Metallic Percussion Synthesizer

The Chimera, pronounced "kai-meer-ah", is WMD's first percussion synthesizer module for eurorack. First, we recorded samples of different metallic hits to create the sonic signatures that we call Surfaces. The sources include tambourines, sleigh bells, drill bits, wrenches, shell casings, coins, chains, stomp box enclosures and about 50 eurorack panels from an order that came damaged from our supplier.

Second, we built a proprietary granular synthesis engine around the sonic signatures with the goal of making a module that could sound like a human hitting and shaking a tambourine. With the fundamentals finished, we tweaked the control ranges, built the post-engine effects, and bomb-proofed the hardware. From there we pushed and polished the engine and user experience, squeezing every juicy drop out of 8HP. Humanistic shakers, drum machine tambourines, laser guns, minimal techno offbeats, giant robot movie sound design, etc. It's all yours with the Chimera.

FEEL: There are three ways to play the Chimera. The first FEEL mode plays every triggered note with the same amplitude. This mode is great for syncopated strikes and hard hits. The second FEEL mode plays the first note of every four with a normal amplitude, the second and fourth notes play softly, and the third note is given a random medium volume. The attack time of all notes after the first are increased in this mode, giving 16th notes a shaking pattern. The last FEEL mode freely oscillates the Chimera's granular engine, so every strike becomes unique. When decay is at maximum, the amplitude control deactivates and the metal textures flow to infinity.

Features
• 11 distinct surface types that morph as the SURFACE control is altered.
• Shift the frequency of the metal texture here. The pitch control spans 5 octaves, and every pitch setting produces its own range of usable metal timbres
• Using the DECAY knob, you can obtain lightning-fast rhythmic ticks, long morphing granular washes, clanging hits, and everything in between.
• Introduce rising or falling pitch decay with this control. A negative ENVELOPE with medium DECAY yields shaky doppler effects, while positive pitch decay creates laser gun excitement for the whole family!
• Choose between quality reduction, sample rate reduction, and comb filtering
• VCA: This input allows you to control the Chimera's master volume attenuator. Being totally separate from the DECAY dynamic, the VCA input allows you to add externally controlled changes to your existing groove.
• DENSITY: Increases the number of grains in the sample window

In the Box
• The module itself
• Eurorack power cable