QD Quad Drum Voice

Instruments Category: 
Drum Machine
Sound Module
Synthesis Types: 
Digital Synthesis

The vpme.de QD is a quad digital drum module with quite a bit of routing and modulation possibilities. Each of the four color-coded voices can be assigned to be a digitally modeled drum, wavetable VCO, or a sample from a sample set loaded from SD card. Each of the channels has three potentiometers that control pitch, decay, and mod—a third parameter specific to the algorithm. In wavetable mode it controls wavetable selection, while in sample playback mode it controls the sample set selected. In the digital modeling mode the control varies from voice to voice. Digital modeling voices include karplus strong, kicks, snares, hi-hats, buchla style bongo, pinged filters, and string emulation.

A three way toggle switch selects between mute/voice selection, mixer/EQ, and CV/LFO assignment modes. In mute mode the four buttons mute and unmute the corresponding channels. The encoder can be depressed to enter voice selection mode where sample sets, wavetable banks, and digital modeling voices can be selected by rotating the encoder. In mixer/EQ mode the volume, panning, and three band EQ can be controlled by the encoder. The four buttons assign which channel is selected editing. In CV/LFO assignment mode, the CV input can be assigned to pitch, decay, mod, panning, and volume. An internal attenuator sets the amplitude of the incoming CV. At the maximum level, the channel scales to 1 volt/oct. The QD also features internal LFOs that can be synced externally and includes waveforms such as sine, ramp up/down, square, random, and woggle.

Additional options include gate delay, quantizing incoming CV, and preset select via CV number 4. Up to 64 presets are available in four banks of 16 presets. The presets save every setting, including knob position.

  • 4 digital drum voices in a 22hp compact module
  • every voice can be a sample player, a wavetable VCO or a digital drum model
  • control of pitch, decay and sample selection per voice
  • uSD card slot, up to 1024 samples total, up to 128 samples per drum voice under CV control
  • digital models offer range of kicks, snares, hats, strings and other percussive sounds
  • 4 trigger inputs
  • 4 assignable CV inputs
  • 4 mute buttons and a very intuitive and powerful control interface
  • 4 internal LFOs or mod envelopes than can be synced to triggers
  • internal 4 channel mixer, 2 output channels
  • internal 3-band equalizer and compressor