Desmodus Versio

Noise Engineering 10HP

Stereo-in, stereo-out synthetic tail-generator reverb and DSP platform. Sparse-FDN reverberator with LFO modulation, shimmer, and sidechain-style ducking. Firmware-updateable via USB.

Patch Ideas · 14

★ Shimmer pad

SHM mode + BND switch: an octave-up pitch shift feeds back into the reverb, blooming a luminous pad above a chord source.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper (LIM/DST/SHM) switch to SHM.
Flip the lower (BND/LRP/JMP) switch to BND (smoothest modulation).
Set Size to 1–2 o'clock, Dense to 3 o'clock.
Set Regen to just past noon — enough to let the octave-up feedback build without running away.
Set Tone slightly CW (light HP cut) and leave Index at noon (LFO off).
Set Blend to 2 o'clock so the dry chord is still audible underneath the wet shimmer.
Patch a poly chord source (e.g. Plaits Model 7 or Rings) → Desmodus Versio In L (In R is normalled from In L).
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Mixer In L, Out R → Mixer In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — stereo wet audio (±5V) carrying the dry chord plus the octave-up shimmer halo.

Listen for Each chord sustains into a luminous cathedral tail one octave above the played notes, blooming and stacking as long as you play.

▸ Show diagram

Dark ambient plate

LIM mode with no LFO and a short, dense tank: a clean dark plate that works as a musical room on any stereo source.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM (clean limiting) and the lower switch to BND.
Set Size to 10–11 o'clock (small space).
Set Dense to 2–3 o'clock (diffuse, reverb-y, not delay-y).
Set Regen to 9–11 o'clock (short decay, no runaway feedback).
Set Tone to noon or slightly CCW for a gentle lowpass roll-off on the tail.
Leave Index at noon so the internal LFO is disabled — no chorus/pitch wobble.
Set Blend to 1–2 o'clock.
Patch Source Out L → Desmodus Versio In L, Source Out R → Desmodus Versio In R.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — stereo wet+dry audio, short diffuse reverb tail, no modulation artifacts.

Listen for A short, dark plate reverb that sits gently behind the source — think intimate studio room, no warble, no shimmer.

▸ Show diagram

★ Rhythmic ducking reverb

Regen past 3 o'clock puts the tank into built-in sidechain mode — incoming transients automatically duck the infinite tail.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM, lower switch to BND.
Turn Regen past 3 o'clock — this is the built-in ducking zone (infinite tail + auto-ducked by input).
Set Tone slightly CW for a slight highpass, keeping the low end of the kick clear.
Set Size to 1 o'clock, Dense to 2–3 o'clock.
Set Blend full CW (wet-only — the dry kick will come in through your main mix, not through DV).
Patch Kick/Percussion Out → Desmodus Versio In L (normalled to In R).
Send the same Kick Out to your Mixer (dry channel) for reference.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Mixer In L, Out R → Mixer In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — 100% wet infinite tail that ducks on every input transient, like a sidechained reverb bus.

Listen for An infinite ambient tail that dips on every kick hit and swells back up between hits — breathes in time with the groove without any external sidechain.

▸ Show diagram

Accumulating distortion freeze

DST mode + FSU freeze: each feedback cycle runs through the tank saturation, so a clean frozen buffer slowly melts into distortion.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to DST, lower switch to BND.
Set Size to noon, Dense to 2 o'clock.
Set Regen to past noon (infinite-feedback zone).
Set Blend to 2 o'clock and Tone to noon.
Patch a sustained source (pad, drone) → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch a sustained gate (5–10 s, e.g. MATHS EOR or a held manual gate) → Desmodus Versio FSU Gate. Gate must be >+2V.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Trigger the gate and listen: the buffer freezes and each feedback lap picks up more saturation.
Release the FSU gate before it fully overloads to let the distorted tail decay naturally.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — a frozen buffer that progressively saturates; release the FSU gate to hear the distorted tail decay.

