Name: Bends short-description: 6-Stage Stereo Multi-FX, Glitch Looper & Digital Degradation Engine Language: C++ (Pico SDK + ComputerCard) Creator: Vincent Maurer Version: 1.0.0 Status: Released License: MIT date-created: 2026-08-02 contact: website: https://vincentmaurer.de social: github: https://github.com/vincentltm youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vincentltm tags: - multi-fx - delay - reverb - glitch - looper - filter - chorus - bitcrusher summary: | Bends is a 6-stage stereo multi-effects processor, live stutter looper, and signal degradation engine. Inspired by 90s circuit-bent rack units, Bends turns memory corruption, bitwise XOR data bus shorting, and lossy compression into an instrument spanning clean stereo chorus and reverbs to mangled breakbeat slicing, internal Turing Machine pitch sequences, and generative S&H CV. demo-link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rACWw0J_zI panel: inputs: - id: AudioIn1 name: Audio 1 description: Stereo left audio input (normalled to Right if Audio 2 is unplugged) type: audio - id: AudioIn2 name: Audio 2 description: Stereo right audio input (unplug for ~2.73s Extended Mono Mode) type: audio - id: CVIn1 name: CV 1 description: Bipolar CV input modulating primary page parameter or tuned 1V/Oct pitch type: cv - id: CVIn2 name: CV 2 description: Bipolar CV input modulating secondary page parameter and glitch/reverb depth type: cv - id: PulseIn1 name: Clock Sync description: External clock pulse sync (1, 2, 4, and 24 PPQN DIN Sync) for delay subdivisions, loop stepping, and pitch CV type: pulse - id: PulseIn2 name: Freeze Gate description: Gate input (> +1.2V) locking delay & glitch looper buffers into live freeze type: pulse outputs: - id: AudioOut1 name: Out 1 description: Main processed stereo left audio output type: audio - id: AudioOut2 name: Out 2 description: Main processed stereo right audio output type: audio - id: CVOut1 name: Pitch CV description: Turing Machine 1V/Oct quantized semitone CV sequence output type: cv - id: CVOut2 name: Random CV description: Stepped random Sample & Hold CV output for self-modulation type: cv - id: PulseOut1 name: Loop Trig description: +5V 2ms trigger pulse output emitted on granular loop resets or clock steps type: pulse - id: PulseOut2 name: Texture description: High-frequency PWM audio stream output of microsound bleeps and vinyl crackle type: pulse controls: switch: up: name: Freeze Mode description: Locks recording memory into live granular freeze middle: name: Perform Mode description: Normal live processing across pages 1 to 6 down: name: Global Mode description: Hold >=350ms to enter Global Mode (Bend, Stereo Width/Mode, Signal Routing) tap: name: Page Step description: Tap <350ms to advance forward through parameter pages 1 to 6 knobs: - when: { panel: page-0-global } main: name: Bend description: Global noise, bitcrush fuzz, distortion, and dropout depth x: name: Width & Mode description: Extended Mono Mode (CCW limit), Stereo Width 0–100%, or Dual Mono Mode (CW limit) y: name: Routing & Reset description: "Selects routing chain (0: Series FX, 1: Space Wash, 2: Granular Cloud, 3: Filtered Dub). Turn CW (>96%) to Clean Reset" - when: { panel: page-1-chorus } main: name: Chorus Mix description: Blends dry input audio with stereo chorus x: name: LFO Speed description: Pitch modulation speed for tape drift, wow, and flutter y: name: Depth / Feedback description: Modulation depth (0–50%), Resonant feedback (50–68%), Karplus-Strong string (68–96%), BBD XOR (>96%) - when: { panel: page-2-codec } main: name: Loss Mix description: Blends clean audio with tape drive, saturation, bitcrush, and decimation x: name: Crush description: Morphs continuously across Tape Drive, MP3 Ringing, Bitcrush Fuzz, and Decimation y: name: Jitter description: Sweeps across Tape Wow & Flutter, Connection dropouts, and CD Sputter skipping - when: { panel: page-3-delay } main: name: Delay Mix description: Blends dry input audio with delay repeats x: name: Delay Time description: Sets delay time (selects 16 clock subdivisions when Clock Sync is patched) y: name: Feedback description: Repeat feedback level; overdrives into digital XOR glitches past 70% - when: { panel: page-4-glitcher } main: name: Glitch Mix description: Wet/dry blend for granular stutter looper x: name: Loop Size description: Loop segment size (16 clock subdivisions when Clock Sync is patched) y: name: Speed & Pitch description: Playback Speed (-1.0x reverse to +2.0x forward) and Pitch Mutation Rate (0–40%, expanding note palette) - when: { panel: page-4-freeze } main: name: Scrub Mode description: Auto Sine LFO (<10%), Manual Scrub (10–90%), or Random Skip (>90%) x: name: Slice Size description: Granular slice segment length from micro-grains to full buffer loops y: name: Pitch Shift description: Continuous grain pitch shift with magnetic detents (-1st Octave, -5th, Unison, +5th, +1st Octave) - when: { panel: page-5-filter } main: name: Cutoff description: Cutoff frequency (Lowpass CCW ↔ Highpass CW) x: name: Resonance description: Filter Q factor; self-oscillates past 75% y: name: Fuzz description: Wavefolder drive fuzz level and saturation depth - when: { panel: page-6-reverb } main: name: Reverb Mix description: Reverb wet/dry blend x: name: Reverb Size description: Blends from Spring Reverb (CCW) through neutral room zone to Ambient Hall Reverb (CW) y: name: Damping description: Damping, lo-fi degradation (>60%), shimmer pitch-shifting (>73%), and circuit jitter (>82%) leds: - display: list items: - id: LED0 name: Routing 0 / Chorus LED description: Illuminates for Series FX routing or Page 1 active LED - id: LED1 name: Routing 1 / Loss LED description: Illuminates for Space Wash routing or Page 2 active LED - id: LED2 name: Routing 2 / Delay LED description: Illuminates for Granular Cloud routing or Page 3 active LED - id: LED3 name: Routing 3 / Glitcher LED description: Illuminates for Filtered Dub routing or Page 4 active LED - id: LED4 name: Dual Mono / Filter LED description: Illuminates when Dual Mono mode is active or Page 5 active LED - id: LED5 name: Extended Mono / Reverb LED description: Illuminates when Extended Mono mode is active or Page 6 active LED