Befaco FX Boy, dirty effects module with Gameboy cartridges, available now

Superbooth 23: Befaco FX Boy, a new dirty FX processor with interchangeable circuits on Gameboy carts, and MIDI Thing 2 MIDI to CV converter

Good news from Befaco. The FX Boy, the new analog effects module that was announced at Superbooth 23, is now available.

FX Boy is a characterful, dirty analog FX module that has a slot for a Gameboy cartridge on the front panel. Each cartridge has a new analog circuit created in collaboration with other developers.

Ben (DivKid) has an overview video of it online. 

Befaco FX Boy is available now for $419,99/419€. 

Available at my partners

 

Perfect Circuit

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Article From May 10, 2023

We’ve had the Barcelona-based company Befaco and the Superbooth 23 twice before. On the one hand, for their very elegant new 7U case but also for the Molten MTR in 1U. That’s not all the team brings to Berlin.

For Superbooth 23, they will also introduce the new FX Boy, a wild FX with a special feature set as well as MIDI Thing 2 MIDI/CV converter.

Befaco FX Boy

FX Boy is a somewhat different 12HP multi-FX for Eurorack. It’s fascinating how you can load the effects in. Instead of internally via the memory or externally via microSDs, Befaco takes a very weird but fun vintage route. They pack the effects onto Gameboy cartridges.

The FXs are analog, and each of these cartridges has an analog circuit on it. So you get swappable analog effects. Great, they not only offer their own circuit but brought other well-known Eurorack developers on board as well.

Collaborative Module

Each developer has created its own cartridge for it that fits to its sonic character. They partnered with Feedback Modules, Making Sound Machines, Tesseract, Touel Skouarn, and XOR Electronics.

The module will ship with six cards which you put into the module, just like you used to know from the Nintendo Gameboy.

I’m really excited to see what Gaël from Touell Skouarn has come up with. I think it’s going to be very wild, with a lot of distortion and feedback. And for XOR Electronics, you can probably explore bit-crushing soundscapes.

Each effect offers CV-controllable X and Y parameters. There is also a CV-controllable EQ and Dry Wet mix control. A little downer, FX Boy is only mono and not stereo. According to Befaco, we can expect old-fashioned flangers, aggressive folders, dirty bit crushers, fuzz galore, and trashy distortions!

MIDI Thing 2

The second module new Befaco for today and probably the last new product for Superbooth 23 is the successor of the MIDI Thing MIDI/CV generator. It’s sexier and more powerful, say the developers.

It’s 6HP and features 12 converter channels that can be fully configured. It hosts MIDI DIN, USB hosts, and MIDI device connectivity. It also has an OLED display to configure the ports as you like. And a compact 1U version is also on the horizon.

MIDI Thing 2 will feature monophonic and polyphonic modes. Plus, extra stuff like built-in ADSR envelopes, LFOs, and oscillators. You can also convert MIDI messages to CV. Super handy, Befaco will also bring an editor on a dedicated website.

Further, it offers a bridge mode for VCV Rack, making it easy to communicate the popular software modular Synthesizer.

First Impression

Two very powerful modules. The FX Boy, in particular, could trigger GAS for me. Love distortions in modular, and I might have to try that.

Befaco FX Boy and Midi Thing will ship in the summer of 2023. Both will be available as an assembled module or DIY kit. The price of FX Boy is TBA, and MIDI Thing 2 will cost around 300€ excl. tax.

More information here: Befaco 

Superbooth 23 News

Eurorack News