Orrery — Copenhagen

OR-0014

Tekura
Oregon, USA · 1979 – c. 2001

Ser. Type 1601 · Ser. No. 00092-A
1992 · effect

Issued as VST3 · AU

Restored 2024 from 1992 hardware.

Tekura 1601 — Jitter Reference

Tekura Type 1601 · Jitter Reference · restored from Ser. No. 00092-A · Tekura, Oregon, USA, 1992

The restorer's note

A device for adding clock jitter in exact, calibrated amounts — which, as an effect, is a subtle frequency-dependent shimmer no other tool quite makes. Serial 00092: very early, very low. The sidebands scale with pitch, exactly as the instrument intended.

Acquisition

The Tekura Collection $49 · €45 · £39 · 329 DKK The Complete Catalogue $149 · €135 · £115 · 999 DKK

Prices are exclusive of tax. Customers in a country that charges VAT or sales tax will be liable at the rate set by that country; the relevant amount is added at checkout to the purchase price.

Borrow it from the archive for a short time, or acquire it for your collection.

Runs in your studio as AU and VST3 on macOS, and VST3 on Windows.

Download — macOS: installer · zip · Windows: installer · zip

The plate

The restored Tekura 1601 — Jitter Reference: its faceplate as issued.
Plate 14 · as issued

Listening

Listening

Demonstration recordings, prepared at the bench.

  1. The calibrated wander

    The pad runs dry for five seconds, then the bench calibration: Amount at 20 %, Random at 60, Periodic at 40, Rate at 400 Hz. A fine unsteadiness in the top of the chord — more felt than heard, which is the point of a reference.

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  2. Sidebands on schedule

    Amount rises from 0 to 100 % over calibrated tones, then Rate walks from 1 Hz to 5 kHz. The sidebands step away from each tone as the periodic component climbs — exactly where the arithmetic says they should be.

    0:00 / 0:30

  3. Random against periodic

    Amount held at 70 %. The first half is Random alone — a broadband smear across the chord; at twelve seconds Periodic takes over and the smear resolves into discrete sidebands at the Rate. Interp moves to Thiran for the close.

    0:00 / 0:30