Product Overview

The Spherical Wavetable Navigator (SWN) is a six-channel synthesizer that makes it easy to create slowly morphing drones, polyphonic melodies, evolving sequences, and rich textures.

The SWN features six wavetable oscillators with independent pitch, level, and waveform controls. Six LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) can be used as modulation sources and/or envelopes, making it easy to add dynamic motion to your patch. Each channel is a full voice and can be “played” using the top row of buttons, the internal LFOs, or note-change detection on the 1V/oct jacks. The SWN ships with 12 three-dimensional (spherical) wavetables and an easy interface which allows you to record and edit custom wavetables from live audio. Open-source software for Mac, Windows, and Linux called SphereEdit can be freely downloaded and allows you computer to create, edit, and convert .wav files into Spherical wavetables to transfer into the SWN with an audio cable.

Six VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators), each with independent 1V/oct pitch CV and waveform selection.
Twelve spherical wavetables, plus space for up 108 user-created wavetables.
Quickly record, apply effects, and save your own custom wavetables from live audio (or by using free SphereEdit software on a computer).
Six LFOs/envelopes, each with its own output jack and controls for speed, amplitude, phase, and shape.
Stereo audio outputs.
Option to quantize each channel to a scale (major, minor harmonic, semitones).
Entire state of the SWN can be saved into one of 108 Presets and recalled at a later time.
Temperature-stable, high-quality pitch tracking circuitry is easy to re-calibrate and keep in tune with any sequencer, DAW interface, or keyboard.

Controls:
Stereo audio outputs: odd channels -> left, even channels -> right. Jacks are normalized for mono use.
Pitch controls
All pitch features can be controlled globally or per-channel.
Octave: shifts pitch of channel(s) up or down by octaves
Transpose: shifts pitch of channel(s) up or down by semitones
Fine+Transpose: shifts pitch of channel(s) up or down by micro-tonal amounts
Scale: selects quantization: major, minor, semitones, or no quantization
Spread: Creates chords by spreading channel pitches apart
Fine+Spread: Detunes each channel a different amount for phasing effects
1V/oct jacks: pitch control jack for each channel
Transpose jack: global 1V/oct pitch
Spread CV jack: global chord selection
LFO/envelope controls
All LFO features can be controlled globally or per-channel.
LFO Output jacks: each channel has a dedicated LFO/envelope output jack
LFO Speed: Rate/tempo of each LFO. Divides/Multiplies main clock by integer amounts unless Fine button is pressed. In audio range, adjusts by semitones
LFO Shape: Selects from 25 LFO waveshapes (ramps, saw, sine, complex shapes, etc)
LFO Gain: Control amplitude of LFO on LFO output jacks. Useful for self-patching LFOs to other SWN jacks
LFO Phase: Adjusts when each LFO fires relative to the "down-beat". Example: 60 degrees of phase shift per channel creates a 6-step sequence
LFO Type button: toggles between trigger, gate, and waveshape
LFO CV jack: adjust LFO Speed
Ext Clock jack: sync to external equipment
Amplitude controls
Sliders: each channel has a dedicated level (volume) slider
Mute button: each channel has a mute/unmute button
Key button: in Keyboard or Note mode, mute button will fire the channel's envelope to play a note
VCA input jacks: switch re-purposes 1V/oct jacks to control level of each channel with CV
LFO->VCA button: Internally uses each channel's LFO to control its level to create sequences and/or dynamic motion. (global or per-channel)
Wavetable controls
All wavetable features can be controlled globally or per-channel.
Browse: morphs between all waveforms in the Spherical Wavetable (Sphere) by navigating in zigzag (snake) pattern
Depth: morphs between waveforms in the Sphere by navigating only in the Depth dimension
Latitude: morphs between waveforms in the Sphere by navigating in the Latitude dimension
Longitude: morphs between waveforms in the Sphere by navigating in the Longitude dimension
Sphere: selects a Spherical Wavetable from the 12 factory spheres and up to 108 user-created custom spheres
Dispersion: Pushes each channel to a different position within the Sphere
Dispersion Pattern: Selects the pattern that channels are dispersed
WT Spread: Pushes each channel into a different Sphere

Presets
All settings (except level sliders and 1Voct/VCA switch) can be saved for later use.
Save Preset: Save the state of the SWN so you can come back to it later.
Load Preset: Select one of 108 user preset slots to load
Clear Preset: Delete a preset that you previously saved.
Undo Preset: Undo your last preset action (example: accidentally cleared the wrong preset, or saved over a preset). Can be used to A/B between a preset the current sound.
Sphere Recording
Special mode to record your own Spherical Wavetables where some controls have a new purpose. See Cheat Sheet PDF page 3.
Waveform In jack: input an audio signal here (gain is automatically adjusted, even for line level signals)
Record: start recording from Waveform In jack (2.5 second buffer)
Monitor: monitor the audio signal by sending it to the output jacks
Test-tone: produce a test tone for tuning your audio source (optional)
Wavefolding FX: wavefolds the waveform(s)
Bit Decimation FX: adds bit decimation to waveform(s)
Metalizer FX: adds a metalizer effect to waveform(s)
Low-pass filter FX: low-pass filters the waveform(s)
Gain/normalization FX: controls normalization or attenuation of waveform(s)
Seam smoothing FX: smooths the seam of recorded waveform(s)
Waveform Shift: scrubs through recorded audio to select which waveforms will be saved into the Sphere
Waveform Spread: Adjusts the pattern of waveform selection from the recorded audio
Waveform Stretch: Stretches waveforms, which shifts pitch up and down by octaves
LFO sync pulses and ramps: when recording, LFO jacks output timed pulses and ramps useful for synchronizing the audio source (example: playing a different sample for each waveform recorded)
Save Sphere: When done, save your sphere in one of 108 slots for user-created custom spheres

User Manual 1.0

Cheat Sheet PDF

26HP Eurorack format module
0.98” (25mm) maximum depth (includes power cable)
16-pin Eurorack power header
Power consumption
- +12V: 185mA with LED PWR jumper set to 12V; 107mA with LED PWR jumper set to 5V
- -12V: -30mA
- +5V: not used with LED PWR jumper set to 12V; 60mA with LED PWR jumper set to 5V
Audio outputs
- Frequency range: 0Hz (DC) - 22kHz
- Maximum Amplitude: 19Vpp
LFO outputs
- Frequency range: 0Hz (DC) - 3kHz
- Minimum Period: 24 hours
- Maximum Amplitude: 8Vpp
- 1V/oct inputs (channel CV inputs and Transpose CV)
- Voltage range: 0V to +10V (10 octave range)
CV inputs (other than 1V/oct and Transpose CV)
- Voltage range: 0V to +5V
Clock input
- Trigger threshold: 1.5V
- Pulse width must be greater than 1ms
User memory (non-volatile)
- Preset slots: 108
- Custom Spherical Wavetables: 108
Wavetable