Booktip IV - The Complete Simmons Drum Book by Bob Henrit

Perhaps a bit of an outsider on this blog, but this 104-page book about Simmons Electronic Drums is in fact quite an interesting read.
The British Simmons company produced drum modules since the late seventies and is perhaps best known for their distinctive sounds and their 'hexapad' drum-surface design.

This book tells the whole story, their conception, development, and even their problems.
Allmost all their drumkits are included in this book, from their first SDS-3 (SDS series), ClapTraps and expanders up to models that were never released.
The book was written and published in 1987, seven years before Simmons produced their last products so only a few models are not mentioned in this book ( like the TurtleTrap and the SDS-2000 )

I have no idea why this book was written, but it looks like a nice thick brochure to sell Simmons products.
It is filled with (b/w) pictures, background stories and stories by players and is very well-written.
I recommend this if you are interested in (drum)-synthesizer history.
A good read from beginning to end.

Wise Publications ISBN: 0-7119-0933-4
Order No. AM 63173

Most Wanted II - Drum Modules

Drum-synthesizers and drum-machines have been around for a long time.
The first analogue drum synthesizers were introduced in the 1970s, and everyone remembers those classic analog and digital rhythm-boxes made by big companies as Roland, Korg, Simmons and Linn.

 The Mid-nineties analogue revival triggered a whole bunch of new manufacturers like MAM, Vermona and MFB (to name a few) to produce (modular) drum synths.
I always wondered why Doepfer hasn't come up with a modular drum series yet.
The only drumsound-providing module they released so far was the A-117 Digital noise/808 Source, a module that only produces two 808 sounds... ehh well... building blocks.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could fit a variation of different Doepfer drummodules in your rack, perhaps an A-117-X series? How about dedicated Basdrum, Snare, Hihats, Cymbal, Clap and Toms modules etcetera, with (dynamic) triggers and CV-controllable functions like decay, tune, attack and so on, so you could use any CV signal ( like from an LFO or ADSR) to change the different parameters. I see a world of interesting possiblities.

In combination with trigger-producing modules like the A-160/A-161 Clock Divider, the A-166 Logic module and/or a sequencer i'm sure modules like this could create very interesting and vivid rhythms. And how about control with one of the forthcoming touch-sensors...? Hmmmmmmm.... Want!

PatchPierre.Net is live

Another small but important step in PatchPierre history;

www.PatchPierre.Net is claimed and live now... easier to remember if you are 'on the go' and want to check out the latest posts.

Service provided by http://www.simpll-solutions.nl/ in Sassenheim / The Netherlands.

SimpLL Solution offers IT-products and -services for businesses

Blind Panels

The regular Doepfer 19-inch Euro-rack system has a usable width of 84 HP. If the modules you install don’t use up the entire 84 HP, you are advised to cover up the empty spaces with blanking panels due to safety and EMC reasons.

As i wrote in an earlier blogpost, the (static) electricity from the system causes the A-100 to be a real dust-magnet.
Blind Panels are available in the following sizes;

A-100B1  : 1   HP
A-100B2  : 2   HP
A-100B4  : 4   HP
A-100B8  : 8   HP
A-100B42: 42 HP
A-100B84: 84 HP

Doepfer also sells the A-100B1.5, a 1.5 HP wide blind panel that for example fits the  Analogue Solutions modules together with eurorack modules of other manufacturers. 

Volts per Octave

The Volts-per-Octave standard luckily turned out to be a quite good one.
A lot of (early) synthesizers manufacturers adapted this standard, 'invented' and popularized by Bob Moog.

Best known manufacturers of early products using the 1V/Oct standard are Roland, Moog, Sequential Circuits, Oberheim and ARP. The big benefit of standards like these is inter-compatibility between products of different manufacturers. It allowes them to communicate better.

The V/Oct standard was wider adapted as other standards, like for example Yamaha and Korg's Hertz-per-Volt standard, that  represented an octave of pitch by doubling the voltage. 
A few synths that use the Hz/V standard are:
Korg: 770, 900-PS Preset, M-500 Micro Preset, M-500SP Micro Preset, Mini Korg, MS-10, MS-20, MS-50, Synthe-Bass, X-911
Yamaha: CS5, CS10, CS15, CS15D, CS20M, CS30
Moog: Taurus I Bass Pedals
Paia: 2720, 4700 Series

The Hz/V standard was used before the log converter was used in VCO's and is essentially linear control as can be found on various signal generators and function generators like those used by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop before they got a VCS3*. There are/were solutions available that convert from  Hz/Volt to V/Oct and vice-versa.  ( like the Korg MS-02 ).

