Cre8audioWest Pest Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizer
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Cre8audio West Pest
Designed in collaboration with Pittsburgh Modular, the West Pest from Cre8Audio is a modern West Coastsynth that uses an in-house custom circuit for fat, buzzing, and peculiar Buchla-like sounds. So-called West Coast synthesizers use wavefolding and combination VCA/low pass filters, often referred to as low pass gates. The West Pest uses these techniques with a unique Waveform Contour section, letting you dial in the right about of grit with a satisfyingly large Timbre knob. Fine-tune the harmonics with a resonance knob and bring some movement in with a modulation knob.
The Dynamics Contour is where you can create those characteristic snappy plucks or bongo sounds. A fast attack quickly opens the VCA and the Sustain and Decay are up to you to control with a low pass filter gently rolling off the highs as the amplitude falls. Both the wavefolder and the dynamics controller have independent inputs that are accessible via the patchbay—along with 18 other patch points—letting you reroute anything on the West Pest or bring in any other audio device.
Designed to be self-contained as well as to expand your existing Eurorack setup, the West Pest also features a built-in LFO with triangle and square waveforms, a built-in sequencer, and options aplenty. You can also plug in your favorite MIDI controller or use the built-in button keyboard to create melodic lines or manipulate the sequencer/arpeggiator. Cre8audio's West Pest is a robust, full-featured, and fun synth for all levels of synthesist.
West Pest Features
- West coast style analog monophonic semi-modular synthesizer
- Controllable via MIDI, CV, and integrated button keyboard
- Fully patchable with 20 patch points
- 32-step sequencer with up to 13 presets
- Generative sequencing mode
- Clock-synced arpeggiator
- Step sequencer can be manipulated & transposed via MIDI and the integrated button keyboard
- Pittsburgh Modular collaboration
- 100% Analog, unipolar oscillator with sine, triangle, and saw which can be combined
- Oscillator includes frequency modulation (FM)
- Pittsburgh Modular's famous wave folder/shaper circuit that folds inputted waves back onto themselves to yield rich harmonic texture
- Pittsburgh Dynamics Controller with 100% modern circuitry designed to behave like a traditional filter, VCA, and envelope generator
- Dual range analog LFO with square and triangle wave outputs
- LFO Range - High: 2 Hz to 500 Hz Low: 41s to 5 Hz
- Digital multi-mod tool - modulation control via CV, random generator, and extra LFO and envelope generator
- Internal clock with tap tempo and can be clocked via an external source
- Built-in clock divider
- Use standalone in its included case or removed to use as a eurorack format module
- 40 HP wide when racked as a module
- 25mm
- 213mA @ +12V, 151mA @ -12V
- PSU included for standalone case
- 2x 3.5mm to 5-pin MIDI adapters included
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West Pest’s unique sound has been influenced by Pittsburgh’s acclaimed Voltage Research Lab synthesizer.
The Pittsburgh-designed core oscillator technology has matured through the development of their SV-1 and later with Voltage Research Laboratory. This iteration’s waveforms have been optimized to be run through West Pest’s wavefolder.
Wave folding/shaping is integral to West Pest’s foundation. Wavefolding amplifies incoming waveforms. Rather than clipping or distorting, the wavefolder circuit folds the waveforms back onto themselves, creating upwards of six folds to add vast harmonic complexity and depth.
West Pest’s snappy, responsive articulation is accomplished by the “Dynamics Controller,” Pittsburgh Modular’s original invention. This unique concept is designed to behave like a traditional filter, a VCA, and an envelope generator, all at once. Upon note trigger, the filter opens fully and rapidly, producing a sharp, percussive attack. At release, the Dynamics Controller adds a ringing, resonant decay, resulting in a rounder, more musical sound. The Dynamics Controller is the product of years of research by Pittsburgh’s founder Richard Nicol, and Chief of R&D Michael Johnsen. Inspired by the developments of West Coast synthesis pioneer Don Buchla, Pittsburgh Modular has modernized and evolved these concepts, taking them into new realms, adding wider range, consistency, stability, and resonance control, as well as an infinitely variable, ringing decay.
Going beyond these analog sound-sculpting tools, West Pest also includes a deep new digital multi-mod /multi-function tool concept to add more flavor to the Pest’s production. The multi-mod lets users select between additional clock synced LFO, decay envelope, MIDI-controlled modulation, and random voltage generator modes.
West Pest’s compositional and performance capabilities are as robust as its ferocious sonic engine. West Pest can be controlled via MIDI, control voltage (CV/Gate), and its function keys, which double as a keyboard controller. Also included is an integrated sequencer & arpeggiator that can also be controlled via MIDI and is externally clockable.
A semi-modular synthesizer, West Pest has basically 8 different patchable modules (Oscillator, wave contour, dynamics controller, LFO, multi-mod tool, MIDI to CV converter, step sequencer, and button keyboard) with a whopping 18 Eurorack compatible patch points to plug into itself and your other gear. As a starting point, West Pest comes intuitively patched internally to create a bold and flexible full synth voice. Using the patch points enables users to reroute internal signal flow, as well as use with external eurorack format modules and synthesizers. To promote experimentation, Cre8audio has included a set of premium Nazca Noodles patch cables.