Synthesis Technology MOTM-410
The MOTM-410 is a triple resonant filter module from Synthesis Technology's MOTM line. It has three voltage-controlled bandpass filters and a dual voltage-controlled sine LFO. Scott Juskiw and Charles Stella designed it. The filter structure comes from the Korg PS-3100, and the module keeps that instrument's vintage parts: Vactrol resistive elements for a smooth, "liquid" phasing sound, and JRC4558 bipolar op amps. The control section was updated for the modular era. It adds voltage control of LFO rate (0.02 Hz to 100 Hz) and depth (0-100%), a master sweep CV input, and individual filter outputs.
The on-board LFO is actually two detuned sine LFOs, one running 20% slower than the other. That was done on purpose, for richer sweeping effects. A mode switch decides how the filters track them. Single sweeps all three filters with LFO #1. Dual sweeps filter #1 with LFO #1 and filters #2 and #3 with LFO #2. Dual Reverse sweeps filter #1 up with LFO #1 and filter #2 up with LFO #2, while filter #3 sweeps down. Each filter has its own audio output, so the module can do frequency-dependent stereo panning. Pan the three outputs left, center, and right on a mixer, and the LFOs move the sound across the field according to frequency content. Set depth to zero and it becomes a fixed filter bank. The narrow filters can also be tuned to shape vocal formants.
The module accepts line-level sources (synth outputs, drum machines, mixer effects sends) and modular-level signals. The user manual is dated September 28, 1999. Beyond that, independent documentation is thin. No production years, original price, physical dimensions, or full electronic specifications have surfaced. The manufacturer's page lists demo audio including a pad "reminiscent of Michael Stearns," a vocal formant example, a female voice processed and stereo panned, and a piece called "The Three Zombie Tenors!" that pairs the 410 with the MOTM-101 and MOTM-820 modules.
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