Listen for A sustained chord freezes, then slowly grows teeth: 2 seconds in it's still clean, 8 seconds in it's a fuzzed-out wall, 15 seconds in it's a roaring drone.

▸ Show diagram

Drone voice from nothing

With inputs unpatched and Regen past noon, DV self-oscillates — FSU kicks it into a sustained drone voice with no external VCO.

Walkthrough

Leave In L and In R completely unpatched.
Flip the upper switch to LIM (clean drone) or SHM (octave-stacked drone).
Flip the lower switch to BND.
Set Regen past noon to enter the self-oscillation/infinite-feedback zone.
Set Tone to noon, Size to 11 o'clock, Dense to 2 o'clock, Blend full CW.
Press and hold FSU (or send a sustained gate >+2V to FSU Gate) — this locks the tank into infinite feedback so the self-oscillating drone sustains.
Sweep Tone CCW/CW to shape the drone from bassy LP to whistling HP.
Turn Size to retune the drone (smaller = brighter, larger = deeper).
Sweep Dense to morph between pinged-delay and smeared-reverb character.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — a self-sustaining stereo drone, tuned and shaped by Tone, Size, and Dense. No oscillator needed.

Listen for A sustained eerie drone that rises out of silence when you hit FSU — sculpt it with Tone and Size like a filter-and-pitch pair, no VCO patched.

▸ Show diagram

Modulated size for chorus-in-reverb

A slow sine LFO into Size CV (BND mode) detunes the tank smoothly, producing a lush chorus that only colors the wet signal.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM and lower switch to BND (smooth crossfade between sizes, no JMP glitches).
Set Size knob to noon, Dense to 2–3 o'clock, Regen just past noon.
Set Tone to noon, Blend to 2 o'clock.
Patch a slow sine LFO (Pam's, MATHS cycle, etc. at 0.1–0.3 Hz, 0–5V range) → Desmodus Versio Size CV.
Patch your mono source → Desmodus Versio In L (normals to In R).
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Tune the LFO rate and depth live: slower and shallower for subtle warmth, faster for obvious wobble.
Because the modulation runs on the wet tank only, your dry signal stays perfectly in tune.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — dry signal on top of a slowly detuning chorus-reverb tail.

Listen for A warm, watery chorus that lives only inside the reverb — the original note stays stable while the tail slowly widens and bends around it.

▸ Show diagram

★ Pitch-rise freeze

Freeze a chord in SHM mode and the octave-up shift compounds every feedback pass — the pad rises an octave at a time.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to SHM, lower switch to BND.
Set Size to 11 o'clock, Regen just past noon, Tone at noon.
Set Blend to 2 o'clock.
Patch a sustained chord/pad source → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch a long gate (from a manual gate, MATHS, Pam's euclidean with wide width) → Desmodus Versio FSU Gate.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Trigger the gate. The buffer freezes and the octave-up shimmer stacks each lap — the pad rises over 10–30 seconds.
Release the FSU gate before the tail gets painfully bright to let it decay naturally.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — a frozen pad whose pitch climbs in octaves while FSU is held, then decays as shimmer when released.

Listen for A chord gets frozen in time and slowly lifts up the scale — one octave, then two, then ghostly harmonics — until you let go and the whole tower decays into shimmer dust.

▸ Show diagram

Gate-sequenced freeze stutter

A rhythmic gate pattern into FSU Gate clocks freeze/release cycles — the reverb stutters in sync with your sequencer.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM, lower switch to BND.
Set Regen past noon (infinite-feedback zone).
Set Size to 1 o'clock, Dense to 2 o'clock, Tone at noon, Blend to 3 o'clock (mostly wet).
Patch an audio source (pad, melody, drum loop) → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch a Euclidean / trigger sequencer (e.g. Pam's PRO Workout) → Desmodus Versio FSU Gate. Gate must be >+2V.
Start with short gates (25–100 ms) for rhythmic stutter-gate reverb.
Switch to longer gates (500 ms+) for rhythmic freeze pads interleaved with live reverb.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — rhythmically freeze-gated reverb stutter, locked to the sequencer clock.

