RYK Modular - ALGO

RYK ALGO, the excellent Quad Complex Oscillator Bank. Give your LFOs and Envelopes something to play with.

In FM-speak a single Osc is called Operator. Configurations of several Oscillators are called Algorithms. Yamaha popularized this naming convention with the DX7. This one had six operators – each with linear, thru0 FM. There are surely FM Synths with more Operators. But the bread and butter FM Synths still are the four operator FM Synths. “The most FMey sounding variant of FM”

While you did need a PhD to program a DX7 or the money to pay an expert, having four Operators is just the right balance between complexity and ease of use. This FM variety found widespread use and surely is the commercially most successful. Still the TX81Z or DX100 are much cherished and cheap to have synths with a ton of character. Unlike the former, ALGO presents FM in a playful manner. You can quickly setup your patch by pressing the ALGO knob and choose one of the nine ALGOs. The multitude of CV-ins and their flexibility allow you to morph through a chosen ALGO. All of these are modulation inputs, i.e. not meant for (higher-frequency) audio-rate modulation. They are fast enough to translate snappy envelopes. Most of them have several functions. For instance, M1-M4 can be set to Amplitude Modulation or Frequency Modulation. ALGO can track 1V/Oct or scan through Harmonic Intervals/Ratios. Additionally there is a Fixed mode meaning that the selected oscillator will not follow the master 1V/Oct input (=four individually playable Oscs).

XM, Warp and Fold clearly are the main sound shaping parameters. XM, which RYK also calls Cross Modulation, sets the global amount of FM-Modulation in relation to the level-settings of the Modulators. Warp is a continuous morph from sine to Triangle to pulse Wave. It can act on the modulators or carriers only or on all oscillators. Fold is applied to the sum of an ALGO. There is Symmetric, Asymmetric and Soft Clipping. All types of Fold have a very fine degree of control and coloration over the whole range. Warp can make sounds jump from bell to pure electricity. If Warp is zizzle, then Fold is buzz. Both are highly interdependent.

The combination of FM, WARP, FOLD and Chorus is – as the manufacturer states – a highway to Netflix horror ambiences and also (strangely) almost choral sounds. In the same manner, simple additive sounds, organs and clusters can be achieved. And all the FM-basses, bells and bongos you can wish for.

Features

• Quad complex oscillator bank.
• 4 operators/through zero oscillators with wave warp and wave folding and V/Oct or AM per Osc
• Oscs are onfigured in 9 ALGOrithms
• Global 1V/Oct, Detune and XM in
• Individual Mod Input per Osc. V/Oct, Harmonic mode, Fixed mode or AM per Osc
• Wavewarp from Sine -> Tri -> Pulse, CV-controllable for Modulators, Carriers or all Oscs
• Wave Fold: Symmetric, Asymmetric, Soft Clip, CV controllable
• Classy, retro ALGO LED Display
• Stereo Out via Adaptor Cable.
• Integrated Stereo Chorus