Explore the world of natural sounding timbres or create brand new ones with the intellijel Plonk, a physical modelling percussion synthesizer in Eurorack format. Plonk focuses on realistic percussion sounds, but it’s equally capable of creating hyperreal unearthly tones with the ability to seamlessly morph between the two.

Punchy kick drums, snappy snares, shimmering chimes, and deep biting bass tones are some of Plonk’s specialties. Designed in collaboration with Canadian physical modelling experts Applied Acoustics Systems, Plonk is bound to be a crowd pleaser. Use quick strikes and long decays or hold the gate open and let the ever-evolving soundscapes through while you modulate and morph between presets with CV. The module includes a ribbon power cable.

Creates Realistic Percussion Sounds    Creates Hyperreal Unearly Tones    Seamlessly Morph Between Two    Exciter: Realistic Mallet & Noise Source    Object: Models Strings, Beams, Marimbas    Drumheads, Membranes, and Plates    Two-Voice Polyphony    128 Selectable Presets    Saturation and Bitcrusher Effects    Includes Ribbon Power Cable

• EXCITER: consists of a realistic mallet model and flexible noise source
• OBJECT: models strings, beams, marimbas, drumheads, membranes, and plates
• Two Voice Polyphonic at full resolution (16-bit, 44.1 kHz)
• Selectable presets along with full parameter morphing and randomization via CV
• All synthesis parameters along with Saturation and Bitcrusher effects can be assigned to the X, Y, and MOD controls
• 128 user preset slots with import/export management via USB, loaded with factory presets designed by Richard Devine and AAS

• Plonk uses a technique known as physical modelling to synthesize, with great realism, the way in which sound is produced by acoustic instruments. The Plonk module is, itself, focused primarily on creating percussive sounds—both pitched and unpitched; natural and unnatural; acoustic-sounding or totally electronic.
• Plonk does this by breaking sound creation into two distinct elements—the exciter and the resonator. The exciter is a mathematical model of the device used to strike a particular surface. Plonk, because it’s percussion oriented, has two types of exciters: one modelled on a mallet, and the other, providing a noise source. The resonator is a virtualization of the object being struck, which vibrates, resonates, and creates the body of a sound. Plonk offers several types of resonators: beam, marimba, drumhead, membrane, plate, and string.
• Plonk provides numerous parameters that let you shape, mold, and design both the exciter and the resonator, thus enabling you to synthesize the sound of striking or scraping almost any type of object—real or imagined. In this way, Plonk can accurately model the sounds of kicks, snares, toms, cymbals, claps, tablas, congas, and all manner of traditional percussion instruments. It can also model pitched percussive instruments, like vibes, marimbas, and even bass or guitar-like tones. Of course, it additionally excels at modelling instruments that heretofore never existed.
• Best of all, the sounds created by Plonk are not static—any sound you design can respond dynamically to velocity as well as four different modulation inputs. This means the sound of Plonk can change completely from note-to-note (or strike-to-strike). Because of this, Plonk is actually a duophonic (2-voice) module, which lets the sound of one note decay naturally when a second note (possibly employing an entirely different set of modelling values) is struck. Thus, hitting a new note does not choke the sound of the previously struck note (unless you want it to, of course)

• Plonk stores up to 128 patches in its internal memory, and it ships with many presets programmed by professional sound designers and composers. You may overwrite these patches, if you wish, and banks of patches may be transferred via MIDI System Exclusive over Plonk’s built-in mini-USB port to facilitate offline storage by programs or websites that support this capability.
• Plonk was developed in cooperation with Montreal-based Applied Acoustics Systems—physical modelling pioneers, and the creators of Tassman, Lounge Lizard, String Studio, Ultra Analog, Chromaphone, and numerous other plugins. It is with great pleasure that intellijel brings the potential of this physical modelling technology to a hands-on, CV-laden device capable of the sort of dynamic control and sonic exploration that modular synthesists demand.

• 12 HP Eurorack format module
• Maximum depth: 1.5"
• Includes power ribbon cable with Eurorack power headers

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. this unit has both a laser sensor and an IR sensor. A laser beam is very narrow. How about the IR beam? Same thing? In other words, do you have to block the beam directly to trigger the unit? I'm guessing the answer is yes. So, the only difference between the two is that this unit comes with it's own IR beam (contained in the smaller module) with a short range of 12 meters...versus a laser beam that could travel much further, but has to be supplied by the user.

A: Regarding the laser beam. Yes it's much narrower / longer range. Consider adding / chaining mirrors and or prisms to re-direct the beam around corners.

Q: 2. Do these work with the new DigiBee from Paul C Buff?

A: Incase you haven't gotten an answer or others looking for a straight answer. No they do not work with DigiBees. I tried it personally myself with no luck.

Q: 3. Does it support Arabic language recognition?

A: This software is English only.

Q: 4. Does it work with Fuji film x t2 camera? Thanks.

A: along with the hl capcord F this will work with the XT2

Q: 5. Does this include medical (pathlogy) specialty?

A: It does not, however words can be added to the dictionary.

Q: 6. If this works on a hot shoe, would it work for older film SLRs?

A: The hotshoe is only for mounting the trigger on the Camera and there is no Data transfer there. Film Cameras used a Cable Release to trigger the shutter. So, I do not think the Hahnel Trigger would work.

Q: 7. How wide is the IR beam? If someone could tell me how many degrees wide it is or just a good guess that would be great. Any information would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!James B.Thanks!

A: The beam width from the transmitter varies depending on the power setting and the distance to the receiver.For example, if the distance to the receiver is about 20 feet and the transmitter power is at high, the angle of width is about 30 degrees. Closer it is wider. On the low setting, it is about 10 degrees or less. Aiming it is not an issue. As for breaking the beam, it is a very narrow zone like less than 1 degree in each direction. Basically, the subject has to break line of sight between the transmitter and receiver.

Q: 8. Will it work with Sony alpha cameras?

A: Yes, it is compatible with Sony Alpha's.

Q: 9. What does I just want to know what does the word Kofax mean in front of the advertisement for Dragon description.

A: Kofax is the brand.

Q: 10. Can this or any other sensor be used to trigger video, not stills, on a Sony a7S or a7S2?

A: This is from the HAHNEL website:When it is used for camera remote control, the Captur mimics the action of the shutter button on the camera body. If it is possible to start/stop video recording using the shutter button on the camera body, then this can be done remotely also using the Captur. If video record start/stop is not possible using the shutter button, as is the case for most DSLRs, then it cannot be achieved by the Captur either.