true analog innovation, the lifeforms primary oscillator was designed to stretch the boundaries of pure sonic sculpting. the primary oscillator uses unique cascading waveform processing to create
increasingly complex, fully modulatable waveforms. through the use of multiple interwoven waveshapers, a simple waveform can quickly mutate into something deeply dynamic and harmonically rich.
custom waveshapers include a harmonic sine wave; a sine processed to add just enough harmonics to give a resonant filter something to dig into. next, the included blade wave processor is an evolution of our
custom modulation circuit, creating modulatable ramp and pulse waves. the fragments generator is an analog downsampler capable of crushing waveforms to dust without ever sounding thin or cold. also
included, the timbre wave folder enables deep spectral change by repeatedly folding the waveform in on itself until the original waveform is unrecognizable.
the primary oscillator is not meant to be a clean oscillator that produces perfect waveforms. controlled signal interactions and the unique set of cascading waveshapers at the heart of the primary oscillator
allow for a uniquely musical approach to experimenting with a wide array of interesting sounds. instead of relying only on the standard set of simple wave shapes, the primary oscillator builds on the basics
to offer a powerful palate of infinitely variable waveforms. no other analog oscillator offers such a creative and deep set of audio processing tools.
primary oscillator controls oscillator core
based around the custom dual vca oscillator designed for the microvolt 3900, the primary oscillator takes advantage of calibrated temperature stabilization paired with hard sync and both linear and
exponential frequency modulation. the result is a stable saw core oscillator fine tuned for deep sonic exploration.
frequency knob
frequency control sweeps from lfo through the full audio range.
fine tune knob
limited range frequency control.
fm | cv button
switch the destination of the fm input jack between linear fm (on) and exponential cv (off) modulation.
harmonic sine button
switch between sine wave (off) and harmonic sine wave (on). harmonic sine wave adds a minimal number of harmonics to a sine allowing for a new set of timbres to emerge.
fm | cv amount trimmer
fm input attenuator control.
pitch input jack
1 volt per octave pitch tracking cv input.
fm input jack
linear fm or exponential cv input jack.
sync input jack
hard sync oscillator reset input jack.
sine wave output jack
sine wave or harmonic sine wave output jack.
saw wave output jack
saw wave output jack.
blade wave and pulse wave controls
the blade wave is a modulatable ramp wave that produces an evolving waveform capable of stable pitch tracking. the shape of the blade wave can be controlled using the blade | pulse cv input and attenuator
creating a sweeping or chorus effect on the wave. the blade | pulse shape slider manually sweeps the blade wave and pulse width.
blade core wave source button
select the waveform used as the core wave for the blade wave. triangle (on) or sine (off). if sine is selected, the harmonic sine button affects the blade wave shape.
blade | pulse width shape slider
manual blade wave shape and pulse width control. this slider acts as an offset when modulation is used.
blade | pulse cv input jack
blade wave shape and pulse width cv input jack.
blade wave output jack
blade wave output jack.
pulse wave output jack
pulse wave output jack.
fragments wave controls
an analog downsampler with an effect similar to a bit crusher however, unlike a digital bit crusher, the analog fragments circuit sounds full and warm. taking advantage of unlimited bit and sample rate
resolutions, the fragments section avoids lo-fi digital results by smoothly downsampling at infinite resolution. the density slider sets the periodic voltage sample timing, breaking down a sine or triangle
wave into ever-larger static chunks. perfect for subtle analog aliasing effects or total waveform destruction.
fragments wave source button
select the waveform used as the core wave for the fragments wave. triangle (on) or sine (off). if sine is selected, the harmonic sine button affects the fragments wave shape.
fragments density slider
manual fragments density control. this slider acts as an offset when modulation is used.
fragments cv input jack
fragments wave periodic voltage sample timing cv input jack.
fragments wave output jack
fragments wave output jack.
timbre wave controls
the timbre section of the primary oscillator features a highly tuned, voltage controlled wavefolder used to add odd harmonics to either the sine wave or blade wave. the timbre depth and timbre cv controls
set the density and amplitude of the folds. when processing a sine wave, the wavefolder creates a spectral change from zero harmonics to square, with an infinite harmonic series. the effect on the blade wave
is complex and uniquely rich.
timbre wave source button
select the waveform used as the core wave for the timbre wave. blade (on) or sine (off). if blade is selected, all of the modulation and modifications made to the blade wave will cascade into the wavefolder.
if sine is selected, the harmonic sine button affects the fragments wave core.
timbre depth slider
manual wave folder control. this slider acts as an offset when modulation is used.
