ARKAN
Dual Voltage Polarizer
You must have seen this before: "You can never have enough VCAs". A voltage polarizer (also known as a bipolar VCA or a 4-quadrant multiplier) is often viewed as the VCA better suited for CV. As it can be used as a unipolar VCA and it allows you to invert a signal when it is modulated with a negative voltage. Resulting in interesting movements in your modulations.
What sets Arkan apart from other voltage polarizers is the curvature control, a feature usually only seen in unipolar VCAs. By taking a different approach to the classic voltage polarizer circuitry, we divised a unique solution that provides a new way to shape your audio and CV. The non-linearity of the polarizer also makes Arkan really good at reaching silence when presented with a 0V CV signal.
At audio rate, Arkan acts as a ring-modulator with four controls to change timbres.
Boosting adds odd harmonics (symmetrical distortion), while offsetting adds even harmonics (asymetrical distortion). The modulation curve changes ring modulation sharpness, and modulation strength determines the carrier dominance.
Two identical channels with carefully selected features will make Arkan your go-to modulation control hub. We find Arkan especially useful for common utility duties such as mixing, scaling, inverting and offsetting. As well as CV modulation, feedback patching, and waveshaping. All this makes Arkan a very versatile tool that will certainly have a place in your patch!
FEATURES (per channel)
- Input attenuation with inverter switch gives you more precision and range, with voltage inversion and quick silencing.
- Bias input with attenuverter control to offset your input signal or mix/invert another signal.
- CV input with curvature control allows you to shape the polarizer and improve its 0V attenuation.
- CV modulation control to fade in the modulator, allowing you to determine the amount of modulation.
- Voltage gain and polarity led indicators showing you exactly what is happening under the radar.
- Output normalled internally and externally (to other Arkans) to easily mix signals.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
- Optional signal boost (x4 / +12dB) via switch on the pcb to increase voltages when needed.
- 5V or 10V voltage reference selection for bias voltage and CV input range to adjust Arkan to your system.
DIMENSIONS
- 8HP.
- 28mm, Skiff-friendly.
POWER CONSUMPTION
- 90mA @ +12V.
- 85mA @ -12V.
I/O SPECS
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
Product Overview
ARKAN
Dual Voltage Polarizer
You must have seen this before: "You can never have enough VCAs". A voltage polarizer (also known as a bipolar VCA or a 4-quadrant multiplier) is often viewed as the VCA better suited for CV. As it can be used as a unipolar VCA and it allows you to invert a signal when it is modulated with a negative voltage. Resulting in interesting movements in your modulations.
What sets Arkan apart from other voltage polarizers is the curvature control, a feature usually only seen in unipolar VCAs. By taking a different approach to the classic voltage polarizer circuitry, we divised a unique solution that provides a new way to shape your audio and CV. The non-linearity of the polarizer also makes Arkan really good at reaching silence when presented with a 0V CV signal.
At audio rate, Arkan acts as a ring-modulator with four controls to change timbres.
Boosting adds odd harmonics (symmetrical distortion), while offsetting adds even harmonics (asymetrical distortion). The modulation curve changes ring modulation sharpness, and modulation strength determines the carrier dominance.
Two identical channels with carefully selected features will make Arkan your go-to modulation control hub. We find Arkan especially useful for common utility duties such as mixing, scaling, inverting and offsetting. As well as CV modulation, feedback patching, and waveshaping. All this makes Arkan a very versatile tool that will certainly have a place in your patch!
FEATURES (per channel)
- Input attenuation with inverter switch gives you more precision and range, with voltage inversion and quick silencing.
- Bias input with attenuverter control to offset your input signal or mix/invert another signal.
- CV input with curvature control allows you to shape the polarizer and improve its 0V attenuation.
- CV modulation control to fade in the modulator, allowing you to determine the amount of modulation.
- Voltage gain and polarity led indicators showing you exactly what is happening under the radar.
- Output normalled internally and externally (to other Arkans) to easily mix signals.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
- Optional signal boost (x4 / +12dB) via switch on the pcb to increase voltages when needed.
- 5V or 10V voltage reference selection for bias voltage and CV input range to adjust Arkan to your system.
Technical Specs
Shipping Details
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
