LCF Industries Arp-8 Eurorack Arpeggiator

LCF Industries
Arp-8 prototype

LCF Industries uploaded a video of the Arp-8 arpeggiator prototype to YouTube.

Price and availability are still unknown, but the features are pretty impressive...

" Something was missing from my growing modular. I couldn't figure out what it was. Then after playing with a Polysix for a while it hit me; An arpeggiator!

So using the MIDI-CV Converter I made, I started playing around with the code a bit. And then a couple of hours later I came up with a pretty decent arpeggiator. It didn't have much control (only the two switches) but it worked! So the next step was to expand on it but still keep it as small as possible.

Octave knob: Selects between a 1-4 octave range
Rate knob: If synced with a MIDI clock, it will divide the tempo accordingly; 1-1
1-2
1-4
1-8
1-8T
1-16
1-16T
1-32

V/Octave Out
Hz/Volt Out
Gate Out
Clk In: Bypasses MIDI-clock messages and uses an external clock source.
Directional switch: Up, Down, Up/Down
Sync Switch: If no external clock source is available (MIDI or analog), flipping to the FREE position will prompt it to use it's own internal clock. Use the Rate knob to increase the speed.
Arp / Mono Switch: Turns the arpeggiator into a simple single-channel MIDI-CV converter."

Video:Arp-8

" MIDI Controlled Arpeggiator
http://lcf-industries.blogspot.com "

How To Hide an Arpeggiator

An arpeggiator is a feature available on some synthesizers that automatically steps through a sequence of notes based on an input chord, thus creating an arpeggio.

One of my biggest personal complaints about the 'original' A-190 MIDI-CV Interface was the fact that the front-plate had the text 'arpeg.' on it while an arpeggiator function wasn't even implemented (and still not) in this module.

Doepfer recently stated that "...there were plans to add an arpeggiator when the module was designed about 15 years ago. But we found that the processor power is not sufficient to add this feature..."
He also stated that the new A-190-3 USB/Midi-to-CV module does have an arpeggiator available. ( the A-190-3 is the modular version of the Dark Link and Dark Energy USB/Midi interface, watch an 8-minute video about the Dark Energy's arpeggiator functions below ).

The same functions should work on the A-190-3 ( and Dark Link ) too, but i haven't had any hands-on time with this module to check and haven't seen much info on the web.
It does look like a very basic arpeggiator that will be hard to program, only with external MIDI-controller-messages ( like the R2M if i am correct ), but it is a good start.
I would rather see a more dedicated arpeggiator module from Doepfer, with easy accessible buttons and switches for the different settings and run-modes. Something like the Toppobrillo Quantimator (PDF) or the forthcoming Flame Chord Machine would be nice...

The weird thing though is that the whole arpeggio function is not mentioned anywhere on the module's web-page while this is such a useful function.
In fact; it's the first A-100 module that has a (basic) arpeggiator (!)

Because an A-190-3 manual isn't available yet, you can find a bit more info on how the arpeggiator works in the Dark Link manual ( PDF /page 13)*

*thanks to Paul Rogalinski for the tip

Video: Using Doepfer Dark Energy Arpeggiator

Detailed reference video by Dmitry Shtatnov with Doepfer Dark Energy internal arpeggiator + live song performed using Dark Energy and A-100 modular system.