Low Frequency Expander - V4 Firmware - Yorich Tech

video upload by GEOSynths

"I've made a few Videos with the LFE from Yorich Tech and it's certainly increased in Functions since the first Video. Here I am highlighting a few of the new Functions in V4 Firmware as well as the new Panel for the Sequential Trigon 6.

LFE firmware 4.0. New features added since firmware 3.0 April 2023

New front panel option with OB-X8 style.

Full support added for OB-X8, Trigon 6 and Minilogue XD."

Low Frequency Expander // Increase your synths modulation capabilities

video upload by Starsky Carr

"This can give you 3 complex LFOs, additional envelope, sequencer and arpeggiator plus loads of extra functionality. Well worth a look if you've got a Sequential Prophet or OB-6... or any synth with limited modulation. It can work with anything that accepts MIDI CC.

Email them here Yoricktechltd@gmail.com"

Yorick Tech Adds Polyphonic Modulations & New Panel Designs with Low Frequency Expander 3.0

"Low Frequency Expander 3.0 by Yorick Tech June 2021 Announcing the Low Frequency Expander 3.0, with all-new front panel designs and a major firmware upgrade including polyphonic modulations using MPE for the P6 and OB-6, available from June 2021. The firmware upgrade is free to all users.

The LFE is a standalone, hardware modulation expander that supports the OB-6 and Prophet 6, Rev 4 Prophets 5 and 10, Moog Voyager, Korg Prologue, Nord Wave 2 and a generic ‘CC- Synth’: any device that can be controlled by midi CC messages. It uses midi to provide 3 complex LFOs and a 6-stage envelope – which can also be configured as a 2 to 16-step modulation sequencer – to add considerably more complexity, movement and playability to these amazing synthesizers. It also acts as a 4-slot modulation matrix, allowing you to route velocity, key, aftertouch, mod wheel, CV in (optional) and others to about 50 destinations in the synth (80 with the Nord!)

Selecting a new patch on the synth makes the LFE automatically recall the same-numbered LFE patch from its memory, so the two have their patches locked together. The LFE will display the synth patch’s name and category for Sequential synths. You can select the next (or previous) patch in the same category, stepping through all the Bass patches for example.

New in 3.0
All new front panel designs which are more attractive and with clearer labelling. MPE Midi Polyphonic Expression. For the OB-6 and Prophet 6, the LFE can send modulations to each of the synth’s voices independently, so it will send polyphonic rather than global modulations. Each of the LFE’s 4 modulators on its front panel now operates 7 modulators ‘under the hood’ (1 global and 1 per voice), so the LFE is actually running 7 independent envelope/sequencers and 21 LFOs. As the LFE also allows MPE to work in Poly Chain mode, giving you 12 voices of MPE and 13 envelope/sequencers and 37 LFOs. There are also MPE Spread settings that allow each of the LFOs run at slightly different frequencies and the envelopes to run with slightly different slope times, allowing ‘vintage’ type variations between voices.

Aux midi channel. The LFE can now split its modulations between two different Midi Channels, so you can for example, send LFO 1 and LFO 3 to channel 1 and LFO2 and the envelope to channel 13. You can also set up the LFE to send a new Bank and Program number on the Aux channel every time the LFE changes patch. This allows you to change the Program of an attached FX unit or second synth, to your own choice of Program number, every time the primary synth changes patches. Arpeggiator. The LFE now has an Arpeggiator, primarily for Prophet 5 / 10 and Voyager users. It has Up, Down, Up-Down, Down-Up, Random and Played-Order modes, 1 to 4 octaves, the usual clock sync multipliers and a Key Hold function. There is also a Gate length control, adjustable up to 200%, for overlapping notes.

OLEDs are available in white, blue, green or yellow. Batch 7 starts shipping this month and prices are held despite the global component supply situation."

See the Yorick Tech label below for demos and more.

Low Frequency Expander's Arpeggiator

video by Steve Hunt

"For the Prophet 5 and 10 and other synths that don't have an Arpeggiator, the LFE now has one. It runs off either its own internal clock or from a midi clock. It has the usual Up, Down, Up-down, random and played-order modes. It also has a Down-up mode, 4 octave repeats and the gate length can go up to 200% of the note length so that adjacent notes overlap.

The synth you hear is an OB-6.

Now taking orders for LFE Batch 7 for delivery in June/July 2021.

