Hyboid's adventures at Schnittstelle vinyl cutting studio

Being able to attend a lacquer cut is an awesome experience! I have mastered quite a few releases for vinyl but never got the chance to attend when they are cut on lacquer. Until recently when I went to Schnittstelle in Berlin for my next release: Hyboid - UFOs over Berlin.

What is a lacquer cut? When you want to make a vinyl record, your music must be cut into a so-called lacquer: basically an aluminum plate covered with nitrocelulose. Using a cutting lathe (the rather large machine used to cut the lacquer, looking like a gigantic turntable) you engrave the audio signal into the lacquer layer using a cutting-head which in principle works the same way as record player pick-up, only in reverse. These cutting lathes are bulky but very delicate equipment. Maintaining and servicing them is an expert job! The Cutting heads are even more fragile and damn expensive. That's why cutting lathes have several levels of protection making sure that the audio signal does not damage the cutting head. I will go into that later.

Once the lacquer disk has been cut (one for each side of a vinyl record!), it goes into what is called the plating or galvanic stage which involves several steps of metal coating and basically making a physical copy of the master lacquer. You end up with a metal duplicate of the lacquer disk which is then used to make the metal stampers for the actual vinyl pressing run. A very work-intensive process that requires a lot of diligence to ensure an optimal result.

Now back to the lacquer cut. Many pressing plants have in-house cuting facilities. The advantages are obvious: less cost for the customer and less hassle for the pressing plant in case something goes wrong or the customer wants a re-cut. I have opted to use a dedicated cutting studio this time because I wanted to have more control over the cutting process. After all, Schnittstelle is basically around the corner from where I live. I asked Andreas Kauffelt, the boss at Schnittstelle, if it was OK if I could attend the cut. He agreed which is a super nice thing because customers don't usually attend the cutting session. I really appreciate the opportunity!

Andreas is incredibly knowledgable and a very nice guy. I learned a lot from him. Since I master my own releases, it is always incredibly important to know how your audio material will change when cut and later pressed on vinyl. You probably know that there is a direct relation between the duration of a vinyl record and the volume at which it can be cut. The shorter the program duration, the louder you can cut the vinyl, since the groove takes up more space on the disk if it is louder. Very simple. So, taking into account the duration of your material is an important aspect. In my case, each side of the record has about 12:30 minutes which transfer onto a 33RPM side without any problems and with a decent level. I could also have cut it at 45RPM which has a better high-frequency response, but it would also have meant a quieter cut. So I chose good-old 33RPM.
I always pay attention to the side band of the stereo mix when mastering my releases for vinyl. In case you don't know, the stereo signal in vinyl records is encoded in M/S stereophony (Mid-Side), where the mid signal (the mono sum) is engraved horizontally on the disk, whereas the side signal (containing everything that is different from the mono signal) is cut vertically. Neither the cutting head nor the pickup on your turntable like it when the side band has too much energy in the low end. Strong out-of-phase signals roughly below 200 Hz, for example from chorused bass lines or boomy stereo reverbs, should be avoided. If you don't pay attention here, the cutting head may get damaged or the resulting groove could be interrupted and cause the needle to skip. But also taming the highs in the side signal can make sense. Even the mono signal (M band) should be low-cut to avoid unnecessary deep frequencies. The high end above 16kHz shouldn't be too pronounced either since the stylus will have trouble picking up all the high frequency information from the groove, especially in the inner part of the record. Since a vinyl record rotates at a constant speed, the information in the center is much more condensed than on the outside of the record. So, near the label towards the end of your record, it gets increasingly hard for the stylus on your pick-up to follow all those high-frequency wiggles in the vinyl. That is why the highs often sound muffled in the last track of a vinyl record. All of this (and much more) needs to be considered when mastering for vinyl.
So, after loading my master tracks into his DAW, Schnittstelle boss Andreas Kauffelt thoroughly analyzed the audio material with his vector scope, FFT analyzer and level meter and found nothing to nitpick on. I took that as a compliment! He then took a partly used lacquer disk to do a test cut of some portions of my audio material to see how it would sound on different parts of the disk at different levels. That was actually pretty interesting. It works like this: you take a lacquer disk that has been used before but still has enough blank space to cut some material on it. Then you feed your audio signal into the cutting lathe and listen back to what you are presently cutting with a turntable pick-up right behind the cutter head. The pick-up plays back your vinyl groove only fractions of a second after it has been cut. Listening to a record doesn't get any fresher than that, for sure! Since Andreas's desk has a nice monitoring switcher/mixer, he could easily match our playback levels so we could A/B both signals to compare how the audio will sound when played back from the DAW vs. from the lacquer disk. My "UFOs over Berlin" EP transfered nicely to lacquer. The test pressing which arrived two and a half weeks later sounds dope!

