Complex Oscillator

Two oscillators with FM and AM plus a wavefolder — the west coast

Open in the synth with a demo patch Open Modular

What it does

The Complex Oscillator is built like a Buchla 259: a carrier, a modulator at an adjustable frequency ratio, and a wavefolder on the output that folds the signal onto itself and adds harmonics. FM makes the tone metallic and bell-like, AM makes it tremble, Fold makes it buzz and saturate. Integer ratios (1, 2, 3) stay harmonic, fractional ones (1.41, 3.5) ring like a bell. The fold input drives the folder from cv: an envelope into fold opens every note.

Try this

Play from Keyboard and raise the modulation until a clear tone turns metallic.

Ports

note: Note: retune
pitch: Pitch cv (±1 = ±octave)
fold: Fold depth cv
out: Sound

Parameters

Wave · Note · Ratio · FM · AM · Fold · Glide · Level

Try this

Ratio 3.5, FM 0.5, Fold 0.15 — a bell; ratio 1, AM 0.4 — a wooden vibraphone.
ADSR → fold at 0.6 depth: the fold opens on the attack and closes in the tail, like a filter but meaner.
Complex Oscillator → Resonator "bell": two inharmonicities multiply into a gong.

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← Module reference