Listen for The reverb tail chops in and out in time with your clock — short gates bring frantic stutter, long gates carve the tail into sustained freeze pads between hits.

▸ Show diagram

Metallic IDM texture

JMP switch turns every Size CV step into a hard cut — pair with S&H and DST for metallic pitch bursts and digital artifacts.

Walkthrough

Flip the lower switch to JMP (instant size change = digital/glitchy artifacts).
Flip the upper switch to DST for added saturation.
Set Size knob to 9 o'clock, Dense full CW, Regen to 2 o'clock, Blend 1–2 o'clock.
Patch any source (drum loop, melody) → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch a stepped random (S&H) CV source → Desmodus Versio Size CV. Expect 0–5V — clamp with an attenuator if needed.
Patch a slow LFO → Desmodus Versio Tone CV for slow spectral drift.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Each S&H tick hard-jumps the delay time: listen for pitched pings and metallic bursts.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — a glitchy, metallic reverb texture that flings pitched shards on every S&H step.

Listen for Clanking, metallic IDM bursts — every random step sends a shard of pitched delay through the saturated tank while the Tone CV slowly sweeps the overall color.

▸ Show diagram

Filter sweep inside reverb

Modulate Tone CV with a slow triangle LFO — the wet tail sweeps LP→HP while the dry signal stays untouched.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM, lower switch to BND.
Set Regen past noon for a long tail, Size noon, Dense 3 o'clock, Blend 1–2 o'clock.
Leave Tone knob at noon so the CV has full authority (knob sums with CV).
Patch a triangle LFO (0.05–0.3 Hz, 0–5V range) → Desmodus Versio Tone CV.
Patch source → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Listen as the LFO swings Tone from LP (CCW end) through disabled (noon) into HP (CW end) — the wah lives entirely inside the reverb tail.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — unchanged dry signal plus a wet tail that sweeps lowpass → open → highpass in a slow wah.

Listen for Your dry signal stays crisp while the reverb tail breathes — a slow wah that opens up, brightens into glass, then closes again underneath the source.

▸ Show diagram

Pinged tank drone

Ping the empty tank with FSU gates and FM the Size CV with an audio-rate sine — DV becomes its own pitched voice.

Walkthrough

Leave In L and In R unpatched — this patch is a self-oscillating voice, not an effect.
Flip the upper switch to DST, lower switch to BND.
Set Regen just past noon — enough to enter the self-oscillation zone so each FSU gate pings an audible tone that decays between hits.
Set Size to 10 o'clock, Dense 2 o'clock, Tone noon, Blend full CW.
Patch a gate/trigger sequencer → Desmodus Versio FSU Gate to 'ping' the tank rhythmically (each gate = one attack).
Patch a VCO sine output → Desmodus Versio Size CV. The 0–5V CV window means audio-rate input here creates FM-style pitch modulation of the tank.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.
Tune the VCO to find pitched drone tones; each FSU ping plays the note.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — a pitched, pinged drone voice generated entirely from the self-oscillating tank plus audio-rate Size FM.

Listen for An FM-tinged, pinged drone voice — each gate plucks the tank, and the VCO-sine on Size CV warps the pitch into metallic drone melodies.

▸ Show diagram

Reverb->delay->reverb shimmer chain

Loop DV's wet out through an external delay and a MATHS-gated VCA back into In R — an external feedback bus for infinite shimmer bloom.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to SHM, lower switch to BND.
Set Size to 10–11 o'clock (short), Dense 2 o'clock, Regen just past noon, Blend 2 o'clock.
Patch your source → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → FX Aid 1U In L (running a Delay→Shimmer program).
Patch FX Aid 1U Out L → VCA In.
Patch MATHS Channel 1 Cycle Out → VCA CV. Set the envelope shape so the VCA closes when the signal would otherwise run away.
Patch VCA Out → Desmodus Versio In R. Start with ~30% level for controlled feedback.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out R → Output In R (and Out L → Output In L for the main wet).

