Strakal Orsel

Tube distortion/oscillator/noise gen/VCA

Overview

Strakal Orsel is a brutal, yet highly musical tube distortion, which can also be used as an effect oscillator, noise generator or dirty VCA. If you send some average GM drums into the module, sounds hard as nails will come out. Gently plucked acoustic guitar solos can be transformed into hardcore riffs.Other acoustic instruments, as well as synthesizer sounds, can be “spiced up” the same way. Thanks to its velvety tube touch, you’ll gladly accept any hearing damage produced by this module.

The Strakal Orsel offered here is equipped with Russian NOS tubes, type 6j1P.

Details

Strakal Orsel is a powerful, hand-wired tube distortion module. As known from other Touell Skouarn circuits, all sockets and control elements have Breton names. (Except for the audio input and output, which are marked with arrows.)

Triodenn (switch) – Here, you can choose between pentode and triode operation for the left tube. Thus, this switch varies the basic sound character.
Boukl Retroaktiñ (switch / knob) – The switch activates the feedback path. With the potentiometer, you can vary the feedback intensity. High values lead to screaming self-oscillation. At low settings, signals are nicely thickened.
Gounid (knob) – This potentiometer is used for determining the level between the first and the second tube stage.
Ampled (knob) – For setting the degree of distortion. How hardcore would you like your sound to be?
Enklas Modulañ (socket) – CV input for influencing the feedback respectively volume. (It works even without the feedback being active.)

Without an input signal, but with wide open feedback, the Strakal Orsel can be used as a beefy effect oscillator. Using its CV input, the pitch can be varied. There is no accurate pitch tracking according to the standard 1 v / octave, though. If you now deactivate the feedback and dial in the right volume and distortion settings, you can enjoy the Orsel’s noise floor in its purest form. In other words, the module will emit charming tube noise. Operation as a crude VCA is possible as well.
miscellaneous

The following tubes are compatible with the Strakal Orsel.
• 6j1P
• 5654
• 6AK5
• EF95

https://www.touellskouarn.fr/strakal-orsel/