DivKid & Instruō - øchd & øchd Expander Review
Modulation Heaven!
One of the most popular Eurorack modules - and probably the most popular of the last few years is øchd which is a collaboration of the modular mastermind DiviKid and Instruō. And for a good reason! øchd is a 4HP analog LFO with eight triangle outputs and a single knob to control its rate. Simple and effective.
øchd is also a very affordable module so in combination to its plethora of modulation outputs and its tiny size, it was expected to find its place into hundreds or even thousands of modular systems.
Very recently, DivKid and Instruō also introduced the øchd Expander which is an expander module of the original øchd (it does not work as a standalone module) that expands the capabilities of the original and adds so many useful variations you could not get with just øchd.
Overview and Features
øchd
øchd is such a simple module but at the same time such a unique design that can do more things than meets the eye. From top to bottom, you’ll find the Rate knob that controls the module’s rate, a CV input to modulate the rate, and an attenuverter for the CV input. Below that you’ll see the 8 outputs of the LFOs and each one of them have an LED light next to it so you can have a visual representation of the LFO’s speed. The 8 LFOs are independent, bipolar, and un-synced but always related to the module’s Rate. The only “rule” there is that the top LFO is the fastest and the bottom one the slowest. And when I say slow, I mean slow. The slowest LFO can have a 25-minute (!) cycle without external CV!
You can also self-patch øchd by using one LFO to modulate its own rate to create weirder LFO shapes and if you apply CV to its Rate with the attenuverter all the way to the left, you can stall the LFOs with CV completely which creates a Sample & Hold type of effect.
øchd may not be the most fully-featured LFO module but its power lies in its abundance of LFOs. I have a relatively large modular synth and it took a lot of effort to utilize all its LFOs on a single patch. You’ll essentially never run out of modulation sources ever again. And that’s the main reason, you can’t go wrong with øchd and it’s kind of a no-brainer purchase.
øchd Expander
If 8 LFOs weren’t enough, DivKid and Instruō decided to do a massive upgrade to øchd by releasing the øchd Expander! This is not as straightforward as øchd but it adds so much more functionality to it. The øchd Expander adds 16 additional outputs divided into 4 sections that have different characteristics.
Full Wave Rectifiers: The top section takes the 4 right-side LFOs and makes them unipolar positive. So if you just need a positive LFO and not a bipolar you can use these outputs to get that! But keep in mind that the LFO’s speed does not stay the same as the negative portion of øchd’s waveforms are inverted to become positive. That results in having twice the speed of the initial LFO from øchd.
Analogue Diode Logic Pairs: The second section combines two sets of LFOs (one fast and one slow) from øchd to create 4 new waveforms. In plain words, the two left outputs that correspond to the fast LFOs have a somewhat positive modulation in the top output and a more negative in the bottom one while still being bipolar. The same goes for the two right outputs that correspond to the slow LFOs. This section creates LFOs that are way more unpredictable and interesting if you want something else than the standard triangle LFOs in øchd.
Cascading Triggers: This is something totally new since it’s not creating LFO shapes but triggers! It uses the 4 left LFOs of øchd to generate 4 repeating trigger signals with the top left output being the fastest and the bottom right being the slowest. Those triggers can be used to trigger drum sounds, envelopes, or anything else you want. All 4 trigger signals are time-related just like the LFOs on øchd so you can create some rhythmic patterns with this!
R-2R 4-Bit Logic: The last section uses 4 LFOs from øchd for each of its outputs to create random-stepped voltages. This is probably my favorite mode on the øchd Expander because it’s very random and fun to play with. It’s something like a random Sample & Hold type of modulation that offers you 4 outputs with different speeds depending on the 4 LFOs used to produce it.
What was the vision behind it?
As you already know, øchd and its expander were designed by Ben “DivKid” Wilson who you might know by his hundreds of videos on modular gear and tutorials on his YouTube channel. So I reached out to Ben to discuss those two modules and answer a few of my questions and he was so kind to fully explain the thought process and the vision behind making this module come to life.
As Ben told me, the initial vision for øchd was to create a module that would provide a wide range of modulation sources so that patches would breathe and become more alive & musical after applying its modulation. The multiple outputs would allow a system to drift organically over time and since there is no start point and no sync, there is constant movement and the LFOs are constantly overlapping. Creating engaging complexity from simple and easy-to-use sources was a key design goal.
One thing that you might be skeptical about øchd is the absence of a sync input. But it’s not that big of a deal. I knew that this was a design decision and not something that happened to reduce manufacturing costs or make it smaller. So I also asked Ben to learn firsthand why this choice was made.