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L (main wet), Out R (right wet + external feedback return). An evolving infinite shimmer bus.

Listen for Every note blooms into an endless shimmer cloud, with MATHS periodically closing the VCA to keep the feedback from tipping into runaway howl.

▸ Show diagram

Audio-rate FSU gate bitcrush

A square VCO at 20–200 Hz into FSU Gate forces the mute/freeze gate to buzz at audio rate — the input is chopped like a ring-mod carrier.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to DST, lower switch to BND.
Set Index hard left (random LFO = more grit) and Speed around noon.
Set Size to 10 o'clock, Dense 2 o'clock, Regen 12–1 o'clock, Blend 2 o'clock.
Patch source → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch a square VCO running at 20–200 Hz (above +2V peak) → Desmodus Versio FSU Gate. Each square cycle triggers a micro freeze/release at audio rate.
Patch a slow LFO → the VCO's V/Oct input for evolving chop rate.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Output In L, Out R → Output In R.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R — audio-rate gated/chopped version of the input, like ring mod through a reverb.

Listen for The source turns into a buzzing, bit-crushed growl — an audio-rate chop that sweeps pitch as the VCO drifts, layered over the saturated tank.

▸ Show diagram

Trigger-linked effects chain

Use DV's wet tail to drive an envelope follower that fires triggers into other modules — each reverb swell excites downstream textures.

Walkthrough

Flip the upper switch to LIM, lower switch to BND.
Set Regen past noon, Size 12–1 o'clock, Dense 2 o'clock, Blend 3 o'clock.
Patch your source → Desmodus Versio In L.
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → an envelope follower's audio input (Doepfer A-119, FH-2, or similar with a gate output).
Patch EF gate out → uBurst Trigger (grains fire on reverb peaks).
Patch EF gate out → Rings STRUM (sympathetic resonator excite).
Patch Desmodus Versio Out L → Mixer In L, Out R → Mixer In R.
Mix the uBurst and Rings outputs into the same bus — each reverb swell now triggers a downstream bloom.

Signal out Desmodus Versio Out L / Out R (wet reverb, ±5V audio) plus downstream uBurst and Rings outputs firing on every tail peak.

Listen for Every reverb swell peaks into a triggered grain burst and a Rings strum — the patch seems to play itself, blooming new textures in rhythm with the tail.

▸ Show diagram

Behaviors

Shimmer LIM/DST/SHM switch → SHM

Adds a one-octave pitch shift that feeds back into the reverb input, creating ethereal shimmering reverb tails. The shimmer intensity is governed by Regen — just past noon gives subtle shimmer; higher values create aggressive, self-building octave stacks.

Infinite Tail / Ducking Regen past noon

Past noon the reverb reaches 100% feedback for infinite tail. Past 3 o'clock, new input sounds duck the infinite reverb — input transients carve space in the frozen tail, creating a natural sidechain compression effect without any external module.

Self-Oscillation Regen past noon, input unpatched

With input unpatched and Regen past noon, DV self-oscillates. Manipulate Size, Dense, Tone, and Style to shape the generated tones. Pitch is loosely related to Size — smaller values create higher, bell-like tones.

Simple Delay Dense full CCW

With Dense fully CCW, the effect sounds like a delay rather than reverb. Regen sets feedback amount. BND/LRP/JMP switch changes how pitch artifacts appear when you sweep delay time.

FSU (Freeze) button hold or gate input

Maxes feedback to 100% and mutes input. Current reverb buffer loops indefinitely. SHM mode causes frozen pad to rise in pitch over time. DST mode allows distortion to accumulate inside the frozen buffer each cycle.

Self-Sustaining Drone FSU with no audio input

With no input patched and Regen past noon, DV self-oscillates from the tank's internal noise floor. Holding FSU (or a high gate on FSU Gate) maxes feedback and mutes input, locking the tank into a sustained drone. Shape with Tone (LP/HP filter), Size (pitch/density), Dense (smear vs delay character).

