Local Florist

Voltage Controlled Flower Shop

An experiment in highly-controlled feedback, the Local Florist covers flanging (kinda), chorus (yes), reverb (true), spring-y feedback sounds (all day), Karplus-Strong (not really), vibrato (yes), plucky percussive string sounds (yes), and general robot space sounds (often).

The Local Florist utilizes an analog bucket brigade (BBD) chip along with a unique feedback circuit to produce a bouquet of sonic textures perfect for any occasion. This module was designed as part of the upcoming Voltage Research Laboratory 2 synthesizer, but the standalone prototype was so much fun, we had to make some to share.

Don’t forget to support your Local Florist!

Delay Time 6.2ms - 28.5ms

Delay time is set by adjusting the TIME KNOB. Turning the knob to the right increases the delay time. Delay time can be voltage controlled by patching into the TIME CV INPUT JACK and adjusting the TIME CV TRIMMER. The TIME CV TRIMMER is an attenuverter. That means the incoming signal is off when the trimmer is set to the 12 o’clock position. Turning the attenuverter to the right passes the original signal through. Turning the attenuverter to the left passes an inverted version of the original signal through. Turning the TIME CV TRIMMER to the right will increase the amount of CV passed through to the delay time. Turning the TIME CV TRIMMER to the left will increase the amount of inverted CV passed through to the delay time. Locating the exact off position of an attenuverter can be difficult. The easiest wave to remove the CV signal from the signal path is to simply remove the patch cable patched into the TIME CV INPUT JACK.

Feedback
The FEEDBACK KNOB sets the amount of repeats created by the delay. Turning the FEEDBACK KNOB full left will produce 1 repeat. Turning the knob the right increases the number of repeats until the delay begins to self-oscillate. The Local Florist manages a large number of repeats before self-oscillation.

Input Level
The INPUT TRIMMER attenuates the incoming audio signal. Lowering the incoming signal modifies the balance between clean audio and repeats, leaving more room for feedback.

Output Mix
The MIX KNOB acts as a balance control between the dry incoming signal and the wet delayed signal. Turning the MIX KNOB to the left weighs the output toward the dry signal. Turning the MIX KNOB to the right weighs the output toward the wet signal. In theory, setting the MIX KNOB at 12 o’clock creates an even mix of the wet and dry signals. In reality, the tolerance of the potentiometer, waves shape, and dry signal level all influence the location of an even 50/50 mix. The VIBE OUTPUT JACK is wet signal only.

Modulation Source
The Local Florist includes an internal LFO for modulating the delay time. The MOD RATE KNOB sets the LFO frequency between 0.108Hz (9.25s/cycle) - 120Hz. The MOD DEPTH KNOB is an attenuator adding more LFO signal to the delay time as the knob is turned to the right. The MOD DEPTH KNOB and the TIME KNOB work together to set the modulating delay range. The TIME KNOB sets the center of the delay time and the MOD DEPTH KNOB sets the amount the delay time drifts positively and negatively around it.

https://pittsburghmodular.com/local-florist