Cascade

Schlappi Engineering 4HP
UTILITY VCA I/O MIXER

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Passive 4HP Eddy expander. SELECT swaps three stereo pairs between per-channel stereo VCA outs (CH) and post-distortion HIGH/MID/LOW bandpass taps (EQ). MIX, DISTORTION and COMPRESSOR bus pairs break out simultaneously.

Patch Ideas · 4

Triple stereo VCA mixer
Use Cascade in CH mode to break Eddy out as three CV-controlled stereo VCAs feeding three separate effect chains while MIX stays as a fallback sum.
Walkthrough
  1. Attach Cascade's ribbon to Eddy's expander header.
  2. Set Cascade SELECT to CH.
  3. Patch stereo sources into Eddy IN 1 L/R, IN 2 L/R, IN 3 L/R.
  4. Set Eddy's three input switches to up (on) and the level knobs near noon.
  5. Patch envelopes or LFOs into Eddy CV IN 1, CV IN 2, CV IN 3 to animate each channel's gain.
  6. Take HIGH-ONE L/R to effect chain A, MID-TWO L/R to chain B, LOW-THREE L/R to chain C.
  7. Leave Eddy's OUT SELECT on MIX as a safety sum if you need to drop back to the stereo bus.
Signal out HIGH-ONE, MID-TWO, LOW-THREE stereo pairs carry Eddy ch1/2/3 post-VCA. Eddy's own OUT L/R still carries the selected bus.
Listen for Three independent stereo lanes responding to their own envelopes — effectively turning Eddy into a compact three-track stereo VCA mixer.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 11 modules and 15 connections. Signals: 12 audio, 3 cv.CascadeEddySrc ASrc BSrc CEnv AEnv BEnv CFX AFX BFX CSELECT: CHChannel 1 switch: onChannel 2 switch: onChannel 3 switch: onOUT SELECT: MIXHIGH - ONE LaudioHIGH - ONE RaudioMID - TWO LaudioMID - TWO RaudioLOW - THREE LaudioLOW - THREE RaudioIN 1 LaudioIN 1 RaudioIN 2 LaudioIN 2 RaudioIN 3 LaudioIN 3 RaudioCV In 1cvCV In 2cvCV In 3cvOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOutcvOutcvOutcvIn LaudioIn RaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioIn LaudioIn Raudioaudiocv
3-band distorted filter bank
Flip SELECT to EQ to grab the post-distortion HIGH/MID/LOW bandpass taps as three parallel band-split outs — a ready-made multiband distortion splitter.
Walkthrough
  1. Set Cascade SELECT to EQ.
  2. Patch a full-range stereo source (drum loop or pad) into Eddy IN 1 L/R.
  3. Raise Eddy channel 1 level into distortion territory (past noon) so the DIST bus is audibly driven — the filter taps sit after distortion.
  4. Listen at Cascade HIGH-ONE, MID-TWO and LOW-THREE pairs: high-band around 2–3 kHz, low-band around 70–80 Hz, mid in between.
  5. Route each band through its own processor (e.g. HIGH into a shimmer reverb, MID into a delay, LOW into a saturator/sub).
  6. Sum the three bands back in an external mixer to taste; remember there is no clean band — every tap is distorted first.
Signal out HIGH-ONE / MID-TWO / LOW-THREE = three stereo bandpass taps of the distorted signal. MIX L/R still carries the clean pre-distortion sum if you want a dry parallel send.
Listen for The source torn into three distorted bands that you can process independently — great for aggressive multiband FX that a single Eddy DIST out can't give you.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 14 connections. Signals: 14 audio.CascadeEddySrcShimmerDelaySubMixerSELECT: EQChannel 1 level: past noon (drive DIST)Channel 1 switch: onOUT SELECT: MIXHIGH - ONE LaudioHIGH - ONE RaudioMID - TWO LaudioMID - TWO RaudioLOW - THREE LaudioLOW - THREE RaudioIN 1 LaudioIN 1 RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioIn 1 LaudioIn 1 RaudioIn 2 LaudioIn 2 RaudioIn 3 LaudioIn 3 Raudioaudio
Parallel clean / dirty / compressed stems
Ignore the SELECT switch and use the lower three stereo pairs to send clean, distorted and compressed versions of the same mix to three destinations at once.
Walkthrough
  1. Patch stereo sources into Eddy IN 1–3 and set the input switches to on.
  2. Set Eddy's level knobs so DIST has obvious grit and COMP is catching the loud parts (watch the PEAK meter).
  3. Patch Cascade MIX L/R to your main stereo output (the clean reference).
  4. Patch Cascade DISTORTION L/R to a parallel crusher/send-return for a harder layer.
  5. Patch Cascade COMPRESSOR L/R to a third destination (e.g. a reverb send, or a second output for mastering choice).
  6. Blend the three stems at your external mixer — Cascade gives you all three simultaneously, no need to touch Eddy's OUT SELECT.
Signal out MIX L/R = clean sum · DISTORTION L/R = Eddy's DIST bus · COMPRESSOR L/R = Eddy's COMP bus. All three live at once.
Listen for The same performance delivered clean, distorted and compressed in parallel — mix them back together externally for layered loudness and grit without re-patching Eddy.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 8 modules and 12 connections. Signals: 12 audio.CascadeEddySrc 1Src 2Src 3Main OutCrusherReverbSELECT: CH (not used by this patch)Channel 1/2/3 switches: onOUT SELECT: MIX (unused — Cascade bypasses it)Sidechain: IN4MIX LaudioMIX RaudioDISTORTION LaudioDISTORTION RaudioCOMPRESSOR LaudioCOMPRESSOR RaudioIN 1 LaudioIN 1 RaudioIN 2 LaudioIN 2 RaudioIN 3 LaudioIN 3 RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioLaudioRaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioIn LaudioIn Raudioaudio
Per-channel sidechain ducking with VCA break-out
Use Cascade CH taps as post-VCA sends to effects, while Eddy's sidechain ducks the COMPRESSOR bus — get wet ducking and dry per-channel sends at the same time.
Walkthrough
  1. Set Cascade SELECT to CH.
  2. Patch pad into Eddy IN 1 L/R, bass into IN 2 L/R, perc into IN 3 L/R.
  3. Set Eddy's SIDECHAIN switch to SCHAIN.
  4. Patch a kick into Eddy IN 4 / Sidechain — compression on the COMP bus now ducks to the kick.
  5. Take Cascade HIGH-ONE L/R (pad post-VCA) to a long reverb.
  6. Take Cascade MID-TWO L/R (bass post-VCA) to a saturator.
  7. Take Cascade COMPRESSOR L/R to the main output — that's the kick-pumped mix.
  8. Also take Cascade DISTORTION L/R to a parallel crush bus if you want a louder thump layer.
Signal out COMPRESSOR L/R = sidechained pumping mix · HIGH-ONE / MID-TWO = dry post-VCA per-channel sends · DISTORTION L/R = parallel dirty layer.
Listen for A kick-driven pumping main with clean per-voice FX sends — the ducking lives only on the COMP bus, so your reverb and saturation don't breathe with it unless you want them to.
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 9 modules and 13 connections. Signals: 13 audio.CascadeEddyPadBassPercKickReverbSatMain OutSELECT: CHChannel 1/2/3 switches: onSidechain: SCHAINOUT SELECT: COMPHIGH - ONE LaudioHIGH - ONE RaudioMID - TWO LaudioMID - TWO RaudioCOMPRESSOR LaudioCOMPRESSOR RaudioIN 1 LaudioIN 1 RaudioIN 2 LaudioIN 2 RaudioIN 3 LaudioIN 3 RaudioIN 4 / SidechainaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOut LaudioOut RaudioOutaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioIn LaudioIn RaudioLaudioRaudioaudio

