Mimeophon

Make Noise 16HP
fw mp86
DELAY EFFECTS CHORUS RESONATOR

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Stereo multi-zone audio repeater co-designed with Tom Erbe. Eight nested Zones span 1.3ms Karplus-Strong to 41s looping. Skew detunes L/R, Halo smears stereo, Flip reverses, Color shapes feedback timbre, Tempo input syncs to clock.

Patch Ideas · 8

★ Karplus-Strong string
Zone 0 self-oscillates as a plucked string. Short MATHS bursts excite it; pitch CV into microRate tracks 1V/oct in Zone 0.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 0 (Zone Window green). Zone CV Attenuverter full CCW.
  2. Repeats to 1:00 (high feedback = long decay).
  3. Halo full CCW (pure string, no smear).
  4. Color to 12:00 (noon — neutral timbre).
  5. Mix to 1:00 (mostly wet — you want the string, not the click).
  6. On MATHS: CH1 Rise full CCW, Fall ~10:00, Response 2:00. Patch CH1 Out to Mimeophon L (Mono) Input.
  7. Patch pitch CV (keyboard / sequencer) to Mimeophon microRate Input (1V/oct in Zone 0, unattenuated).
  8. Patch Mimeophon L Output and R Output to your mixer L/R.
  9. Trigger MATHS CH1 to pluck. Lower Color for mellow strings, raise for brighter plucks.
Signal out L/R Outputs — pitched plucked-string tone at ~10Vpp, decay length set by Repeats.
Listen for A Karplus-Strong plucked string that tracks your keyboard. Fall time shapes the attack, Color shapes the tone, Repeats sets how long the string rings.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 4 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, MATHS, Keys, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 1 pitch.MIMEOPHONMATHSKeysOutputZone: 0Repeats: 1:00Halo: full CCWColor: 12:00Mix: 1:00L InaudiomicroRate1v/octL OutaudioR OutaudioCH1 OutaudioPitch1v/octLaudioRaudio121. short burst excites string2. 1V/oct in Zone 0audiopitch
★ Tempo-synced dub delay
External clock at TEMPO locks Rate to musical divisions. Skew produces stereo polyrhythmic echoes.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 4 (orange — 326ms to 1.3s range).
  2. Color to 3:00 (near-unity, uncolored repeats).
  3. Mix to 11:00 (mostly dry with audible tail).
  4. Repeats to 12:00 (several audible echoes).
  5. Rate to 12:30 — that's the '1/1' point when clocked.
  6. Halo to taste (9:00 for tight, 2:00 for wide).
  7. Patch your system clock (≥2.5V, 0.25Hz–50Hz) to Mimeophon TEMPO Input.
  8. Patch source audio to L (Mono) Input. R is normalled to L — stereo output still works.
  9. Press SKEW button (LED lights). Rate now splits L/R rates in opposite directions.
  10. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer.
Signal out L/R Outputs — dry signal plus tempo-locked stereo echoes at ~10Vpp. Slew-less crossfade on Rate changes means no doppler pitch-shift.
Listen for Beat-synced dub delays that land on musical divisions. Skew creates interlocking L/R echo patterns that drift against each other rhythmically.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 4 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Source, Clock, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 1 clock.MIMEOPHONSourceClockOutputZone: 4Color: 3:00Mix: 11:00Repeats: 12:00SKEW: ONL InaudioTEMPO InclkL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioOutclkLaudioRaudioaudioclock
★ Stereo chorus
Slow LFO into microRate modulates delay time for chorus/flange. Skew inverts the right channel response for stereo width.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 1 (green — 20–82ms, flange/chorus range). Zone 0 for shimmer, Zone 2 for slapback.
  2. Color to 3:00 (uncolored).
  3. Repeats to ~12:00 (some resonance for body).
  4. Mix to 1:00 (mostly wet).
  5. Halo to 9:00 to start.
  6. Press SKEW button (LED lights). In Zones 1–7, Skew inverts microRate on the right channel.
  7. Patch a bipolar tri/sine LFO at ≤10Hz through an attenuator (set low amplitude) to Mimeophon microRate Input.
  8. Patch source audio to L (Mono) Input.
  9. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer L/R.
Signal out L/R Outputs — chorused stereo image at ~10Vpp with L and R modulated in opposite directions.
Listen for Wide stereo chorus — detune shimmers between the channels. Switch to Zone 0 and raise Repeats for a metallic flange; Zone 2 for deeper pitch-wobble.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 4 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Source, LFO, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 1 cv.MIMEOPHONSourceLFOOutputZone: 0 (or 1 for flange)Color: 3:00Mix: 1:00SKEW: ONL InaudiomicroRatecvL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioTri, ≤10HzcvLaudioRaudio11. attenuatedaudiocv
Back and forth to the future
Self-patch RATE Output into FLIP Input — each repeat automatically alternates forward/reverse.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 4 (orange — 326ms to 1.3s, clean reverse range).
  2. Mix to 12:00 (equal dry/wet).
  3. Repeats to 9:00 (a few echoes so reversals are audible).
  4. Color and Halo to taste.
  5. HOLD off (button unlit), SKEW off.
  6. Patch source audio to L (Mono) Input.
  7. Self-patch: Mimeophon RATE Output to Mimeophon FLIP Input. Each rate pulse toggles FLIP.
  8. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer.
  9. Optional: patch a musical clock to TEMPO Input for strict rhythmic flipping.
Signal out L/R Outputs — alternating forward and reversed echoes at ~10Vpp.
Listen for Repeats that swap between forward and backward playback automatically, producing a hypnotic back-and-forth smear of the source. Works cleanly in Zones 2–7; Zones 0–1 give 'Total Protonic Reversal' distortion instead.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 3 modules and 4 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Source, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 1 gate.MIMEOPHONSourceOutputZone: 4Mix: 12:00Repeats: 9:00L InaudioFLIP IngateRATE OutgateL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioLaudioRaudio11. auto forward/reverseaudiogate