Yorick Tech Ltd can be reached at yoricktechltd@gmail.com"

Low Frequency Expander using MPE to control OB-6's pitch, sync and filter, changing clock divisions

video by Steve Hunt

"Demo 4 of the LFE using Midi Polyphonic Expression (MPE) to modulate each of the synth's 6 voices independently. This also works for the Prophet 6.
LFO1 square wave controlling pitch of VCO1 and 2 stepping an octave.
LFO2 square wave controlling filter cutoff running at a faster clock multiple.
LFO3 ramp up/tri/ramp down controlling VCO1 frequency, sync making the classic sync sound.
Each LFO is sync'd to the synth's clock and has its own clock divisor so they can make crazy synchronised patterns.
Later I turn on the synth's delay and play with its clock divisor, also sync'd to the same clock.
MPE allows each of these 3 LFOs to run a separate LFO for each of the synth's 6 voices, so that's 3 x 6 = 18 LFOs running together. There's actually an extra set of 3 global LFOs and 7 envelopes that I'm not using in this demo."

Low Frequency Expander using MPE to control OB-6 Part 3: pitch, velocity and aftertouch

video by Steve Hunt

"The Yorick Tech Low Frequency Expander is being used here with MPE (Midi Polyphonic Expression) to control the aftertouch section of the synth, then the pitch bend and then the filter cutoff. MPE allows each of the synth's 6 voices to have its aftertouch, pitch and filter cutoff (or PWM) controlled independently, i.e. POLYPHONICALLY!

The OB6 can assign aftertouch (coming from the LFE via MPE) to the pitch of its VCO(s), loudness, LFO depth, filter cutoff or filter mode. In the first demo here, it is controlling VCO1's frequency, and as the VCOs are synced to VCO2, this gives the characteristic sync sound. The LFE is also multiplying each of its 6 envelopes by velocity, so each voice gets a different amount of sync envelope depending on each note's velocity.

The second part of this demo uses MPE to control the pitch bend of each of the synth's 6 voices. I'm using it here with 6 LFOs to generate vibrato, again multiplied by polyphonic velocity to give vibrato with each note having slightly different vibrato rates and depths controlled by its velocity.

The third part of the demo uses the MPE 'Y-channel' which the synth can assign to filter cutoff or PWM. Here it is being used to control filter cutoff, again with velocity affecting each of the LFE's 6 sawtooth LFOs so that each note can have different LFO depth.

This will all do the same with a Prophet 6.

This is an excerpt of a song of mine called 'Did we do the right thing?'

There's still a lot of work for me to do to be able to release this to LFE customers so this is just a taster of things to come for the LFE!"

See the Yorick Tech label below for more.

OB-6 controlled by POLYPHONIC LFE using MPE part 2: sequencer, spread and PWM

video by Steve Hunt

"This demonstrates the Yorick Tech Low Frequency Expander using MPE to control each of the synth's six voices independently. First using six 16-step sequencers to control each voice's filter cutoff separately. Second showing 6 LFOs controlling the filters but also showing the use of the MPE spread parameter to give each of the LFOs a slightly different frequency. Third, showing 6 LFOs this time modulating the pulse width of the synth's voices, again with and without the spread applied. Incredibly rich PWM from 6 LFOs, each with a different rate."

Part 1 here

OB-6 controlled by POLYPHONIC LFE using MPE

video by Steve Hunt

"I'm working on implementing MPE in the Yorick Tech Low Frequency Expander. Normally the LFE's modulations are Global (monophonic), but MPE allows them to be truly polyphonic with 6 independent additional envelopes.

The demo shows the LFE's 6-stage envelopes controlling the OB6's filter cutoff polyphonically. This frees up the synth's ADSR to do something completely different. After a few seconds, I turn up the X-mod so that the synth's ADSR starts controlling VCO1's frequency. The OB6 now has three independent polyphonic envelope generators!

There's still a lot of work for me to do to be able to release this to LFE customers so this is just a taster of things to come for the LFE! Three Polyphonic LFOs next..."

Yorick Tech Low Frequency Expander LFE

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via this auction

"Design matched Sequential OB-6, but works for Prophet 6 and can be used for other MIDI synths too.

Display works perfectly but was hard to photograph without looking weird. It looks the way it should in person."

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Low Frequency Expander 2.0 by Yorick Tech

"Announcing the Low Frequency Expander 2.0, a major firmware upgrade, free to all users, available from December 2020.

The LFE is a standalone, hardware modulation expander that supports the OB-6 and Prophet 6, Korg Prologue, Nord Wave 2 and a generic ‘CC-Synth’: any midi device that can be controlled by midi CC messages. It uses midi to provide 3 complex global LFOs and a 6-stage envelope – which can also be configured as an 2 to 16-step modulation sequencer – to add considerably more complexity, movement and playability to these amazing synthesizers. It also acts as a 4-slot modulation matrix, allowing you to route velocity, key, aftertouch, mod wheel or CV in (optional) to about 50 destinations in the synth (80 with the Nord!)

