Casper/ Bastl Aikido Review - More than a VCA
A powerful VCA module with many applications!
As you might know, I’m slowly getting into Eurorack building a modular synthesizer. And what’s the most important type of module in a Eurorack system? A VCA! VCA stands for Voltage Controlled Amplifier (or Attenuator) and is used to control the amplitude of audio or CV signals. The most common usage of a VCA is to set the level of an incoming audio source. To make a simple voice you’ll have to patch the envelope’s output to the CV of a VCA so that every time you send a gate to your envelope the VCA “opens“ and you hear sound.
So as I was building my own synth, I was on the hunt for a simple VCA module that had four channels to use for the four voices in my system. And there are a lot of options for this specific usage. But then as I was talking to Bastl, they suggested I tried out their module Aikido which is also a Quad VCA & mixer, and a few days after using it I quickly realized that is a lot more than just a Quad VCA!
Let’s go through Aikido’s features and check out why this is a very powerful problem-solving module for any system!
The Basics
As expected on a VCA, Aikido has four inputs, four outputs, and four CV inputs. The CV inputs and the Outputs are normalized so if you patch a cable on the CV A the same CV will be used for inputs B, C, and D. By plugging something into B, C, or D you break that connection and can have separate voltage for each CV input. The same applies to the outputs which are DC coupled and output D has the mixdown of outputs A, B, and C. You can also use all the output separately by patching them and have 4 distinct outputs to route anywhere you want.
In the center of the module, there are four attenuverters that can be used to increase or decrease the signal’s output. By turning them to the right you open the VCA and by turning them to the left you close it. And these are relative to the offset faders that are right above them. In the middle position you are at 0 dB and you can boost the signal up to 6 dB by moving the fader all the way up! A fun little trick is that you can also create feedback loops by feeding on output back into an input that will distort & saturate your sounds.
Finally, there is a Mix output down at the bottom that outputs a mix of all your inputs into one so Aikido also acts like a four-channel mixer!
The Extras!
As I said before, Aikido is a quite deep module and not just a VCA… There are a few very cool features on it that certainly make stand out from the competition.
First up, and most notable, are the Mute buttons. By using the four buttons on the top of the module you can easily mute & unmute any channel just by tapping the button. It works great, with no clicks & pops, and it’s a very handy way to listen to what’s going on with your patch without changing a thing. Furthermore, it’s an amazing performance tool to bring things in and out of your mix during a performance. The Mute buttons are only working for the Mix output so if you use the separate outputs sound will still go through the outputs even if a channel is muted. And that’s a great thing if you are using some of the channels as modulation CV that you want to attenuate.
Another big thing about Aikido is the Sidechain features it has. Without anything patched, the first channel (A) acts like the input of the Sidechain’s envelope follower. That means you can self-patch input A to Sidechain itself and this way you can compress or expand the signal by using the attenuverter. There is also an input that you can use and have anything to be the input for the Sidechain. In addition to that, there is a flip switch that allows you to control the Sidechain response curves by Fast, Medium, or Slow. And if that’s not enough, there is an additional Spectral Envelope follower that listens by default to the output of Channel D and can be set to Bass, Mid, or Treb. That means that you can set the frequency range of the sidechain’s response. For example, if you have a full drum mix you can set the Spectral Envelope to Bass and only use the lower frequencies which have the kick to sidechain another signal. A very powerful & versatile tool to clean up your mixes!
Overall Experience
Aikido is a powerhouse VCA/ Mixer module. It can do everything a standard VCA & Mixer module can do with so many added features that justify its price. The Mute buttons are such a great addition both for live and studio purposes since you can easily get lost while creating a patch and having a quick way to mute stuff is so convenient. Furthermore, the Sidechain abilities are very useful even if you’re not using drum modules in your system (like I do). Overall, Aikido is a very hands-on module where everything is laid out perfectly in just 11 HP, and all the extra features are actually useful.
It feels incredibly sturdy and well-built. The buttons, sliders, the knobs feel amazing, and, while there is a lot going on, the inputs, outputs, and everything else are strategically placed so you can easily work without having cables blocking you all the time.
Conclusion
While there are a lot of options for a 4-channel VCA out there, Aikido has way more features and functions that make it stand out from the crowd. It can become the centerpiece of your system and act as your main VCA and mixer for your audio (and CV) signals whether you’re using drums, melodic stuff, or both. I happen to also have another 4-channel VCA module in my system and the difference with Aikido is enormous. Aikido is my main VCA for all my voices and I use the second VCA for some simple attenuation of modulation since I want to take advantage of the Mutes, the Sidechain, and the detailed control of my levels.
If I had to find one downside to Aikido, it would be that is 11 HP and hits my OCD of having only even numbers of HP modules hard! Joking aside, if you wanna invest in a very deep and fully-featured VCA module, AIkido is probably the best choice out there. You may find it hard to justify its price being a bit higher than all the other Quad VCAs but you have to consider what you’re getting in return. It is way more than a simple VCA/ Mixer and all its extra features will be used and appreciated if you get one!
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