Tre Modular has released three Eurorack modules: the Alisa VCO and shape mod based on the Soviet synth Alisa 1377 and the Replicant VCF, a recreation of the CS-80 filter.
Every year, new developers join the Eurorack community. One of the latest is Tre Modular, a new developer from Riga (Latvia), the city that became mainly famous in the synth world thanks to Girts Ozolins and Erica Synths.
For his first modules he took rare vintage synth models.
Tre Modular Alisa VCO
The Alisa 1377 from 1985 was a rare classic subtractive analog synth with a lot of character. A highlight was the built-in wave shaper with which you could archive very distinct sounds.
Tre Modular’s new module recreates the VCO part of this rare synth in a module. Alisa VCO offers three classic waveforms (triangle, ramp, and pulse) and an additional waveform in the signal wave-shaped output. You control the waveshaper manually with the shape parameter or via CV.
Then, it offers manual or CV controllable PWM with two modes. The latter can be set on the back of the modules with a jumper. It would have been more handy to do that on the interface. In one mode, it goes from 10% to 50% duty cycle, and in the other, it goes from 10% to 90% duty cycle.
Tre Modular Alisa VCO is also capable of exponential frequency modulation (FM) via the dedicated input and level knob. According to the developer, the module is also temperature-compensated using a thermally coupled transistor pair on a chip and a Tempco resistor.
Shape Mod – Tre Modular Alisa VCO’s Waveshaper In A Module
For those who have too many VCOs in the rack, the Alisa 1377 waveshaper recreation is also available as a module. Unlike the original, Shape Mod has two additional waveshaping stages that expand the original waveshaper’s capabilities, while still maintaining characteristic Alisa sound.
The module has four controls. One is the shapeshifter, which gives you control over the polarity of one of the waveform stages. This changes the characteristics of the resulting sound, from a softer-sounding waveform to a more harsh sound. In addition, it has a built-in ring modulator.
Shape Mod is also fully CV-controllable via various CV inputs.
Tre Modular Replicant VCF
In addition to the Alisa VCO, there is also a pretty new Replicant VCF, a multimode filter based on the legendary Yamaha CS-80. It hosts a 12dB/oct second-order state variable filter with classic cutoff and resonance control. Nice, both can be manually tweaked or are controllable with CV with attenuators.
The module offers individual lowpass, bandpass, and highpass outputs, giving you a lot of flexibility. The CS80 is known for its warm and mellow sound, and the Replicant VCF reproduces those distinctive characteristics in Eurorack format, says the developer.
First Impression
The Alisa VCO, Shape Mod, and Replicant VCO from the new company Tre Modular are very exciting. If you are looking for these sounds, these modules are optimal. And the price is very fair.
Tre Modular modules are available now: Alisa VCO for 140€, Shape Mod for 140€ or DIY kit 70€. and Replicant VCF for 120€ or DIY kit for 60€
More information here: Tre Modular
Listened to demos on the Tre Modular youtube channel. Sounds nice! The filter is smooth & subtle, the waveshaper looks fun, VCO has a quite a bit of harmonic possibilities for its smaller size. Good stuff. Simple but good.