Simply selecting a new patch on the synth makes the LFE automatically recall the same- numbered LFE patch from its memory, so the two have their patches locked together. You can select the next (or previous) patch in the same category, stepping through all of the Bass patches for example.

New in 2.0
Support for the Rev 4 Prophets 5 and 10, and Moog Voyager. CC-Synth and any two synths are included free; others are extra cost.

Internal midi clock for controlling the LFE and external devices.

The synth’s patch names can now be read and displayed by the LFE, so if you edit patches using for example Sound Tower, the LFE can get these directly form the synth even though the synth itself can’t display them.

Release Aftertouch (RAT) allows you to fix an aftertouch value just before releasing the last note and hold that value until the next note is played. This can be used in a similar way to release velocity, which is sadly only generated by a few keyboards. RAT lets you, for example, increase Release times or increase FX depth just by giving the keys a quick press before releasing them.
The LFE now supports Poly Chaining using any keyboard as master and any synth as slave. The LFE handles all of the note sharing so the attached keyboards simply remain in their normal mode.

You can limit the number of voices played, add a second Sub Voice like a sub oscillator but at any pitch, and can add a velocity offset to the sub voice, so that for example, a second voice a 5th higher comes in only when played with more velocity."

The Beast Synthesizer from Yorick Tech

Steve Hunt

"I own Yorick Tech Ltd, maker of the Low Frequency Expander (LFE) for OB-6 and Prophet 6. [see here] This is a prototype / test bed for a mono synth project which will be a cut-down version of this, using the best bits. Possible poly version too....

Mostly my own design, including clones or designs inspired by various vintage synths, including 3 Oakley filters.

2 x CEM 3340 VCOs, one with supersaw and one with double-wavefolder. Each has its own PWM LFO and pitch ADSR and sub oscillator.

LFO3 is from the LFE and contains a hidden LFO, sampling the main LFO but with clever synchronisation so that patterns repeat in a musical way.

Ring modulator.

6 ADSRs (2 miniMoog clones, 2 digital and 2 CEM) and 7 LFOs, many VCAs including 2 mixers and stereo panning for each mixer.

4 filters:
Oberheim SEM doubled to give 12 or 24dB slope.
Roland SH-1 based filter, again with 12 or 24dB.
904a Moog Modular clone
miniKorg Traveller-based design

Filters can be set in series, parallel and are fed from the 2 mixers as 2 pairs.

Spring reverb.

4x5 mod matrix.

Midi or CV in"

Korg Prologue controlled by Low Frequency Expander for extra modulations

Published on Mar 18, 2020 Steve Hunt

"The Yorick Tech Low Frequency Expander (LFE) is designed primarily for the Sequential / DSI OB-6 and Prophet 6 synthesizers, but it can now also control the Korg Prologue - another synth with relatively few modulation sources. The LFE adds 3 complex LFOs and a complex 6-stage envelope generator which can also be used as a 2 to 16 step sequencer. This is a simple demo of what the LFE can add to a few of the Prologue's factory patches. Not trying to be remotely musical here, just showing some of the extra modulation abilities on offer.

1. Runner Brass. Two slow LFOs modulating VCO1 and VCO2 shapes giving a very rich sound, envelope modulating filter resonance so each note starts without resonance, another (fast) LFO modulating filter frequency but only brought in with increasing velocity.

2. June Pad. Chorus speed controlled with envelope so it speeds up through the note then slows down. Reverb off during note but then full depth after note released.

3. In my dream. Velocity and LFE's envelope modulating Xmod depth, velocity modulating timbre balance reducing the level of the 'tinkle' with more velocity. LFO 3 comes in after about 2 seconds with a repeating pattern modulating the filter frequency, then I change the pattern type.

4. Solid Bass. Complex envelope modulating filter freq , LFO1 modulating VCO1 shape to give more richness, LFO2 is a key-triggered saw wave modulating Osc3 shape which gives a dark beat, LFO3 does the same with resonance giving a ching-ching beat with increasing velocity.

5. Opal mine. 7-step sequencer controlling filter frequency, filter freq and res controlled by LFO 2 and 3 giving the flutter effect, velocity controlling the Korg's LFO rate.