AC07 "Hyboid - UFOs over Berlin" test pressing

Roland JX-3P Analog Synthesizer Review + Demo (Youtube video)

The Roland JX-3P was released in the year 1983 as a 2-DCO 6-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer. It has 1 LFO, 1 ADSR envelope, cross-modulation and oscillator sync capability as well as an analog stereo chorus effect. Additionally to its MIDI interface (actually one of the earliest synthesizers to sport a MIDI port) it has an inbuilt step sequencer. I have read on several occasions that the JX-3P was designed by Roland's guitar department. That's a really strange move and seems to be unparalleled in Roland's later years.

Roland JX-3P Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer (1983)

The JX-3P was the first Roland synth to cut corners in terms of "knobbiness" in the user interface. That is to say that if you look at some other analog synths that came out before 1983 (Juno-6 / 60, Jupiter 8, the SH Series) they were full of knobs and sliders, giving the user hands-on editing and tweaking capabilities. The stock JX-3P only has a couple of sliders and pots for editing, brilliance, sequencer speed and master volume. The Yamaha DX-7 really took its toll with its futuristic slider-less design. From 1983 on, a synthesizer was considered modern when it had a "digital interface", meaning buttons instead of knobs, ideally with an alpha-numerical display, that was the pinnacle of futurism. Instead of simply grabbing the knob of the parameter you want to change you would now have to select your parameter and then dial in your desired value with incremental +/- buttons, alpha dial or whatever "user-friendly" interface was designed for your "modern" synth. This push toward digital interfacing really took away a lot of fun from the synths that were designed from 1983/1984 on.

Roland PG-200 Programmer

At least Roland came up with a way of giving the user a "knobby" interface for the JX-3P: The PG-200 programmer. This little helper neatly sticks to a spot specifically reserved for it on top of your JX-3P with the help of magnetic adhesive strips. It connects to your JX-3P using a 6-prong DIN cable. The PG-200 gives you direct access to all parameters of the JX-3P right at your fingertips. Roland continued this trend of detachable programmers for synths like the Alpha Juno 1 and 2, JX-8P, JX-10 and their counterparts in the MKS range. The PG-200 really opens up your JX-3P, it really is strongly recommended. It feels sturdy and durable enough, matches the JX-3P`s design and is a worthwile investment. There's one catch though: You cannot use MIDI and the PG-200 at the same time. There's a switch on the back of the JX-3P that selects either MIDI or PG-200, not both unfortunately. So, sequencing your JX-3P via MIDI and tweaking away on your PG-200 at the same time is not an option. There is a solution for those who don't mind modding their JX-3P. One is the Organix MIDI mod, the other one the KIWI 3P upgrade. Both modifications allow simultaneous use of MIDI and the PG-200, along with loads of other improvements.
Speaking of MIDI, the JX-3P's MIDI implementation is very rudimentary. There's not much more going on than note on/off, pitch bend and program change. But hey, MIDI is there, making the JX-3P very easy to integrate into a modern setup.

The JX-3P has 32 preset sounds and 32 user-programmable ones. You might expect the usual 80s preset cheesiness but to be honest, I find some of these presets very usable. At least they're a good starting point for creating your own timbres.

