Bastl Instruments — Cinnamon VCF

Manual PDF

Using Bastl Cinnamon for Dense, Hyper-Complex Percussion & Rhythms

The Bastl Cinnamon is a uniquely flavored state-variable filter that can both shape the tonality of percussion sounds and become a voice/oscillator in your eurorack setup. Its drive, resonance, and character switches are designed to provide varied timbral responses, which are perfect for punchy, percussive, and complex textures. Here’s how you can leverage Cinnamon to contribute to advanced, intricate rhythms and polymetric percussion:

1. Self-Oscillation as a Percussive Voice

Set Resonance to Maximum: Turn the resonance knob fully clockwise. The filter will self-oscillate, generating a sine wave at the cutoff frequency.
Ping the Filter: Send sharp trigger pulses (from sequencers like Pamela's New Workout, Euclidean Circles, or anything that offers clock-divided, swing, or polyrhythmic triggers) to the audio input. Adjust the input gain to taste.
Complex Rhythms: Use multiple, overlapping or polymetric gate/triggers to ping the filter with different timings to create complex evolving percussion lines.
Character and Drive: Flick character switches during patterns or automate them with performance to morph between siney, sawy, and sharp-edged percussive hits. Engage the Drive switch for harder, clipped, more aggressive percussion.

2. Filter Percussive Sources with Rhythmic Modulation

Modulate Cutoff with Polyrhythmic LFOs/Envelopes: Patch different rhythmic CV sources (clocked sample & hold, stepped random, euclidean gates converted to CV) into the Left or Right CV inputs, with one patched to the 1V/Oct for extremely fast modulation and another to the attenuated input for subtle movement.
Use the Attenuator: Set the Right CV attenuator to dial in the exact amount of time-variant modulation. For bursty, rapid percussive filtering, use short, high-amplitude envelopes.
Complex Patterns: Sequence envelopes of varying lengths (like 7-step and 5-step cycles) to the filter's cutoff, causing shifting polyrhythmic accents or notches in the percussion, leading to emergent groove.

3. Multimode Percussive Splits

Patch Audio Source to Input: Use a short noise burst, drum hit, or even a digital click as your source.
Use Multiple Outputs: Simultaneously patch the LP, BP, and HP outputs to a sequencer, VCA, or mixer. Sequence each output independently, using different polyrhythmic rhythms for each—e.g., LP on 4/4, BP on a 5/8 euclidean, HP on a 7-step pattern.
Layer Textures: The differing slopes and filter modes will each emphasize a different frequency band, allowing you to build dense, layered percussion from one source.

4. Push Character and Drive for Distorted, Unique Percussion

Drive Switch: Set Drive ON and push Input Level—the module will distort the incoming percussion, giving extra punch or fuzz.
Animate Character: Manually flick or CV-control the character switches to shift the waveform and accentuate certain percussive elements at pivotal points in your sequence.
Use as an FX: Try placing rapid-fire triggers or polyrhythmic chopping audio into the Cinnamon, outputting the most extreme mode (e.g., HP with Drive and upper Character) for glitchy, aggressive sounds.

5. Advanced Tips

V/Oct Tracking for Melodic Percussion: Use the 1V/Oct input for rhythmic, pitched percussion, but note tracking is best when Character switches are off.
Performance Macro: Pre-program rapid switching of Character/Drive as part of your live setup to ‘flip’ the flavor of your percussion lines in real-time.

Example Patch Ideas

Kick Drum Synthesis: Ping the filter with a short pulse, modulate cutoff with a descending envelope (classic 808/909 kick bass).
HiHat or Snare Layer: Process noise bursts, clipping and resonating just at the cutoff for tight, metallic hats or snappy snares.
Polyrhythmic Percussion: Patch three different trigger patterns to three VCAs gated by LP, BP, HP outputs, then sum for a mathematically complex groove.

The Bastl Cinnamon is exceptional for percussive work—its state-variable filtering, variable drive, resonance and especially the performance-focused character switches give you the hands-on control and flexibility needed for intricate, polyrhythmic modular percussion.

Generated With Eurorack Processor