I just came back from looking at YouTube clips of peoples lovely UN-distorted module... so yes... Mine must be broken! Thanks for the confirmation Zoë!!
(and pssst... its an honour to have you comment on my rant , I love your stuff :)
Damn.. now what? Andy suggested looking at the chip to see if they maybe can be reseated... (frightened by this of course)...
Is there a reputable Doepfer "fixer" someplace?