intellijel/swells
Swells
Multi-model stereo reverb module with a built-in SWELL Generator. Nine reverb models, comprehensive reverb controls, FREEZE/REVERSE/BURST momentary FX, and a multi-mode envelope follower (SWELL) normalled to all parameters.433
Capabilities 2
- Envelope Followerenvelope-follower
- The SWELL Generator is a multi-mode envelope follower with Follow, Gated, One Shot, Delayed One Shot, and Looping modes, normalled to all reverb parameters and with a dedicated CV output (0-5V).433
- Reverbreverb
- Nine unique reverb models (Fog, Blur, Shadow, Velvet, Asterion, Deadspace, Buckets, Ritual, Gaze) with comprehensive controls including PREDELAY, SIZE, DECAY, HI/LO DAMP, EQ, and per-model EBB/FLOW parameters.433
Jacks 9 — 6 in / 3 out
| Name | Signal | Voltage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inputs (6) | |||
| IN L | audio | — | Left audio input; left normals to right.433 |
| IN R | audio | — | Right audio input; left normals to right.433 |
| LEVEL | cv | -10V to 10V | CV input shared by INPUT and MIX controls.433 |
| Mod Inputs 1-8 | cv | -10V to 10V | Eight CV inputs for modulating the eight parameter sliders directly below them.433 |
| SC | mixed | -10V to 10V | Sidechain audio or CV input for SWELL generator trigger source.433 |
| TRIG | trigger | ≥1.2V | Assignable trigger/gate input; threshold >1.2V. Can be assigned to FREEZE, REVERSE, SWELL, or BURST.433 Assignable destinations FREEZETriggers FREEZE — captures a moment in sound for infinite sustain through the selected reverb model.433 BURSTTriggers BURST — adds noise or feedback alongside the input to add energy to the signal.433 REVERSETriggers REVERSE — reverses audio playback from the pre-delay.433 SWELLTriggers SWELL — manually fires the SWELL Generator envelope.433 |
| Outputs (3) | |||
| OUT L | audio | — | 433 |
| OUT R | audio | — | 433 |
| SWELL | cv | 0V to 5V | SWELL envelope generator output.433 |
Parameters 32
| Name | Type | Range | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALT | button | — | Button that accesses ALT functions labelled in grey on the panel. Press to enter the Alt Page (auto-exits after 20s of inactivity); press and hold for momentary access. While the Alt Page is active, parameter LEDs display modulation depth/sign instead of value.433 |
| BURST | button | — | Injects a momentary burst of noise into the reverb input path. Press and hold for momentary activation. Type is selected via ALT + BURST. Can be triggered from TRIG. Can be latched by pressing ALT while holding BURST.433 |
| CV Attn 1-8 | knob | — | Attenuverters for the 8 modulation inputs above each main slider, also normalled to SWELL when nothing is patched. Centre position = no modulation; turn off-centre in either direction to assign SWELL or external CV to that parameter.433 |
| DECAY | fader | — | Sets the time it takes for reverb to fade into silence. Minimum values fade quickly, maximum values fade over long or near infinite time scales. Also affected by SIZE and DAMP controls.433 |
| DRIVE | button | — | Toggles saturation overdrive on the INPUT signal to the reverb. Does not affect the dry signal. Access via ALT + REVERSE.433 |
| EBB | fader | — | Model-specific parameter 1. Function depends on selected reverb model — see Model Reference Table. May be unipolar or bipolar depending on the model.433 |
| EF GAIN | knob | 0.5x gain – 2.5x gain | Sets the gain of the source signal that triggers SWELL, independently of the rest of the signal path. Access via ALT + RISE. Range x0.5 (CCW) to x2.5 (CW), default x1 (centre).433 |
| EQ | fader | — | Sweepable high/low tilt EQ on the reverb signal only. Bipolar range: upper range boosts highs and cuts lows; lower range boosts lows and cuts highs. Centre position has no effect.433 |
| FALL | knob | 10ms – 5000ms | Sets the release time of the SWELL envelope after RISE completes. Exponential — drops faster at start, shallower at end. MODE and THRESH also affect FALL. ALT + FALL = LPF→EF (40Hz CCW to Filter Off CW).433 |
| FLOW | fader | — | Model-specific parameter 2. Function depends on selected reverb model — see Model Reference Table. May be unipolar or bipolar depending on the model.433 Zones buckets fog blur shadow velvet |
| FREEZE | button | — | Freezes the input signal to the reverb for eternal droning soundscapes. Press to toggle on/off; hold for momentary activation. LED turns LIT BLUE when enabled. Can be triggered from TRIG input (ALT + FREEZE to assign). Also latched by holding FREEZE and pressing ALT.433 |
| HI-DAMP | fader | — | Reduces decay time for high frequencies. At the top of the slider, minimal damping is applied; at the bottom, maximum damping. Linked to DECAY setting.433 |
| HPF→VERB | knob | 50Hz – 400Hz | Sets the highpass filter cutoff on the input to the reverb. Access via ALT + MIX area. Range: 50Hz (CCW, default) to 400Hz (CW). MIX LEVEL LED shows HPF frequency (CYAN); dimly fades at 50Hz default.433 |
