NorandMorphos 3D Morphing Complex Oscillator

Norand Morphos

Transform the way you craft sounds with Norand's Morphos, an analog complex oscillator that utilizes digital technology in the form of 3D preset morphing and multi-layered modulaution. At its core, the Morphos audio path is completely analog for rich and natural sounding tones that start with a continuous waveshape control. From there, you have access to coarse frequency tuning that is automatically snapped to semitone intervals for easy western-scale melodic playability, as well as a detune control to precisely match any tuning to other oscillators. Coming back to its complex nature, the Morphos offers not only frequency modulation, but dedicated Thru-Zero FM per oscillator that works in either or both directions to create an array of glassy and flavorful timbres. Additional sculpting includes a hard sync option as well as oscillator tracking, both engageable by button and having the opposite effect between the oscillators.

Where Morphos departs from typical oscillators is its immediate playability, preset saving, and how those two elements intermingle to create even further complexity. The top two pressure-sensitive touch strips correlate to each oscillator for managing preset positioning, with each of the four bulkier squares representing a preset and the spaces in-between offering smooth morphing between one another. The morphing strip not only moves from preset to preset, but has access to three different layers simultaneously—access the second layer with vertical movement and the third layer through increased pressure. The fluidity of motion allows for highly dense and ever-changing tones with up to 12 different states per oscillator, and with four available banks to save, you have 48 available presets to blend between in one sitting. These parameters are controllable with human touch or over CV via the X, Y, and Z inputs found next to the outputs.

The lower center block dives into what they call "contextual modulation" in which you can assign a variety of different modulation sources and amounts across multiple parameters—specifically those with one of the eight LED buttons above the CV inputs. Easily select one of the available modes depending on the destination and apply a variable amount, be it the attenuverter mode that controls the amount and polarity of CV coming into the Morphos or the ping envelope mode that applies an envelope everytime there is a 5V trigger received. Another mode that makes the TZFM and wave parameters feel more flexible is an internal modulation source, based on one of four waveforms that can run freely, sync to incoming clock, or even run at audio rates for blistering tonalities. Unique to the V/Oct inputs is the ability to set how the oscillators track in a multiplication or division to the standard 1V/Oct tracking, with results varying all the way down to eighth-tones and up to double whole-tones.

With plentiful amounts of control and shaping to behold just from the module itself, the Morphos is an amazing sound source for creating and performing basses, leads, drums and percussion, and anything in between.

Morphos Features

• 3D morphing complex oscillator
• Dual analog oscillator signal path
• Semitone quantized coarse tuning and +/-2 semitone detune range
• Continuously variable waveforms (sine to triangle to square to saw)
• Sync button hard syncs oscillator one to two
• Track button enables oscillator two to track one
• Thru-zero FM along with exponential FM input per oscillator
• Performative and CV modulatable 3D morphing via touchstrip per oscillator
• Touchstrip features four presets with continuous slide between the four
• X/Y/Z morphing via touch, vertical movement, and pressure sensitivity, respectively
• Four presets, three layers, and four banks gives you a total of 48 available presets to recall
• Dual morphing control over both simultaneously from one when enabling Track + Sync
• Modulation block with different modes assignable per destination (Wave, V/Oct, V/Oct B, TZFM)
• Attenuverter mode controls amount and direction of FM input signal to the oscillator
• Modulator mode selects between four waveforms and three rate types (free, synced, audio-rate) to modulate the FM input (0.1 to 80 seconds range)
• Ping envelope mode accepts 5V trig into the FM in to ping an envelope with adjustable decay and amount
• V/Oct mode changes 1V/Oct to one of five ranges (4V, 2V, 1V, 1/2V, 1/4V)
• Secondary preset Save and Delete controls with a Tare button to set the oscillators to their current state