A-101-2 is a vactrol based combination of Low Pass filter (LP) and VCA and was inspired by the Buchla module 292. The term "Low Pass Gate" was created by Don Buchla and stands for a module that can be switched between low pass and VCA. The control (manually and via external CV) is responsible for frequency in the low pass mode and for loudness in the VCA mode. Additionally a combined mode LP+VCA is available. In this mode the sound becomes more dull as the loudness decreases.
In contrast to the Buchla design the A-101-2 offers attenuators for both CV and audio input, a manual resonance control and two gate inputs to control the function of the module in addition to the manual toggle switch.
In principle the A-101-2 is a 12 dB low pass filter that can be switched to VCA or a combination of Low Pass and VCA. The controlling elements for frequency (LP mode) resp. amplitude (VCA mode) are so-called vactrols. Vactrols are known for their smooth sound behaviour. For more general details about vactrols please look at the Vactrol Basics page. Because of the vactrol circuit the audio signal is not fully attenuated in the VCA mode at the minimum setting of the F/A control.
The Frequency (in the LP mode) resp. the Amplitude (in the VCA mode) is controlled manually (F/A) and by the 2 control inputs CV1 (without attenuator) and CV2 (with attenuator).
The audio input is equipped with an attenuator to enable distortion too (above ~ position 5 distortion is obtained with standard A-100 audio levels, e.g. VCO).
The resonance function "colors" to the sound and is adjustable all the way up to self-oscillation. Resonance and consequently self-oscillation may vary with the filter frequency because of vactrol tolerances. Due to the circuit the resonance has a little bit an influence on the audio level (increasing resonance = increasing audio level). To obtain the original Buchla sound the resonance control simply has to be set fully counterclockwise.
The function of the module is controlled by a manual switch. The left and right positions of the switch correspond to LP resp. VCA mode. In the middle position one obtains the combination of Low Pass and VCA. In this position it is also possible to control the function of the module by the two Gate inputs G1 and G2. The table printed at the front panel shows the connection between the gate levels (L = low, H = high) and the module function.
For more detailed information please look at the English user's manual: A1012_man.pdf
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, 'next working day' shipping is free if the order value is over £150, and £5 otherwise. We can also ship on a 'next working day before 12pm' service, which costs £6 for orders over £150 and £7.50 for orders under £150.
Shipping to mainland EU typically costs 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 DPD, Royal Mail and Parcelforce for the UK, and for international orders it's either DHL, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail or Parcelforce 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 aim to dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 16:00. 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 the couriers may come to collect a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Saturday/Sunday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 16:00 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday or Sunday delivery with DPD. This is FREE for order values over £350, £5 for order values between £75 and £250, and £7 for order values under £75. (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). Please note that any orders placed after 16:00 on a Friday will ship on the Monday.
International 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.
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
A-101-2 is a vactrol based combination of Low Pass filter (LP) and VCA and was inspired by the Buchla module 292. The term "Low Pass Gate" was created by Don Buchla and stands for a module that can be switched between low pass and VCA. The control (manually and via external CV) is responsible for frequency in the low pass mode and for loudness in the VCA mode. Additionally a combined mode LP+VCA is available. In this mode the sound becomes more dull as the loudness decreases.
In contrast to the Buchla design the A-101-2 offers attenuators for both CV and audio input, a manual resonance control and two gate inputs to control the function of the module in addition to the manual toggle switch.
In principle the A-101-2 is a 12 dB low pass filter that can be switched to VCA or a combination of Low Pass and VCA. The controlling elements for frequency (LP mode) resp. amplitude (VCA mode) are so-called vactrols. Vactrols are known for their smooth sound behaviour. For more general details about vactrols please look at the Vactrol Basics page. Because of the vactrol circuit the audio signal is not fully attenuated in the VCA mode at the minimum setting of the F/A control.
The Frequency (in the LP mode) resp. the Amplitude (in the VCA mode) is controlled manually (F/A) and by the 2 control inputs CV1 (without attenuator) and CV2 (with attenuator).
The audio input is equipped with an attenuator to enable distortion too (above ~ position 5 distortion is obtained with standard A-100 audio levels, e.g. VCO).
The resonance function "colors" to the sound and is adjustable all the way up to self-oscillation. Resonance and consequently self-oscillation may vary with the filter frequency because of vactrol tolerances. Due to the circuit the resonance has a little bit an influence on the audio level (increasing resonance = increasing audio level). To obtain the original Buchla sound the resonance control simply has to be set fully counterclockwise.
The function of the module is controlled by a manual switch. The left and right positions of the switch correspond to LP resp. VCA mode. In the middle position one obtains the combination of Low Pass and VCA. In this position it is also possible to control the function of the module by the two Gate inputs G1 and G2. The table printed at the front panel shows the connection between the gate levels (L = low, H = high) and the module function.
For more detailed information please look at the English user's manual: A1012_man.pdf
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, 'next working day' shipping is free if the order value is over £150, and £5 otherwise. We can also ship on a 'next working day before 12pm' service, which costs £6 for orders over £150 and £7.50 for orders under £150.
Shipping to mainland EU typically costs 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 DPD, Royal Mail and Parcelforce for the UK, and for international orders it's either DHL, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail or Parcelforce 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 aim to dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 16:00. 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 the couriers may come to collect a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Saturday/Sunday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 16:00 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday or Sunday delivery with DPD. This is FREE for order values over £350, £5 for order values between £75 and £250, and £7 for order values under £75. (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). Please note that any orders placed after 16:00 on a Friday will ship on the Monday.
International 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.
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.
