Aikido VCA mixer - Bastl Instruments

Aikido VCA mixer

Aikido is a performative quad VCA mixer with flexible submix routing and two styles
of integrated envelope followers. Clever normalization allows ready-to-go sidechain
compression, expansion, and rapid routing experimentation.

Clickless mute switches and level faders make for immediate performability, while dedicated
attenuverters on each channel make Aikido a powerful and flexible quad VCA. 

The main mix output is accompanied by individual VCA outputs with patch-programmable
cascading mix routing. 

The Side Chain envelope follower offers 3 different response curves, while the Spectral
Follower can be set to focus on treble, mid or bass frequencies.

General features:

• 4 VCA channels, each with:
  — clickless mute with light indication
  — level fader with 6dB boost
  — CV input with attenuverter
  — input (DC coupled)
  — output (DC coupled) cascaded mixing
• Mix output (AC coupled)
• Side chain envelope follower
  — input (normalized to A input)
  — output (normalized to CV inputs)
  — switch to select response time
• Spectral envelope follower
  — input taken from Channel D output
  — patchable output
  — switch to focus the follower to low, mid, or high frequencies
• Backside jumpers
  — select whether direct VCA outputs are pre/post Mute
  — cascaded mixing input and output (joins 2 Aikidos to 8 channel mixer)
  — main mix input and output (for chaining the normalized MIX outputs), chainable with BUDDY

Specifikations

• 11 hp
• PTC fuse and diode protected 10pin power connector
• 24 mm deep
• current consumption: +12V <120 mA, -12V <120 mA

User Guide and manual for Bastl Aikido PDF (bastl-instruments.com)