"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.