No wonder that the A-100 system uses the V/Oct. standard. You can easily synchronize your system with almost any (old) machine that you have lying around, and most MIDI-to-CV converters use the same standard too.

For example i love using the CV (and Gate) output of my Roland TB-303 to control my A-100 system. The signal arrives at my system via a  A-180 2x4 multiple, so i have 3 copies of both signals available at any time.
Sometimes i use the CV slightly detuned for an interesting effect, sometimes i put it through a voltage inverter first, something that doesn't work out with all your 303-lines because of tuning.

The Gate output (trigger) of the TB-303 can be sent through a delay for some more interesting echo-like effects.
There are so many possibilities for your other gear to communicate with your A-100 with the 1 V/Oct standard... just go ahead and try... and amaze yourself.

*thanks to Tony Steventon for additional info

SiteTip I : Tone's Analog Synthesizer Projects and Products

I stumbled upon this interesting site last week; Tone's Analog Synthesizer Projects and Products. You can find it at http://synovatron.blogspot.com/
The overall site looks like a good start for everyone who is busy with, or starting on eurorack synthesizer DIY-ing and is operated by Tony Steventon, a UK electronics design engineer with a long interest in synths.
"Like most ideas it came out of trying to solve problems..." he wrote to me "... I could not fit either the jack sockets or bracketed pots on to standard 0.1" perfboard and came up with this idea over a year ago".

He continues "...several people have expressed an interest in learning how to take an idea through to a design and onto a prototyped module which I am quite tempted to do as a future 'learning' page on my blog..." "...I am working on my CV Tools module at the moment, which I have prototyped using my kits, but when that is ready for manufacture I am happy to consider some more ideas, I already have four promising ideas which may get developed either on my own or in collaboration with the idea originators."

Along with selling different DIY sets and prototyping kits, you can also order additional components for reasonable prices here. Listed are various Control pots (50k linear supplied as standard but 10k linear, 100k linear, 1M logarithmic or a mixture are available upon request), Pot mounting brackets, Decoupling capacitors, 16-pin headers, 3.5mm jack sockets, Red/green 3mm 2mA LEDs, TL084 quad op-amps (DIL), 14-pin IC sockets, 16mm soft-touch knobs (red, grey, orange, green, white, blue, yellow pointers), 10uF 16V electrolytic capacitors, 100nF ceramic capacitors, Headers - single, double, straight, right-angle, DPDT toggle switches to fit DIY2,  ...and more on request.

The site has an interesting (and growing) support page with all the datasheets and other practical tips on synovatron products. More info and discussion is possible at his dedicated Forum.


For sales, support and combined shipping enquiries you can contact synovatron@btinternet.com
CAUTION: These kits are intended only for experienced experimenters and constructors to prototype their designs. It is possible for you to destroy components or damage your synth if you are not careful. It is recommended that you use a separate regulated ±12V power supply for experimentation.

Filters I : A-127 Triple Voltage Controlled Resonance Filter

It is hard to say what my favorite A-100 filter is. Every filter has its own distinctive sound, and they all have a lot of Control Voltage input possibilities. I must admit i prefer low-pass filters... and filters with many outputs.

The A-127 VC Triple Resonance Filter is 3 bandpass-filters in one, each with its own LFO (sine) with adjustable frequency. The module has 3 individually adjustable outputs plus a mix output, and with all the controls for filter frequency and resonance it is a very flexible module.
\All 3 filters have an external CV input too, that by-passes the LFO when a plug is inserted in the socket. The amount of incoming CV's can be attenuated with a knob.

I love the sound of it, one of the characteristics of the 12 dB/Octave filters is that it can produce almost vowel-like sounds.
The LFO's can create amazing filter-sweeps as well with the frequency-rate adjuster.
As modulation inputs various CV's can be used like ADSR's and other LFO's (triangle/saw/rev saw).
Inputting voltages from any Wheel, Joystick or Theremin modules are also awesome ways to control this massive module.

You can even turn this module into a Triple Low-Pass Filter by changing internal jumpers, another nice feature. It might not be my most favorite filter of all, but this one is still the most-used filter that i own at the moment...