Hey now – something new and fantastic from the house of Vaux! So what is it? I mean, other than a Eurorack module with a clever name in Spanish that is equally inspired by a general disdain for overvalued technology startups as well as what could potentially be a great name for some sort of craft beverage and all that. Welp, it’s a filter. Well, sort of. I mean, by definition, it IS a filter, as in it IS a device designed to selectively remove frequencies from an audio signal. But unlike the usual filters that you’re accustomed to where it removes some portion of the sound and then you turn the resonance up and it gets all squelchy and then the bass drops after some dramatic sweep to build tension before the hit – yeah, not that type. In fact, for the technical folks out there, this is a switched capacitor filter – which, while sounding neat, is an entirely different beast and is quite possibly far too underrepresented in the world of modular synths at the moment.

What does that mean? Well, for one, no linear cut off or squelchy resonance. Instead, it’s all about emphasizing funky harmonics and the like – as you turn the knob, things get freaky depending on what sounds are going into it. And if those sounds are changing, things get even freakier. I like it – it’s different. It’s kind of like a ring modulator or perhaps a bit crusher but more wild and unpredictable. It makes things crunch, chirp and sputter and once that’s done and over with, it lets you in on the sounds behind the sounds. Even better, unlike the few other switched-cap filters on the market, it does it in a skiff-friendly, diet-conscious 6 hp. All in all, I think you’ll like it – or at the very least, it’ll add a touch of flavor to your setup without filling up your case.

Business Stuff:

Price for this guy is $99, which includes shipping and handling whatever handling actually is. Keep in mind that each one of these is lovingly built by hand and while we’ve spared no expense on quality, we have spared expenses on marketing, packaging, merchandising and other general business necessities. In other words, don’t expect a neat box with a glossy zine promoting other products or an interactive DVD where you can compare models, etc. We went this way intentionally in order to provide you, the public, with an affordable, quality module without up-selling you on the fluff. What can I say, we’re practical weirdos who stand behind an honest product and would rather not subject you to a sales pitch. End of commercial.

If you decide to take the plunge, we ship priority mail from Ithaca, New York. In the case of international orders, we’ll do whatever we can to get it to you in a reasonable amount of time with tracking attached – but kindly remember that we’re still in a global pandemic and only a few days out of a pretty freaking weird time for my country, so patience is probably a good thing to muster.

Oh right – here’s the current link to our online store on the interweb. One day it would be wonderful to be all like “here’s our ever-expansive list of distributors,” but in the meantime, we’re just a cottage industry trying to make a ripple in the waters of big synth.

Media

First Fabrica jams with a variety of inputs such as Rings, a Novation PolySynth and a fancy-pants triangle-wave oscillator.

Second example. This one features one of those bespoke instruments that people like to record delicate tape loops with, using minimal setups located next to hardy desert plant cuttings. This example… is not a delicate tape loop.

Example 3 – this time with a Noise Swash, because why not?

Example 4 – with an actual oscillator because apparently folks use those with filters and whatnot to make sounds in the synthesizer world.

Example 5: This is what you get when you run a kick through this beast.

Additional Info:

• Power is provided by the usual ribbon cable (included) – red stripe down into the shrouded header. Power draw is fairly minimal – probably less than 100 ma, and only on the positive side of the cable.

• As with all audio electronics that have exposed circuitry, I am in no way am responsible for electrocution, injury, loss of life, etc. due to misuse of this product, act of angry deity, etc. I trust that you’ll do the right thing in the end and not do something foolish like lick this or perform in the bathtub or something, but hey, gotta cover my backside.

• Depth is minimal – like maybe 16 mm or so. In other words, “skiff friendly.”
• Width is 6 hp. Tiny, but not teensy-tiny.

• Finally, as with all our products, this one comes with our usual blanket, all-encompassing, non-expiring, totally transferrable “if we can fix it, we will” guarantee. I build solid and stand behind my wares, but in the event that something happens, I’d like to think I have your back. Just don’t do something asinine like melt it into a block of styrofoam or douse it in lucite. That might complicate things. Just frame that one and put it on your wall. Whatever you did, the story is worth more than the object.

• Finally finally, if any questions come up, please feel free to get in touch. We’re people persons – honest!

DIY

Oh hey, so dig this: Considering that this particular module was inspired by another open source, freely-available design, I’m paying it forward and making the files available for you to build your own without having to funnel money through me. Here’s the link, but please be mindful of two things: 1.) I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about builds, but this is DIY – if you do it right, it works, but if you have a question about every step, kindly know that there’s a mountain of resources available on the interwebs that can lend a hand – some better than what I can offer considering the number of obligations I’m typically juggling for most the year. and 2.) don’t be a jerk and repackage this design in some sort of cockeyed attempt at prioritizing someone else’s forays into post-capitalism. That’s… not how this works. But hey, now that those caveats are out of the way, enjoy, kids!

https://github.com/vauxflores/Electronics/tree/master/Eurorack/Fabrica