Blinds

Quad VC-polarizer

Overview

Blinds is a 4-channel voltage-controlled signal polarizer. Each channel consists of a polarizer circuit, also known as a four-quadrant multiplier. This circuit acts like a VCA, except that a negative control voltage will cause the output signal to be inverted, instead of being silenced. Blinds’ outputs are daisy-chained, allowing adjacent groups of 2, 3, or all 4 channels, to be mixed together.

One can think of Blinds’ as a voltage-controlled version of Shades, the control center for all the modulation CVs used in a patch. Many other uses are possible, though. For example, each individual channel can be used to scale/offset a CV; and with audio rate modulation signals, each channel acts like a ring-modulator, with massive potential for drones and feedback patches.

Technical characteristics

• All inputs DC-coupled.
• All inputs handle audio-rate signals.
• Input impedance: 100k for all inputs.
• CV offset range: +/- 5V.
• Gain scale: linear, a +5V CV translates to a gain of 1.
• Gain range: +/- 2.
• 12-HP.
• Current consumption: +12V: 70mA ; -12V: 70mA.
• Open-source hardware.