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Multimode Buchla Style for Unmatched Eurorack EQ Expression





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Like its series siblings and spiritual predecessors, the Tiptop Audio Buchla 296t Programmable Spectral Processor represents something familiar and something otherworldly in terms of its capacity to navigate and manipulate sound. In this case, it’s a 16-band graphic equalizer with far more going on under the hood than you might expect, much to the delightful surprise of Sweetwater’s synthesists. The level of each band of the inputted audio can be attenuated individually; meanwhile, a host of filtering, frequency modulation tools, selectable groupings, and deep CV interoperative potential make way for a distinctly musical form of aural control, all of which are inextricably linked to the audio provided, ensuring cohesion with the rest of your system’s output. As with any Buchla-inspired module, the 296t is full of character, designed to inspire and evoke creative opportunities through a system of EQ control, from its extensive modulation possibilities to its nuanced, reactive band-based attenuation. Frankly, it’s the kind of module you never knew you needed, and your Eurorack rig will thank you for the scope of control available to your sound design.





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On paper, a multiband graphic EQ might not seem like the obvious site of creative discovery. Still, Don Buchla’s original 296 module was deployed with a suite of creative filtering tools well before DJs utilized 3-band EQs for dramatic flare. Tiptop Audio’s 296t captures that same magic with exacting detail some 40-plus years later. Each of the 16 bands represents a different point along a spectrum, from sub-100 hertz to anything above 10 kilohertz. Sliders for each band adjust the signal level at that frequency, but these can be actively attenuated via designated, Hex-labeled CV inputs from your source of choice. Every band is its own bandpass filter, featuring two outputs: one for filtered audio to be processed or used as an additional FM source and one that converts the bandpass-filtered amplitude into a CV signal to modulate parameters within or beyond the module. If you’re feeling ambitious, then you can use them simultaneously, opening new doors to craft dynamic soundscapes that interact with any manner of FX, dynamics, or sound sources.





Stereo sculpting, selective shaping, and much more





Buchla modules do a fantastic job of combining seemingly simple features in unusual ways, resulting in a creative tool whose sound-shaping possibilities drastically outweigh the sum of its parts. The 296t’s hidden potential begins with the unassuming decision to create “even” and “odd” delineations of the signal bands. This provides access to endless multi-source configurations for selectively attenuating the bands of each source or for nuanced full-stereo sound crafting. Moreover, dedicated outputs allow for vast experimentation and creative potential with options for simultaneously outputting the signal from various points along its path, from completely unattenuated to fully modulated. Plus, each band’s levels can be modulated via CV or become sources for both FM and CV activity. A 3-way switch lets you adjust the decay time of the envelope follower, and the Program Control section dictates the width of each band: fully counterclockwise gives you extremely precise bandpass shapes, while fully clockwise opens up each band to the point of overlapping. Width, frequency values, and the comb filter’s range can be manually swept for interactive tone-shaping, with further CV control available for frequency and width. If that weren’t enough, the Programmed Spectrum Transfer section provides its own suite of compelling tools: dedicated gain controls for both even and odd groups as well as switches to instantly activate the modulation for the even bands on the odd bands, and vice versa.





Tiptop Audio Buchla 296t Spectral Processor Eurorack Module Features:


52HP module delivers a multimode, 16-band EQ with extensive interoperative potential


Comprehensive research and sound design means the full scope of Buchla’s innovative synthesis with full Eurorack compatibility


Comprehensive CV interactivity includes per-band CV modulation, as well as per-band CV output for greatly varied, yet synchronized envelope followers


Per-band audio output allows for detailed processing or FM modulation with external sources or routing back into the module


Variable envelope decay time provides additional versatility in shaping the way your sounds interact


Even and odd designations for frequency bands bolster creatively reimagining how source audio can interplay with additional destinations and evoke rich, complex stereo sonics


Individuated outputs supply multiple points along the signal path to re-route audio for flexible, simultaneous usage


Extensive programming includes even and odd gain-boosting, alongside instantly flipping values from even to odd, or vice versa, for creative, interactive sound design