Splines Eurorack Module Turns Waves into Art

Thorn Audio Announces the New Splines Eurorack Module

Thorn Audio has released a new product, the Splines Eurorack module, which the developer presents as a multifunctional unit. Splines functions as an oscillator, a step sequencer, a modulation and envelope source, a quantizer with custom tunings, and a scope with an interactive, animated visual interface.

The module can make elegant, precise curves and allows users to create patterns and shapes intuitively. It also permits modulation and reshaping of those patterns fluidly using splines.

The module includes a display that the reviewer describes as feeling tactile in use. Engineer Hallvard Kristiansen, a long-time repair technician at Schneidersladen, is identified as the developer of Splines. Thorn previously released a modulator called VCLFO.

The article describes splines as a family of functions formed by piecing together polynomials to provide smooth interpolation and notes related spline types used in easing and vector drawing, such as Bézier curves and Catmull-Rom splines.

The Thorn Audio Splines Eurorack module is designed as a multifaceted tool for musical expression, integrating a rich array of functionalities. Its primary roles include serving as an oscillator, which generates audio signals, and as a step sequencer, which contributes to sequence creation by controlling the pitch and timing of sounds. The module also functions as a modulation source, capable of providing modulation signals that influence various parameters in a musical setup, and as an envelope source, shaping the dynamics of sound over time.

Furthermore, Splines offers a quantizer with custom tunings, allowing users to adjust pitches to specific scales, enhancing musical cohesion. The scope functionality is enabled by its interactive, animated visual interface, providing users with visual feedback and the ability to visualize sound shapes and modulations. The module’s display is described as tactile, providing a responsive user experience that complements its technical features. This tactile interface contributes significantly to the intuitive manipulation of patterns and shapes through the use of splines, known for their smooth interpolation characteristics.

Engineer Hallvard Kristiansen is identified in the article as the developer of Splines and is referenced with the professional title of engineer. He is described as a long-time repair technician at Schneidersladen, a detail the article provides about his background and role. The article names Kristiansen in that capacity and does not elaborate further on his biography. The available sources do not provide this information.

The article also notes a prior Thorn product, stating that Thorn previously released a modulator called VCLFO. That product is referenced as an earlier release by Thorn in the same piece. The article does not include technical specifications, release dates, or additional context for VCLFO. The available sources do not provide this information.

Splines are described in the article as a family of functions formed by piecing together polynomials to provide smooth interpolation.

The Splines Eurorack module can make elegant, precise curves and allows users to create patterns and shapes intuitively, then modulate and reshape those patterns fluidly using splines. The module includes an interactive, animated display, and the reviewer describes the display as feeling tactile in use. The available sources do not provide mathematical formulas or implementation details.

The article states that any time easing is added to points in a DAW or video editor, or when curved shapes are made with a vector drawing tool such as Adobe Illustrator, splines are typically used. The article names specific spline types used in these contexts, including Bézier curves and Catmull-Rom splines. The available sources do not provide further examples, applications, or comparative explanations of those spline types.

The article includes a humorous Sponsor section that references polynomial equations and the author’s high school AP math teacher.

It’s an oscillator, a step sequencer, a modulation and envelope source, a quantizer (with custom tunings) — even a scope, thanks to its interactive, animated visual interface.

Wait — what’s a spline, and why is it so special?

You’ve probably used splines at some point, whether you realized it or not — any time you add easing to points in a DAW or video editor, or make curved shapes with a vector drawing tool like Illustrator, you’re (typically) using splines.

Now you’re playing with Splines.

It’s just so many things you might need, from a signal visualizer to envelope maker, all in one.

Sponsors: polynomial equations, the trials and tribulations of my high school AP math teacher, and the following envelope: weeoow-weeeow-wubba-wubba-werp.

CONCLUSION

Splines is presented as a multifunctional Eurorack module combining an oscillator, a step sequencer, a modulation and envelope source, a quantizer with custom tunings, and a scope through an interactive, animated visual interface. It enables creation of patterns and shapes intuitively and permits modulation and fluid reshaping of those patterns using splines. The module can make elegant, precise curves and uses splines, described as functions pieced together by polynomials to provide smooth interpolation. The module’s display is described by the reviewer as feeling tactile in use.

Engineer Hallvard Kristiansen is identified as the developer of Splines and is described as a long-time repair technician at Schneidersladen. The article notes Thorn previously released a modulator called VCLFO. The article references spline types used in related tools, including Bézier curves and Catmull-Rom splines, and notes that splines are typically used for easing in DAWs, video editors, and vector drawing tools such as Adobe Illustrator. The available sources do not provide additional implementation details, release dates, or specifications.