Video: Ribbon in Minor Key

Here's a video that i recorded last week, mainly to demonstrate the A-198 Ribbon controller in combination with the A-156 Quantizer.
A great combo IMO, but i already wrote about that earlier.

As usual a slightly unprepared and unedited jam, featuring my trusty Elektron Machinedrum, the TB-303 and a A-100 / MAQ16/3 combo.
It starts with the drums and a simple 303-line, an even simpler bassline drops in a bit later (A-120 filter) that gets modulated by an envelope with a slow attack halfway into the track.

The solo sound (played on the Ribbon Controller) is a saw wave that goes through my favorite A-127 filter.
Ribbon pressure is sent to the filter cut-off.
I added a second layer around the 4:00 point, a pulse wave through the WASP filter and through the Wave Multiplier, but you can hardly hear it...

Playing the ribbon is a piece of cake this way, i can even play this tune with my theremin modules, i might do a video from that too...
The A-156 was set to Minor Chord with an added 7th. ...my favorite scale i guess.
That might make it sound a bit depressive, but i kinda liked it that way.
It did represent a mood that i was in, enjoy!

Video: Ribbon in Minor Key

" NetPierre Live, unedited as usual. Totally unprepared and perhaps slightly boring minijam with my Doepfer A-100 system and it's A-198 Ribbon Controller in a simple minor key.
Quantising is done by the A-156
Drums provided by an Elektron Machinedrum "

Find more of my own videos at http://www.youtube.com/NetPierreTV

Doepfer MSY-1

MIDI-to-SYNC interface MSY1 

In 1994 Doepfer released a MIDI-to-SYNC interface called MSY1
The MSY1 was an interface that could convert MIDI realtime events CLOCK, START and STOP into the corresponding signals CLOCK and START/STOP of the SYNC standard.

The MSY1 was a nice little grey box, with only a few connections (MIDI in-Thru, SYNC out, Clock Out and Start/Stop out) and it had two LEDs that lit up when active.
It did not have a built-in power supply or an on/off switch, instead it used a simple plug-in type external power supply.

The SYNC standard (or DIN sync or sync24) was used in vintage drum computers or sequencers such as the Roland TR808 rhythm composer and the Roland TB303 bass line.

SYNC-START/STOP is a signal that indicates on the 2 possible states: START = +5V, STOP = 0V. MSY1 enables the 1:1 conversion of MIDI CLOCK to SYNC CLOCK i.e. 1 MIDI clock triggers 1 SYNC clock pulse, as well as the reduction of the tempo by dividing the incoming MIDI clock frequency by an integer factor.

SYNC-CLOCK is a periodic TTL signal (0/+5V) representing the tempo.

Inside the MSY-1 you find a 8 pole DIP switch or 8 jumpers depending upon to the type of MSY1.

With jumper 1-7 the dividing factor can be set to any value between 1 and 128.

1 corresponds to the 1:1 conversion, 128 is the maximum of frequency reduction, i.e. after 128 MIDI clocks 1 SYNC clock appears.

The last one of the 8 switches/jumpers changes the clock polarity.

The SYNC standard uses the same type of 5 pole 180ø DIN connectors as MIDI. 

But the standards do not fit as other pins are used and the signals are completely different!
So you always have to distinguish between the MIDI and SYNC connectors. 

Using a suitable cable (e.g. 5 pin DIN plug -> two 1/4" mono jack plugs) the CLOCK and/or START/STOP outputs of the MSY1 can also be used to control arpeggio, gate, trigger or other +5V/TTL controlled events of analog synthesizers via MIDI.

Find the MSY-1 manual HERE (txt)

Quotes XII : Bob Moog

" The synthesizer was always a source of new sounds that musicians could use to expand the range of possibilities. "

Robert (Bob) Moog





More Quotes HERE
*Quote found on http://voltagecontrol.blogspot.com/

Doepfer A-110-2 Low-Cost VCO Announced

A-110-2 Basic VCO

Always nice, those unexpected new module announcements.

