München, Germany – Having turned heads, opened ears, and blown musical minds with a successful showcase at Winter NAMM, high-quality synthesizer developer Radikal Technologies is proud to announce availability of its RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR — an advanced DSP-driven Eurorack-compatible oscillator module that, goes far beyond the realms of standard oscillator fare. Thanks to two oscillators that can both build swarms of (up to eight) oscillator “clones” capable of being pitched in musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes, dutifully backed by having all parameter settings savable as interpolatable snapshots, enabling even more radical results.
A dictionary definition of swarm typically reads: a large number of things (oscillators in the case of the RT-311). The RT-311, when switched to its highest SWARM setting, sees a maximum of 16 oscillator “clones” running simultaneously. When building swarms of oscillator clones using both OSCILLATOR 1 and OSCILLATOR 2 banks’ specialized set of TUNE, OCTAVES, DENSITY, SPREAD, and DETUNE controls to create pitched musical intervals, chords, clusters, or fat detunes, you don’t necessarily mean that all 16 of those clones have to sound simultaneously.
Switched into Manual-Mode of operation, the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR can function much like any other Eurorack-compatible all-analogue oscillator out there with OSCILLATOR 1 and OSCILLATOR 2 respectively appearing at the two (OUT 1 and OUT 2) outputs as sound sources for further manipulation elsewhere. In this scenario, the sound of the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR module matches exactly what would be expected from the potentiometer-controlled parameter positions on its 32 HP (Horizontal Pitch) sized front panel; putting yet more controls at adventurous users’ fingertips.
Both banks of oscillators feature WAVE controls for smooth transitions between waveforms and TLM (Timelinearity Modulation), a variation of pulse-width modulation, known from Radikal Technologies’ SPECTRALIS 2 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER/BEATMATRIX/FILTERBANK desktop hybrid that can be applied to all waveforms, while exponential FM (Frequency Modulation) and linear FM modulation or PM (Phase Modulation) are also available alongside oscillator synchronization.
Pitch is, of course, controlled by the (calibrated) 1V/OCT input which can be quantized so that only pitches of a certain tone sequence or scale are output. Other operational modes make more radical results really shine through. Switching Snapshot-Mode into play permits the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR to store up to eight memory setups, each with eight snapshots, saving all oscillator settings and memorizing them even after whatever Eurorack small-format modular synth system is playing host to the module has been powered down!
Such snapshots are assigned to one of eight positions accessible via the large knob dominating the RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR’s front panel. Put it into Interpolator-Mode and everything revolves around the cyclic traversal of those snapshots, smoothly crossfading from one to the next with transitions taken care of via voltage control, an internal LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator), or the big knob itself. Either way, the surrounding eight LEDs illuminate accordingly in user-chosen colors, helpfully highlighting which snapshot is playing at any given time.
To make room for an RT-311 SWARM OSCILLATOR in any Eurorack small-format modular system means making more sound colors available to the sophisticated synthesist.
Radikal by name, radical by nature. A swarm of oscillators no longer needs to take up too much valuable rack space.
Pricing & Availability
The RT-322 SWARM OSCILLATOR is available now for an MSRP of $659.00.
All information taken from the official Radikal Technologies press release.