New Modules & Updates from Noise Engineering

Introducing Vice Virga, Melotus Versio and a new firmware for Lacrima Versio

Vice Virga

NoiseEngineering Vice Virga

Vice Virga is an 8-input, 8-output sequential/addressable switch with a plethora of features and extensive patchability. Equal parts automated patch arranger and performance tool, Vice Virga has loads of switching control options. 

Vice Virga’s strength lies in the switches on the switch, which makes it complicated to explain but powerful to use. Vice Virga can be configured as a single 8-channel switch, two 4-channel switches, or four 2-channel switches, effectively giving you three sequential switches for the price of one. Vice Virga allows users to choose the Advance mode (Forward, Reverse, or Pendulum) and select or CV an offset. The Behavior switch adds a Noise Engineering touch: choose Seq for simple sequential switch mode, 1>1? mode for a random single output per step, and 1>x? mode for complete chaos: signals are routed within their group to zero, one, or several outputs per step. And it does it all in only 6hp.

Stephen McCaul, the Chief Noisemaker of Noise Engineering, said that Vice Virga has been a long time in the making: “Vice Virga is one of the first modules I started on when Noise Engineering was still a hobby, but things just always got in the way of finishing it. We’re all pretty happy with the feature set we were able to fit into it, and to finally put this out into the world.”

Since a sequential switch can be a complicated module to understand, the Noise Engineering team has a lot of tutorials and resources planned; look for those over the coming weeks. Whether you want to chain sequencers, swap outputs on an oscillator, remix a trigger pattern, or mix up every connection in a patch just to see what happens, Vice Virga can do it.

Notable features:

  • 8 inputs and 8 outputs: use as a single 8x8 switch, two 4x4 switches, or four 2x2 switches 
  • Change routings with the encoder, buttons, triggers, or CV
  • Mix up your patches with three different playback directions and two randomized switching options
  • Patch with gates, triggers, and CV from -10v to +10v
Melotus Versio

NoiseEngineering Melotus Versio

Melotus Versio is a stereo texturizer that uses granular processing to transform and reshape sound. Designed to be played by hand or manipulated within a patch, Melotus is everything from a grain delay to a completely transformative texturizer with grain control and manipulation of triggering, direction, and randomness. Filter audio with a lowpass/highpass combo filter that adds haunting shimmers and subharmonics. Freeze grains by hand or with triggers and gates, or clock them to create rhythmic effects. 

The Noise Engineering team has been thinking about granular processors for a long time. Said Doer of Many Things Kris Kaiser, “We have several different approaches we’re interested in with granular, so expect to see more. We’ve been thinking of Melotus Versio as ‘granular for the Doombient generation.’” 

Melotus Versio is part of the Versio DSP platform: transform it into a completely different effect by loading a growing number of alternate firmwares, including reverb, delay, distortion, and more, completely free at the Noise Engineering Customer Portal. Feeling techy? Develop your own firmware with the open-source documentation available at the LibDaisy forum.

Learn more about the Versio platform and how to unlock the full potential of the module at the Noise Engineering World of Versio page.

Notable features:

  • Accompany your patches with clocked grain-delay effects
  • Adjust grain playback direction, randomness, length, and sparsity
  • Process grains with a lowpass/highpass combo filter adding shimmers or subharmonics
  • Grains play through a feedback loop that goes from 0 to past 100% for infinite textures
New Lacrima Versio Firmware

NoiseEngineering Lacrima Versio

Lacrima Versio is Noise Engineering’s take on the classic autowah, in stereo, and with a twist. Lacrima’s roots are in analog Autowah pedals. As a fan of the wah-pedal sound, Noise Engineering’s Doer of Many Things Kris Kaiser wanted to do a NE version of a wah as part of the Ruina line of analog distortions. The team was the better part of the way through a schematic when they realized that this would fit well on the Versio platform, and changed course. 

Lacrima Versio features an envelope follower that controls a high-resonance filter. Morph the filter between lowpass, bandpass, and highpass slopes, and Lacrima covers all the sounds you’d expect from a typical wah – but this is not your typical wah. Route an adjustable distortion pre, post, or pre+post filter for some saturation crunch. Add width and motion (and just a little otherworldly tone) to your sounds with a stereo chorus. Last but not least, use the Mod parameter to add audio-rate modulation and octavizing to your signal. 

Lacrima Versio is way more fully featured than the module it started as, and even better, it’s available as a free download to anyone with any Versio module at the Noise Engineering Customer Portal. Beautiful panel overlays will be available soon through Noise Engineering’s collaboration with Winterbloom.

Notable features:

  • Stereo autowah with unique features: for everything from classic sounds to extreme filtering
  • Adjustable and routable saturation distortion 
  • Juno-inspired chorus
  • Octavizer and audio-rate modulation
  • Guitar-inspired effects take your rack into a new realm 
  • Free to Versio module owners

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