Shapers
VCA
Voltage-controlled amplifier — a volume knob that signals can turn.
Learn about it in Envelopes & VCAs: how notes start and stop
How it works
The output is IN × (Bias + CV × CV Amt). With Bias at 0 the module is silent until something opens it — patch an ADSR into CV to turn a droning VCO into notes. Because it simply multiplies, an audio-rate signal into CV gives ring modulation.
Inputs
| IN | The signal to control. |
|---|---|
| CV | Controls the gain. Usually an ADSR; an LFO gives tremolo. |
Outputs
| OUT | The result. |
|---|
Knobs and switches
| Bias | Base level, even with no CV. Raise it for a drone. |
|---|---|
| CV Amt | How much the CV opens it. |
Lessons that use the VCA
Each one opens as a working patch in the synth.
- 01 · Your First Note
- 02 · Envelopes
- 03 · Subtractive Synthesis
- 04 · Movement with LFOs
- 05 · Mixer: Fat Sounds
- 07 · Clock & Sequencer
- 10 · Space: Delay & Reverb
- 11 · Noise: Wind & Hats
- 12 · FM: Audio-Rate Modulation
- 13 · Drive & Wavefolding
- 14 · Bitcrusher: Lo-Fi
- 15 · Vowel: Make It Talk
- 16 · Chorus, Phaser, Flanger
- 17 · Wavetable & PWM
- 21 · Generative Melodies
- 23 · Slew: Glide Anything
- 24 · Scale/Offset: Signal Surgery
- 25 · Chords & Arpeggios
- 26 · Polyphony: Play Chords
- 29 · Switch: A New Melody Every Bar
- 31 · Turing Machine
- 37 · XY Pad: Play by Touch
- 38 · Lorenz: Chaos
- 41 · Gamepad & Phone Tilt
- 42 · Mic & Envelope Follower
- 47 · Spectrum & Tuner
Words to know
- VCA — A volume control that another signal can turn up and down.