| IN/SC/OUT | switch | — | Three-position switch selecting the SWELL trigger source: IN (from IN L/R, pre INPUT), SC (from sidechain SC input), or OUT (from reverb signal, pre MIX).433 |
| INPUT | knob | — | Sets the level from IN L/IN R to the reverb signal path only (post TRIM). When DRIVE is enabled, INPUT also controls drive amount. LED above INPUT is the Input Activity LED showing signal level.433 |
| LEVEL Attn (INPUT) | knob | — | Attenuverter controlling the amount of LEVEL CV applied to the INPUT parameter. Shares the single LEVEL CV input with MIX.433 |
| LEVEL Attn (MIX) | knob | — | Attenuverter controlling the amount of LEVEL CV applied to the MIX parameter. Shares the single LEVEL CV input with INPUT.433 |
| LO-DAMP | fader | — | Reduces decay time for low frequencies. At the top of the slider, minimal damping is applied; at the bottom, maximum damping. Linked to DECAY setting.433 |
| LO-FI | switch | — | Three-position switch (OFF, MIN, MAX) selecting the intensity of the model-specific LO-FI effect. Banks X and Y share common LO-FI effects; Bank Z models are each individually affected. See Model Reference Table.433 |
| LPF→EF | knob | ≥40Hz | Sets the lowpass filter frequency applied to the SWELL trigger source signal. Access via ALT + FALL. Range: 40Hz (CCW) to Filter Off (CW, default). MIX Activity LED shows setting; slowly fades BLUE when filter is off (default).433 |
| MIX | knob | — | Dry/wet mix control. LED above MIX is the Output Activity LED showing module output level. In Send/Return mode, MIX controls wet level only.433 |
| MODE | button | — | Selects the trigger mode for SWELL. Access via ALT + SWELL. Five modes: Follow (BLUE), Gated (AMBER), One Shot (GREEN), Delayed One Shot (PURPLE), Looping (RED).433 Assignable destinations FollowBlue. Classic envelope follower — the input level determines the output level.433 GatedAmber. When the threshold is reached, the input signal is treated as full scale.433 One ShotGreen. Passing the threshold triggers a full-length envelope.433 Delayed One ShotPurple. Passing the threshold triggers a delayed full-length envelope, fired when the signal drops below the threshold again.433 LoopingRed. Looping envelope — passing the threshold retriggers. (Manual prose also labels this mode 'Looped'.)433 |
| MODEL 1/2/3 | switch | — | Three-position switch selecting model 1, 2, or 3 within the selected bank. Combined with MODEL X/Y/Z to select the active reverb model.433 |
| MODEL X/Y/Z | switch | — | Three-position switch selecting reverb bank X, Y, or Z. Combined with MODEL 1/2/3 switch to select the active reverb model.433 |
| PREDLY | fader | 0ms – 250ms | Sets the pre-delay time of the reverb. Also sets the time/division for the REVERSE delay. Access via ALT + PREDLY area: hold REVERSE and adjust slider to set Reverse Time from 100ms to 2 seconds.433 |
| REVERSE | button | — | Reverses the input signal to the reverb. Hold REVERSE and adjust PREDLY to set Reverse Time (100ms to 2 seconds, or clock divisions if Reverse Sync is enabled). Can be triggered from TRIG. ALT + REVERSE toggles DRIVE.433 |
| RISE | knob | 10ms – 5000ms | Sets the attack time of the SWELL envelope. Logarithmic — initial rise is faster, slows as it reaches the end. MODE and THRESH also affect RISE. ALT + RISE = EF GAIN (x0.5 to x2.5 gain).433 |
| SIZE | fader | — | 433 |
| SWELL button | button | — | Manually triggers the SWELL envelope. Momentary by default; hold SWELL and press ALT to latch. Can be reassigned to the TRIG input via TRIG Assign.433 |
| THRESH | knob | — | Sets the threshold at which SWELL is activated by the trigger source. CCW = lower threshold (more swells); CW = higher threshold (fewer swells).433 |
| TRIM | knob | 0.5x gain – 2.5x gain | Adjusts gain of IN L/IN R inputs. Access via ALT + INPUT. Range x0.5 (CCW) to x2.5 (CW), default x1 (centre). INPUT LEVEL LED shows gain (CYAN); fades when at default x1.433 |
| TYPE | button | — | Selects the BURST type. Access via ALT + BURST. Options: WHITE (White Noise), PINK (Pink Noise), PURPLE (Velvet Noise), RED (High Feedback on PREDLY), YELLOW (Unburst — smoothly kills signal in reverb buffer, added v1.1).433 |
Firmware history 2 versions
| Version | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 2026-04-27 | Added Alt Page timeout after 20 seconds of inactivity, TRIG Assignment Page timeout, Glitchy Switch Mode toggle (buffers now clear when switching Models by default), Unburst TYPE option, and various LED behaviour updates for TRIM, HPF, EF GAIN, and LPF→EF defaults.433 |
| 1.0 | 2026-04-14 | 433 |
References 3
- [433]
-
[434]
Intellijel Swells Quick Startmanual⚠ verified 2026-05-17 · manufacturer changed since last verified
-
[435]
Intellijel Swells product pageproduct_page⚠ verified 2026-05-17 · manufacturer changed since last verified