Intellijel Swells Eurorack Reverb Module

We say...

The eagerly-awaited Swells is finally here, nearly a year after making waves (no pun intended) at Superbooth. Swells is to reverb what Intellijel's Sealegs is to delay - a powerful, multi-model, great-sounding effect that can give your patch the perfect finishing touch.

Manufacturer's description

Intellijel Swells is a multi-model reverb module with a built-in SWELL Generator.

Choose from nine unique reverb models passionately researched and developed by Intellijel. The models include everything from lush halls and plates, to reimagined vintage digital devices, to downright bizarre and otherworldly “spaces”.

Each reverb model has a comprehensive set of controls, including eight dedicated sliders for PREDELAY, SIZE, DECAY, HI/LO DAMPING, and EQ, plus two unique-per-model controls called EBB and FLOW. Set the optimum balance of dry and wet signals using the dedicated INPUT and MIX controls. There’s also a DRIVE option to saturate the signal fed into the reverb. All of these controls respond smoothly to both internal and external modulation.

The SWELL generator creates waves of modulation. It is, essentially, an envelope follower with four operating modes. A ‘SWELL’ can be triggered from the input signal, output signal, or a dedicated external sidechain input. SWELLs can be generated via the TRIG input or manually via the SWELL button. Adjust RISE, FALL, and THRESHold to determine the shape and reactivity of your SWELL modulation. 

The output of the SWELL generator is normalled to all reverb parameters for instant self-modulation. The SWELL generator has a dedicated output, so you can send swells of modulation to other modules, too.

Swells features additional processors to spice up your reverbs: FREEZE, REVERSE, BURST, and LO-FI. FREEZE captures a slice of audio for infinite sustain through the reverb. REVERSE flips the audio playback from the pre-delay. BURST can trigger a variety of momentary effects – such as a burst of noise or a surge of pre-delay feedback. Assign any or all of these functions to the TRIG Input. 

LO-FI applies a model-specific effect that degrades or modifies the audio through your reverb to impose new dimensions of character. There are three levels of LO-FI: OFF, MINimum and MAXimum. 

The diverse and versatile set of reverb models in Swells lets you conjure a virtually infinite variety of reverberant spaces for your sound explorations. Swells is a reverb module that rewards those who like to tweak, explore, and experiment.

Features

• Nine unique stereo reverb models — Fog, Blur, Shadow, Velvet, Asterion, Deadspace, Buckets, Ritual, and Gaze
• A complete set of reverb controls with PRE-DELAY, SIZE, DECAY, HI/LO DAMPING, and EQ, alongside model-specific EBB and FLOW controls
• Selectable LO-FI depth to apply model-specific effects, which degrade or modify the processed audio
• SWELL Generator — Multi-mode envelope follower with RISE, FALL, and THRESHOLD controls; selectable audio source: IN/ SC(Side Chain/OUT; and adjustable EF GAIN and EF High Cut filter
• Saturating input DRIVE with level TRIM and configurable input low cut filter
• FREEZE captures a moment in sound and passes it back through the INPUT stage for endless soundscapes reprocessed through the selected model
• REVERSE the incoming sound, with adjustable time and sync options
• BURST adds noise or feedback alongside the input to add energy to your signal
• Assignable TRIG input for triggering FREEZE, BURST, REVERSE, and SWELL, or syncing REVERSE
• Send/Return mode to disable the dry signal path
• Nine CV inputs with attenuverters
• 96kHz 24-bit Stereo I/O and 32-bit floating point internal processing