Behaviors

Triple stereo VCA breakout SELECT = CH · Eddy channels patched

HIGH-ONE / MID-TWO / LOW-THREE pairs expose each of Eddy's three stereo channels post-VCA. Eddy becomes three independent CV-controlled stereo VCAs with the bus outs still usable for group processing.

HIGH/MID/LOW filter-tap breakout SELECT = EQ

The same three pairs switch to the direct outputs of Eddy's three feedback bandpass filters (post-distortion). HIGH is centered around 2–3 kHz, LOW around 70–80 Hz, MID between them. Tuned for feedback tone-shaping, not textbook EQ — there is no clean tap, only distorted-then-filtered signal.

Simultaneous three-bus breakout Cascade connected to Eddy

MIX, DISTORTION and COMPRESSOR stereo pairs are always live regardless of SELECT position and independent of Eddy's OUT SELECT switch. Lets a patch send clean, dirty and compressed versions to separate destinations at the same time.

Passive expansion connect ribbon to Eddy

Cascade has no active circuitry, draws no current, and does nothing on its own. It only surfaces signals already present inside Eddy via the expander header.

Controls

Global SELECT Two-position switch that assigns the upper three stereo pairs (HIGH-ONE, MID-TWO, LOW-THREE) to either the individual stereo VCA channel outputs or the direct bandpass-filter taps of Eddy's feedback-filter network (post-distortion).
CH = triple stereo VCA · EQ = HIGH/MID/LOW filter taps

I/O

OUT · 12

  • HIGH - ONE L audio AUDIO
    Left of the first stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 1 stereo VCA output (left). EQ mode: left output of the HIGH bandpass tap (~2–3 kHz, post-distortion).
  • HIGH - ONE R audio AUDIO
    Right of the first stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 1 stereo VCA output (right). EQ mode: right output of the HIGH bandpass tap.
  • MID - TWO L audio AUDIO
    Left of the middle stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 2 stereo VCA output (left). EQ mode: left output of the MID bandpass tap.
  • MID - TWO R audio AUDIO
    Right of the middle stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 2 stereo VCA output (right). EQ mode: right output of the MID bandpass tap.
  • LOW - THREE L audio AUDIO
    Left of the lower stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 3 stereo VCA output (left). EQ mode: left output of the LOW bandpass tap (~70–80 Hz, post-distortion).
  • LOW - THREE R audio AUDIO
    Right of the lower stereo pair. CH mode: Eddy channel 3 stereo VCA output (right). EQ mode: right output of the LOW bandpass tap.
  • MIX L audio AUDIO
    Left of the clean mix bus — the sum of all three Eddy channels before distortion and compression.
  • MIX R audio AUDIO
    Right of the clean mix bus.
  • DISTORTION L audio · ~12Vpp max AUDIO
    Left of the distorted mix bus (same signal as Eddy's OUT L when OUT SELECT is DIST). Self-limits at ~12Vpp.
  • DISTORTION R audio · ~12Vpp max AUDIO
    Right of the distorted mix bus.
  • COMPRESSOR L audio AUDIO
    Left of the compressed mix bus (same signal as Eddy's OUT L when OUT SELECT is COMP).
  • COMPRESSOR R audio AUDIO
    Right of the compressed mix bus.