F_TUNDRA

F_TUNDRA — Frozen Spectral Texture & Ambient Wind Generator

Overview:

F_TUNDRA is a stereo spectral processor for Voltage Modular that freezes sound into swirling textures and windy atmospheres. It merges audio input with feedback-based pitch manipulation and organically modulated wind noise. Featuring CV control over all major parameters and a dual-channel architecture, F_TUNDRA can function as a frozen delay, soundscape generator, shimmer modulator, or ambient texture builder.

Main Features:

• Dual stereo buffer architecture with spectral freezing and feedback
• Modulatable SMEAR and DECAY to control time-based texture buildup
• Gravity pitch feedback with stereo spread and modulation
• Organic stereo wind engine with dynamic gusts and snow-like filtering
• Swirl motion for animated stereo readhead displacement
• Full CV control over 10 parameters including SNOW and WET
• Stereo input and output jacks with clean dry/wet blend

Controls:

• SMEAR: Crossfades new audio into the frozen buffer. Lower values allow the old sound to persist.
• DECAY: Determines how long frozen audio is retained. Higher values sustain textures longer. Avoid max for stability.
• SWIRL: Adds stereo variation by offsetting read positions left/right. Useful for shimmer-like motion.
• SWIRL SPD: Controls how smoothly swirl position glides between random targets.
• GRAVITY: Controls stereo pitch feedback direction — simulating upward or downward movement.
• GRAV SPD: Modulates the speed at which pitch movement evolves (feedback read position).
• GRAV AMT: Sets the intensity of pitch shift; higher values = stronger shifts. Stereo-safe.
• WIND: Controls the amount of ambient wind injected into the feedback buffer — making the effect more organic.
• SNOWCUTOFF: Lowpass filter shaping the wind character. Low values = darker snowstorm; high = airy hiss.
• WET: Crossfade between dry stereo input and the full processed effect.

CV Modulation:

All knobs support bipolar CV modulation. A dedicated input matrix routes CV signals to:

• SMEAR
• DECAY
• SWIRL
• SWIRL SPD
• GRAVITY
• GRAV SPD
• GRAV AMT
• WIND
• SNOWCUTOFF
• WET

Audio I/O:

• Inputs: Stereo audio in (L/R), 10 CV modulation inputs
• Outputs: Stereo processed output (L/R)

Signal Processing Architecture:

F_TUNDRA stores incoming stereo audio into dual frozen buffers. SMEAR crossfades new content in; DECAY slowly fades out old content. A gravity-driven pitch feedback system introduces modulated delays that simulate movement through space. The SWIRL mechanism offsets stereo read positions, producing shimmer and motion. Wind is generated using random noise modulated by phase-shaped LFOs and dynamic gust envelopes. Crucially, wind is now injected into the feedback path itself, blending with the frozen content and becoming part of the loop. SNOWCUTOFF shapes the wind character into hissing snow or blizzard textures.

Tips & Tricks:

• Set SMEAR low and DECAY high for infinite ambient freeze textures.
• Use GRAVITY with subtle GRAV SPD and GRAV AMT for spectral warping.
• WIND blends directly into the frozen buffer. This makes the module self-sustaining and atmospheric — even without input.
• SWIRL adds stereo movement. For ambient shimmer, increase SWIRL SPD.
• SNOWCUTOFF helps shape the high-end energy of the wind, especially useful with heavy WIND or reverb tails.
• Use CV modulation to animate WET, GRAVITY, or SNOWCUTOFF over time.

Use Cases:

• Glacial time-stretching and drone shaping
• Adding motion and space to static sounds
• Sci-fi ambiance or fantasy atmospheres
• Post-reverb modulation for shimmer and ghost echoes
• Standalone ambient wind generator for beds and noise layers