Afterneath®
Improved otherworldly reverberator
The Afterneath is a lot like that – a wizard emerging from an ethereal cave and ready for ambient battle. You are the wizard - or witch, if you prefer - and the cave is the signal for your instrument, vast, expansive and magical. Are you going inside? Roll a D20 to continue!
Once inside, a glint of light from an unknown source catches your attention, and you notice a strange glow on the cave walls. You shyly approach the walls of the cave. As you gently place your hand on the cave wall, you feel the rock move. The cave is alive! Alarmed, you let out a loud gasp, which reverberated throughout the underground landscape. Upon further listening, it seems that the reverbs in your voice are actually a swarm of short digital delays that can be used to create wild, cavernous reverbs, or short, scattered rhythmic delays with bizarre characteristics.
Take a moment to review your Intelligence and Wisdom scores, as well as your spell inventory before continuing. You have seven spells at your disposal…
Are you going to run “Length,” which controls the decay length of the reverb?
What about “Diffuse,” which adjusts the spread of the reverb? With your stick (or just the knob) turned counterclockwise, the reverb is sharper with more attack, resulting in stuttering of individual early reflections. Clockwise, throws a more ambient sounding hex.
Overwhelmed by fear, you hastily say “Dampen!” As you shout the incantation, you notice that a counterclockwise variation of this spell produces brighter tones, while when you twist your wand clockwise; you hear darker tones with softer highs. It's almost as if your magic changes the hardness of the cavern walls, and therefore the tonal characteristics of the reverb!
Elsewhere in your book of magic is "Drag", which separates individual digital delay lines, literally dragging them through the very fabric of time and space towards an unknown event horizon from where they might not never come back. Clockwise “Drag” positions will bring the delay lines together for a more reverb-like effect. Turn the "Drag" counterclockwise and the delay lines will begin to separate for a dispersed ping-pong delay effect.
The Drag can be powered or expression controlled using the 'EXP' jack on the side and operates in 9 different modes which are selected by the small 'Mode' control. These modes are: unquantized, unquantized with tilt, unquantized volt/octave, chromatic scale, major scale, minor scale, pentatonic scale, octaves and fifths and octaves. These modes radically change how the Drag control works, especially when using an Expression control or CV.
“Reflect” modifies the depth of the cave, and with it the regeneration of the reverb. This acts as a feedback control and self-oscillates if initiated by a high-level user. Turn clockwise for more wash and echoes, counterclockwise for less.
Finally, the “Mix” modifies the alchemical balance between the input signal and the effect. The Afterneath is not completely wet but lowers the level of the input signal as you increase this control to create the appearance of a completely wet reverb.
Fashions
The Modes command changes how the Drag command works. The LED will change color indicating which mode you are in.
1. Unquantized: smooth, unquantized response over the operating range
2. Unquantized with Slew: Smooth, unquantized response throughout the operating range, but with a musical slew reminiscent of turning the Varispeed knob on a vintage British tape delay. The “Drag” will lag behind the button or CV changes, but will quickly catch up.
3. Unquantized Volt/Octave: Smooth and unquantized, but scaled to align with the 1v/octave curve to allow melodic modulation of audio in the buffer, or control auto frequency -oscillation like a voltage controlled oscillator.