surface

Qu-Bit Electronix Surface

Multi-timbral physical modeling voice

10 HP Eurorack module

Surface by Qu-Bit Electronix is a multi-timbral physical modeling voice module capable of emulating plucked strings, prepared piano, tuned percussion, and waveguides. Features up to 8 voices of polyphony, true stereo outputs with configurable spatialization modes, and morphable sound models that blur the line between acoustic emulation and synthesis.

Features

  • XYZ touch surface with pressure-sensitive output
  • Record and playback touch gestures
  • Clock-syncable gesture playback
  • Adjustable slew for smooth CV output
  • Multiple gesture memory slots

Controls & Jacks (21)

  • Trig— Manual trigger button. Excites the current physical model to produce a sound. Takes over the oldest voice when polyphony limit is reached. L
  • Trig— Manual trigger button. Excites the current physical model to produce a sound. Takes over the oldest voice when polyphony limit is reached. L
  • Choke— Silences all active voices by damping them instantly. Useful for rhythmic gating and palm-mute effects. LED color matches the active model.
  • Choke— Silences all active voices by damping them instantly. Useful for rhythmic gating and palm-mute effects. LED color matches the active model.
  • Voices— Sets the maximum number of simultaneous voices. Cycles through 1 (blue), 2 (cyan), 4 (green), and 8 (purple). Hold for 1 second to enter the
  • Voices— Sets the maximum number of simultaneous voices. Cycles through 1 (blue), 2 (cyan), 4 (green), and 8 (purple). Hold for 1 second to enter the
  • Frequency— Sets the root pitch. Two controls: the large outer knob is coarse tuning quantized to semitones across 5 octaves. The small inner knob is un
  • Tone— Model-dependent macro parameter affecting the tonal character. Pluck: brightness/filter cutoff. Bell: morphs between vibraphone and tabla. E
  • Strike— Controls the attack characteristics of each model. Pluck: attack strength. Bell: mallet weight/material. E.Piano 1: secondary FM index. E.Pi
  • Model— Selects the physical model for the next triggered voice. Seven models spread evenly across the knob: Pluck, Bell, E.Piano 1, E.Piano 2, Kick
  • Trig Input— Trigger/gate CV input. Excites the physical model to produce a new voice. Use with a sequencer or clock for rhythmic patterns.
  • Left Output— Left stereo audio output (~10Vpp). Behavior depends on stereo mode: Mono (identical to right), Split Models (Pluck/Bell/E.Pianos), Split Voi
  • Model CV— CV input for model selection. Voltage selects among the 7 physical models. Allows sequencing different instrument timbres per trigger.
  • Strike CV— CV input for the Strike parameter. Modulates the attack characteristics of the active model. Adds to the knob position.
  • Choke Input— CV input for choking all active voices. A trigger or gate silences all ringing notes instantly. Useful for rhythmic damping effects like hi-
  • Tone CV— CV input for the Tone parameter. Modulates the tonal character of the active model. Try patching pitch CV here for keyboard tracking (bright
  • Decay CV— CV input for the Decay parameter. Scaled by the Decay CV Attenuator knob. Modulates how long each voice rings out.
  • V/Oct Input— 1V/octave pitch tracking input. Responds to +/-5V for melodic control of the root pitch. Use with a sequencer or keyboard for tonal playing.
  • Right Output— Right stereo audio output (~10Vpp). Behavior depends on stereo mode: Mono (identical to left), Split Models (Kick/Snare/Prepared Piano), Spl
  • Decay— Controls the decay time of the active model. Range from ~500 microseconds to 5-10 seconds depending on the model. Pluck and Kick models have
  • Decay CV Attenuator— Attenuverter for the Decay CV input. Scales incoming CV before it modulates the decay time. Center = no modulation.

How-To Guides

  • Plucked String Patch
  • Prepared Piano Textures
  • Morphing Between Models

Explore the interactive Surface panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.

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