UDO Audio Super 8: Bi-Timbral Adventures in Evolving Sound

The UDO Super 8 is introduced as a bi-timbral synthesizer, meaning it can play two distinct sound layers simultaneously. Hazel Mills sets the stage by explaining that each layer can be treated as a separate patch, yet both are triggered together, opening up a world of complex, evolving textures. This dual-layer architecture is at the heart of the Super 8’s sound design philosophy, allowing for intricate interplay between voices and modulation sources.

What makes these sounds truly ‘ever-evolving’ is the use of modulation at different rates and depths across both layers. By ensuring that modulation cycles rarely align, the resulting patches avoid obvious repetition and instead drift organically over time. This approach is ideal for those who want their sounds to breathe and transform, rather than loop predictably—a nod to UDO Audio’s ethos of inspiring, hands-on play.

Hazel breaks down the core modulation toolkit at the Super 8’s disposal: two LFOs and an envelope, each assignable to key sound-shaping destinations. LFO 1, LFO 2, and Envelope 1 form the backbone of movement within a patch, with each source capable of targeting parameters like filter cutoff, oscillator mix, and wave morphing. The interplay between these sources is what gives the Super 8 its evolving character.

In the lower layer of the first performance, DDS1 is set to triangle and DDS2 to sawtooth, both at the same octave. Envelope 1, set to loop with slow attack and decay, modulates the filter cutoff—essentially acting as a slow-moving LFO. LFO 1, running a fast square wave, also modulates the filter, injecting rhythmic pulses. The twist comes with LFO 2, which modulates the amount of LFO 1’s influence on the filter, creating a dynamic, shifting modulation depth that prevents the sound from becoming static.

On the upper layer, the focus shifts to slow morphing between alternative waveforms on DDS1, driven by LFO 1’s sine wave. LFO 2 modulates the mix between DDS1 and DDS2, ensuring the tonal balance is always in flux. Aftertouch is cleverly assigned to control the rate of LFO 1, allowing real-time, polyphonic manipulation of the evolving wave morphing—an expressive touch that further enhances the unpredictability of each note.

The video features two distinct performances, each highlighting different modulation strategies. In the first, the interplay of looping envelopes, multiple LFOs, and aftertouch creates a lush, slowly shifting soundscape. The modulation sources interact in ways that ensure no two passes are identical, with rhythmic and timbral changes unfolding over time.

The second performance shifts gears, introducing more pronounced stereo movement and rhythmic pulsing. Here, LFO 1’s square wave modulates the filter cutoff, while LFO 2 (sine wave) modulates the depth of that effect. Delay sync and envelope-driven oscillator mixing add further complexity, resulting in a binaural, almost hypnotic texture that demonstrates the Super 8’s versatility in both subtle and dramatic sound design roles.