Manufacturer's description
You must have seen this before: "You can never have enough VCAs". A voltage polarizer (also known as a bipolar VCA or a 4-quadrant multiplier) is often viewed as the VCA better suited for CV. It can be used as a unipolar VCA and it allows you to invert a signal when it is modulated with a negative voltage. Resulting in interesting movements in your modulations.
What sets Arkan apart from other voltage polarizers is the curvature control, a feature usually only seen in unipolar VCAs. By taking a different approach to the classic voltage polarizer circuitry, we divised a unique solution that provides a new way to shape your audio and CV. The non-linearity of the polarizer also makes Arkan really good at reaching silence when presented with a 0V CV signal.
At audio rate, Arkan acts as a ring-modulator with four controls to change timbres.
Boosting adds odd harmonics (symmetrical distortion), while offsetting adds even harmonics (asymetrical distortion). The modulation curve changes ring modulation sharpness, and modulation strength determines the carrier dominance.
Two identical channels with carefully selected features will make Arkan your go-to modulation control hub. We find Arkan especially useful for common utility duties such as mixing, scaling, inverting and offsetting. As well as CV modulation, feedback patching, and waveshaping. All this makes Arkan a very versatile tool that will certainly have a place in your patch!
Features (per channel)
- Input attenuation with inverter switch gives you more precision and range, with voltage inversion and quick silencing.
- Bias input with attenuverter control to offset your input signal or mix/invert another signal.
- CV input with curvature control allows you to shape the polarizer and improve its 0V attenuation.
- CV modulation control to fade in the modulator, allowing you to determine the amount of modulation.
- Voltage gain and polarity led indicators showing you exactly what is happening under the radar.
- Output normalled internally and externally (to other Arkans) to easily mix signals.
Additional features
- Optional signal boost (x4 / +12dB) via switch on the pcb to increase voltages when needed.
- 5V or 10V voltage reference selection for bias voltage and CV input range to adjust Arkan to your system.
How much is my shipping?
Shipping costs are calculated automatically at checkout. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll see the available shipping options and their prices. VAT at the applicable rate for your country will also be displayed at checkout.
European Union orders:
- Standard shipping is free on orders over €100. Express shipping is available on orders over €100, and free on orders over €400.
Poland orders:
- Standard shipping is free on orders over 250 PLN. Express shipping is free on orders over 500 PLN.
What about local taxes?
By default prices on the site include sales tax at 20%. The precise sales tax rate for your country will be calculated at checkout.
Do you ship to my country?
We ship to all EU member states from our warehouse in Warsaw, Poland. Add an item to your cart and enter your country and postcode to see the available shipping options and prices for your location. If you have any questions about shipping to your country, drop us an email at info@signalsounds.eu and we'll be happy to help.
Shipping methods
All EU orders are shipped via UPS. We offer two service levels:
- UPS Standard – our default shipping option. Delivery times vary by country (see estimated delivery times below).
- UPS Express Saver – next business day delivery to most EU destinations.
Each product page shows the estimated delivery time for your location, so you'll always know what to expect before you order.
Estimated delivery times (Standard shipping)
The times below are estimates in working days from dispatch, based on UPS Standard service. Express Saver delivers by the next business day to most destinations.
| Country | Estimated delivery (working days) |
|---|---|
| Austria | 2–3 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 4–5 |
| Croatia | 2–4 |
| Cyprus | 10 |
| Czechia | 2–3 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| Estonia | 2–3 |
| Finland | 3–5 |
| France | 2–4 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Greece | 5–7 |
| Hungary | 2–3 |
| Ireland | 4–6 |
| Italy | 3–5 |
| Latvia | 2–3 |
| Lithuania | 1–2 |
| Luxembourg | 2 |
| Malta | 5–7 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| Poland | 1–2 |
| Portugal | 4–5 |
| Romania | 3–4 |
| Slovakia | 2–3 |
| Slovenia | 2–3 |
| Spain | 4 |
| Sweden | 3–5 |
These times are estimates and are not guaranteed. Delivery may occasionally take a little longer due to customs processing, local conditions, or carrier delays.
Dispatch times
Orders placed before 15:00 CET (Central European Time) on a working day are normally dispatched the same day. Orders placed after 15:00 CET, or on weekends and public holidays, will be dispatched on the next working day.
If you have an urgent order, please email us at info@signalsounds.eu before placing your order and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch at info@signalsounds.eu if you have questions.
