Boutique modular synthesizer company Noise Engineering has announced a flexible and fully configurable MIDI-to-CV converter in 6HP.
Univer Inter has 8 outputs that can be configured to convert almost any MIDI message to voltage. MIDI devices can be connected directly via 1/8th” TRS, with adapters included to connect to MIDI DIN devices, or via a class-compliant USB B port. Along with converting MIDI from almost any source to analog voltages, Univer Inter can function as a USB to MIDI adapter, capable of sending and receiving MIDI.
MIDI-to-CV interfaces are often used with MIDI sequencers, or to play notes on a Eurorack system with a DAW’s piano roll. The Noise Engineering team wanted Univer Inter to seamlessly integrate into a system to control monophonic voices across multiple channels, create polyphonic patches for chords and complex melodic lines, or use note triggers to build a drum kit in a modular case.
It doesn’t end at note control, though: Univer Inter’s extensive clock output settings make synchronizing in-the-rack sequencers to a DAW or MIDI clock easy. Configure reset messages to work as start or stop triggers (or both), divide clocks to a wide variety of musical values, or use DIN sync-style run and 24ppqn clock outputs. Other output options include pitch, gate, and CC modulation and more, making Univer Inter one of the most flexible options on the market.
For users interested in more complex polyphony patches, two Univer Inters can be chained together for a total of 16 CV outs from a single MIDI connection. Four-voice polyphonic patching with aftertouch and velocity, eight-voice simple polyphony, 16-channel CC-controlled modulation, or complex drum triggering are all simple to configure and control.
To configure the behavior of Univer Inter, Noise Engineering has overhauled their Customer Portal for a smoother look and feel and to now include a dedicated Univer Inter configuration app. Each of the module’s 8 outputs can be assigned to one of over twenty different MIDI conversion behaviors via an easy-to-navigate dropdown system, complete with adjustable latency, MIDI channel, and other parameters depending on output type. Configuration presets can also be loaded and saved as sysex files making it easy to create backups and share configurations.
“MIDI is such a useful tool in the hardware realm, but with the amount of variation across our setups there wasn’t an interface module that covered all of our different needs,” says Markus Cancilla, Noise Engineering’s Chief of Destruction. “Univer Inter is the answer to that problem: just configure it to do whatever you need it to do in a patch. We have come to think of it more of a MIDI-to-whatever-you-need module”
Univer Inter launches with over 20 behaviors available per output; the team expects to add other tuning specs and other features later this year. They are also soliciting feedback on what features the community would like to see incorporated.
Available in black and silver, preorders on Univer Inter are now open. It is priced $275 USD, and shipping starts on June 29th, 2023.
More information: Noise Engineering
