The Intellijel Unity Mixer is a compact, dual 3:1 or single 6:1 unity-gain mixer for both CV and audio signals. While simple at first glance, its true power emerges in creative patching contexts. Below are several imaginative ways to put the Unity Mixer to work, drawing on key features outlined in the manual.
Combine several LFO outputs (from modules like the Mutable Instruments Tides or Doepfer A-145) into a single, composite modulation signal. This allows you to generate intricate, evolving CV for modulating parameters like filter cutoff, oscillator pitch, or wavefold depth.
Need to create complex rhythm patterns from several trigger/gate sources? Combine triggers from multiple sequencers (e.g., ALM Pamela’s New Workout or Make Noise Tempi) to build polyrhythmic gate streams for percussion, envelope firing, or logic gating.
With accurate unity gain, the Unity Mixer lets you create transpose buses for pitch CV. For example:
Group up to six audio sources (e.g., VCOs with different waveforms) to a single mixer for thick, layered basses or pads.
Mix outputs of multiple envelope generators (e.g., Intellijel Dual ADSR, or Make Noise Maths) to sculpt a more complex composite envelope.
Build a simple Karplus-Strong voice by routing the output of a short digital delay (e.g., Doepfer A-188 series or Mutable Instruments Beads) and the original pluck trigger through the Unity Mixer and back into the delay's input.
Use with hand-controlled offset/attenuators (like Intellijel Quadratt or Doepfer A-138n) to build a manual mixer for voltage control. Adjust up to three sources on the fly, sum, and send to any modulation destination.
With polyphonic modules (Mutable Instruments Plaits in poly mode, or Polyend Poly), build a bus host for distributing summed gate or modulation signals to multiple voices, either for layer blending or unified velocity/gate control.
Patch outputs from one set of sources into the top mixer, outputs from another set into the bottom, and send the summed outputs to separate effects or VCAs for easy A/B blending or serial effects routing (e.g., one sum to reverb, the other to delay).
Use ModularGrid to visualize your setups and prevent accidental overloading of your case's power supply.