Blk BLX is a Quad Linear/Exponential Voltage Controlled Amplifier / Voltage Controlled Mixer / Distortion module
Blk bLX is an Ultra Compact (6 hp) High Performance Quad Linear/Exponential VCA and Voltage Controlled Mixer at once.
It also benefits from the strange new technology: "Advanced Calibration Amplifier Block"-the effect that can be engaged by pressing ACAB button.
VCAs use High Performance chips and like all good quality VCAs they're dead silent in absence of CV signals, so no unwanted cross-talks, "bleed-through" offset voltages, etc.
All four VCAs have CV attenuators for their four channels, have two offset controls for the first two channels and two mini potentiometers to smoothly transit from linear (on the right) to exponential response (on the left) for the channels 1 and 2 (for the channels 3 and 4 this can be set via trimmers on the back of the module -by default they are set in linear mode). Leds are indicating the signals strengths.
Module performs also as VC mixer since the CV channels are connected in cascaded way so the outputs will send out the mix of previous channels if they're not patched individually. That way, for exemple, you'll have an entire mix of all four channels by using the forth output and if ACAB button is pressed it will be applied on the whole mix - or, if the channels are used individually, it will be applied only on the fourth channel.
CVs are "normaled" to offsets so even if no CV is present the attenuators will then act like level controls which transforms the module into an audio mixer *with higher gain impacting amplitude it'll produce clipping when near maximum, note that with pushing also the offsets to maximum this will result in hard clipping.
The module is DC coupled so it's convenient for both audio & cv use.
"And what happens when I press ACAB ?" Well, be aware: in difference of the clean mix achieved in normal use - once ACAB button pressed it will smash your drums into peaces and boost and distort your synth lines!
It works like on/off button but the intensity and the overall impact of the effect can be at some point controlled by the VCA controls- manually or by the use of CVs as it will act differently depending on gain-amplitude/level and type of signal (LFOs, envelopes/inverted envelopes for ex.will increase/decrease levels and therefore change the way how the mix will be overdriven) As said previously, with cv/offsets pushed to clipping, loud exponential mode this may lead to a reel mess-so be careful with your ears & speakers :)
*if you find it too loud/agressive & noisy for your taste you can attenuate it via small trimmer pot inside the module with a small screwdriver. It is possible to set it at the same level as VCA's output but the impact will then be limited.
6 hp
25 mm deep
Reverse voltage protected
85 mA +12V, 80mA -12V
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 15:00 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
Blk BLX is a Quad Linear/Exponential Voltage Controlled Amplifier / Voltage Controlled Mixer / Distortion module
Blk bLX is an Ultra Compact (6 hp) High Performance Quad Linear/Exponential VCA and Voltage Controlled Mixer at once.
It also benefits from the strange new technology: "Advanced Calibration Amplifier Block"-the effect that can be engaged by pressing ACAB button.
VCAs use High Performance chips and like all good quality VCAs they're dead silent in absence of CV signals, so no unwanted cross-talks, "bleed-through" offset voltages, etc.
All four VCAs have CV attenuators for their four channels, have two offset controls for the first two channels and two mini potentiometers to smoothly transit from linear (on the right) to exponential response (on the left) for the channels 1 and 2 (for the channels 3 and 4 this can be set via trimmers on the back of the module -by default they are set in linear mode). Leds are indicating the signals strengths.
Module performs also as VC mixer since the CV channels are connected in cascaded way so the outputs will send out the mix of previous channels if they're not patched individually. That way, for exemple, you'll have an entire mix of all four channels by using the forth output and if ACAB button is pressed it will be applied on the whole mix - or, if the channels are used individually, it will be applied only on the fourth channel.
CVs are "normaled" to offsets so even if no CV is present the attenuators will then act like level controls which transforms the module into an audio mixer *with higher gain impacting amplitude it'll produce clipping when near maximum, note that with pushing also the offsets to maximum this will result in hard clipping.
The module is DC coupled so it's convenient for both audio & cv use.
"And what happens when I press ACAB ?" Well, be aware: in difference of the clean mix achieved in normal use - once ACAB button pressed it will smash your drums into peaces and boost and distort your synth lines!
It works like on/off button but the intensity and the overall impact of the effect can be at some point controlled by the VCA controls- manually or by the use of CVs as it will act differently depending on gain-amplitude/level and type of signal (LFOs, envelopes/inverted envelopes for ex.will increase/decrease levels and therefore change the way how the mix will be overdriven) As said previously, with cv/offsets pushed to clipping, loud exponential mode this may lead to a reel mess-so be careful with your ears & speakers :)
*if you find it too loud/agressive & noisy for your taste you can attenuate it via small trimmer pot inside the module with a small screwdriver. It is possible to set it at the same level as VCA's output but the impact will then be limited.
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 15:00 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.
