I’ve been experimenting with building patches that feel organic and evolving, but without leaning too heavily on standard LFOs. I’m curious — what are your favorite ways to generate movement or modulation without traditional LFO modules?
Some techniques I’ve been trying:
Using random/sample & hold with slow clocks
Feeding sequencers non-linear clocks or stepped logic
Audio-rate modulation of CV signals
I’d love to hear your approaches — whether it’s using unusual modules, feedback loops, self-patching, or even triggering from envelope behavior.
Bonus: Any examples of patches where you got good evolving textures without an obvious LFO?
Great question, however in modular, everything is control voltage even LFOs, so Sample & Holds are just another type of LFO. Clocks are basically fixed Sample & Hold or Square LFOs. Audio rate modulation could be simplified to be seen as really fast LFOs, hence the name.
We have lots of chaotic oscillators in VCV, Sapphire has 3 I think , Frolic, Glee and Lark. Plus Don also coded the sloth family from NLC, great slow chaotic walks. Sickozell has a fun set of cv generators now, randloops is so good for clocked random, modulator 7 is a great OCHD with extra features. Caudal is terrific, 12 walks and 4 walks with “jumps”. Too many fun other ways to wiggle to mention them all.
As was mentioned above, there are a lot of modules that produce less regular (e.g. chaotic, random) control signals.
However, I actually think that there also is a lot you can do with standard LFO modules, because LFOs can be easily added/mixed to obtain complex shapes.
I like to think of this analogous to “additive synthesis” for timbres, just at a much slower rate.
The obvious advantage is that you can tailor the signal very precisely. You can add/mix just a few or many LFOs, and having control of frequency, scale, offset and shape of each, you can pretty much produce any shape you like.
I especially like Bogaudio’s LLFO for this. It’s small and can be driven polyphonically. And you can cross-modulate frequencies via the V/Oct input.
I recently watched a MakeNoise post on youtube about their DPO module where Tony Rolando (the head designer) was talking about its development. He mentioned a very interesting thing, where he had put different vactrols on different parameter cv inputs; Having different slew rates on each parameter can give very organic sounding results. Putting one lfo into all inputs would result in multiple cv curves.
So, in essence, not changing the signal, but the response curve of a port, can result in more complex/organic behaviour.
I will experiment with this