Since my JX-3P came with a PG-200 I have no idea how cumbersome it is to program your sounds with the JX-3P's interface in the long run, but it looks pretty straight-forward to me. At any rate the JX-3P is much easier to use than some later Roland synths that have unnecessarily convoluted operating systems.

So how does the JX-3P sound? Well, if you have read this far you will already have listened to some of the great demos available on Youtube (Retrosound, Analog Audio and WC Olo Garb / Jexus come to mind). To me, the JX-3P is a connecting link between Roland's 70s and early 80s vintage and mid-late 80s sound. It can sound warm and fuzzy if you like it, but it really excels at making those bright 80s sounds that you can expect from a polyphonic DCO synthesizer. To me it sounds more modern than, say, a Juno-60 or Polysix. There seems to be an old debate going on which is better, the Juno-60 or the JX-3P. I would say, if you can afford both, get both! They compliment each other perfectly. If I could have only one, I would most likely take the Juno-60. The JX-3P's 2 DCOs give you a lot of options to combine, tune and detune your two oscillators to create some nice timbres. The lowpass filter (a Roland IR3109 chip) sounds classy and brillant. The ADSR envelope is snappy enough for your everyday needs but it lacks the clickiness of some more expensive synths. The LFO has a reasonable range as well as some different waveforms but it's pretty standard. One word about the LFO delay parameter. It has no effect when sequenced via MIDI, nor does it work when using the internal step sequencer. It only works if you hand-play the JX-3P usings its own keyboard.

The JX-3P's controls: buttons instead of knobs

Let me elaborate a little on the JX-3P's sequencer. It can store up to 128 steps with 1-6 notes, rest or tie per step. That's an awesome feature. You might think "well, I can do all of this with MIDI using my DAW, right?". Sure, but it's not as badass as using the JX-3P's onboard sequencer. It's so easy to operate, making it a great tool to quickly come up with a sequence or capure a musical idea, and it's polyphonic! It's also really useful for jamming. And if you try to avoid using your DAW for MIDI as much as possible (as I do), using a synthesizer's own arpeggiator or sequencer is always welcome. And timing-wise it's rock solid and stable. Ah yes, I forgot to mention the fact that the JX-3P's sequencer can't be synced to incoming MIDI clock. It wants analog clock pulses or triggers. Audio signals might work as a trigger source, but it is highly recommended that you use proper analog trigger pulses from a MIDI to CV/Gate interface, modular synth, clock generator or drummachine (for instance using the trigger outputs on your Roland TR-606/707/808).

If you clock your JX-3P's sequencer with a signal that is not periodical or steady but rhythmically changing, you can end up with nice ever-changing sequences that can be very inspiring.

Wrapping it up, the JX-3P is a real workhorse! If you are into 80s inspired music (Synthwave, Italo, Synth Pop, Soundtrack) or 90s Techno and Electronica, the JX-3P is still a very viable and usable synth. It sounds classy and has a presence that makes it stand out in a mix.

Let me share a youtube clip with you that I made earlier this year. It features the JX-3P for all synth sounds and a Linndrum for the, you guess it, drums! I multitracked my JX-3P parts using its internal sequencer and by hand-playing on its keyboard. Some external effects were used to spice up the track. Enjoy!

Ladik S-180, S-181, S-182 & S-183 Sequencer Family Review + Demos (Youtube Videos)

During the past months I have purchased quite a lot of Ladik modules for my Eurorack modular system. The beating heart of my system is a combo of several of Ladik's sequencer modules. Let me give you an overview of Ladik's sequencer line:

S-180 8-Step Trigger Sequencer (4HP)

S-181 Individual outputs for each of S-180's steps (4HP)

S-182 CV outputs for each of S-180's steps, with small trim pots (4HP)

S-183 CV outputs for each of S-180's steps  with regular pots and step-LEDs (8HP)

Ladik S-180, S-181, S-182 & S-183 Sequencer System

Now let's go into the messy details:

Ladik S-180

The "mother unit" of all Ladik sequencing modules! The S-180 is an 8-Step Trigger Sequencer with a width of 4HP. It has 8 buttons and 8 LEDs (1 for every step). In order for the S-180 to run you have to feed it with a clock signal (for instance the square wave of an LFO) or triggers or gate signals through its "CLK IN" jack. The steps run from the top (step 1) to bottom (step 8) and then start again at the top. Of course there are other sequencing modes (the order in which the steps are running) but I will go into these later. You use the buttons to activate and deactivate the steps by pressing the step buttons for a short time. A fully lit LED indicates that a step is activated (= outputs a trigger signal at that step), while a half-lit LED shows the current step while the sequencer is running.

Simple as that!

You can change the sequence length between 2 and 8 steps on the fly (while the sequence is running) by pressing the corresponding step key for about 1 second. Cycling through the different sequencing modes is easy: Simply press button 1 repeatedly for about 1s and choose the desired mode. Changing the sequencing mode during play can cause short hick-ups but once it has been changed the S-180 continues running as if nothing has happened.

Originally the S-180 had 3 modes of operation (sequencing modes):

1. Up: Cycling from first to last step

2. Up/Down (Pendulum): Cycling between first and last step with repeating first and last step

3. Random: All steps are triggered after one another in random order, with the possibility of a step getting triggered repeatedly

I requested 2 more sequencing modes and Ladik was so kind to implement them. These are:

4. Random with non-repeating steps: This means that still all steps are played in random order, but with the refinement that no step is allowed to be played more than once in a row. This makes for some nice options. You can for example use it for a pseudo Sample & Hold effect using the daughter-boards S-182 or S-183.

5. Up/Down (Pendulum) with non-repeating first and last step. A must-have in my opinion!

Now you may wonder what sense does mode 4 make if you use S-180 purely as a trigger sequencer? As you won't hear a difference to mode 3? Yes, mode 4 makes sense in combination with the daughter-modules S-182 and S-183 which add CV outputs to the S-180, turning it into a proper step sequencer. I will go into that later.

So, now we have learned that you can alter the sequence length and sequencing modes during operation. What else can we edit on the fly? Depending on how you have set up the S-180 button 2 either sets your sequence length to 2 steps or it sends a manual reset to the S-180, setting it either to the last step of the sequence or instantly to step 1 (this is user-selectable upon turning on the unit).

Next, there is the option of saving your sequencer's current status (including sequencing mode, sequence length and activated / deactivated steps) by pressing buttons 3 and 4 simultaneously. Note that you have to manually save the current status, otherwise the S-180 will restart with default settings or with the last status that you saved.

And last, you can advance the S-180 step by step by holding buttons 7 and 8 together.

Several settings can be customized by pressing a certain button upon power-up. These settings address things like trigger length and reset behavior. You can look up these settings at Ladik's product page for the S-180 (http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=34).

Now let's talk resets. You might think that a sequencer with only 8 steps is a boring affair ("hey, I need 16 or 32 steps!"). Think twice. First of all you have all these nifty sequencing modes that give you quite some variation. But what really makes a sequencer musically interesting is resets. The S-180 has two reset modes: The first mode sends the S-180 to the last step of your sequence when a reset is sensed at the "RST IN" jack so the following clock pulse will set the sequencer back to step 1. This is the appropriate mode if you are using the sequencer in a more "composition-style" environment, for example if you are syncing your modular system to a DAW and want to record a take starting from the first beat in a bar. You simply reset the S-180 either by button press (button 2) or by a trigger or gate signal into its "RST IN" jack, then start your DAW or master sequencer and off you go: S-180 will start on step 1 just as you wanted.

But what if you want to reset your S-180 instantaneously to step 1, say, by sending a trigger signal from another sequencer, a clock divider or a gate signal (for example from your master keyboard via MIDI-CV-Gate converter?). 

