Tiptop Audio & Buchla have released the latest module in their series of reissues of classic 200 Series modules in Eurorack format, the Quad Sample & Hold Model 264t.

The module features four independent sample-and-hold circuits, plus a specialized logic circuit for expediently implementing polyphonic patches.

This video, via Dexba, offers a hands-on demo of the module and its capabilities.

Topics covered:

0:00 Intro
0:45 Panel Layout
2:31 How can we Polyphony?
3:50 Quad OSC Audio Example
7:44 Sample vs Track & Hold
9:17 Offset parameter
10:03 What’s a Quantizer?
11:33 Sample Rate Reduction?
12:29 Compared to the 266t
13:56 The REAL quantizer!
16:32 Gate length
17:18 Different modes
18:26 Free lanes on the 245t
19:26 259t in ART mode
21:20 Why all this is a BIG deal
22:33 Outro blipblopping

Sample-and-holds are essentially one-cell analog memories. They are useful for “remembering” the instantaneous value of a control voltage, for generating equally spaced steps from a constant slope input, and for converting any continuously changing voltage into a series of discrete values.

The 264’s sample-and-hold circuits have two operating modes: sample and track.

• In the sample mode, the value of the input is sampled and applied to the output whenever a pulse is received. The output remains at this value until the next pulse arrives.
• The track mode differs in that an input is applied to the output for the duration of the pulse. The output tracks the input until the end of the pulse and remains at a constant value until the next pulse.

To use the 264t as four independent channels set the separate/common switch to separate. A single CV can be set to all four channels by setting the operate/common to common and plug CV in the the back jack on the with right side.

The Model 264t includes a polyphonic adaptor, which performs the logic necessary to implement four-voice polyphony. Facilities are incorporated for fine tuning and f.m. modulating the oscillators; light emitters display the adaptor’s operation.

The four voltage control outputs are internally routed to a quad-channel quantizer with four ART outputs for use with ART-equipped oscillators, such as the 259t Complex Oscillator. A 12-stage switch selects the key, while the knob above chooses the scale: Minor (m), Chromatic (ch), or Major (M).

For more info on the 264t, see the Tiptop site.