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Analogue signalprocessor 'ebbe und flut' - much more than a filter!


Are you wondering about what 'ebbe und flut' is? 'ebbe und flut' is a no compromise and absolutely high end sound design machine for musicians, live performer and producers and for all people, who love high sophisticated analogue gear.

The concept is an integrated modular system, working either as a stand alone unit or as a well integrating part of a modular system.

The core of this fully analogue soundprocessor are two very versatile sounding 4-pole multimode VCF's (Voltage Controlled Filters) with 12 different characteristics each, completed by a very effective compressor and distortion module, all surrounded by a lot of very reliable super fast/super slow modulators.

Why someone should spend such a lot of money for a FILTER?? First, it is much more than only a filter (see the feature list and listed modules below). The second is the absolute fantastic and enormous powerful sound of 'ebbe und flut'. As experience shows, the sound of this machine is really so unbelievable, that people cannot believe and understand what they hear. This high quality level is leading to a corresponding price. This is because of the dramatically upgrowing efforts and component prices, when you want to make things better than normal. It seems to be a law, so don't believe anyone, who is trying to telling you that it is possible to get high sofisticated stuff for cheap! 'ebbe und flut' is really alive and it is breathing, resulting in an extraordinary spatial, clear and ubiquitous sound, which let you indeed forget, that it is in fact only a filter you hear!





WHY ANALOGUE? Everybody who ever compares analogue and digital soundprocessing knows that there exists an audible difference, which would be always described in the same way: warm, present, directly, living,... It's really difficult to determine and allocate the technical responsibilities. I think, the most important reasons are the rigid mathematical structures of digital signalprocessing tools. The acoustical result is always predetermined, so there is no space for natural and living artefacts.

Analogue technique works completely different. Here we let compute the nature and the physics. A lot of electronic components build a very complexe structure, doing its job by natural laws. It is the same like a string of a guitar, it is another physical level - one is mechanical the other is electric- but it is always the natures computing. So, I am amazed about the extremely high sensitivity of the human capability to hear and feel these very weak natural artefacts. In analogue instruments the nature is talking to us, the better the more freedom you can provide for the electronics.



More Info

Another audio module is the softknee compressor. It is working with only one knob and influences the ratio (increase), threshold (decrease) and output level (increase). The two automatic fixed attack- and release times (fast mode: 20 ms/130 ms, slow mode: 40 ms/260 ms) provides a lot of useful musical applications.

The distortion unit is a 2-way spectral unit with two change over frequencies (96 Hz/ 1050 Hz), so the audio spectrum will be split into high and low frequencies and get a separate distortion unit. Perfect function to get more fatness or heavy distortion.

The VCA is controlled either by the noisegate or by one of the two envelopes.

The modulators (2xAHR/AR-Envelopes, LFO, S&H, Follower, Audiotrigger, Noisegate) are working in very wide time and frequency ranges. 100 µs to minutes for attack, hold and release times of the envelopes. Less than 0.008 Hz to 20 kHz for the synchronizable VC-LFO. The follower is scalable either linear or logarithmic (db-linear). Worth to be mentioned is the very reliable audiotrigger, producing very fast event-triggers by incoming audio signals. The noisegate controls the VCA and the threshold knob reaches from always open to always closed.

 

The current manual (German version) as a PDF document.
Download Manual

The current manual (English version) as a PDF document.
Download Manual

 

The modules of ebbe und flut:
-Input Amplifier (0db, +20db)
-Automatic Softknee Compressor
-Distortion
-Signalflow (internal routing)
-Bypass
-2 x VCF with each 12 filter functions
-VCA

-LFO
-Sample & Hold (S&H)
-Voltage Follower
-2 x VC-(Voltage Controlled)-Envelope Generators (Attack/Hold/Release or Attack/Release)
-Audiotrigger
-Noisegate

External Ins and Outs:
-Main Input
-Main Output (VCA)
-VCF 1 Signal Input
-VCF 1 Signal Output
-VCF 2 Signal Input
-VCF 2 Signal Output
-Compressor Output
-Distortion Output

-Voltage Follower Output
-Audiotrigger Output
-LFO Wave Output
-LFO Speed CV-Input (<0.008Hz - 20 kHz, >21 octaves!)
-LFO Sync. Input
-S&H Trigger Input
-ENV 1 Trigger/ Gate Input
-ENV 1 Wave Output
-ENV 1 Attack Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 1 Hold Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 1 Release Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 1 Amount Input (bipolar Multiplication Input for continously pos./neg. Env-Output)
-ENV 1 Mode Input (either working as A-H-R with RE-Trigger-function or as A-R with Gate-function)
-ENV 2 Trigger/ Gate Input
-ENV 2 Wave Output
-ENV 2 Attack Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 2 Hold Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 2 Release Time (200 µs - many, many minutes)
-ENV 2 Amount Input (bipolar Multiplication Input for continously pos./neg. Env-Output)
-ENV 2 Mode Input (either working as A-H-R with RE-Trigger-function or as A-R with Gate-function)
-VCF 1 Cutoff CV-Input
-VCF 1 Resonance CV-Input
-VCF 2 Cutoff CV-Input
-VCF 2 Resonance CV-Input
-Pedal Input for independent cutoff modulation (pos./neg.) for each filter (volume pedal or active pedal with CV-output); switch for exchangable polarity of tip and ring for fitting with different brands

RMS (Root Mean Square) noise output levels (0 - 20 kHz, unweighted) [dbV] (0 dbV equals 1 Vrms, -120 dbV equals 1 µVrms):

· Main output (bypass): -117 dbv

· Compressor out (Input Gain = 0 db, compression knob (3) = zero / full): -99 dbv / -67 dbV

· Distortion (Input >> compressor (3) = 0, distortion (5) zero / full): -71 dbV / -60 dbv

· VCA (open / close): -81 dbv / -90 dbV

· VCF1, direct output (rear plug (18)), filter wide open (Filter input (19) shorted to ground all noise sources)
Average of all functions: resonance=0 / high resonance (just before oscillation): less than -87 dbV / -80 dbv
24db LP: -88 dbV / -94 dbv

· VCF2, direct output (rear plug (16)), filter wide open (Filter input (17) shorted to ground all noise sources)
Average of all functions: resonance=0 / high resonance (just before oscillation): less than -87 dbV / -83 dbv
24db LP: -94 dbV / -100 dbv