Pittsburgh Modular Microvolt 3901: the semi-modular goes software
Pittsburgh Modular releases its first software instrument: the Microvolt 3901, an emulation of the Microvolt 3900 plus in-house Eurorack modules, six-voice polyphonic, for $69.
Pittsburgh Modular has released its first software instrument, the Microvolt 3901. According to the official product page, it is a component-level emulation of the Microvolt 3900, the company’s analog desktop semi-modular, expanded with a selection of Eurorack modules from its back catalogue. It is available now for macOS and Windows at $69, with a free 7-day trial; an iPad version is listed as coming soon.
A virtual semi-modular, cables included
A semi-modular synth has its modules pre-wired internally, but a patch bay lets you override those connections with cables. The Microvolt 3901 brings that idea on screen: virtual cables carry audio and CV (control voltage, the signal that drives a parameter) between modules, effects included. The basics of modular patching are covered in our guide Eurorack explained: the format and your first case.
Seven oscillators from the company’s history
- the Microvolt oscillator, and a VCO 2 built on the same core;
- the Lifeforms SV-1 oscillator and the Primary Oscillator from the Voltage Lab Mini;
- the Generator, which the maker itself calls “strange”;
- two lo-fi digital oscillators designed in 2016: the Double Helix wavetable processor and DNA Symbiotic Waves.
Ten modulators and nineteen effects
For modulation, the page lists the VILFO (the company’s first Eurorack module), a dual LFO, a function generator, the Game System, the Microvolt modulation sources, a three-stage envelope, an envelope generator, a modulation oscillator, a sample & hold and a ring modulator. For a refresher on envelopes, see our article the ADSR envelope explained.
The 19 effects mix in-house modules, pedal clones and open-source code: Fragments, Crow Filter, Lo-Fi Tape, Flanger, Phaser, Chorus, Local Florist, Digital Delay, BBD Delay, 2399 Delay, Reverb, Verbtronic, 28 Verb, Fuzz, Overdrive, Resonator, Texture, Bit Crush and Compressor. They can sit at the end of the chain or be patched into the middle of the synth.
Specifications
| Item | Microvolt 3901 |
|---|---|
| Polyphony | 6 voices, or monophonic with up to 6 unison voices |
| Built-in controllers | touch-plate keyboard, 16-step sequencer |
| Sync | MIDI input, Ableton Link, host sync |
| Tools | oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, built-in manual |
| Presets | 200 factory presets, import and export, 100 steps of undo |
| macOS | 12 Monterey or later, Apple silicon or Intel: AU, VST3, standalone |
| Windows | 10 or 11 64-bit, ARM64 included: VST3, standalone |
| iPad | iPadOS 15 or later: standalone app and AUv3 (coming) |
| License | online activation or offline machine file; one activation covers every format on a computer |
No AAX (Pro Tools) or CLAP version is announced. The differences between formats are explained in our article VST3, AU, AAX, CLAP: plugin formats explained. One more thing to know: the license is checked online from time to time, and a computer that has been offline for 7 days must reconnect.
The official demo
Who it’s for, what it costs, what it competes with
Who it’s for. Musicians who want to try modular patching without buying hardware, and owners of a Microvolt 3900 or Pittsburgh modules looking for their counterpart inside the DAW, with polyphony as a bonus: six voices, where the hardware is monophonic. The built-in touch keyboard and sequencer also target standalone use, on a computer now and on iPad later.
What it costs. $69 for the full version, as listed by Pittsburgh Modular, with a 7-day trial on macOS and Windows. Available now on desktop; the iPad app will be sold through the App Store, with date and price not yet announced.
What it competes with.
- VCV Rack 2: an open virtual Eurorack whose Free edition costs nothing, with a huge module library. Broader, but you build the instrument yourself; the Microvolt 3901 is a closed instrument, ready to play from the first preset.
- Cherry Audio Voltage Modular: another open modular environment, with modules sold individually. The same expandable-ecosystem logic, the opposite of Pittsburgh’s fixed module set.
- Other semi-modular emulations, such as those covered in our emulations section: the Microvolt 3901 stands out for its patchable effects and digital oscillators inside an analog architecture.
We have not assessed the sound here: the demo above and the free trial let you judge before buying.
