Qu-Bit Electronix Stardust is a new stereo tape looper module for Eurorack with multifaceted features that take your sounds into the cosmic.
Over the last two years, the US-based company Qu-Bit Electronix has taken customers on an ambient, spherical sound journey. First, with the Aurora spectral reverb, and later with the unique Nautilus stereo delay with its shapable delay lines.
For me, the highlight of the series has been Mojave, a hands-on stereo granular processor. The Qu-Bit Elektronix intergalactic sound journey now continues with the new Stardust, a new stereo tape looper taken to the stars.
Qu-Bit Electronix Stardust
Stardust is a new 18HP stereo tape looper with some intriguing twists. Like the previous releases, the module is based on the open Daisy platform, which allows straightforward firmware updating and hacking.
The 24-bit hardware works in 48kHz, and the 32-bit internal system guarantees high-quality audio. The core uses a stereo looper with four operation modes. Sound on Sound, Replace, Frippertronics, and Resample.
You can create custom loops by introducing audio via the stereo input (2x mono) or via the included USB flash drive. Once done, the Stardust interface gives you plenty of hardware controls to create loops on the fly. It includes various knobs and buttons for playback, recording, loop size, loop start, and more.
Splicing or rearranging loops at the twist of a knob is also possible. According to Qu-Bit Electronix, the looper engine supports click-less looping transitions, an ultra-low noise floor, and high-fidelity audio. So far, it’s a stereo looper with the classic duties we all know. But there is a more creative side to it.
A unique feature of the Stardust stereo looper engine is the skip function that adjusts the probability that a splice (created by the Slice knob) transformation will occur.
This includes moving start point offsets of a slice point, the chance of a randomly reversed slice, micro pitch changes, and more. The manual has an entire list of the events that the skip function can trigger.
Creative Effecting
Qu-Bit Electronix also has implemented a feature-rich DSP effects side in the new Stardust module. They are different effects that can run simultaneously, giving you many mangling options.
There are four types of effects, each marked with a different color on the interface. Behind the blue color hides an analog tape emulation with classic wow & flutter and tape hiss controls. The green dot then creates digital audio artifacts using the downsampler and bit-crusher parameters.
Gold includes a reverb with reverb amount and time control, while purple is a non-resonant highpass/lowpass filter. These effects allow many shaping options to turn simple loops into large soundscapes and textures.
Further, it offers a freeze function with a dedicated gate input that locks and repeats a small portion of the loop.
Not to forget, the USB flash drive is your hub for saving, recalling, and exporting recordings. The module also ships with the Narwhal web editor that unlocks more features. For example, you can modify the reverb type (normal, bright, dark) or customize the Nova socket output.
If that’s not enough flexibility for you, you can control almost all parameters with CV and go even deeper. And like other Qu-Bit Elektronix modules, Stardust is also hackable. This means we may see alternative firmware versions with different features in the future.
First Impression
At first glance, this is a very exciting new stereo looper. I like the mix of looping and effects here.
Qu-Bit Electronix Stardust is available now for $499. Shipping starts on November 15, 2024.
More information here: Qu-Bit Electronix
Available at my partner
With this and their other modules – Qu-Bit Electronix Could make a fantastic standalone sampler /Looper / groovebox if they wanted. Stardust looks like something LOTS of people would absolutely love. Yet Eurorack is a rabbit hole we refuse to enter.