AudioThing Lines

Complex Effects Processor and Feedback Synthesizer

Lines is an effect plugin that crosses borders: it can be used as a creative mangler of all kinds of signals, ranging from lo-fi telephone sounds, lush phasing, warm distortions, crushing feedback, ring modulation, and unique frequency shifting. But even without any input, it can be an experimental synthesizer based on feedback, allowing for a wide range of inspiring rhythms, pulses, and organic soundscapes. If you combine input and internal engines an unheard spectrum of sounds appears.
Lines is the sixth plugin made with Hainbach, composer and YouTuber known for his test equipment explorations.

Lines has a rare real-life inspiration, the Axel Line Simulator, made in the 1970s in Jamaica, New York by long gone Axel Electronics. 
Despite its golden disco look, the Axel was never intended as a piece of music equipment. It was used to simulate signal loss over telephone and data lines. It mimics the „worst case“ for message transmission, using a plethora of unique analog effects: jitter, noise, intermittent pulses, frequency shift, distortion, bandpass filters for various bandwidths and even playable buttons for phase, amplitude and dropouts. This combination made Hainbach’s spider sense tingle, as he came upon it on an auction site. Assuming it would be a great lo-fi tool, he had it restored. And yes, it makes a fantastic telephone voice, but the true surprise lies elsewhere.

Feedback Patching

By routing the unit’s output back into itself a world of liquid rhythms, throbbing basses, and tropical birds appears. It becomes a playable instrument without any input, inviting playful exploration. If you add a piano, drums or a voice to your acid parrot sub bass rhythm, they fold together in unpredictable and beautiful ways. Thanks to the built in limiter, it never sounds harsh or unpleasant, which is a constant risk with feedback patching. 

The Plugin

We took great care to simulate the feedback and signal path down to the component level. Everything is engineered to be as close to the original as possible. Once we got the sound right, we extended the ranges and possibilities: more range on the frequency shift, fine-tunable filters, an additional filter in the feedback path, a flexible pulse sequencer, as well as all the sync and modulation possibilities you are used to from our plugins. Let the presets show you the possibilities, but the real joy of Lines lies in exploration.