Then the "reset to last step" mode is not what you want. That is why Ladik has added another reset mode to the S-180's firmware: instantaneous reset. Now you can "play" the S-180's first step by sending it a trigger or gate signal to its "RST IN" jack and the sequencer will always immediately jump to step 1. Now if you take one S-180 and use its trigger output to rhythmically reset another S-180 then you have already opened up Pandora's Box of possibilities. This way you can get lots of variations from 2 simple 8-step sequencers. I highly recommend getting at least 2 S-180s!

Now it gets even more technical: The S-180 has two modes of implementing resets:

1. "Edge driven": This means that the rising edge of the reset signal sets the S-180 to the last or first step (depending on your setting). So if you send a gate signal to the reset input, only the rising edge makes the difference. The rest of the gate phase will be ignored. This mode is useful if you just want to reset the sequence to step 1 without holding it there for a longer time. Because this is what happens in mode...

2. "Level driven": In this mode the reset is active while the "RST IN" input receives a "high state" by a gate signal, an LFO, a Sample & Hold, a Joystick or whatever module can output CVs. While the reset is active, all clock signals present at S-180's "CLK IN" input are ignored. This mode is great if you want to "freeze" the sequencer on step 1 as long as the reset signal is high. 

If you experience skipping or unreliable reset behavior in reset mode 1 ("edge driven") it might be due to the reset trigger arriving just a bit earlier than the clock signal. This will cause the sequencer to remain on step 1 just for a fraction of a second before advancing to step 2. This can be remedied by delaying the reset trigger by a tiny amount or simply by using reset mode 2 ("level driven") which will ignore the clock impulse while the reset trigger is present at the "RST IN" input (provided the reset trigger signal is long enough).

I have had great results with reset mode 2 ("level driven"). Works perfectly for me.

Summing up, Ladik S-180 is a real powerhouse for a small price and small footprint (only 4HP). Plus it can double as a clock divider, too. Great ease of use, plenty of sequencing modes and great looks! 

Ladik S-181 

A very simple module that only works in conjunction with the S-180. It is a daughter-module that is connected to the S-180 or daisy-chained to a S-182 or S-183 with a small ribbon cable. What does it do? It provides 8 individual outputs for the S-180's trigger signals, one output for each step. That means that when step 1 is active on S-180, S-181 daughter module will output a trigger signal on output 1. Likewise for all other steps / outputs. It is in principle what the Doepfer A-161 is to the A-160.

What is it good for? Well, let's suppose you want to trigger an envelope generator on step 1, retrigger an LFO on step 3, reset a clock divider on step 4 and advance another sequencer on step 6: You can do all of the above with the S-181. Simply connect the corresponding S-181 outputs with the destinations on your other modules. This way you can get nice rhythmical interactions with the rest of your modular system.

You can select the length of the trigger signals output from your S-181 by configuring the corresponding settings on your S-180 mother module. Either 1ms triggers or full-length gate signals are available. 

One little nitpick: I wish the S-181 had LEDs for each output. Maybe at a later time there will be a revision with LED's? Other than that a simple but useful module at a small price.

Ladik S-182

Here we have a really nice addition to the S-180 that turns it from a mere trigger sequencer to a CV step sequencer. A small footprint (4HP) CV output extension with small trim pots. The S-182 connects to the S-180 mother module or daisy-chains to another S-182 or S-183 with a small ribbon cable. In contrast to the S-181 the S-182 has its own power connector.
By the way, longer ribbon cables are available on request, just in case you want to position all these pretty daughter-modules further away from each other.

For every step that is active on the S-180 mother module, the S-182 puts out a CV that is set with a small trim pot for each step. In addition to the 8 CV trim pots there is also a range trim pot on the bottom of the module which serves as an attenuator for all 8 CV altogether.

