Performer Magazine

Erica Synths Black Double Bass Eurorack Module Review

We’re big into synthesis, so when new modules come out in the Eurorack community, we can’t help but wipe the drool from our computer keyboards. The good folks over at Eric Synths in Latvia recently sent us their Black Double Bass Module to test out. So, we racked it up in our Eurorack case, plugged the module in, and began integrating it into our modular setup. The heart of the modular synth we have in-house is typically a Behringer Model D, as well as the Moog Mother 32, but these swap in and out as we test various modules.

For the Black Double Bass module, all we have to say is whoah. They weren’t kidding with that name. It’s a good thing we were also testing the new KRK ROKIT line of studio monitors, which can handle such low end rumble. This small-form module contains two sub oscillations, one and two octaves down, respectively, for earth-shattering EDM lines and THX-demo-style lows. You can feed the module an oscillator of your choice, then blend and mix the two subs and also control the wet/dry signal for overall balance. 

There aren’t a lot of front-panel knobs to figure out, so overall operation is quite simple, and just a few minutes spent feeling things out and listening to what each knob does will tell you all you need to know. 

The “Color” knob seems to be acting like a low-pass filter, so you can kill even more high-end if you wish to truly annoy the neighbors. Patching is easy, and you can control additional parameters with an LFO, which is nice. As with most modules featuring such rich patch bays, you can control a lot of the front panel either manually or with analog CV.

One of the nice touches that Erica included is a built-in limiter. That was one of the first things we were concerned about, with all that bass and potential (purposeful) distortion, was that you’d run into clipping issues pretty much out of the gate. But overall, that wasn’t too big of a hurdle to overcome, and adding this deep sub to a sequenced pattern or arpeggiator was pretty cool. If your current setup is a bit thin or not as aggressive as you might have hoped for, this little unit might be right up your alley. 

PROS:

interesting sound capabilities, relatively inexpensive

CONS:

requires Eurorack case and power

STREET PRICE:

125 Euros

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