2hp — Brst

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Creative Modulation Tips for 2hp Brst

By a Eurorack Modular Synth Musician

The 2hp Brst is a voltage-controlled burst generator and trigger delay—compact, yet capable of injecting wild rhythmic mayhem, off-kilter grooves, and evolving textures into your modular system. Here's how you can modulate the Brst for unique sound design, with a focus on distorted percussion, crazy basslines (dubstep, DnB), and haunting atmospheric pads.

Core Panel Controls Recap

• TRIG (1): Trigger/gate input (2.5V threshold)
• PULSES CV (2): Modulate burst count (1-32)
• PULSES (3): Sets burst count
• RATE CV (4): Modulate timing between pulses (10ms–500ms)
• RATE (5): Sets timing between pulses
• TRIG TOGGLE (6): Include/exclude initial trigger
• BURST LED (7): Visual feedback
• OUT (8): Burst output (0–5V triggers)

1. Distorted Percussive Sounds

Patch Idea

Use Brst to create rapid, glitchy trigger streams for a drum module, then distort the resulting audio.

How to Modulate

• Clock Sync: Send a clock or sequencer gate into TRIG for tempo-locked bursts.
• Rate & Pulses CV: Send an LFO, envelope, or stepped random source into RATE CV and/or PULSES CV. Try using a fast, intense LFO to RATE CV for pseudo-flams, ratchets, or metallic textures.
• Audio-Rate Modulation: Feed audio-rate signals (e.g., from another oscillator) into RATE CV for extreme stuttering/tearing rhythmic effects.
• Distortion: After your drum sound is triggered, process it with distortion, wavefolder, or bitcrusher for extra grit and character.

Pro tip: Rapid bursts (low RATE, high PULSES) into a snare or metal percussion voice + heavy distortion = brutalist industrial snares.

2. Crazy Basslines (Dubstep/Drum & Bass)

Patch Idea

Use Brst bursts to create complex syncopated envelopes for bass VCF/VCA, sidechaining, or FM hits.

How to Modulate

• Modulated Burst Rhythm: Patch a sequencer or random gate source to TRIG. Modulate PULSES with a CV pattern in sync with your beat, so some notes have single, others rapid multi-triggers.
• RATE Automation: Send a stepped or smooth CV pattern (S&H, random, or LFO) to RATE CV to vary the speed of bursts, keeping bass hits unpredictable.
• Bass Movement: Use Brst OUT to trigger a fast envelope, which in turn modulates your bass synth’s filter cutoff, VCA, or FM amount on each burst.
• Accent Triggers: Use the TRIG TOGGLE to sometimes omit the first pulse, creating funky edits and fills.

Pro tip: Extreme PULSES/RATE modulation on bass filter envelopes with follow-up distortion = neurofunk bass growls & wobbles.

3. Haunting Atmospheric Pads

Patch Idea

Use Brst to inject subtle, evolving rhythmic texture into long, droning pad sounds.

How to Modulate

• Randomization: Patch a slow random source (Wogglebug, Turing Machine, etc.) into both PULSES CV and RATE CV, making bursts unpredictable—tiny blips, long clusters, etc.
• Envelope Triggers: Use Brst’s OUT to trigger percussive envelopes or LPGs controlling textures, noise, grains, or filter parameters in your pad chain.
• Sparse Mode: Set RATE high (long delays between pulses), PULSES low or under voltage control, to create ghostly or “rain drop” style trigger events mapped to reverb, delay sends, or granular samplers.
• Layering: Mult Brst’s OUT to several destinations so different pad and effect parameters change slightly on each burst.

Pro tip: Try “bursting” clouds of plucked string or bell tones deep in a reverb, modulating RATE and PULSES for an ever-evolving spectral wash.

Patch Examples

Advanced Modulation Tips

• VCA Before CV Inputs: Place a VCA or CV processor before RATE/PULSES CV for dynamic control over burst patterns via pressure (CV) or automation.
• Inter-modulation: Use Brst’s own output, via attenuverter, back into its RATE/PULSES CV for self-modulating, feedback-style randomization.
• Burst Layering: Use two Brst modules in parallel, cross-modulating each other's CVs for chaotic polyrhythms.

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