WMD Modbox MKII: two LFOs, sample & hold and noise in 8HP
WMD is shipping the Modbox MKII, an 8HP Eurorack modulation module: three-phase LFO, skew LFO, digital sample & hold with a Turing Machine mode and analogue noise, at $279.
WMD has been shipping the Modbox MKII since late October. It is an 8HP Eurorack modulation module that packs two LFOs, a digital sample & hold and an analogue noise source. Pre-orders and dealer orders went out the week of October 27, and since November 2 the US company says new orders ship from stock, at $279. This article is based on WMD’s official product page. Availability was first reported by Synthtopia.
The sequel to the WMD/SSF Modbox
The original Modbox, designed with SSF, had been hard to find for years. The MKII keeps the idea of an affordable modulation utility for every case and adds two things: clock sync on both LFOs, and the phase tricks of WMD’s Phase Displacement Oscillator. An LFO (low-frequency oscillator) produces a slowly moving voltage that animates a filter, a level or a pitch; both Modbox LFOs also track 1V/octave and run up to audio rate, so they can double as oscillators.
The Three Phase LFO
It offers three related outputs, in three modes selected with MODE:
- Phase Offset: all three outputs share one frequency, and SPREAD shifts OUT2 and OUT3 in opposite directions across 360 degrees. One source gives three offset movements, for instance for a moving stereo image;
- Phase Modulation: OUT1 modulates the phase of OUT2, which modulates OUT3, with SPREAD setting the depth. Shapes become complex and less predictable;
- Frequency Spread: the outputs start in unison, then SPREAD pushes OUT2 up to 8 times the frequency and pulls OUT3 down to 1/8, creating polyrhythmic ratios.
WAVE morphs every output from saw to sine, triangle and ramp. With SHIFT held, two RTO pots set independent frequency ratios for OUT2 and OUT3.
The Skew LFO
The second LFO morphs from saw to triangle to ramp with SLOPE. Under SHIFT, SHAPE bends the curve from exponential to logarithmic without changing the rate, so the length of a rise and its feel are set separately. It is the same logic as envelope curves, covered in our guide the ADSR envelope explained.
Sample & hold and the Turing Machine mode
A sample & hold grabs the voltage at its input on each trigger and holds it until the next one: fed with noise, it produces stepped random voltages. The Modbox MKII’s is digital, so it has none of the droop of analogue designs, and it offers three modes:
| Mode | Behaviour, per WMD |
|---|---|
| S&H | captures the input on a rising edge at SMPL and holds it until the next event |
| T&H (track & hold) | passes the signal while SMPL is high, freezes it when it drops |
| Turing Machine | a loop of 1 to 32 values; PROB sets how likely a value is to change, up to a locked loop, or plays it backwards fully counter-clockwise |
The S&H input is normalled to the analogue white noise (about 14V peak to peak), and the Skew LFO sends a pulse to the SMPL input: with nothing patched, the module already puts out clocked random voltage. As a reminder, a normalled jack is internally wired to a default source, which a patched cable replaces.
Clock, format and settings
- CLOCK and RESET inputs shared by both LFOs, with divisions from 1:512 to 4:1 in powers of two; if the clock stops, the LFO keeps the last tempo;
- oscillator outputs from −5V to +5V;
- 8HP wide, 38mm deep including cables;
- settings saved automatically, field-updatable firmware.
WMD has not published the power draw at launch: check it before adding the module to a busy case (see Eurorack explained: choosing your first case). All inputs and outputs work with control voltage, explained in our guide CV/Gate explained.
WMD’s in-depth overview:
Who it is for, what it costs, what it competes with
Who it is for. Owners of a small or mid-sized Eurorack system short on synced modulation, and anyone who wants repeatable random patterns without buying a dedicated module. Three linked LFO outputs, two syncable LFOs and a random generator in 8HP cover a lot of ground in little space.
What it costs. $279, the list price on WMD’s store. Available since late October, shipping from stock.
What it competes with.
- Xaoc Devices Batumi: four LFOs with phase and division modes, but no built-in sample & hold or noise;
- ALM Pamela’s Pro Workout: eight programmable clock and modulation outputs, more versatile but menu-driven, where the Modbox keeps one control per function;
- Music Thing Modular Turing Machine: the reference for lockable random loops, which the Modbox includes as one mode among others.
The Modbox MKII’s strength is its internal normalling and having the whole module locked to one clock. The trade-offs: secondary functions sit behind SHIFT, and the power draw is still to be published. More modules are in our Eurorack Modules section.
View at Thomann
