Katla Parameters

The Katla Parameters are a set of wildcards designed to infuse the synthesizer with unpredictable, organic behavior, adding life and movement to your sound. The first four parameters affect pitch in different ways, while the remaining four influence a variety of other controls throughout Katla.

Móða

Outputs a new random value with each key press, detuning each voice by a different amount. Its behavior is reminiscent of vintage synthesizers drifting out of tune with age. Pushing the slider upward increases the amount of detune.

Kvika

Applies slow, gradual pitch fluctuations to each voice independently using a slewed random waveform. This behavior is inspired by the wow modulation found in vintage tape machines.

Skjálfti

Applies faster pitch fluctuations to each voice, reminiscent of the flutter behavior found in vintage tape machines.

Glóð

Produces brief bursts of detuning, similar to the effect of momentarily slowing a tape by pressing the reel.

Aska

The most complex of the Katla Parameters. It inserts random modulation on per-voice volume and filter cutoff, and also introduces short bursts of noise, resulting in a chaotic and unpredictable sound.

Skriða

Applies random values to the attack, decay, and release times of the Amp Envelope.

Skriða behavior:

• If the attack slider is at its lowest value but some decay is set, Skriða modulates only the decay time and skips the attack stage.
• If attack is non-zero while the decay slider is at zero, Skriða modulates only the attack and skips the decay.
• When both attack and decay are at their lowest values, Skriða modulates both.
• Skriða always modulates the release time unless the release slider is set to its maximum value.

Rökkur

Katla’s stereo spreader. When applied, it positions voices 4 and 2 to the left, voices 3 and 5 to the right, and keeps voice 1 centered.

• When modulated by the Mod Envelope, Rökkur reverses the pan order and introduces movement to voice 1 as well.
• When the LFO is applied to Rökkur, each voice is moved independently.

With heavy modulation — whether from the Mod Envelope or the LFO — the Rökkur slider acts as an offset control, shifting the baseline from which all modulation occurs.

Rústir

Katla’s wavefolder, often considered a hallmark of West Coast synthesis. When a pure waveform (like a sine) is fed into a wavefolder, it generates rich harmonics by inverting the wave’s direction and creating complex timbre. Rústir can be modulated by both the Mod Envelope and the LFO, and applied independently to each voice.