The disting NT is the latest in the line of modules from Expert Sleepers that started with the original disting in 2014, which performed one of 16 very different functions at the turn of a knob. This concept has evolved through the disting mk3 (2015) - which added the possibility of firmware updates, and so a continually improving selection of functions - and the disting mk4 (2017) - which added a display, and brought the MicroSD card slot onto the front of the module, emphasising its increased importance for functions such as sample playback - to the disting NT’s predecessor, the disting EX (2020).

Ever since the mk3 was released, the modules’ firmwares have been continuously updated with new features, making them even more useful and better value.

We aim to continue this legacy with the disting NT.

Whereas the disting EX built directly on the selection of functions in the mk4, and then added some of its own, with the disting NT we’ve taken everything back to square one. We anticipate (eventually) adding every function ever offered by the previous distings, but every algorithm has been reconsidered and reappraised in the light of the possibilities offered by the new hardware platform. Often things have been streamlined and simplified - for example, a disting EX algorithm that offered a polysynth, a chorus, and a delay would be implemented on the NT as three separate functions, which you could combine as you choose - each function therefore being smaller and easier to deal with.

While the exact future of this module is yet to be written, one thing is certain - it will be driven by user feedback. We have an active user community, and suggestions made by users have often made it into the firmware. So we strongly encourage you to get in touch! Let us know what the disting NT can be for you.

The module takes audio and/or CV input, runs a bunch of software processing, and generates audio and/or CV output. It does this continuously.

The chunks of software processing are called algorithms. You can think of them much as you would think of plug-ins in your DAW. The module has a number of algorithms to choose from, and you can add the ones you want in a big list and the module will run them all.

The disting NT is not a “virtual modular”. There are no virtual cables flying around. It simply collects together a variety of functions that are useful in the context of a modular synthesizer and makes it possible to use a number of them at once.

It is not a “patch player”. It is not the intention that you do all the complex setup on a computer and then copy it over to the module. The module is designed to be used in a modular, with a UI that makes it fluid to do everything in the module itself.

It is not only useful via MIDI. The large number of inputs (and outputs) makes it possible to use it entirely via CV, interfacing with the rest of your modules in a natural way. (That said, it does also make a really good MIDI polysynth.)

The disting NT's specifications are as follows:

• Panel width: 22HP
• Module depth: 25mm
• Current draw: 211mA on the +12V rail, 96mA on the -12V rail
• Inputs: 12, DC coupled
• Outputs: 6 (+2 via breakout), DC coupled
• Expansion:
• Header for TRS/DIN MIDI via a compatible breakout.
• Header for connecting an ES-5 expander.
• Header for an I2C bus connection to compatible devices.
• Compatible with the Select Bus.

For more detail, please see the user manual.

The disting NT is available now.

MSRP: UK £599 (inc VAT), US $679 (exclusive of sales tax), EU €587.40 (exclusive of VAT)

For purchasing links, please see where to buy.