Module A-171-2 is a voltage controlled slew limiter with a lot of additional features beyond a simple slew limiter. It's mostly a licensed copy of Ken Stones VCS which is in turn based on the Serge VCS.
These are the most important features:
Manual control of the Slew-Up time
CV control of the Slew-Up time with polarizer
Switch for linear/exponential shape of the rising section of the response curve
Manual control of the Slew-Down time
CV control of the Slew-Down time with polarizer
Switch for linear/exponential shape of the falling section of the response curve
Signal input: the "to-be-slewed" signal
CV Up Input, affected by the CV Up Control and the corresponding exp./lin. switch
CV Down Input, affected by the CV Down Control and the corresponding exp./lin. switch
CV Up and CV Down sockets are normalled
exponential CV input: named "V/Oct" in the original design but as it's not really exactly 1V/Oct we will name this input probably "exp.CV", mainly used for VCLFO/VCO applications in cycle mode or as common exponential control for both up and down times in slew mode
Trigger input: used for envelope generation or retrigger in VCLFO/VCO mode, a pulse at the trigger input will start the envelope or retrigger the VCLFO/VCO
End output: turns high as the output falls below about 20mV, turns low as the outputs goes beyond about 3.5V, in cycle mode a rectangle signal is generated
Cycle on/off switch: when "on" the End output is internally connected to the Trigger Input to generate cyclic signals like an VCLFO/VCO
Output: the signal output of the module
LED display: displays the slew limiter output signal
Typical applications:
VC Slew Limiter / VC Portamento / VC Low Pass Gate
Cycle switch = off, no trigger signal applied to Trig socket:
Voltage controlled Slew limiter or portamento generator: the signal applied to the signal input is "slewed". The slew up and down times are controlled manually by means of the Up and Down controls, the effect of the CV Up and CV Down control voltages are controlled by the CV Up and CV Down controls, in exponential mode these controls also affect the slew shape (see symbols at the CCW and CW positions of the controls)
If an audio signal is applied an short slew rates are chosen the module works as a simple VCF/VCA combo
A/D Envelope Generator / Pulse Delay / Subharmonic Generator
Cycle switch = off, trigger signal applied to Trig socket, no input signal:
Simple Attack/Decay envelope Generator, the rise and fall times are controlled like the slew up/down times above, including the shape of the falling/rising slope of the envelope, the exp. CV input can be used to change both attack and decay simultaneously
At the End output a pulse appears as the end of the envelope is reached (less than about 20mV), this can be used as a pulse delay
If a series of triggers are applied to the VCS faster than the total rise and fall times, the module will divide the incoming signal by a whole number. In the audio range the output will be the sub-harmonic series.
VCLFO / VCO
Cycle switch = on, no trigger signal applied to Trig socket, no input signal:
Voltage controlled LFO/VCO, the rise and fall times of the waveform are controlled like the slew up/down times above, including the shape of the falling/rising slope
the exp. CV input can be used like the CV input of a VCO or VCLFO, the response is exponential but not exactly 1V/oct
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
Module A-171-2 is a voltage controlled slew limiter with a lot of additional features beyond a simple slew limiter. It's mostly a licensed copy of Ken Stones VCS which is in turn based on the Serge VCS.
These are the most important features:
Manual control of the Slew-Up time
CV control of the Slew-Up time with polarizer
Switch for linear/exponential shape of the rising section of the response curve
Manual control of the Slew-Down time
CV control of the Slew-Down time with polarizer
Switch for linear/exponential shape of the falling section of the response curve
Signal input: the "to-be-slewed" signal
CV Up Input, affected by the CV Up Control and the corresponding exp./lin. switch
CV Down Input, affected by the CV Down Control and the corresponding exp./lin. switch
CV Up and CV Down sockets are normalled
exponential CV input: named "V/Oct" in the original design but as it's not really exactly 1V/Oct we will name this input probably "exp.CV", mainly used for VCLFO/VCO applications in cycle mode or as common exponential control for both up and down times in slew mode
Trigger input: used for envelope generation or retrigger in VCLFO/VCO mode, a pulse at the trigger input will start the envelope or retrigger the VCLFO/VCO
End output: turns high as the output falls below about 20mV, turns low as the outputs goes beyond about 3.5V, in cycle mode a rectangle signal is generated
Cycle on/off switch: when "on" the End output is internally connected to the Trigger Input to generate cyclic signals like an VCLFO/VCO
Output: the signal output of the module
LED display: displays the slew limiter output signal
Typical applications:
VC Slew Limiter / VC Portamento / VC Low Pass Gate
Cycle switch = off, no trigger signal applied to Trig socket:
Voltage controlled Slew limiter or portamento generator: the signal applied to the signal input is "slewed". The slew up and down times are controlled manually by means of the Up and Down controls, the effect of the CV Up and CV Down control voltages are controlled by the CV Up and CV Down controls, in exponential mode these controls also affect the slew shape (see symbols at the CCW and CW positions of the controls)
If an audio signal is applied an short slew rates are chosen the module works as a simple VCF/VCA combo
A/D Envelope Generator / Pulse Delay / Subharmonic Generator
Cycle switch = off, trigger signal applied to Trig socket, no input signal:
Simple Attack/Decay envelope Generator, the rise and fall times are controlled like the slew up/down times above, including the shape of the falling/rising slope of the envelope, the exp. CV input can be used to change both attack and decay simultaneously
At the End output a pulse appears as the end of the envelope is reached (less than about 20mV), this can be used as a pulse delay
If a series of triggers are applied to the VCS faster than the total rise and fall times, the module will divide the incoming signal by a whole number. In the audio range the output will be the sub-harmonic series.
VCLFO / VCO
Cycle switch = on, no trigger signal applied to Trig socket, no input signal:
Voltage controlled LFO/VCO, the rise and fall times of the waveform are controlled like the slew up/down times above, including the shape of the falling/rising slope
the exp. CV input can be used like the CV input of a VCO or VCLFO, the response is exponential but not exactly 1V/oct
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.
