4ms Noise Swash (Discontinued)
Turn it on, twist everything, and welcome the glorious, unhinged racket.
Overview
The 4ms Noise Swash doesn’t ask to be understood—it demands to be cranked. It’s not a pedal or module that sits politely in the corner of your rig; it’s the one that starts fights, mutters to itself, and occasionally bursts into a chorus of mechanical bird screams for no reason at all. Built by 4ms Company (sometimes listed as 4ms Pedals), the Noise Swash exists in multiple forms: a Eurorack module sold as a DIY kit, a standalone pedal in a die-cast aluminum box, and simpler "basic box" versions that float around in builder circles. Whatever form it takes, one thing’s consistent—it’s been discontinued, it’s hard to find, and if you’re lucky enough to land one, you’re in for a wild, unpredictable ride.
This thing was never about clean tones or subtle modulation. It’s a chaos engine, a feedback monster, a box of circuit-bent surprises that thrives on abuse. The pedal version packs nine knobs and two stomps—True Bypass and Self-Osc—giving you enough control to steer the madness, but not so much that you ever feel truly in command. That’s part of the charm. Owners report sounds ranging from “robot birds being massacred in a malfunctioning blender” to warm, high-gain distortion with a vintage tube-like character. Some use it as a crude oscillator (though it doesn’t track well), others as a brutal audio mangler, and a few just leave it self-oscillating and modulate it with clocks or envelopes for rhythmic bursts of angry noise. One user put it simply: “This one's great if you like flipping switches, playing with knobs and making a ton of noise.” Amen.
And yeah, it’s analog—at least, most people think so. One user responded “I think so” when asked, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of transparency, but given the discrete components and lack of digital ICs mentioned, it’s safe to assume it’s all analog chaos under the hood. The Eurorack version, which consumes about 40mA and takes up 16 HP, adds an audio input to distort external signals or use them to trigger internal mayhem, plus a second CV input that modulates both the Swash and Noisegate sections with positive or negative voltage. Whether you’re plugging in a synth or a guitar, the Swash doesn’t care—it’ll chew it up and spit it out, often in ways you didn’t expect.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | 4ms Company |
| Product Type | Eurorack module (DIY kit), Pedal, Basic box versions |
| Production Status | Discontinued |
| Power | Later kits include a 9V regulator (L7809/LM7809) and a 100uF power filter cap |
| Current Draw | ~40mA |
| HP | 16 HP |
| Dimensions | 7" x 4" die-cast aluminum box (pedal version) |
| Integrated Circuit | TL062 |
| Controls | Swash, Noisegate, Volume, Bass, Tone, Pregain, Postgain, Preclip, Low power, Self-osc, Postclip (pedal version); 9 knobs, 2 stomps (True Bypass, Self-Osc) |
| Self Oscillation Control | Original circuit uses a 1M Linear pot with an internal switch |
| Swash Knob | 10-turn Bourns pot for fine adjustments |
| Audio Input | Allows external audio to be distorted or used to modulate internal chaos (Eurorack version) |
| CV Input | Second CV input controls Swash and Noisegate with positive/negative voltage (Eurorack version) |
Key Features
Designed for Chaos, Not Convenience
The Noise Swash isn’t a polished, turnkey product—it’s a DIY-only affair, at least in its Eurorack form. The kit doesn’t come with a completed unit; you build it, solder it, and hope it doesn’t whistle on startup. One builder admitted, “I can't claim to understand this circuit!”—and that’s kind of the point. This isn’t gear for the faint of heart or the precision-minded. It’s for tinkerers who enjoy the mystery, who don’t mind a missing capacitor in the factory kit (yes, one user noted there’s “one missing capacitor”), or a 1k resistor missing on the volume pot’s wiper. The original Bill of Materials calls for 6 x 1uF capacitors, and while one builder successfully swapped polarized electrolytics for non-polarized ones, another suggests replacing the 100nF cap on the Tone pot with a 10nF for more effective control. These aren’t flaws—they’re features in the world of experimental audio.
Knobs That Talk Back
The controls are extremely interactive, to the point where turning one knob can completely reshape the behavior of the others. The Swash knob itself is a 10-turn Bourns pot, meaning it’s not for broad strokes but for tiny, obsessive tweaks—dialing in just the right amount of instability. The Self-Osc control adjusts internal feedback and clicks off to disable, though some builds reportedly don’t respond to the switch, rendering it useless. You can bypass the switched pot entirely and use a regular pot with a separate SPST switch if you prefer—4ms themselves say it’s an option. The Low Power knob simulates a dying battery, and according to users, each setting effectively turns the Swash into a different pedal. That’s not marketing fluff; that’s real circuit-level unpredictability.
Op-Amps and Oddities
At the heart of it all is the TL062 IC—a low-power JFET op-amp that’s central to the circuit’s character. Some builders report issues with a constant high whistle, suspected to come from the TL062 stage, and suggest trying different chips to fix it. One builder swapped out a faulty TL062 and revived a non-working guitar signal. Another notes that the TL072 is less noisy and changes the Swash’s behavior, implying that op-amp rolling isn’t just possible—it’s encouraged. The later kits include a 9V regulator (L7809/LM7809) and 100uF caps on input and output, plus 0.1uF bypass caps added by builders for stability. The pots are D-shaft, and while the kit includes a 10-pin power header, one builder opted for a shrouded, keyed header instead—probably a good idea if you don’t enjoy accidental shorts.
Collectibility & Value
The 4ms Noise Swash is discontinued and hard to find—two words that usually spell “collector’s item.” And yet, the market tells a conflicted story. On one hand, a used unit was listed for £1,000 in April 2022. On the other, users are quick to point out it’s “not $1,000 cool,” suggesting that price might be more fever dream than fair value. More realistically, current listings show Eurorack module kits going for $135 and used pedals starting around $125. That kind of range tells you everything: some people treat it like rare art, others see it as a fun, disposable noise toy.
But ownership comes with quirks. Several users report a noticeable “squeal” bleed when the pedal is bypassed, which could be a dealbreaker in a quiet mix. Others have found the Self-Osc switch non-functional in their builds, or discovered the pedal making noise even when turned off. The TL062 seems to be a common culprit, so having a few spares on hand isn’t a bad idea. Maintenance is DIY all the way down—there’s no factory support, no official schematics for version 1.4, and no clear path for repairs beyond swapping chips and checking for missing components. If you’re the type who likes to open the box and poke around, that’s a feature. If you want something that just works? Look elsewhere.
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