Product Overview
Manufacturer's description
You must have seen this before: "You can never have enough VCAs". A voltage polarizer (also known as a bipolar VCA or a 4-quadrant multiplier) is often viewed as the VCA better suited for CV. It can be used as a unipolar VCA and it allows you to invert a signal when it is modulated with a negative voltage. Resulting in interesting movements in your modulations.
What sets Arkan apart from other voltage polarizers is the curvature control, a feature usually only seen in unipolar VCAs. By taking a different approach to the classic voltage polarizer circuitry, we divised a unique solution that provides a new way to shape your audio and CV. The non-linearity of the polarizer also makes Arkan really good at reaching silence when presented with a 0V CV signal.
At audio rate, Arkan acts as a ring-modulator with four controls to change timbres.
Boosting adds odd harmonics (symmetrical distortion), while offsetting adds even harmonics (asymetrical distortion). The modulation curve changes ring modulation sharpness, and modulation strength determines the carrier dominance.
Two identical channels with carefully selected features will make Arkan your go-to modulation control hub. We find Arkan especially useful for common utility duties such as mixing, scaling, inverting and offsetting. As well as CV modulation, feedback patching, and waveshaping. All this makes Arkan a very versatile tool that will certainly have a place in your patch!
Features (per channel)
- Input attenuation with inverter switch gives you more precision and range, with voltage inversion and quick silencing.
- Bias input with attenuverter control to offset your input signal or mix/invert another signal.
- CV input with curvature control allows you to shape the polarizer and improve its 0V attenuation.
- CV modulation control to fade in the modulator, allowing you to determine the amount of modulation.
- Voltage gain and polarity led indicators showing you exactly what is happening under the radar.
- Output normalled internally and externally (to other Arkans) to easily mix signals.
Additional features
- Optional signal boost (x4 / +12dB) via switch on the pcb to increase voltages when needed.
- 5V or 10V voltage reference selection for bias voltage and CV input range to adjust Arkan to your system.
Technical Specs
Shipping Details
How much is my shipping?
Shipping costs are calculated automatically at checkout. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll see the available shipping options and their prices. VAT at the applicable rate for your country will also be displayed at checkout.
European Union orders:
- Standard shipping is free on orders over €100. Express shipping is available on orders over €100, and free on orders over €400.
Poland orders:
- Standard shipping is free on orders over 250 PLN. Express shipping is free on orders over 500 PLN.
What about local taxes?
By default prices on the site include sales tax at 20%. The precise sales tax rate for your country will be calculated at checkout.
Do you ship to my country?
We ship to all EU member states from our warehouse in Warsaw, Poland. Add an item to your cart and enter your country and postcode to see the available shipping options and prices for your location. If you have any questions about shipping to your country, drop us an email at info@signalsounds.eu and we'll be happy to help.
Shipping methods
All EU orders are shipped via UPS. We offer two service levels:
- UPS Standard – our default shipping option. Delivery times vary by country (see estimated delivery times below).
- UPS Express Saver – next business day delivery to most EU destinations.
Each product page shows the estimated delivery time for your location, so you'll always know what to expect before you order.
Estimated delivery times (Standard shipping)
The times below are estimates in working days from dispatch, based on UPS Standard service. Express Saver delivers by the next business day to most destinations.
| Country | Estimated delivery (working days) |
|---|---|
| Austria | 2–3 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 4–5 |
| Croatia | 2–4 |
| Cyprus | 10 |
| Czechia | 2–3 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| Estonia | 2–3 |
| Finland | 3–5 |
| France | 2–4 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Greece | 5–7 |
| Hungary | 2–3 |
| Ireland | 4–6 |
| Italy | 3–5 |
| Latvia | 2–3 |
| Lithuania | 1–2 |
| Luxembourg | 2 |
| Malta | 5–7 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| Poland | 1–2 |
| Portugal | 4–5 |
| Romania | 3–4 |
| Slovakia | 2–3 |
| Slovenia | 2–3 |
| Spain | 4 |
| Sweden | 3–5 |
These times are estimates and are not guaranteed. Delivery may occasionally take a little longer due to customs processing, local conditions, or carrier delays.
Dispatch times
Orders placed before 15:00 CET (Central European Time) on a working day are normally dispatched the same day. Orders placed after 15:00 CET, or on weekends and public holidays, will be dispatched on the next working day.
If you have an urgent order, please email us at info@signalsounds.eu before placing your order and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch at info@signalsounds.eu if you have questions.
