Laboratory Frequency Shifter

The Laboratory Frequency Shifter is a fun and useful module providing weird and wonderful effects. Not to be confused with a pitch shifter which preserves harmonic ratios, a frequency shifter shifts all frequency components by the same amount (which destroys the harmonic relationships). For example, a 200Hz sawtooth wave has frequency components (harmonics) at 200, 400, 600, 800…Hz. If it is pitch transposed up a fifth (3/2 ratio), the harmonics are now at 300, 600, 900, 1200…Hz -- ratios between the harmonics intact. However, if that same 200Hz sawtooth is shifted by 50Hz, the components are now at 250, 450, 650, 850…Hz -- ratios destroyed. This yields clangorous sounds reminiscent of ring mod effects and the sounds of single-sideband radio.

Shift is mainly controlled by the RANGE and SHIFT knobs. There is a built-in LFO (with its own output) which can make the shift amount waver from its setting. The shifter also has a built in delay loop with feedback. Repeating echoes through the delay experience frequency shift each time around making the sound continuously rise or fall. Shifting down, a drum sound with quick delay and feedback crashes into the ground -- a great effect. Everything is voltage controllable.