WMD Crucible
Liquid metal cymbal and metallic percussion synthesizer
8 HP Eurorack module
Crucible is a digital cymbal and metallic percussion synthesizer for Eurorack that uses proprietary delay and digital filter networks to synthesize cymbals, gongs, bells, and sheet metal sounds in real time without samples. It offers positional triggering via separate EDGE and MID inputs to mimic different contact points on a real cymbal, and its Size, Pitch, Tone, Deform, and Excite parameters provide deep shaping of metallic timbres from tiny cowbells to room-filling gongs.
Features
- Realistic cymbal, gong, bell, and sheet metal sounds via proprietary synthesis — no samples
- Positional trigger inputs: EDGE and MID for different cymbal contact points; trigger both simultaneously to strike the bell
- 3 Model Types: Cymbal, Cracked Cymbal, and Curved Plate
- Audio input for experimental effects processing
- Separate Pitch and Size controls for maximum realism and independent tonal shaping
- Choke input for perfectly timed catches and realistic hi-hat choke behavior
- Excite knob shapes the exciter response to completely change Crucible's character
- Deform parameter for additional timbral manipulation
- CV inputs for Pitch, Tone, Excite, Deform, Size, and Decay — all sum with knobs
- Full CV sweep is 5V with 100k ohm impedance on all CV inputs
- Gate inputs with 100k impedance and 2V threshold Schmitt Trigger
- Audio output at 470 ohm impedance, 20Vpp range, 1.5ms maximum latency
Controls & Jacks (20)
- Status — Status indicator LED
- Size — Physical size of virtual metal surface
- Pitch — Base pitch of the cymbal/metal sound
- Decay — Ring-out time of the cymbal sound
- Tone — Controls the tonal character and frequency-dependent damping of the cymbal sound
- Mode — Selects between Cymbal, Cracked Cymbal, and Curved Plate synthesis modes
- Excite — Character of the exciter/mallet hitting the surface
- Deform — Warps the virtual metal shape in real-time
- CV Pitch — CV input for pitch modulation
- CV Tone — CV input for tone modulation
- CV Excite — CV input for excite modulation
- CV Deform — CV input for deform modulation
- CV Size — CV input for size modulation
- CV Decay — CV input for decay modulation
- Input — Audio input to the resonator for experimental metallic processing
- Velocity — Velocity CV input for dynamic strike intensity
- EDGE — Edge strike audio input for triggering the cymbal
- MID — Mid strike audio input for triggering the cymbal
- Choke — Trigger input to mute/choke the cymbal sound
- Out — Mono audio output
How-To Guides
- Basic Cymbal Strike
- Cymbal Bell Strike
- Cowbell to Gong CV Morph
- Realistic Hi-Hat Choke
- Deformed Metallic Noise Burst
- Audio Input Metallic Processing
- Velocity-Sensitive Cymbal
- Generative Metallic Soundscape
- Cracked Cymbal Snare Layer
- Melodic Metallic Bells
Explore the interactive Crucible panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.