Ben explained to me that the decision was made to specifically create something that felt organic and human. If you tempo-sync the modulation outputs, you would just get repetitive divisions of a set tempo and that is the complete opposite of the original intention behind øchd. Things like adding subtle bits of movement to timbre parameters can push a “basic” into much more nuanced and dynamic places musically. The modulation that comes through øchd is freely moving through time like waves and the fact that it’s not tied to a clock makes it more random and interesting.
My personal take on this topic
First of all, I always respect when someone makes an intentional decision to add or remove a feature from a product. You may agree or disagree with that decision but the fact that they actually thought through it and made a decision that serves a specific goal it’s always fine by me. So specifically for øchd. I think it serves its goal at 100%. It really is extremely simple to use and it will bring so much life to your patches. Especially when you have more complex patches with more voices, øchd helps a lot to make everything slightly moving and drifting. It’s not the type of LFO that will create rhythm like an LFO that’s tempo-synced and has a Saw or Square waveform would probably do. It was not designed for this anyway.
Once I understood why this was made and started using it that way, it truly delivered. Alongside its Expander, you can generate so many subtle (or not) modulations that are, by nature, untameable and you’ll have to embrace that.
Overall Experience
For me, øchd and its Expander were the missing pieces from my modular system. I have a lot of voices, filters, etc. but I didn’t have enough modulation sources so now I’m fully covered. There’s not a single patch that there is not øchd, even for just a very subtle modulation. You’ll just need a few VCAs to control the amount of modulation and you’re good to go.
As I said earlier, øchd is dead simple to use. The Expander, on the other hand, introduces a few new concepts and it’s definitely harder to grasp. But there is no reason to be intimidated by it at all. And also, you don’t need to know and understand every little thing. We make music after all - we’re not making scientific experiments. My first days with both modules were just a journey of exploration and experimentation without caring too much about what each output on the expander did. I just patched until something interesting happened which is my favorite way to work with modular anyway.
Even though øchd is awesome on its own, I highly recommend to also try it with its Expander. Each mode adds that little extra thing you might need. The first mode is great for controlling polarity and just having a positive modulation which you might missed with øchd, the second mode makes the waveforms way more complex and interesting, the third mode adds a totally new feature with its triggers, and lastly, the fourth mode adds randomness which is always welcome in any patch.
The build quality is top-notch just like all Instruō modules and the fact that each module is just 4HP is incredibly convenient. Honestly, if I also consider its price, I would not need anything more for these two modules.
Some suggestions for øchd MKII!
As I just said, I would not change a thing on øchd. The only thing that a lot of people are wondering about is the absence of sync which we fully covered before. So instead, I decided to throw some ideas for an MKII version of øchd. Oh, and just to be clear, I have no inside information that a second version is coming or if there’s even a thought of making one.
More Rate control: It would be nice to divide øchd’s outputs into groups - for example 2-4-2 and have independent rate control for each group. The 8 outputs have a huge range of different speeds but the fastest and slowest ones are sometimes hard to integrate to a patch. So it would be nice to have the option of having similar Rates for all outputs.
More Waveforms: It would be great to have a few more standard waveforms to choose from like a Saw or a Square for some of the outputs.
That would probably make øchd MKII a bit bigger in size but I’m sure it would still be great if it was 6HP!
Conclusion
øchd’s success says it all. It’s a module that works for every single modular synth and its new Expander makes it even more useful. It’s a module that can take a plain or even boring patch and make it so much more interesting, evolving, and alive. Its simplicity allows everyone to use it even if you are a complete beginner or you have a modular wall. Having a modular synth is all about modulation and with these two modules, you’ll be in modulation heaven!
These modules just tick all the boxes. Well made, small, with a lot of flexibility, and a ton of outputs. You essentially get 24 outputs with modulation that you can use at will which is crazy for just 8HP. øchd and the øchd Expander are not LFO modules that you can go deep and change every single parameter. Instead, you have to embrace their free nature and just patch them and see how it goes. I really like this approach with all modules because it sets you free from overthinking or reading manuals. The Expander has a few functions that combine a few of the LFOs on øchd but you don’t really have to remember which of them or even what every mode does. You just patch and listen on repeat until you get the modulation you like.
So, with øchd and its Expander, you get two things. First, an almost infinite source of modulation (I dare you to patch all 24 outputs on a single patch!). Secondly, two trusty companions on an exploration journey with your modular synth that’s based on experimenting and patching which is the most fun thing about having a modular synth in the first place! If you’re looking for a sign to get those two modules - this is it!
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