Joranalogue Audio Design’s Walk 4: Four Accumulators, Infinite Possibilities

Joranalogue’s Walk 4 is introduced as a quad-Brownian accumulator, a term that may sound like something from a Victorian laboratory but, in practice, opens up a world of creative voltage manipulation. The video wastes no time in highlighting its versatility: Walk 4 can function as a staircase generator, a telephone-like sequencer, or even a VCO, depending on how you patch and tweak it. This isn’t your typical random voltage module—its stepped Brownian walk is distinct from the usual stepped random voltage, offering a more nuanced and controllable approach to unpredictability.

The module’s ability to generate subharmonic-like sounds and process external control voltages sets it apart from simpler random or sample-and-hold circuits. By combining four independent accumulators, Walk 4 provides multiple outputs that can be used simultaneously, each capable of its own unique behaviour. This makes it a powerful tool for those who want to inject both structure and surprise into their patches, whether you’re after evolving melodies, shifting modulation, or unpredictable pitch sequences.

Walk 4 shines in creative workflows by enabling users to blend random voltage with deterministic trends, producing stepped outputs that are both musical and unpredictable. By sending random voltages into the value inputs or modulating the trend parameter, you can create Brownian walks that differ from standard sample-and-hold randomness. The module’s accumulators always reference the previous value, so each step is a sum of what came before plus the new input—resulting in more organic, less abrupt changes.

This approach is particularly effective for generating complex soundscapes, evolving melodies, or modulating parameters in a way that feels both structured and lively. The four independent outputs mean you can simultaneously run a staircase VCO, a Brownian walk LFO, and other stepped modulations, all with their own timing and voltage behaviour. For those who enjoy patching outside the box, Walk 4 encourages experimentation with trends, constraints, and volatility to sculpt voltage in ways that go far beyond simple random or clocked sources.

The Walk 4 interface is built around four key parameters: rate, trend, constraint, and volatility. The rate knob governs the internal clock, setting how quickly the accumulators step, while the trend parameter determines the size of each voltage increment—ranging from subtle nudges to dramatic leaps. By modulating trend via CV or external signals, users can animate the stepping behaviour in real time.

Constraint acts as a voltage ceiling, scaling down step sizes as outputs approach the set limit—much like a spring pulling voltages back towards zero. This prevents runaway voltages and introduces a natural damping effect, ideal for keeping modulations within musical bounds. Volatility, meanwhile, is the secret sauce: it injects Brownian noise into the accumulation process, adding a random value at each clock pulse. This randomness can be positive or negative, resulting in stepped voltages that meander rather than simply jump, and at audio rates, it produces a distinctively noisy, textured tone.

Each parameter is CV-addressable, and the module features individual value inputs for each accumulator, allowing for intricate patching and cross-modulation. The add input mixes in external voltages to all outputs, and the clock output provides a handy sync pulse for the rest of your system. With Schmitt-triggered inputs for reliable response and four independent outputs, Walk 4 is engineered for both precision and playfulness—offering a hands-on, patchable approach to complex voltage generation.