It is true through zero linear FM. By default the port is AC coupled (a high pass filter with a low cutoff is applied), so that modulation with DC offset can still give harmonious results. If you didn’t know this, you might think it is phase modulation when a constant voltage applied to the linear FM doesn’t have any effect. The port has a context menu option to make it DC coupled, at which point constant input indeed has an effect.
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I’m guessing that if one wants the “classic” PM sound, one can run an audio rate modulator into a phase input on VCO Lab?
Yep - You can get global PM via the “Mix” phase input. Or you can apply totally different PM to each of the individual wave forms via their own dedicated phase inputs. All inputs can be driven at audio rates, and all are fully polyphonic.
It can be fun and instructive to use VCO Lab to explore the similarities and differences between through zero linear FM and PM.
for sure! sounds really cool. Certainly having VCO Lab would have made My doc about FM/PM a lot easier!
I played a bit with the beta of version 2.9 of the Venom modules
and here is a little demo patch:
thanks Dave, great job 
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Venom 2.9.0 has been submitted to the library. Should hit the library soon. Until then, the binaries are available at Release Release v2.9.0 · DaveBenham/VenomModules · GitHub
Thanks @Stephan for doing some beta testing and posting the video!
And new to Venom is a Donate link at PayPal.Me! Anything you can give is much appreciated and helpful. I would like to retire a few years early and devote all my time to music endeavors, but I need to establish some supplemental income before I can do that. If you can’t - no worries - It is more important to me that people enjoy and use the Venom plugin.
2.9.0 (2024-08-22) Summary of Changes
New Modules
-
Benjolin Gates Expander documentation here - Adds additional gates/triggers derived from the Rungler shift register. Very similar to the After Later Audio Morcom or Music Thing Pulses, but with more options.
-
Benjolin Volts Expander documentation here - Adds additional channels derived from the Rungler shift register. Very similar to the After Later Audio Enigma or Music Thing Volts, but with more options.
-
Thru documentation here - A simple utility module with 5 input/output pairs for 5 compact unity mixers via stackable inputs and/or introduction of sample delays
Enhancements
- All Venom modules with expanders
- Added context menu options to add expanders
- Mixers
- Added an extra clipping mode for saturation limiting at +/- 6V
- Benjolin Oscillator
- Detune VCO 1 a tiny bit so PWM is not flat at initiation
- Add context menu option for unipolar clock input
- VCO Lab
- Added shape mode options to Sin, Tri, and Saw waveforms
- Rearranged faceplate to be more logical
- Changed Sin, Tri, and Saw shape CV so 10 VPP covers full range, with option for old behavior
Bug Fix
- VCO Lab
- Fix Polyphonic CV level when level input is monophonic
Definitely try out the new VCO Lab shape options for the sine, triangle, and saw waveforms. It creates even more opportunity for creative modulation and sound design.
Here is a demo patch that features the new Benjolin Oscillator Volts and Gates expanders. They generate a beautiful, constantly shifting 4 part autogenerative melody and rhythm that is voiced by the polyphonic VCO Lab. I take advantage of the new Normalized Rectify shaping option for the sine, coupled with phase modulation to create some brass like tones. The Normalized Rectify option constantly adjusts the scale and offset to preserve an approximate +/- 5V bipolar output as the rectify offset is modulated.
Benjolin Sequencer Demo.vcv (6.1 KB)
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Great stuff Dave, and great patch!
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Huzzah - v2.9.0 hit the library this morning!
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possible bug? i’m on linux kubuntu studio 24.04 and use rack 2.5.2. yesterday i detected that deleting marked modules in my patch that include bayout do crash rack. i have to disconnect the bayout from connected modules or bayin. is this intentional, or a bug? i can send the log.txt, if you want. cheers karl
Ouch, that sounds like an ugly bug. Yes, the log file might help.
I don’t fully understand your description of the conditions that cause or prevent the bug. Suppose modules A, B, C are patched to BayIn, and X, Y, Z are patched to the corresponding BayOut. Deletion of which modules would cause the crash? And what action prevents the crash?
Thanks
yes that is correct. i have to unconnect bayin to bayout and the connected module. today evening i can post the log.
here is the logfile. hope it helps. cheers Karl
[12.314 fatal adapters/standalone.cpp:49 fatalSignalHandler] Fatal signal 11. Stack trace:
18: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack() [0x40435d]
17: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x45320)
16: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x188f70)
15: ./libRack.so(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> >::_M_assign(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&)+0x52)
14: /home/held/.local/share/Rack2/plugins-lin-x64/Venom/plugin.so(BayOutputModuleWidget::step()+0x5c)
13: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
12: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
11: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
10: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
9: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
8: ./libRack.so(rack::ui::ScrollWidget::step()+0x13)
7: ./libRack.so(rack::app::RackScrollWidget::step()+0x36f)
6: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
5: ./libRack.so(rack::window::Window::step()+0x591)
4: ./libRack.so(rack::window::Window::run()+0x28)
3: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack(main+0xe7d)
2: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x2a1ca)
1: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0x8b)
0: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack() [0x404289]
@DaveVenom Your new Benjolin Expanders are an absolutely great addition to the Venom plugin! I started to try them out, and could not stop anymore to experiment with all the opportunities they provide for random pitch, modulation and gate/trigger generation. Together with the Benjolin Oscillator itself, the expanders deliver so much that I wasn’t even trying the new extensions of VCO Lab yet. That’s something I must do soon. Thank you for your fantastic work!
Here is a recording of the running patch and the patch itself that came out of my experiments:
12 Likes
Holy cow! That is most epic!
Can you post the patch itself? And your video deserves to be a full embedded player here, not just a link. It is a great demo for the Benjolin Oscillator and expanders!
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Thank you for the epic expanders! 
The patch is linked above in my earlier post and in the video description now.
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Oh my goodness - that patch is brutal on the CPU! It is the first one I have run across that I cannot run at 48kHz on my M1 MacBook Air. Not on my Windows machine either. Both work at 24 kHz however - not ideal, but better than nothing. Of course the Instruo module is missing in ARM mode on the Mac.
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Yes, the patch has become a bit too large. (It was just too much fun to add more and more voices and Benjolin expanders ) Same problems for me, at some point I had to go down with the sample rate to continue working on the patch. The recording is made with 44.1 kHz, and not listening to the crackling on the audio output while recording. Luckily just the start button click and the fade-out at the end was needed to record.
Good to know, thanks.
I have a new Venom update almost ready to go that significantly improves performance of the Benjolin Volts and Gates expanders. But it doesn’t really help your patch. Your patch has a large number of Surge XT and other modules that are relatively expensive. No one module is particularly bad, but it collectively adds up.
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I love the VCO LAB! I’m always looking for the best goto analog oscillators for me and this one is a really solid choice.
Only gripe I have with it is that it’s so big - i think a mini VCO LAB with just one oscillator with morphable waveform would be a very nice addition.
Maybe with just one row of the modulation matrix, without the offset and instead a waveform shape mod input.
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Interesting idea - thanks. I too sometimes lament the size.
I’ll have to think on this one. No promises.
Interesting that you call VCO Lab an analog oscillator when it is pure digital with very pure and exact mathematical implementations, without any analog modeling. I wouldn’t know where to begin to create a VCO based on analog modeling.
But I do agree it consistently produces welcome tones, regardless what modulation you throw at it.
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