audiobriefs
9:34in productionCh. 1 · Not a synth — an analog computer/ 9:34 · ceiling 15 min
Synths & drum machines · Sound design & sampling

Make Noise Maths

MATHS doesn’t make sound — it makes time, slope, and logic behave.

MATHS is a 20hp Eurorack module by Make Noise Music that functions as an analog computer for generating, transforming, and routing control voltages and digital timing signals. It extends Buchla’s legacy of analog control voltage processing, enabling scaling, inversion, amplification, integration, arithmetic, logic, and autonomous function generation — including LFOs and envelopes — with timing ranging from milliseconds to minutes.

Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 1:03
    Not a synth — an analog computer

    MATHS is an analog computer for music, built on Buchla’s 1960s circuit adaptations.

  2. 2:53
    Autonomous functions, no input needed

    It generates linear, logarithmic, or exponential functions from nothing — ranging from 2ms to 25 minutes per cycle.

  3. 4:07
    Analog math, not digital emulation

    It adds, subtracts, and ORs up to four control voltages — analog arithmetic in real time.

  4. 6:13
    Bidirectional analog-digital conversion

    It bridges analog and digital domains: gates become smooth curves, curves become gates, and gates can be delayed.

Worth your time?

Yes. Use the whole thing.

4.5/ 5
What works
  • bidirectional analog-digital conversion
  • autonomous function generation from 2ms to 25 minutes per cycle
  • real-time analog arithmetic on up to four CVs
  • precise control over signal timing, shape, and logic
What does not
  • generate audio waveforms
  • filter sound
  • replace dedicated LFOs or envelope generators without patching
  • offer visual feedback, presets, or memory
Use it if
  • modular synthesizer users who patch daily
  • sound designers needing deterministic control over timing and slope
  • composers working with long-form analog logic
Skip it if
  • digital sequencer-first users
  • those requiring recallable settings
  • beginners seeking intuitive modulation
The written brief2 min read

What it is and what it was built for

MATHS is a 20hp Eurorack module built as an analog computer for musical use. It was designed to sculpt control signals — not produce sound — extending Don Buchla’s adaptation of analog computer circuits for music in the 1960s.

How it works, in terms a player would use

MATHS processes control voltages and digital timing signals using physical knobs and patch points. It integrates, scales, inverts, or amplifies incoming analog signals. It adds, subtracts, or ORs up to four signals. It generates linear, logarithmic, or exponential functions — triggered or free-running — with no input required. It converts gate/clock inputs to analog outputs and analog inputs to gate/clock outputs. It delays digital timing information.

What it does better than anything else

It handles bidirectional analog-digital conversion and digital delay of timing signals more flexibly than most Eurorack modules. Its autonomous function generation spans 2ms to 25 minutes per cycle — wider than typical LFOs or envelope generators. Its arithmetic and logic operations on up to four CVs are immediate, analog, and patchable without sequencing.

What it does badly

It does not generate audio-frequency waveforms. It cannot modulate pitch or timbre directly. It has no built-in quantisation, sample-and-hold, or voltage-controlled switching. It offers no visual feedback, no presets, and no memory.

What people made with it

The sources do not specify what people made with it.

Who should use it, and who should not

Use it if you patch modular systems daily and need deterministic, real-time manipulation of timing, slope, sign, and signal relationships. Avoid it if you work mostly with digital sequencers, need visual feedback, or rely on recallable settings.

Is it worth your time

Yes — if you need precise, hands-on control over signal timing, shape, and logic in a Eurorack system. No — if you expect it to generate audio tones, filter sound, or replace dedicated LFOs or envelope generators without patching.

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Mutable Instruments CloudsMutable InstrumentsClouds is a granular audio processor for Eurorack that transforms live input into dense, overlapping grains. It records continuously into a short, variable buffer (up to 8 seconds), allows freezing that buffer to isolate a sonic space, and provides hands-on control over grain position, size, pitch, density, timing distribution, and envelope shape. A diffuser blurs transients using all-pass filters. It supports 40–60 concurrent grains and operates in stereo with extensive CV control, dry/wet blending, feedback, and reverb-like effects during freeze mode. It does not store or recall samples, nor does it support offline processing or waveform editing.
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Doepfer Dark EnergyDoepferA compact, monophonic, fully analog synthesizer released in 2010 as a stand-alone version of the Doepfer A-111-5 Eurorack module. It features dual LFOs capable of audio-rate FM (~5 kHz), a 24 dB/octave low-pass VCF, and a triangle-based VCO. The VCF can function as a sine oscillator when the VCO is disengaged and resonance is maxed. All sound generation and modulation are analog; only USB/MIDI contain digital components. It has no polyphony, no patch memory, no velocity or aftertouch, and no audio input. Superseded by the Dark Energy II in 2012.
9:03
Korg DDD-1Korg · 1986The Korg DDD-1 is a 1986 sampling drum machine with 14 velocity-sensitive pads, 12-bit samples, limited user sampling, five dynamic envelopes, and ROM card expansion (up to four cards, eight sounds each). It has 18 presets and six assignable audio outputs.
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