KOMA Elektronik announced today that the Poltergeist Quadraphonic Audio Mixer for Eurorack systems is in production and has begun shipping.
The new Poltergeist Eurorack module lets you manipulate up to four audio / CV signals quadraphonically or stereophonically, in what Koma Elektronik is calling “new and ghostly” ways.
The module lets you mix and control signals quadraphonically with its 21 ins and outs, 48 SSM VCAs and unique hands-on mixing features.
The four channels of the Poltergeist each include a VCA with CV input, performance-oriented “clickless” solo and mute switches that engage upon release for perfect timing, pan with CV input over the entire 360°, a Field knob to add an inverted version of the signal to all mixer outputs, an Origin knob to control pan modulation from the Master Origin CV input, and an input with Gain control. Spatial animation is easily achieved by adjusting these parameters along with outside CV control from other modulation sources.
The Poltergeist can, with the flip of a switch, work as a stereophonic mixer as well. In the master section are 4 mixer outputs dedicated to each quadrant, or left and right, depending on which mode the mixer is in. There is also an auxiliary stereo input going directly to the summing bus (pre master VCA). The user can create his/her own compressor by using another module, like an envelope or comparator, into the Master Gain CV Input, a half-rectified, inverted CV input where positive CV reduces the Master Gain and negative CV is ignored. At the end there is the Master Gain knob to control overall volume.
Pan position is “highly” controllable on an individual level for each channel. Slope (also controllable via CV) controls the curve of the pan: on one end the signal remains at one output for a long time then quickly jumps to the next; while on the other end, the signal stays at the output for a shortage before it slowly begins moving to the next. Shift each or all channels’ pan positions from 100% to 0% to -100% with the Master Origin CV input. By adjusting each attenuverter on each channel, complex choreographies are possible.
The Poltergeist measures at 28HP wide.
Additional technical specifications and product information can be found in the Poltergeist user manual. Koma Elektronik has also published a short series of videos detailing patch-making on the Poltergeist on YouTube.
Pricing and Availability
The Poltergeist is available now via KOMA Elektronik’s website and from select retailers worldwide for a suggested retail price of $850 US.
”suggested retail price of $850 US”
Much as I love my modular, I output to a standard digital mixing desk (X32) and cant really see the point of these very expensive modular mixer units I use Frames for panning, dispatching, VCA etc coupe of hundred bucks and a lot more uses!
Poltergeist = noisy ghost. Not sure if I would want a mixer with ‘noisy’ in it’s name.
Quadraphonic? Hmmm, unless you are mixing for AC3 or some other surround sound type format, what would that even be used for? If you are later summing/mixing to mono or stereo it seems redundant, never mind the price tag.
Should have released this in 1975 or so, that is when Quadraphonic sound was in it’s heyday.
Quadraphonic is great for live.
Working in primarily experimental music and playing in galleries and DIY spaces you often have the ability to reconfigure the PA, augment it, or bring your own, making quadrophonic sound a reasonable goal.
Swirling a filter sweep around an audience is awesome.
yeah and for such projects you might also have the required funding …
Yes, things cost money.
well we need more mixer modules in eurorack for shure
this one looks nice. it is a bit steep in price. would be cool if you can cv the solo or mutes.
The other side of the coin is Tempi from Make Noise… You can easily setup entire songs worth of start/stop, change, mute etc with that module… Just hook it up to any series of VCA’s and you’ll have just what you’re looking for.
It’s damn pretty design!
Love the name and concept. 🙂
Considering the design – this machine is totally analog and it says it’s using a crazy amount of SSM IC’s – I think this price isn’t crazy at all… KOMA are known for not being cheap on their designs… I own two products from KOMA, a Komplex Sequencer and a KOMA SVF201 filter and both are of great build quality and super versatile. Would love to try the Poltergeist out as well, lets hope my local shop will have a quadraphonic setup to test it properly!
Poltergeist is the mixer eurorack deserves, but not the one it needs right now.
I plugged mine in but before I patched anything into the inputs I started getting a voice on the outputs saying something about going into the light and a girls name… Carol-Anne I think… Weird. Sending it back.
Mine is on its way! Dusted off two old HiFi speakers and together with my Adams I got a simple quad setup going. Can’t wait to let things swirl around the studio! Pity these knobs are not backlit like the SVF201, would look more ‘Poltergeist’ that way…
Very much like the Buchla 227e
That’s a lot of Euro though, recreating Buchla for the masses.
but in this case totally analogue.
I love Koma (always have), but this is too pricey for a 4-channel mixer. Functionally, the idea is great, but I can’t believe there is $850 worth of components in there. I’m not seeing the value, unfortunately.
This argument is so lame… Like the price of the parts only makes the cost of a module! This design is not just taking a MFOS design, make a few changes and throw it on a pcb and call it revolutionary like many other eurorack guys seem to do it lately.. I have read somewhere they made 4 prototypes over almost two years of development. They need to pay the designer, the people putting it together, the people who test it and than the materials are not cheap: dont get me wrong, its pricey, but they are never cheap on quality, they used SSM VCA’s that go for around 2.50 USD a piece.. That times 48 for a run of 150 units… Just sayin’.