The all-analog ring modulator rebuilds your sound into two separate tones and then uses an internal carrier oscillator to spread those tones apart in the frequency spectrum. The higher the carrier frequency, the more the new tones are separated. The effects can be anything from slow, velvet-smooth tremelo, to chains jangling in a Chinese gong to classic “outer space” sounds. The LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) imparts trills, vibratos, siren effects. You want unlimited new sounds? Here they are! Power supply included.
What is a Ring Modulator?
A ring modulator mixes your audio input signal with a carrier oscillator to produce sum and difference frequencies. Imagine that the ring modulator's carrier oscillator is producing a 500 Hz sine wave, and your input signal is a 100 Hz sine wave. The ring modulator's output will be a complex waveform. You will hear two pitches: 400 Hz and 600 Hz. You will not hear your original input or the carrier oscillator.
The moogerfooger ring modulator is a direct descendant of the original Moog modular synthesizers. It contains three complete modular functions: a ring modulator, a voltage-controlled carrier oscillator, and voltage-contolled dual-waveform LFO.
A ring modulator produces sum and difference frequencies between the audio input and a “carrier” oscillator. The ring modulator’s LFO can be used to modulate the carrier frequency. The moogerfooger ring modulator can create effects ranging from subtle tremolo to harmonically rich distortion, sweeps, swoops, and divebombs.
The moogerfooger ring modulator’s control parameters are signal mix, carrier frequency, LFO rate, and LFO amount. All of the ring modulator’s parameters can be controlled with expression pedals or external control voltages as well as by rotary panel controls. Panel switches select LFO waveform and carrier frequency range. 1/4" jacks are provided for audio input and output, pedal/control inputs, carrier input and carrier output.
Features
- FREQUENCY: A rotary control which varies the carrier frequency over a six-octave range
- RATE: A rotary control, which varies the LFO’s frequency from 0.1 Hz to 25 Hz
- LFO AMOUNT: A rotary control which adjusts the amount that the LFO output sweeps the carrier oscillator
- MIX: A rotary control which crossfades continuously from unmodulated to modulated audio
- DRIVE: A rotary control, which adjusts the gain of the audio input
- SQUARE-SINE: A rocker switch which chooses the LFO waveform
- LO-HI: A rocker switch, which chooses between the low frequency carrier range (2 Hz to 130 Hz) and the high frequency carrier range (60 Hz to 4,000 Hz)
- LEVEL: A three-color LED that is used to set the DRIVE control
- LFO: A LED that indicates the LFO rate
- BYPASS: A two-color LED that tells whether the ring modulator is on or bypassed
- ON/BYPASS: A rugged, smooth-acting ‘stomp switch’
Jack Panel Features
- AUDIO IN: 1/4" phone jack - accepts any instrument-level or line-level audio signal from -16 dBm to +4 dbm
- AUDIO OUT: 1/4" phone jack - -4 dBm nominal output level
- FREQUENCY, RATE, LFO AMOUNT, MIX: All are stereo 1/4" jacks that accept moogerfooger EP1 (or equivalent) expression pedals, or control voltages from two-circuit or three-circuit 1/4" jacks
- AUX AUDIO IN: Provides a means of applying an external signal to the ring modulator, in place of the carrier oscillator
- LFO OUT JACK: Delivers the LFO voltage for use by other voltage-controlled devices
- CARRIER OUT JACK: Delivers the carrier signal for use by other devices
- 9V POWER INPUT JACK: Accepts standard 9 volt power adaptors (power adaptor included)