BND switch (delay interpolation) BND/LRP/JMP switch position

Three modes control how Size and Dense changes are rendered: BND=smooth crossfade between delay times (pitch-neutral, clean), LRP=gradual pitch glide between times (Doppler-like warble), JMP=instant hard cut to new delay time (digital glitch, metallic artifacts). Applies to both manual knob sweeps and Size CV modulation.

Regen past 3 o'clock Regen knob above 3 o'clock

Activates sidechain-ducking zone: the infinite tail remains in feedback, but incoming input transients carve dynamic space in it automatically. Acts like a natural compressor/ducker — louder hits create more space. Useful for rhythmic sources that need clarity without losing the infinite tail underneath.

Versio firmware platform USB firmware flash

The Versio hardware platform runs any compatible Versio firmware — Electus Versio (stereo delay), Ampla Versio (VCA/limiter), Ruina Versio (distortion), and community ports. Reflash via USB in approximately 2 minutes using the Noise Engineering web flasher. Community firmware index at github.com/Maxhodges/noise-engineering-firmware-index.

Controls

Global	Blend	Dry/wet balance. Full left=dry only, full right=wet only, center=equal mix. Full CCW=dry · Full CW=wet
Global	Tone	Bipolar filter in reverb tank. Left=lowpass, right=highpass, center=disabled. CCW=LP · noon=off · CW=HP
Global	Regen	Feedback in reverb tank. Controls reverb length, infinite tails past noon, and input ducking past 3 o'clock. Full CCW=min · ~11 o'clock=shorter reverbs · past noon=infinite tail · past 3 o'clock=ducking
Global	Speed	Rate of the internal LFO that modulates delay lines (amount set by Index). Slow to fast
Global	Index	Bipolar LFO amount sent to delay lines. Center=disabled. Left=random LFO. Right=sine LFO. CCW=random mod · noon=off · CW=sine mod
Global	Size	Delay time of the reverb. Shorter values = smaller spaces. Short to long · CV controllable
Global	Dense	Spacing of delay lines. Full left=delay-like, full right=smeared reverb. Full CCW=delay · Full CW=dense reverb
Global	FSU Button	Maxes out Regen and mutes input while pressed, creating a wall of infinite reverb. Momentary · also responds to gate input >+2V
Global	LIM/DST/SHM Switch	Reverb style: LIM=clean limiting, DST=saturation distortion, SHM=shimmer with octave-up pitch shift feedback. LIM=clean · DST=saturation · SHM=shimmer
Global	BND/LRP/JMP Switch	Controls how delay lines respond when modulated. BND=smooth crossfade (pitch-neutral), LRP=gradual pitch glide (Doppler effect), JMP=instant hard cut (glitchy artifacts). BND=smooth · LRP=pitch shift · JMP=instant

I/O

IN · 10

In L ±8V (clips ~16V p-p) AUDIO

Left audio input. Normalled to right input when R is unpatched (mono in).
NORM → In R
In R ±8V (clips ~16V p-p) AUDIO

Right audio input. If unpatched, L signal is normalled to both inputs.
FSU Gate >+2V gate GATE

Gate input. High gate maxes Regen and mutes input, same as FSU button.
Blend CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Blend parameter. Sums with pot position.
Tone CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Tone parameter. Sums with pot position.
Regen CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Regen parameter. Sums with pot position.
Size CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Size parameter. Sums with pot position.
Speed CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Speed parameter. Sums with pot position.
Index CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Index parameter. Sums with pot position.
Dense CV 0–5V CV

CV input for Dense parameter. Sums with pot position.

OUT · 2

Out L audio AUDIO

Left stereo output.
Out R audio AUDIO

Right stereo output.

Patch Ideas · 14

Behaviors

Controls

I/O

▸ IN · 10

◂ OUT · 2

IN · 10

OUT · 2