Zone-sequenced rhythmic lattice
A sequencer drives Zone CV so each note sits in a different Zone. Smaller-Zone repeats carry through into larger Zones as a layered rhythmic lattice.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone CV Attenuverter to 12:00 (full positive sweep from the 0–5V CV).
  2. Repeats to 2:00 (strong feedback — repeats carry between Zones).
  3. Mix to 12:00.
  4. Color and Halo to taste.
  5. Patch a VCO to Mimeophon L (Mono) Input.
  6. Patch a sequencer CV Out (0–5V) to Mimeophon Zone CV Input — each step selects a different Zone.
  7. Patch a clock to the sequencer's Clock Input so Zone changes stay in time with the melody.
  8. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer L/R.
Signal out L/R Outputs — the note plus nested echoes at different time scales, ~10Vpp.
Listen for Each sequencer step puts the note through a different echo character (flange, slapback, loop). Because Zones are nested, a Zone 0 repeat is preserved when you jump to Zone 4 — a rhythmic lattice of past notes builds under the sequence.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 5 modules and 5 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, VCO, Sequencer, Clock, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 1 cv, 1 clock.MIMEOPHONVCOSequencerClockOutputRepeats: 2:00Mix: 12:00L InaudioZone CVcvL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioClockclkCVcvOutclkLaudioRaudio11. per-step zoneaudiocvclock
Held drone scrubber
Capture a phrase with HOLD, then modulate Repeats (start-point), Color, and Halo for infinite non-destructive scrubbing.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 5 (purple — 653ms to 2.6s, phrase length).
  2. Mix to 1:00 (mostly wet).
  3. Repeats to 1:00 (fills the buffer with source).
  4. Color and Halo to 12:00 to start.
  5. Patch source audio to L (Mono) Input. Play or stream a phrase in.
  6. Patch a gate source to Mimeophon HOLD Input (≥2.5V). When HIGH, the buffer freezes — no new audio in or out of the feedback path.
  7. With HOLD engaged, Repeats knob now sets the start point of the held repeat within the current Zone.
  8. Patch LFO1 to Mimeophon Repeats CV Input (scan the start point).
  9. Patch LFO2 to Mimeophon Color CV Input (evolve timbre over the frozen phrase).
  10. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer.
Signal out L/R Outputs — a frozen moment of the source looping at the Zone length, ~10Vpp. Non-destructive — releasing HOLD resumes normal feedback.
Listen for A stuck-in-time smear you can scrub through. The phrase loops forever; the LFOs scan different moments and timbres of it. Add FLIP for reverse scrubbing, switch Zones to reveal older material.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 6 modules and 6 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Source, Gate, LFO1, LFO2, Output. Signals: 3 audio, 2 cv, 1 gate.MIMEOPHONSourceGateLFO1LFO2OutputHOLD: engagedL InaudioHOLD IngateRepeats CVcvColor CVcvL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioOutgateOutcvOutcvLaudioRaudio121. freeze buffer2. scan start-pointaudiocvgate
Filter-verb
Mix full CW, Repeats and Rate full CCW, Zone 0 — access Color and Halo as a tone/air filter with no audible repeats. FLIP adds protonic-reversal harmonics.
Walkthrough
  1. Zone selector to 0 (green — 1.3 to 20.4ms).
  2. Mix full CW (100% wet — dry is cut).
  3. Repeats full CCW (no audible echo tail).
  4. Rate full CCW (slowest Rate in Zone 0).
  5. Color to 12:00 (neutral — sweep later for tone shaping).
  6. Halo to 9:00 (a little air). Increase for more ambient wash.
  7. Patch source audio to L (Mono) Input.
  8. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer.
  9. Press FLIP button to add harmonic/subharmonic 'Total Protonic Reversal' distortion derived from the source spectrum.
  10. Optional: raise Repeats from full CCW to bring in a short resonant tail.
Signal out L/R Outputs — processed source with Color as tone filter and Halo as ambience, ~10Vpp.
Listen for Mimeophon as a character-filter / short ambience box. Color sweeps from dark oil-can to crispy digital; Halo adds a stereo bloom. FLIP injects sub/harmonic grit.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 3 modules and 3 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Source, Output. Signals: 3 audio.MIMEOPHONSourceOutputZone: 0Mix: full CWRepeats: full CCWRate: full CCWL InaudioL OutaudioR OutaudioOutaudioLaudioRaudioaudio
Self-oscillation drone
No input — Mimeophon self-oscillates. Modulate Color and Zone for an evolving drone. Self-patch RATE into TEMPO to cancel doppler on Zone/Rate changes.
Walkthrough
  1. Nothing patched to L (Mono) Input or R Input.
  2. Zone selector to 0 (start here — Karplus-Strong tone).
  3. Mix full CW (100% wet).
  4. Repeats full CW (self-oscillation — extreme CW is runaway feedback).
  5. Halo full CCW to start (keeps it focused).
  6. Color to 12:00.
  7. Patch Wogglebug (Woggle CV or Smooth Out) to Mimeophon Color CV Input for slow timbral drift.
  8. Patch a stepped-random source to Mimeophon Zone CV Input (0–5V) for unpredictable Zone jumps.
  9. Self-patch: Mimeophon RATE Output to Mimeophon TEMPO Input — this cancels doppler pitch-shifts when Rate changes.
  10. Patch L Output and R Output to mixer L/R.
Signal out L/R Outputs — a self-oscillating feedback drone at ~10Vpp, timbre and size modulated by CV.
Listen for An evolving drone that never quite repeats. Color sweeps shift it between string, BBD, and crispy digital voices; Zone jumps instantly teleport between length scales without pitch-warble thanks to the TEMPO self-patch.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 5 connections. Modules: MIMEOPHON, Wogglebug, Random, Output. Signals: 2 audio, 2 cv, 1 clock.MIMEOPHONWogglebugRandomOutputZone: 0Mix: full CWRepeats: full CWHalo: CCWColor CVcvZone CVcvTEMPO InclkRATE OutclkL OutaudioR OutaudioWoggle CVcvSteppedcvLaudioRaudio11. cancel doppleraudiocvclock

