Error Instruments Plasma Voice
High-voltage xenon plasma synthesizer with 49 electrifying sounds
16 HP Eurorack module
The Plasma Voice is a unique Eurorack synthesizer module that generates sound by sending high-voltage electrical current between two electrodes in a xenon-filled gas tube, converting the resulting plasma discharges into analog audio via an electromagnetic rectifier circuit. It offers 49 sounds across 7 banks, each shaped by complex digital modulation algorithms controlling the discharge parameters, with an analog EQ, drive, VCA, and VCF section for final sculpting. The result is an electrifying range of tones from crackling bass and metallic percussion to chaotic spark textures that are unlike any conventional synthesis method.
Features
- Sound generation via high-voltage electrical discharge in a xenon-filled gas tube
- Electromagnetic rectifier circuit converts plasma discharges to analog audio
- 49 sounds organized across 7 banks: Bass, Lead, Pluck, Drum, Metal, Static, Spark
- 7 octave range that deeply alters sound character, not just pitch
- 6 performance sliders each with corresponding CV input and attenuverter
- Analog soft-clipping drive section
- Analog tilt EQ with Bass and Treble cut/boost knobs
- Analog VCF with selectable low pass, high pass, and DJ-style LP/HP modes
- Filter resonance control via ALT + Filter slider
- 5 trigger input modes: Trigger, Gate, Loop, Oscillate, On/Off
- 7 accent input modes: Accent, Duck, Starve, CV Freeze, Jump, Reverse, Burst
- CLUTCH button for buffered real-time parameter transitions
Controls & Jacks (32)
- Pitch — Center-indented pitch control, ±1 octave. 0V at center produces note C (adjustable in settings).
- Filter CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for FILTER CV input. Center: complete attenuation. Max CW: no attenuation. Max CCW: inverted.
- Encoder
- Mod CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for MOD CV input. Center: complete attenuation. Max CW: no attenuation. Max CCW: inverted.
- Treble — Tilt EQ treble section. Cut/boost with center indent for flat response.
- Pitch CV Input — 1V/OCT pitch CV input. ±10V range.
- Trigger — Manual trigger button for sound playback. Rising edge detection, minimum 2V.
- Drive — Soft-clipping control. Maximum CCW for unity gain.
- Flux CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for FLUX CV input. Center: complete attenuation. Max CW: no attenuation. Max CCW: inverted.
- Mod — Controls pitch-mod type effect depth for the digital engine modulation. Center indent is suggested starting position.
- Time CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for TIME CV input. Center: complete attenuation. Max CW: no attenuation. Max CCW: inverted.
- Harm CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for HARM CV input. Center: complete attenuation. Max CW: no attenuation. Max CCW: inverted.
- Harm — Controls harmonic content effect depth. Center indent is suggested starting position.
- Bass — Tilt EQ bass section. Cut/boost with center indent for flat response.
- Flux — Controls chaos artifact effect depth. Center indent is suggested starting position. Also functions as MULTICV attenuverter when ALT held.
- Filter — Controls filter cutoff frequency and filter envelope. Center indent: fully open. Down: close filter. Up: close filter and add decay envelope
- Time — Time-stretches the envelope shape of each sound. Center indent produces optimal time for selected sound. Also affects filter decay envelope
- Time CV Input — CV input for time parameter. ±5V from center indent.
- Mod CV Input — CV input for modulation depth. ±5V from center indent.
- Out — Main audio output from the plasma tube synthesis engine. Maximum ±8V.
- Settings — Hold to access alternative functions for encoder and sliders.
- Harm CV Input — CV input for harmonic content. ±5V from center indent.
- Flux CV Input — CV input for chaos artifact effect. ±5V from center indent.
- Trig Input — Trigger/gate input for sound playback. Rising edge detection, minimum 2V. Supports multiple trigger modes.
- Accent Input — Accent trigger/gate input. Rising edge detection, minimum 2V. Supports 7 different accent modes.
- MIDI Input — MIDI input (3.5mm jack with included DIN5 adapter). Full MIDI control: notes, velocity, CC, PC, SysEx. CH10 percussion key map supported.
- MultiCV Input — Assignable CV input (±5V). Default assignment to bank and sound selection. Can be assigned to any slider or as attenuverter.
- Filter CV Input — CV input for filter cutoff frequency. ±5V from center indent.
- Pitch Select
- Display
- Clutch — Acts as temporary parameter editing buffer for creating timed and sharp parameter transitions. Press and hold to delay changes, release to a
- VOICE
How-To Guides
- Pulsing Plasma Bass Line
- Burst Accent Percussion Storm
- High Voltage Continuous Drone
- Plasma Lead with Pitch Jumps
- Plasma Pluck with Frozen CV
- Metallic Chaos Texture
- Live Sound Transition with CLUTCH
- Self-Looping Plasma Engine with External VCA
- MIDI Drum Machine Percussion Mapping
- Starve Mode Glitch Performance
Explore the interactive Plasma Voice panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.