6. ReeseFlux. Envelope controlling the Korg's LFO rate and the depth of LFO1's sine wave which is modulating filter drive. LFOs 2 and 3 are modulating resonance and filter freq which come in after a few seconds.

8. Sherbet. Longer sequence modulating filter freq, LFO2 modulating Osc3 shape with velocity, LFO3 modulating filter res.

9. Raid rush. Envelope modulating filter env depth, velocity controlling the Korg's amp envelope's Attack time, LFO 2 modulating Osc3 level with a saw wave, LFO3 controlling filter freq.

10. Sparkle. Envelope controlling Osc 3 shape, 3 LFOs coming in after a del and/or fade to modulate filter frequency and VCO1 shape.

11. Poly spread. Complex envelope controlling filter freq and 3 LFOs coming in after delays to modulate 2 VCO shapes and filter env depth, one with just 3 cycles.

14. Cinematica. Envelope controlling Osc3 shape, filter freq controlled by a delayed stepped wave from LFO1, LFO2 modulating resonance, LFO3 brought in by velocity to affect VCO2 Octave giving the repeating beat pattern."

Low Frequency Expander showing patch names and categories for Prophet 6 and OB-6

Published on Feb 18, 2020 Steve Hunt

"The LFE now stores patch names and categories. Each time a patch is selected on the synth, the LFE will display the name and category.

You can also step through all the patches in a particular category e.g. Lead so you can find a patch easily without having to memorise all 1000 patch names and categories.

Yorick Tech Ltd
contact yoricktechltd@gmail.com"

New Prophet-6 Styled LOW FREQUENCY EXPANDER by Yorick Tech

Yorick Tech, makers of the LOW FREQUENCY EXPANDER for the Sequential OB-6 and Prophet-6, have a newly skinned version with the look and feel of the Prophet-6. The previous version had the look and feel of the OB-6. See the Yorick Tech label for previous posts including demos.

Note this is a product from Steve Hunt's Yorick Tech and not associated with Sequential. This is an aftermarket product.

Update: the manual below has been updated as well.

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ob-6 low frequency expander

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via this auction

Designed by Steve Hunt.

You can find some demos here.

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Low Frequency Expander - Demo of first 10 OB-6 factory patches with and without LFE

Published on Sep 8, 2019 Steve Hunt

"Low Frequency Expander - Demo of first 10 OB-6 factory patches with and without LFE"

OB-6 Low Frequency Expander

Published on Jul 29, 2019 Joseph McGinty

"Just received the Low Frequency Expander for the OB-6 (and Prophet 6) and doing some experimentation. Here, LFO 1 controls filter frequency, LFO 2 controls resonance and LFO 3 controls distortion amount. The envelope adds a subtle scoop in pitch to Osc 2. This module adds an incredible amount of flexibility to the OB-6. Thanks, Steve Hunt!"

Yorick Tech LOW FREQUENCY EXPANDER for OB-6 or Prophet 6 Manual

Click the images to view or print. See this post for some demos.

Text follows:

"LOW FREQUENCY EXPANDER For OB-6 or Prophet 6 By Yorick Tech

Introduction

Thanks for buying this Low Frequency Expander (LFE). I bought my OB-6 in February 2019 and loved the sound and build quality but quickly found it really lacked modulation possibilities. It’s got just one LFO, which is global (affects all 6 voices together), and lets you share the filter envelope to modulate a limited number of destinations. You can also use VCO 2 as a polyphonic (per-voice) LFO, but you lose a precious VCO by doing this. What I needed was a way of adding a number of extra modulators and to be able to route them to a lot more destinations. So I developed the Low Frequency Expander!

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Costs & Timeframe for the Low Frequency Expander for the OB-6 & Prophet-6

If you are interested in Steve Hunt's Low Frequency Expander for the OB-6 & Prophet-6, he has provided some costs and a timeframe for development. You can find it in the second update of this post (scroll down to Update2 in red when you get there). There are also two new demo videos in the playlist at the top of the post.

Low Frequency Expander for OB-6. Demo of LFO 2.

Published on Apr 14, 2019 Steve Hunt

"Demo of LFO2. LFO1 is identical. SHIFT button lets me change the waveshape. For Tri and Sin, it changes the symmetry so it moves from saw up through tri (or sin) to saw down. With the ramp up and down, it changes the shape from exponential up, through linear to exponential down. For square it changes the pulse width. For the Step waveform, SHIFT determines how many steps there are. (Using a negative Amount will make the steps go down rather than up). For Random it changes the timebase, so the pulses occur more randomly as well as having random levels. For slew, it changes the slew rate between steps. For Walk, it changes the walking step size."