Steady State Fate Ground Control Tutorial Videos by Raul Pena

As you might have noticed i also started posting all Raul Pena's 'Modular Wild presents PROFILE' video tutorials on my blog since a few weeks ago .
It's another small step in further broadening my audience (and help Raul with a few extra views), next to all the Doepfer-related posts here on my blog...

His latest series of videos are about the Steady State Fate Ground Control, the first episode was released two weeks ago, the second one was published an hour ago... Enjoy!

Video 1: Modular Wild Presents SOUNDS- Steady State Fate Ground Control Part 1

" A short description of the Steady State Fate Ground Control module for Eurorack. Ground control is a handy utility with a wealth of features. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 2: Modular Wild Presents SOUNDS- Steady State Fate Ground Control Part 2

" A short demonstration of the features of the Steady State Fate Ground Control. Examples of Attenuation and Scaling of Voltages are shown. Sound and Video by Raul Pena. Contains excerpts of "siqzn" and "glimaxc" from my first CD "Raul's World of Synths" available through iTunes."

Please check out Raul's latest surveys at:

Raul's World of Synths Modular Videos:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3YGXKYZ

Modular Wild Video Series:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DZMTQRQ

Other places to find Raul's World of Synths on the Web:

raulsworldofsynths on YouTube

raulsworldofsynths on Vimeo

raulsworldofsynths on SoundCloud

raulsworldofsynths at iTunes

raulsworldofsynths at CDBABY

Quick Tip: Differences in Eurorack Modules

When you have multiple modules of the same brand and type , you might sometimes experience small differences between those Eurorack modules.
Sometimes oscillators are tuned differently and you can't get them to match.
One may sound lower than the other with each's controls identical, yet they sound different..

This is often not something to worry about.

Four A-110 VCOs that look the same,
all sounding (slightly) different.

Although most modules are thoroughly tested, some batches may indeed sound a little different due to (internal) trim-pot settings, differences due to tolerances of the electronic parts, etc...

If you want to compare your modules, it is always smart to check the production date/ batch number on the test label and/or on the PCB (version nr) first.
Usually this can be found at the inner side of the front panel.

If the numbers match, and one of your modules does sound different than the other one, you might check out the trimming pots on the backside of the module on the PCB.
In most cases this can be easily fixed with a small screwdriver once you located the right potentiometer (often printed on the PCB or can be found in a manual).

Sometimes it just has to do with other components.
During the production-years of a module the values of all kinds of parts of your module may have been changed a bit (for example R77, R86, R88).
These differences can sometimes be audible, sometimes only to the trained ear...

Especially the specifications of a main circuit like the 74HC4046 (Used in the Phase Locked Loop - A-196 PLL module) may differ for different manufacturers (even different batches from the same manufacturer) of this circuit.
Because the PLL module is not a precision module like a VCO there are no trimming potentiometers available to balance such tolerances.
You'll just have to live with that...

Sources: Doepfer website and Doepfer A-100 Yahoo Usergoup

Creating Two Sequences With One Doepfer A-160 by Frederic Gerchambeau

The latest video from Frederic Gerchambeau features quite an interesting pattern, generated by two different sequences from a single A-160 Trigger Sequencer module.

Video: Creating two sequences with one Doepfer A-160

" With only one Doepfer A-160, it's possible to get two different sequences at the same time. For even more fun, i have used two LFOs to trigger that A-160.
Basically the patch is that one :
Two lfos > multiple > A-160 Trig in
A-160 outputs (x 6) > 3 into mixer 1 and 3 into mixer 2
Output mixer1 > VCO1 and output mixer2 > VCO2
Outputs VCO 1 and 2 > VCA"

Uploaded by GruithuisenCityMan

MusicThing Modular Spring Reverb by Tom Whitwell

MusicThing Spring Reverb
Module

Tom Whitwell, known to many as the man behind the MusicThing blog, his Turing Machine- project (plus expanders) and various other syth-related projects, has cooked up something new again.

His latest Voltage Controlled Spring Reverb module is a eurorack spring reverb module that has a circuit that is inspired by a few other synth designers.

The end result is a spring reverb module with a few interesting extras... 

For example, this design features a voltage controlled vactrol crossfader that you can also use independently.

In the following videos Tom shows us what the module can do.

