intellijel Plonk Physical Modelling Percussion Synthesizer Eurorack Module (12 HP)

Explore the world of natural sounding timbres or create brand new ones with the intellijel Plonk, a physical modelling percussion synthesizer in Eurorack format. Plonk focuses on realistic percussion sounds, but it's equally capable of creating hyperreal unearthly tones with the ability to seamlessly morph between the two.

Punchy kick drums, snappy snares, shimmering chimes, and deep biting bass tones are some of Plonk's specialties. Designed in collaboration with Canadian physical modelling experts Applied Acoustics Systems, Plonk is bound to be a crowd pleaser. Use quick strikes and long decays or hold the gate open and let the ever-evolving soundscapes through while you modulate and morph between presets with CV. The module includes a ribbon power cable.

At a Glance

• EXCITER: consists of a realistic mallet model and flexible noise source
• OBJECT: models strings, beams, marimbas, drumheads, membranes, and plates
• Two Voice Polyphonic at full resolution (16-bit, 44.1 kHz)
• Selectable presets along with full parameter morphing and randomization via CV
• All synthesis parameters along with Saturation and Bitcrusher effects can be assigned to the X, Y, and MOD controls
• 128 user preset slots with import/export management via USB, loaded with factory presets designed by Richard Devine and AAS

Physical Modelling

• Plonk uses a technique known as physical modelling to synthesize, with great realism, the way in which sound is produced by acoustic instruments. The Plonk module is, itself, focused primarily on creating percussive sounds both pitched and unpitched natural and unnatural acoustic-sounding or totally electronic.
• Plonk does this by breaking sound creation into two distinct elements the exciter and the resonator. The exciter is a mathematical model of the device used to strike a particular surface. Plonk, because it's percussion oriented, has two types of exciters: one modelled on a mallet, and the other, providing a noise source. The resonator is a virtualization of the object being struck, which vibrates, resonates, and creates the body of a sound. Plonk offers several types of resonators: beam, marimba, drumhead, membrane, plate, and string.
• Plonk provides numerous parameters that let you shape, mold, and design both the exciter and the resonator, thus enabling you to synthesize the sound of striking or scraping almost any type of object real or imagined. In this way, Plonk can accurately model the sounds of kicks, snares, toms, cymbals, claps, tablas, congas, and all manner of traditional percussion instruments. It can also model pitched percussive instruments, like vibes, marimbas, and even bass or guitar-like tones. Of course, it additionally excels at modelling instruments that heretofore never existed.
• Best of all, the sounds created by Plonk are not static any sound you design can respond dynamically to velocity as well as four different modulation inputs. This means the sound of Plonk can change completely from note-to-note (or strike-to-strike). Because of this, Plonk is actually a duophonic (2-voice) module, which lets the sound of one note decay naturally when a second note (possibly employing an entirely different set of modelling values) is struck. Thus, hitting a new note does not choke the sound of the previously struck note (unless you want it to, of course)

Collaborative Effort

• Plonk stores up to 128 patches in its internal memory, and it ships with many presets programmed by professional sound designers and composers. You may overwrite these patches, if you wish, and banks of patches may be transferred via MIDI System Exclusive over Plonk's built-in mini-USB port to facilitate offline storage by programs or websites that support this capability.
• Plonk was developed in cooperation with Montreal-based Applied Acoustics Systems physical modelling pioneers, and the creators of Tassman, Lounge Lizard, String Studio, Ultra Analog, Chromaphone, and numerous other plugins. It is with great pleasure that intellijel brings the potential of this physical modelling technology to a hands-on, CV-laden device capable of the sort of dynamic control and sonic exploration that modular synthesists demand.

Eurorack Ready

• 12 HP Eurorack format module
• Maximum depth: 1.5"
• Includes power ribbon cable with Eurorack power headers