Doepfer announced the A-110-2 on their site recently, a low cost VCO, similar to A-110, but sawtooth, triangle and rectangle with PWM only.
The module will have a 3-position octave switch (instead of the rotary switch of A-110), Soft and Hard Sync inputs, linear FM input.
This should all fit on a 8 HP front panel, the 'original' A-110 is 10 HP wide.

The module is planned for fall 2014 and will be priced at around Euro 110.00
(The A-110 costs 140 Euro's)

Power consumption:
- 150 mA +12V
- 150 mA -12V

- 50 mm Depth

Update Oktober 13, 2014: 
Dieter Doepfer in the A-100 Usergroup 
"...the A-110-2 is planned still for this year.
I hope the first units will be available end of November. 

The pcbs are already made. 

We are waiting only for the front panels."

Quick Tip XII : Multifunctional 2HP Blindplate

Picture via @cymatics

 "...don't stir your teas and coffees with cheap, thin-feeling plastic swizzle sticks, for a truly analog stirring experience, impart the rich, metallic notes of a Doepfer 2hp blanking panel to your brew..."

Instead of using those cheap throw-away plastic coffee (or tea) swizzle sticks you can also use a simple 2HP blind-plate to stir your favorite drink of course...

It is a relatively environmental-friendly option too, because you can use it over and over again...
Just a quick wipe and it is clean again and ready for re-use.

Happy April 1st!

Filters VII: A-106-1 Xtreme Lowpass/Highpass Filter

The Doepfer A-106-1 Xtreme Filter was built as a kind of Korg MS20 filter clone.
The famous original MS20 included two filters: a 12 dB lowpass and a 6dB high pass filter connected in series both with a very special design.
On the A-106 product page Doepfer writes: " The A-106-1 is definitely not the right choice for "moogish" and "civilized" sounds but for extreme, exceptional and experimental sounds - this is why we call the module "X-Filter"... "

Doepfer found a way to use the same circuit simultaneously as lowpass and highpass for 2 different audio signals (a bit similar to the A-101-1 Steiner Vactrol filter that has even different audio inputs available, but with the special MS20 circuit).
For this two separate audio inputs for lowpass(LP) and highpass (HP) with separate level controls are available.
The sockets are normalled, so the signal applied to the LP input is available for the HP input too provided that no plug is inserted into the HP input socket.

The level control of the HP input is realized as a polarized input. This means that the signal can be added with the same polarity (+ range) or opposite polarity (- range) compared to the LP input.
This feature enables notch (+) and bandpass (-) filter functions too.

A lot of audio-examples can be found HERE
and on Andreas Krebs' blog

As you will hear in the demo's this is a very nice sounding filter with a distinctive sound.
It can sound very squelchy and dirty, and still also quite smooth...
If you are looking for a do-it-all filter, this might be the one you are looking for.
It is not my favorite filter, but i still rate it at 7/10...

Video:
Hans Richter - Rhythmus 23 - Figur 10 - KABELTON
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNW6XXvJ74A

" ...just a test for something bigger... but i like it though.the sound was made with benjolin (rob hordijk and joker nies) and doepfer a-106-1."

Uploaded by Kabelton

Doepfer A-189 Bit Crusher Video's by Raul Pena

Raul Pena's video's hardly need any introduction... enjoy!

Video 1: Doepfer A189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier Basics

" Video outlining the basic features of the Doepfer A189-1 VBM, Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier.Sound and Video by Raul Pena. Next Video: Doepfer A189-1 VBM, Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier-Bit Crushing Demo."

Video 2: Doepfer A189-1 VC Bit Modifier-Bit Crushing

" Demonstration of the bit crushing capabilities of the Doepfer A 189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier.

Next Video: Demonstrates of the sample rate modifications of the Doepfer A 189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier on audio Music Track "Texas" by Merryman, used with permission from James Merryman. Available on iTunes.Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

More video's after the break >