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. The pitch related parameters will also apply pitch modulation to the external inputs, and output pitch modulation via MIDI.
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
Section titled “Skjálfti”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 is 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
Section titled “Skriða”Skriða applies random values to the attack, decay, and release times of the Amp Envelope.
In Skriða, the attack and decay stages are closely linked. If the attack slider is at its lowest value but some decay is set, Skriða will modulate only the decay time and skip the attack stage. Conversely, if attack is non-zero while the decay slider is at zero, Skriða will modulate only the attack and skip the decay. When both attack and decay are set to their lowest values, Skriða will modulate both.
Skriða will always modulate the release time unless the release slider is set to its maximum value.
Rökkur
Section titled “Rökkur”Rökkur is 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.
When applying heavy modulation to Rökkur—whether from the Mod Envelope or the LFO—you can think of the Rökkur slider as an offset control, shifting the baseline from where all modulation occurs.
Rústir
Section titled “Rústir”Rústir is 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.