KaonaSisyphus Granular Filter

Kaona Sisyphus

Sisyphus from Kaona is a unique granular filter for Eurorack systems, betraying the modular gods to offer two beloved effect types fused in Dyonisian splendor. Ideal for making mythologically morphable timbres from any sound source, Sisyphus processes audio at its stereo inputs through two identical channels of filtering and granular sampling. Like its royal namesake, Sisyphus is happy to keep rocking and rolling, continually processing incoming signals into multiple audio buffers where one of the many filter types is applied to shape and sculpt timbral content. From these buffers, small grains of audio emerge and are ordered into predefined and configurable patterns, which are set by the Patterns control.

Using the Filter control, you can select between lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, peak, comb, Karplus, or ladder types, giving you a diverse range of spectral transformations within Sisyphus's granular engine. Control over Cutoff and Resonance are on hand, as well as Feedback, which injects the output back into the filter to derive further nonlinearities and resonances. The filter Variations control introduces instability in the cutoff and other settings depending on which filter you choose. For the granular engine, control over Grain Length, Density, and Grain Interval let you dial in the sound of grains themselves, while the Patterns, Variability, and Transition controls adjust the organization of grains in time. Adjusting these controls manually offers plenty of potential on its own, though the four CV inputs for grain length, density, cutoff, and resonance offer even more complexity when interfaced with a larger modular system.

Sisyphus can be used to craft atmospheric elements that fill out the stereo space in a musical moment, using primary material in your patch to derive captivating timbres that fit seamlessly into a larger texture. Alternatively, placing Sisyphus at the foreground offers a versatile palette for sonic experimentation, with a vast gestural range that traverses between smooth sound layering and explosive skronk with ease. In any application, Sisyphus from Kaona is a unique effect that extends the possibilities of any system, sculpting spectra and assembling granular structures through endless iterations of sonic experimentation.

Sisyphus Features

• Stereo granular filter with eight filter types
• Processes incoming audio into filtered buffers and uses them to create granular textures defined by Pattern settings
• Filter types:
  • Lowpass: Attenuates high frequencies with 12dB/octave slope
  • Highpass: Attenuates low frequencies with 12 dB/octave slope
  • Bandpass: Attenuates frequencies outside a chosen band with 12 dB/octave slope
  • Notch: Attenuates around the cutoff frequency
  • Peak: Boosts frequencies around cutoff without drastic attenuation
  • Comb: uses delay and feedback to create series of resonances and cancellations
  • Karplus (Karplus-Strong): Uses delays to simulate the vibration of a string
  • Ladder: 24dB/octave slope lowpass filter with unique resonance capable of self-oscillation
• Controls for cutoff, resonance, and feedback of filter
• Variations control introduces instability in cutoff frequency, resonance, or feedback
• Grain Length control sets size of audio grains
• Grain Interval sets time between start of grains
• Patterns knob controls organization of grains, from organized to chaotic patterns
• Density control adjusts amount of simultaneous grains and their intensity
• Variability control changes magnitude of effects for each pattern
• Transition control adjusts envelope shape applied to grains
• Stereo inputs and outputs are independent with shared parameter controls, useful for stereo or dual processing
• CV inputs (0-8V) for Grain length, Density, Cutoff, and Resonance can be swapped for other parameters via SD card