Hermetic Modular Alchemy Lab: a new open-source DSP module platform

Hermetic Modular Alchemy Lab is a new stereo Eurorack module platform powered by an open-source, hackable SDK.

In the Eurorack world, there are various fascinating Eurorack platforms, many of which also allow user development. Examples include the Alia, Versio, and Legio platforms from Noise Engineering or the Bastl Instruments Kastle 2.

Hermetic Modular is a new modular brand now launching Alchemy Lab, another SDK-based platform that is open-source.

 

Hermetic Modular Alchemy Lab

Alchemy Lab is a new DSP module platform designed to give users the ability to explore the possibilities of modular synthesis through creating their own algorithms.

According to Hermetic Modular, every hardware abstraction layer of the Alchemy Lab module is open-source, hackable, and yours to extend. It comes in the form of a 12HP-wide, skiff-friendly  Eurorack module powered by an Electrosmith Daisy. 

The latter uses an STM32H750 processor with 480 MHz, 64 MB of SDRAM, and 16 MB of flash memory. The module features six potentiometers, three buttons, a USB-C port for MIDI, 10 jacks, and a microSD slot on the backside.

Six of the jacks, which are CV ins and CV outs, are firmware controllable and fully hackable via the SDK. The other four sockets are stereo input and output connectivity with up to 96 kHz / 24-bit.

Each module has 102 RGB individually addressable LEDs that let you visualize motion, position, modulation, or anything else your firmware needs to say.

 

This allows for a deeper dive into the module’s behavior, as is currently possible with the Noise Engineering platform. Btw, they are also based on the Daisy.

It goes even further.  A rear SPI / I2C header opens the module to expanders, sensors, and companion hardware. Build your own peripherals against the same open SDK that powers the panel. Dedicated expanders are coming soon.

Echoa & Spayros

The first two Hermetic Modular modules, using the Alchemy Lab platform, are the ECHOA and SPAYROS. 

ECHOA is a stereo dual delay and reverb processor. The delay has four delay lines (two per stereo channel) with delay times from 1ms to 16 seconds. Route the four lines in series, parallel, isolation, or spectrally. 

The delay also has up to four taps per delay line, built-in feedback, an option to freeze the buffer, as well as linear and logarithmic time tape options. Nice, each delay line also has four distinct engines that colorfully degrade it: digital, BBD, tape, and vinyl.

With these, you can infuse saturation, bandwidth limiting, wow and flutter, crackles, digital glitches, and more. The module or algorithm does not have a dedicated reverb.

Instead, you can morph the delay lines into a lush reverb seamlessly with the built-in diffusion. It uses a four-stage Schroeder all-pass network to achieve this. You can shape the timbre of the reverb with a dampening parameter.

SPAGYROS, on the other side, is a stereo end-of-the-chain performance processor with a three-slot FX chain in series. With the buttons, you can cycle through a fixed list of three FX:

• B1: DJ filter, bit crusher, and riser 
• B2: chopper, beat repeat, and reverse/slow
• B3: phaser, echo, and space.

One exciting extra not to forget: each of the two modules has a motion recorder/parameter lock engine built-in. Hold the B1 button, and you can record up to 4 seconds of motion on every pot. This means you have a modulation source per parameter.

First Impression

I love the concept of platforms. I personally use the Noise Engineering Verio module that has a similar concept.  A major advantage of such modules is the large and constantly growing selection of new algorithms. This has increased dramatically at Versio in recent months.

Alchemy Lab has everything it needs to be a successful platform as well. It even has some nice extras like parameter locks, a front panel USB-C port, and comprehensive visual feedback.

Whether that will happen depends entirely on how it’s received and whether third-party developers design new algorithms for it. I wish the developers all the best.

Hermetic Modular Alchemy Lab is available now for an introductory price of $299 instead of $389 (MSRP).

More information here: Hermetic Modular

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