Voltage-Controlled Amplifier (VCA)

Controls the level of a signal with a knob, a control voltage, or both. The fundamental building block for shaping dynamics — patch an envelope or LFO into the CV input to make sounds swell, pulse, and fade. A built-in meter reads the output so you can set gain by eye.

Controls

• Level — the base gain. Fully down silences the output; fully up passes the signal at unity.
• CV Att — scales how strongly the CV input pushes the gain, from no effect to full.

Inputs & outputs

• In — the signal to amplify; works equally on audio or CV.
• CV — a control voltage that drives the gain. Only positive voltage opens the VCA; negative is ignored.
• Out — the level-controlled signal.

Tips

• Level and CV add together: dial in a base level and CV opens further on top. Leave Level at zero for a classic envelope-gated voice.
• Gain changes are smoothed internally, so even snappy modulation stays click-free.
• The output meter reads in dB with a peak-hold tick — ride Level to keep hot signals out of the red.