal input – one signal input is available on the panel
Resonance-resonance control is included and is hot-rodded to allow self-oscillation. In self oscillation the filter will produce a sine wave output."

Sound Diary #8 - Feedback Paths

Published on Jan 27, 2016 DivKidVideo

"Here's some fun I was having with a simple repetitive sequencing playing into the Make Noise - Echophon. I'm using the GOD's BOX Humpback filter in band pass mode in the feedback path of the Echophon to create some sweeping resonant feedback trails."

God's Box Humpback meets Akemie

Published on Oct 9, 2015 vcoadsr

"Eurorack modular jam/experiment seeing how the 'Humpback' SEM-style filter by God's Box plays with a digital input oscillator, in this case the ALM Busy Circuits Akemie's Castle."

Akemie's dub modular playtime

Published on Oct 7, 2015 vcoadsr

"Dub-techno-esque eurorack modular jam using ALM Busy Circuits Akemie's Castle for chord stab duties, into the fantastic Humpback SEM filter by God's Box.
Other Akemie's output into a low pass gate in Makenoise's QMMG.
Kick courtesy of Dinky's Taiko and percussion from Tiptop Audio's HATS909 & MA808.
Everything into a Mackie Onyx 1220i with plenty of Roland RE-301 and Eventide Space."

New Maker GOD's BOX - Humpback Eurorack Module

God's Box - 'Humpback' 8hp Multimode Filter - Heavy Resonance demo

God's Box - 'Humpback' 8hp Multimode Filter - Heavy Resonance demo from thonk on Vimeo.

http://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/humpback/

"A quick prototype demo of the forthcoming 'Humpback' analogue multimode filter which goes on sale at www.thonk.co.uk on 17th July 2015

An 8hp DIY Eurorack module from a brand new company - God's Box.

This video focuses on some of the more extreme resonance effects possible with this filter."

And an overview video by Divkid:



Published on Jul 29, 2015 DivKidMusic

This appears to be the first GOD's BOX post on MATRIXSYNTH.

"Available exclusively from Thonk - http://www.thonk.co.uk here's the new Humpback SEM style multimode filter from new company GOD's BOX.

CLICK TO SKIP TO EACH PART -

00:13 Features and Sound
04:31 Sequenced High Pass
06:51 Low Pass Bass
08:38 Pitch / Key Tracking
11:05 Notch Output Phaser FX
12:16 Audio Rate Modulation
15:34 Chord Swells

Hit like and subscribe for more videos every week and check the Patreon link below to see how you can support my channel.

http://www.patreon.com/divkid"

via Thonk:

"The God’s Box ‘Humpback’ kit is produced exclusively in collaboration with Thonk.

This kit includes everything you need to build the module apart from tools and solder. The module is 8hp wide and is skiff friendly; 38mm deep. The kit is packed to the same high standards customers have come to expect from all Thonk kits.

Contents
Aluminium 8hp Eurorack panel – High Quality two colour Aluprint process
Red PCBs with ENIG gold traces
All electronic components required including matched transistor pair
Genuine and new/unused Rochester CA3080AE chips
Knobs, power cable, M3 rack screws
Description
The Humpback multimode voltage controlled filter is a 2-pole, CA3080 based implementation of the classic state variable architecture. The controls of the filter are as follows:

Filter cutoff – a hardwired DC voltage frequency control
CV inputs – two frequency CV inputs are included on the panel and controlled by attenutators.
Outputs – lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch are available simultaneously
Signal input – one signal input is available on the panel
Resonance-resonance control is included and is hot-rodded to allow self-oscillation. In self oscillation the filter will produce a sine wave output."