Infinite Machinery - Hexa VCA Review
You can’t have enough.
VCAs. The unsung hero of Modular. If you are messing with modular, you’ve probably heard the saying “You can never have enough VCAs“ and it’s entirely true. A VCA - Voltage Controlled Amplifier is a very simple type of module. It’s essentially an amplifier that you can control with CV. For people not so familiar with modular, it’s like a mixer’s volume where you have an input to feed your signal in, an output to take it out of the mixer, and a CV input to automate or control when it opens.
So, today we are checking out a brand new VCA module by my friends at Infinite Machinery called Hexa VCA! Hexa means that you get 6 VCAs in a single module which is a life-saver. Hexa VCA is a no-brainer purchase in my opinion, so let’s see its features and some patch examples to prove it!
Design
Hexa VCA is a 12HP module which is very reasonable for a VCA module with 6 VCAs and it feels solid and well-built. All VCA channels are identical and you have an Input labeled Signal, your CV input, and an Output. On the right, there are 6 knobs for each channel to set the maximum level of your output.
The 6 channels are separated into two groups of three - 1-3 & 4-6 and you can see a small gap with a graphic separating the two groups. The black panel with white knobs and gold graphics is very gentle and subtle so it fits any type of aesthetic. But also, the 12HP size provides you enough room to patch it and still have easy access to the knobs. A VCA would be fully patched all the time so it’s nice to have some room while still not taking up a ton of space in your rack.
Features
Being a VCA, Hexa VCA is pretty straightforward and works as you’d imagine. You feed it with a signal, control it with CV, and use its output to patch it through something else or feed it to your mixer or output module. Its 6 channels have DC coupling but the most important feature is its normalization.
The two groups we mentioned earlier are not just for looks. The CV signal is normalized to the next empty CV input for channels 1-3 and 4-6. For example, if you patch a CV signal into channel 1, the same CV signal will be fed into channels 2 & 3, without the need for a Multiple module. The same goes for channels 4-6. For example, you can patch a CV signal in channels 4 & 5 and the signal that you used for channel 5 will also be present into channel 6. This feature is very useful and cost-saving because you won’t need another module to multiply your CV signals to re-use them. You can cleverly patch HExa VCA so you can use a CV signal for more than one VCA channel without using more cables!
What I would add? The only thing I felt missing was to have some sort of visual feedback. I would love to have a small LED light indicating when the VCA opens and closes. On a busy modular, the more visual feedback you get the better so I would definitely add this to Hexa VCA. Maybe in version 2?
Patch Ideas
Voices! The most common use case of a VCA is to feed an Oscillator into its input and have your envelope control when it opens. So when you press a key on your controller, you’ll send a gate in your envelope and your envelope will open up the VCA and you’ll hear your oscillator’s sound. So, with Hexa VCA you can have up to 6 voices playing at the same time which is incredible and probably more than you’ll need!
A variation of this which might be more common is the following: You can patch an oscillator in channels 1, 3, and 5 and use your envelopes as a CV to open the VCA. Then you can use channels 2 & 6 without patching them (due to the normalization feature) and control the filters’ Frequency with the same envelope. For Voice patched in channel 3, you’ll have to multiply your envelope’s output and re-use it in CV input 4 since the signal is not normalized from channel 3 to channel 4. So with the same 3 envelopes that you use to control the amplitude of your oscillators, you can also control their filters which can be very handy and saves you from having an extra envelope for each voice if you don’t need to have a different envelope shape for the filter.
Modulation: My favorite pairing of the Hexa VCA is with modulation modules and LFOs. In particular, I used Ochd and its Expander alongside Hexa VCA to have the perfect modulation combo. A VCA is not only for oscillators but also for LFOs and other modulation sources. An obvious way to use a VCA with a modulation source is to “tame” its maximum values just like in an Attenuator module. I enjoyed patching all 6 channels with modulation signals from Ochd and its Expander, feeding them into various sources like Frequency and Resonance CVs, Envelope shapes, and Ocillators’ CV inputs, and then I used the other mod signals, again from Ochd and its Expander, as CV for Hexa VCA.
With that, you can have your modulation controlling your modulation which might be extremely random but also extremely fun to play with. I love modulation but I always want to control when it comes in and out so routing it through Hexa VCA made my life much easier. Another great way to bring modulation in and out is to use envelopes. Just like in the Voices patch example, you can use an envelope to control when the modulation starts (envelope’s attack) and when it fades out (envelope’s release).
Who is it for?
As we already said, VCAs are always handy in any type of modular system. The more the better. You might do your job with 2-3 VCAs right now, but there is no way you can’t take advantage of more. This means that a module like Hexa VCA is for pretty much everyone who has a modular synth. Even if you use your modular as a mono synth with a couple of oscillators, the extra VCA channels can be used for modulation so having 6 of them on a single module will be crucial to bring more control in your modular.
Plus, the 12HP is the perfect size to be able to reach everything, without taking up too much space in your rack. If it was small, like 10HP, it would make it harder to patch and reach the knobs, while there is no reason for it to be bigger than 12HP.
Conclusion
It might sound hard to get excited for a utility type of module, but Hexa VCA is such an important tool in any modular case, that makes it exciting for sure. But the most impressive thing is its price. Hexa VCA is so well priced at just under 180€ that makes it accessible to everyone. Getting 6 VCA channels for this price is simply awesome and makes it one of the most value-for-money modules. Even when you compare it to one of the most affordable module brands like 2HP, you get more value. Their dual VCA costs around 85€ (42.5€ per VCA) whereas in Hexa VCA you’ll pay 30€ per VCA!
Hexa VCA works as intended, is solidly built, and has the extra normalization feature that you won’t find on every VCA module. A module like that will give you much more freedom and flexibility when patching so I cannot recommend it enough!
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