Video 1: Music Thing Modular Spring Reverb

" Spring reverb module for Eurorack modular synths. Audio is slightly out of sync with video, sorry. Full details below...
Controls: Top knob is reverb level.
Right hand smaller knob is Tilt, a simple hifi-style tone control that changes the colour of the reverb.
Left hand smaller knob is Control, an attenuverter control for the incoming CV. 12 o'clock = no CV, clockwise = increasing CV, anticlockwise = inverted CV.
Patch: DPO sine waves sequenced by Turing Machine and Wogglebug. Gated through QMMG, envelopes from Maths. The CV input makes 80s-style gated reverb and pseudo-reverse reverb possible.
For this demo, using a 9EB2C1B full sized reverb tank. "

Video 2: Music Thing Modular Spring Reverb Crossfade Mode

" The MTM Spring Reverb contains a vactrol crossfader that you can also use independently. Here, it is crossfading between the DPO Final and Square outputs.
The module can be built with either a Silonex or a VTL5C3 vactrol. The VTL5C3 sounds smoother for this use, with a slower response that can be 'pinged'.
Video and audio are slightly out of sync, sorry. "

This is again an open hardware project – all the project files (Eagle CAD projects, Gerbers PCB files, a Mouser BOM and Illustrator/PDF front panel designs) will be available soon on his web-page, covered by a Creative Commons Attribution Share-a-like license, which allows for commercial use.

Update 26/10: Documentation and schematics now available via http://musicthing.co.uk/modular/?page_id=579

If you want to find out more about this module check out the Spring Reverb Research Notes for the background story or listen to the Spring Reverb Audio Demos and don't forget to follow Tom on Twitter for future updates.

New Doepfer A-100 Case A-100PB Announced

New A-100PB case without cover

Following the success of the larger Doepfer monster base cases, they announced today that probably from December 2013 the "small brother" of the monster base A-100PMB will be available.

The new case A-100PB is very similar to the A-100PMB but has only half the width (2 x 84 HP for installation of modules).
You could say that this is the flightcased version of the basic wooden A-100LCB case...
The suitcase versions A-100P6 or A-100P9 can be positioned on top of the A-100PB because the width of the A-100PB is a bit more than the width of A-100P6/P9 and the footprint of the A-100PB is adapted to the depth of A-100P6/P9.

The A-100PB is equipped with one power supply (1200mA) and two bus boards.

New A-100PB case closed

The bus boards are located in the rear area (even those for the modules that are mounted in the front row). This was necessary to take advantage of the full height of the front area for installation of A-100 modules.
The max. depth for modules in the front row is ~70 mm.

A cable lenght of 20 cm for modules in the front row is still sufficient as the bus board is close to these modules (just behind the area required for the modules, same bus board position as for A-100PMB or A-100LCB).

The price of the A-100PB will be about Euro 550 (without modules).

Source: Doepfer Website

SiteTip: TrueGrid by ModularGrid

To celebrate the first anniversary of ModularGrid, they introduced the beta of TrueGrid a few days ago.

TrueGrid is a fully functional true modular web synthesizer which let's you create, listen and share modular synth patches.
It consists of 10 Eurorack modules and some patch-cables, that you can rewire, turn knobs and move around the same way as a real modular synth... plus there's a way to save your patches (and load other people's creations)
Basically they added audio engines behind some of the modules from ModularGrid's huge ("1300 to go") database.
It is really fun to play with, although not all functions are working (yet).

Update 19/10: The new Tape Recorder lets you record your patch and export it to .wav file
It also replaces the Outs module as endpoint.
Update 24/10: TrueGrid now supports MIDI, more info at http://modulargrid.net/e/pages/truegrid_enable_midi …

You can find TrueGrid at http://modulargrid.net/racks/synth/

At this time TrueGrid will satisfactorily run in Google Chrome only.

Support for other browsers will follow... (also iOS)

https://twitter.com/modulargridNET

https://www.facebook.com/ModularGrid

These Hopeful Machines Radio Documentary

'These Hopeful Machines' is a New-Zealand electronic music -documentary that was broadcasted earlier this year during the Sound Lounge radio-programme

Sound Lounge brings you a balance of hardcore avant garde, atmospheric soundscapes, up to the minute contemporary, early 20th Century and a touch of art pop on a weekly basis.

In the documentary presenter James Gardner traces a personal path through the evolving world of electronic music in this six-part series – and meets some of the people who made it happen.

The show includes exclusive interviews with Suzanne Ciani, David Cockerell, Bernie Krause, Morton Subotnick and Peter Zinovieff and many more.

Finally all episodes are online, you can find them at http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines

Update November 3: (via an email from the producer)
"Over the next few weeks the website will be expanded to include full transcripts of the interviews, as well as photos, links and a few bits that there we weren't able to include in the programmes as they were broadcast.
I'll let you know when the expanded website is up and running."