Behaviors

Nested Zones Zone control

Zones are nested from shortest to longest — Z1 contains Z0, Z2 contains Z1, etc. Incoming audio always writes into all Zones simultaneously. Switching from a small Zone to a larger one can unearth sounds from seconds or minutes ago.

Zone 0 Karplus-Strong Zone 0 + Repeats high

Zone 0 (1.3–20.4ms) into self-oscillation produces string-like physical-modeling tone. microRate tracks 1V/oct, giving pitched plucked-string voices. Short input bursts (noise, impulses, transients) 'excite' the string; Color/Halo shape decay.

Skew SKEW button

Rate controls L and R repeat frequencies in opposite directions, producing stereo phase-shifted echo patterns. In smallest two Zones one channel may bottom out before the knob hits minimum. Toggle on/off while Rate is still to resync L/R.

Ping Pong / Swap SKEW button hold

If channels not skewed: engages Ping Pong — L+R inputs sum to mono and repeats bounce between L/R outputs. If channels are skewed: engages Swap — L/R feedback paths exchange each repeat, producing phase-shifted stereo pairs. Zone Window flashes to indicate.

HOLD preserves buffer HOLD button / gate

Freezes the feedback loop non-destructively. Color, Halo, Rate, Zone, Skew, Flip, Mix all remain active for endless manipulation of a captured phrase. Repeats knob becomes the start-point of the held repeat for current Zone.

FLIP + small-Zone protonic reversal FLIP in Zones 0–1

In Zones 2–7, FLIP cleanly reverses audio. In Zones 0–1, the buffer flips every 70 samples — 'Total Protonic Reversal' — generating harmonic/subharmonic distortion derived from input spectrum.

TEMPO doppler-free rate clock at TEMPO

External clock maps Rate to 12 fixed ratios (x2 full CCW through 1/1 at 12:30 to /2 full CW). Rate changes become slew-less crossfades — no doppler pitch-shift on transitions. Accepts 0.25Hz–50Hz; tap tempo works via two pulses.

microRate doppler CV at µ input

Dedicated audio-rate doppler modulation, independent of TEMPO sync state. Produces chorus, vibrato, flange. Skew inverts µ response on the right channel — great for stereo chorus with a slow LFO.

