Hakai Labs DEFCON 2 Emergency Signal Router

Flip the switch. Reroute everything. DEFCON 2 is a dual-path analog signal router built around a heavy-duty toggle with a flip-up safety cover. One Main Input goes to either Path A or Path B, and the switch decides which path reaches the Main Out. High-speed CMOS switching keeps transitions silent and instantaneous, with zero audible artifacts.

Every path is a complete signal chain with its own Insert In, buffered Send Out, Return In, and Out jacks. Use it to A/B two sound sources, swap between effect chains live, hard-cut an effect in and out, or change modulation sources mid-patch without touching a cable. It handles audio, CV, gates, triggers, and clocks.

Features

• Guarded toggle: Down selects Path A, up selects Path B. The flip-up safety cover prevents accidental switching.
• Full chain on each path: Insert In replaces the incoming signal. Send Out is a buffered tap for external effects. Return In brings the effect back. Out is a passive tap at the end of the path.
• Both paths stay live: An inactive path still passes anything patched into its Insert or Return through to its Send and Out jacks, so you can run two chains side by side and choose which one reaches Main Out.
• Gate Outputs: Gate Out A and B output 0V or 5V and are always opposite, so you can trigger envelopes, swap clocks, or fire other modules when you switch.
• LED indicators: Yellow path-enabled and gate-enable LEDs, plus bi-color red/green signal LEDs at four points: Main Input, after Insert, Path Out, and Main Out. The signal LEDs are CVD LEDs, chosen to be easier to read for people with red-green color vision deficiency.
• Satellite expansion: A rear port connects to the DEFCON 2 Satellite with a standard patch cable, mirroring the toggle state to control additional independent signal paths. Chain as many as you like.
• Raw copper panel: Unfinished copper that tarnishes and patinas naturally with handling and environment. Artwork by Robots Are Red.

Routing Modes

• 1-to-1 (effect bypass or path swap): Patch into Main In and take Main Out. Put an effect on one path with Send/Return and leave the other clean to hard-cut it in and out.
• 2-to-1 (source selector): Patch two sources into Insert In A and Insert In B, bypassing Main In. The toggle selects which one reaches Main Out.
• 1-to-2 (split and route): Patch into Main In and take Out A and Out B. Process each path through its own Send/Return loop and send it to a separate destination.

Specifications

• 8 HP, 25 mm deep
• Current draw: 60 mA @ +12V, 30 mA @ -12V, 0 mA @ 5V
• 10-pin shrouded power connector, reverse-polarity protected
• Signal range: ±12V (clipped beyond this)
• Gate outputs: 0V / 5V

Documentation

User manuals and downloads are available on the Hakai Labs documentation page.