PLAN B analog blog

Are we talkin' a quad panner or a four channel sound swirler?

If it's the latter, this can be done using the Deopfer A-144 
Morphing Controller and two A-132's - and this may prove to be 
the best and least expensive way of going about this.

But while sound swirling is definately a function of quad panning, 
a dedicated panner would be capable of much more than 
circular patterns.  In the mid-70s Wavemakers produced a quad 
panner which had a host of preset patterns including a clock and 
anti-clock wise swirl, 1-3, 2-4, 1-2 and 3-4 simultaniously - a 
bunch of them.  It as well had X and Y VC inputsfor customizing 
pan patterns.  Buchla had a it's own variant of quad panner 
which didn't have the presets the Wavemaker unit had, it did do a 
very good job of panning in the four channel field.

Another thing to take into account - quad panners are only as 
effective as the position of the speakers the signals are sent to.  
While panning in the stereo field is forgiving, panning to four 
channels is anything but.

That said, the basic idea behind this is not all that difficult a feat 
and the engine required is already  present in  Milton's VC input 
processor.  Slap in four variable integrators to each of the inputs  
and you're there.

- P