4-step input gain (mp82+) Hold FLIP + HOLD

Cycles through −3dB Blue, 0dB Green (Unity), +3dB Orange, +6dB Red. Zone Window displays current setting. mp82 saves the selection across power cycles.

Clear all Zones (mp70+) Mix + Repeats full CCW

Simultaneously setting Mix and Repeats fully CCW clears every Zone's buffer instantly — useful for resetting stuck feedback or removing latent content before a new section.

Controls

Global Mix Combo pot. Unpatched: sets balance between dry live input and wet Repeats. With signal at Mix CV IN: acts as attenuator for that CV.
CCW: dry · CW: wet · 0–8V CV range
Global Repeats Sets number of echo repeats from 1 to infinite. Extreme CW self-oscillates. While HOLD is engaged, this knob instead sets the starting point of the held repeat.
1 → ∞ · doubles as HOLD start-point
Global Zone Eight-position stepped selector. Each Zone is a delay-time range, nested inside the next. Switching Zones crossfades without doppler, allowing instantaneous size changes.
Z0 1.3–20.4ms · Z1 20–82ms · Z2 82–326ms · Z3 163–653ms · Z4 326ms–1.3s · Z5 653ms–2.6s · Z6 1.3–5.2s · Z7 2.6–41.8s
Global Zone CV Attenuverter Bipolar attenuator for Zone CV.
Bipolar
Global Rate Continuous frequency of Repeats within the selected Zone. When Skew is off, modulates both channels with doppler pitch-shift. When clocked via TEMPO, uses slew-less crossfade to jump between multiples without doppler.
CCW: slower · CW: faster · with TEMPO: x2 to /2 in fixed ratios
Global Rate CV Attenuverter Bipolar attenuator for Rate CV.
Bipolar
Global Color Timbre of the feedback path. CCW darker (oil-can / BBD), noon crunchy, CW crispy digital. Color also shapes Halo. Cumulative over successive repeats — modulation speed changes timbral drift.
Unity at ~3:00 (closest to uncolored)
Global Color CV Attenuverter Bipolar attenuator for Color CV.
Bipolar
Global Halo Adds stereo width and density around each repeat. Higher values inject smeared ambient excess into the feedback network, feeding Color.
CCW: dry · CW: wide / thick
Global SKEW Button Press to engage Skew — Rate now controls L and R repeat frequencies in opposite directions, creating stereo phase-shifted patterns. Hold to toggle Ping Pong (channels not skewed) or Swap (channels skewed).
Press = skew · hold = Ping Pong / Swap
Global HOLD Button Freezes the feedback buffer — no new sound enters or leaves. All other controls remain active for non-destructive modulation of the held repeat. Repeats knob becomes start-point while held.
Toggled · CV-controllable via HOLD In
Global FLIP Button Plays the buffer backwards. In Zones 2–7 = reverse audio. In Zones 0–1 = 'Total Protonic Reversal' distortion (audio-rate buffer flipping every 70 samples).
Toggled · CV-controllable via FLIP In

I/O

IN · 12

  • L (Mono) Input ~10Vpp AUDIO
    Left/mono audio input. Modular level, typically 10Vpp.
  • R Input ~10Vpp AUDIO
    Right audio input. Normalized to L when unpatched — mono signals feed both channels automatically.
    NORM → L (Mono) Input
  • Mix CV input 0 to +8V CV
    Unipolar CV for dry/wet mix.
    NORM → +8V
  • Repeats CV Input 0 to +5V CV
    CV for number of repeats.
  • Zone CV Input 0 to +5V CV
    CV for Zone selection, through the attenuverter.
  • Color CV Input 0 to +5V CV
    CV for Color.
  • Halo CV Input 0 to +5V CV
    CV for Halo.
  • Rate CV Input 0 to +5V CV
    CV for Rate, through the attenuverter.
  • microRate Input ±3V · 1V/oct in Zone 0 CV
    Dedicated un-attenuated doppler-modulation destination. Continuous, consistent range across all Zones. Linear in Zones 1–7; 1V/oct exponential in Zone 0 (useful for Karplus-Strong tone).
  • TEMPO Input ≥2.5V clock · 0.25Hz–50Hz CLK
    External clock in. Maps Rate to nearest musical division/multiple per Zone; switches use slew-less crossfade (no doppler).
  • HOLD Input ≥2.5V gate GATE
    Gate toggles HOLD on/off.
  • FLIP Input ≥2.5V gate GATE
    Gate toggles FLIP on/off. Audio-rate modulation in small Zones creates interesting sounds.

OUT · 3

  • L Output ~10Vpp
    Left channel output.
  • R Output ~10Vpp
    Right channel output.
  • RATE Output 0 to +8V GATE
    Trigger output at the current Rate (both channels OR'ed when Skew is engaged). Usable as clock divider/multiplier when externally clocked. Stays HIGH at fastest Rates (Zone 0 / fast Zone 1).