u-He Twangstrom

Twangström: Shake, Rattle, and Roll

A flexible spring reverb box-of-tricks. If you're familiar with Bazille, you might already have come across its built-in spring unit. We took that one, then modelled two more reverb tanks, paired it with drive section, filter stage, envelope, and mod matrix. It emulates a hand-picked selection of the most popular units you will find in classic guitar and instrument amplifiers, recreating the odd character of real springs.

shakeable springs

3 different reverberation tanks, inspired by the most popular ones built in the guitar & instrument amps that made rock 'n roll

tasty drive & tone stage for heating-up and colouring the sound

multi-mode filter, with variable type blend

four-flavours envelope stage, picking up the signal from either input, output or external sidechain

LFO module, 8 different types & waveforms, variable time base & syncable

comprehensive modulation matrix, for realtime control of all the parameters

independent input and feedback routing options allow all possible stereo or mono combinations

76 factory presets, NKS-compatible

UI instantly resizable from 70% to 200%

custom remote control via MIDI CC, 14-bit resolution option

As a faithful emulation of a mechanical device, Twangström needs to be handled well. Many of the technical parameters are user-adjustable in real time, and these can be controlled via MIDI or using the internal LFO and envelope generator. With its multimode resonant filter, Twangström is a unique and powerful tool which can deliver highly unusual, evolving textures… especially when the signal is tossed around using the modulation matrix!

Shakeable springs

Hitting your computer won’t make Twangström shatter, so we added a twang control. This is used to shake the springs, either manually or through modulation and automation. You might think this is a gimmick for which you have no further use (apart from waking up the neighbours), but if you modulate it slightly, everything comes to life!

Tank controls

Twangström's reverb is based on physical modelling. As opposed to plug-ins based on impulse responses (IR), our approach mimics the physics of mechanical reverberation. By simulating the wavefront travelling through a medium, we can include all the aspects of excitation, reflection, dispersion, interference, and other audio properties. Twangström does not mimic the sonic result, but simulates the physical device. This means that all dimensions of the device are controllable in realtime, on a per-sample-basis – which all boils down to quite some power at your fingertips!

Envelope

The envelope in Twangström features 4 different modes and can pick up the signal from either input, output or external sidechain. You can select between Envelope Follower, Attack and Decay, Attack and Release, or Cyclic modes. The last one is similar to a 2-stage LFO. Shown controls will adapt to the selected mode, with Threshold not appearing while in Envelope Follower mode.

Modulation Matrix

The modulation matrix has three general purpose modulation slots, and yes, you can select shake as one of many targets to modulate the Twang control!

Low Frequency Oscillator

The LFO features different time bases, including a non-synchronized one measured in seconds. Synchronized options include both dotted times and triplets. There are 8 different waveforms to choose from, with 2 of them being stepped or glide random shapes.