Equipped with 16 individual bandpass filters, the Buchla Model 296t Programmable Spectral Processor can act as a real-time performance filter, programmable compound equalizer, and even a spectrum-translating vocoder, providing analysis and synthesis capabilities.
The 296t consumes 360mA from the +12V rail and 350mA from the -12V rail. It is important to have a strong regulated power supply like Mantis to power it. Make sure to calculate the power consumption of all the other modules in your case to make sure all the modules combined do not overload your power rails and the maximum current the external power adapter that your case can supply.
The PROGRAMMABLE SPECTRAL PROCESSOR is an elaborate set of filters with a number of different outputs and special functions. Perhaps its most obvious function is that of a sixteen band "graphic equalizer". The sixteen bands are labeled in hex numerals (0 through F) at the top and bottom of the module and the centre frequency of each band is indicated above each slider attenuator.
ATTENUATOR OUTPUTS
The signal input jacks, in the bottom right, offer the choice of putting a signal into the eight even numbered bands, all sixteen bands, or the eight odd bands. Note that these are just the even or odd numbered bands on the equalizer and have no correspondence to even or odd harmonics.) The ATTENUATOR OUTPUTS on the right of the module also offer "even", "odd", or "all" signal outputs. With a signal patched into the "ALL" signal input and taken out through the "ALL" attenuator output the module functions just as a sixteen band graphic equalizer. Note on the scale for the attenuators that -3dB is the top range of the sliders and that a slider at the very top is actually giving -3dB to frequencies in that band. An attenuator at the very bottom will completely cut off any signal in that frequency band.
The signal output jacks directly above each attenuator offer the signal present within that frequency band at 0dB. These outputs are not affected by the attenuator's positions. The COMB FILTER, outputs offer the signals from either all the “even” or all the "odd" bands and are also unaffected by the attenuators and are set at 0dB.
CONTROL VOLTAGE OUTPUTS
The control voltage outputs labeled ENVELOPE OUTPUTS are envelope follower outputs for each frequency band. In other words, the voltage from these outputs represents the amplitude of the signal present within each band. The switch in the upper right selects "long" “combo” or "short" envelope decay times. These outputs are not affected by the positions of the attenuators.
PROGRAMMED OUTPUTS
The SPECTRAL PROCESSOR can be voltage controlled in a variety of ways. The results of any control voltage manipulation are presented to the PROGRAMMED outputs. It is possible to "sweep" through the various frequency bands (much like a bandpass filter can "sweep" the frequency spectrum) using the left knob on the PROGRAM CONTROL section. This knob can be voltage controlled through the control voltage input labeled FREQUENCY. The knob beside the input is an inverting attenuator the same as others on the synthesizer. On the right is a WIDTH control knob which determines the widths of the sixteen frequency bands. The labeling above each attenuator indicates the approximate center frequency of each band. Notice that as the bandwidth gets very narrow "gaps" appear between each band and then the bands disappear completely and no signal is passed. At the MAX setting each band is so wide as to encompass the entire frequency spectrum and the FREQ control will have no effect. This knob can be voltage controlled but it has no attenuator on the control voltage. The LOCAL PROGRAM INPUTS allow individual voltage control of the signal level in each frequency band. With no control voltage the signal for that band is cut off. As a control voltage increases the signal is gradually unattenuated.
Specs:
Size: 52HP
Depth: 52mm
Power: +12V 360mA -12V 350mA
