Catalyst Audio MIG is a new lineup of Eurorack modules, including VCO, VCF, VCA, and more, featuring vacuum tubes.
David Small of Catalyst Audio introduced a series of Buchla module clones for Eurorack in 2018. I made a demo at Superbooth. This was before the Tiptop Audio and Buchla collaboration.
However, things remained quiet at the company until 2024, when David returned with an all-new series of modules based on vacuum tubes. In 2026, Catalyst Audio officially released the new MIG modules.
Catalyst Audio MIG
The MIG is a new line of vacuum tube-based Eurorack modules made in collaboration between Catalyst Audio and Electroserf.
According to Catalyst Audio, the MIG modules use obsolete Cold War-era Soviet vacuum tubes, originally fabricated for use in Mikoyan-Gyurjevich (MiG) fighter jets.
They are not clones, but they were designed from the ground up around the 1j24b vacuum tube. These tubes are utilized for the core functionality of each module, with additional analog circuitry utilized for buffering and processing as needed
There are five MIG modules for the start: the VCO, VCF, Thrust, VCA, and Mix, each with a low power draw. So, you don’t need an extra power supply to use them.
The MIG VCO allows for the creation of true tube waveforms. Use the shape and smooth/fold control to create all kinds of waveforms. Pulse width, folding, sync, and linear FM give you a wide range of sounds.
Additionally, it has a built-in feedback path for wild, uproarious sounds, which can be tweaked with the balance and offset controls.
On the front panel, you have dedicated outputs for the raw waveform, pulse wave, smooth, and fold as well as CV inputs for the various functions like FM, balance, and more.
Then, the MIG VCF is a vacuum tube filter with simultaneous high and low-pass filter outputs. You have controls over the cutoff, resonance, and drive. There is also a resonance mode knob that blends between different types.
CV controls over Drive, Freq, and Res give you full modular control over the parameters. The MIG VCF is certainly an analog filter with a warm, crunchy character.
Tube-Based Noising, Mixing, And Amplifying
The Catalyst Audio MIG Thruster (Thrust) is a tube-powered noise generator. It has four controls: throttle and pressure for the fundamentals of your noise, plus mixture and low-cut with adjustable resonance controls to fine-tune it.
For extra grit and texture, it has internal feedback pathways. Throttle, pressure, and low-cut also offer full CV control. With Thruster, you can expect noise that crackles like standing right in front of a fireplace.
The easiest way to get that vacuum-tube sound is to use the MIG Mix, it’s a 4-channel mixer powered by NOS tubes. It infuses a lovely warmth onto any signal. Each channel has a dedicated volume control, giving you precise control over your signals.
The last MIG module for now, and hopefully not the last in the series, is the MIG VCA. Like the other Catalyst Audio modules, it’s tube-powered and has a low power draw.
It’s a single tube-powered VCA with manual and CV controls over the input gain, internal feedback, and linear response. Two outputs: one output and a DIFF output, which feeds back into the audio signal for howling, saturated goodness.
Part of the circuit is also a wavefolding circuit and resonance that can be activated with the flip of a switch. The MIG VCA is not just a saturated amplifier but also a lovely sound sculpting tool.
There aren’t many new demos on YouTube. But there are some on Instagram.
First Impression
The modules were already shown in 2024, but now they’re officially available. I’m glad they’re out now. From the first newer demos, they sound lovely, full of energy, crunchy, and warm. Exactly what you would expect from tube modules.
The Catalyst Audio MIG modules are available now: MIG VCO for $549, MIG VCF for $449, MIG Thruster and MIG VCA each for $349, and MIG Mix for $249.
More information here: Catalyst Audio
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