The trim pots on the S-182 are just that: trim pots. Don't expect them to operate as smoothly as a full-fledged potentiometer. For CVing all kinds of modulation destinations the trim pots are accurate enough. In conjunction with a quantizer (Doepfer A-156 or Ladik Q-010) I have gotten good and accurate results pitch-modulating my VCOs. No worries here! Without a quantizer hitting the right pitch might require some patience but once set, the trimmers work accurately.

Again, a very small and useful addition to your S-180 sequencing system!

Ladik S-183

This is the luxury alternative to the S-182. Slightly wider (8HP instead of 4HP) but with full-size potentiometers with smooth action plus individual LEDs indicating the current step.

Like on the S-182 we get a range pot acting as a main attenuator for all steps. But additionally, further setting itself apart from the more simple S-182 here we also get a transpose knob, offsetting the CV by a manual amount and even externally CV-able via the Transpose input jack! Now we can modulate the CVs that are output by the S-183 externally by another CV. Very cool feature!

The pots used on this module are the same that can be found on other Ladik modules. They are very precise and have a firm action. Well-suited for pitch modulation and all other sorts of CV modulation of course.

I prefer the S-183 over the S-182 but if space is an issue you might want to consider the S-182 instead.

Summary

With his S-180 + S-181 + S-182 + S-183 modules, Ladik gives you the very atomic building blocks of a sequencer to customize your own sequencing system. This is modular philosophy to the bone. Hint: There is also the Ladik S-190 Clock Distributor module available which gives you interesting and unusual clocking options if you are using multiple S-180 combos.
Closing words: Build quality is high, prices are affordable. If you are looking for a sequencer for your Eurorack, check out Ladik! 

Cwejman VCO-2RM Dual Oscillator Review + Demo (Youtube Video)

Cwejman modules have gained the status of the holy grail of modular synthesis over the past few years. Recently I was offered to buy a VCO-2RM second hand for an OK price so jumped the opportunity and got my hands on it. I had tried some Cwejman modules before (including the VCO-2RM) at Schneiders in Berlin and was always intrigued by their classy and beautiful sound. I had read lots of good things about Cwejman stuff on the internet as well. Some critical voices tend to nitpick about the Cwejman sound being too sterile or clinical. I can understand what this criticism is about, as Cwejman really sounds very "precise" but I never saw this as a problem. If you want warm/fuzzy/overdriven sound you can still mangle your audio signal with distortion or waveshapers or whatever is available (and that's a lot!).

Briefly going through the VCO-2RM's features, it is a dual VCO with a wide frequency range (there is also an LFO mode available for both oscillators), 3 FM inputs for each oscillator (exponential FM only!), PWM, sync and a ring modulator. Since the ring modulator is  DC-coupled it can be used with CV signals, making it a VCA. Yes, you can use the VCO-2RM's ring modulator as a full-fledged audio VCA! I tried it, it works. Each VCO has 7 selectable waveforms available (everything from sine to pulse including some odd mixed waveforms). Each VCO can only output one waveform at a time. 

Cwejman VCO-2RM Dual Oscillator

So how does it sound? Well, compared to the vintage oscillators I have experience with (Moog, ARP, Octave, Roland etc.) it strikes me as being "on the spot" as opposed to "warm and organic". So, depending on what you are after it might indeed be a touch "too controllable". Obviously the components Cwejman uses for his modules are so well-selected and precise that there is hardly any room for tolerances or random fluctuations. For me the VCO-2RM really shines once you start modulating it. Feed it with CVs from various sources, amplitude-modulate these CVs with VCAs, sequence everything, well... you will see (and hear) that the VCO-2RM really begs to be modulated, and the sonic possibilities opening up are infinite. As you tweak the VCO-2RM's knobs even a tiny bit of change can make a huge difference in timbre. What I love about it is that it covers everything from classical subtractive to experimental sounds. And did I mention the VCO-2RM tracks like a champ? Tune both oscillators to a specific interval and play them across multiple octaves. Voila! Stays in tune.
For my demo video I used both VCOs and the ring modulator sequenced and modulated by Doepfer A-155 sequencer, A-145 LFO, A-143-9 VC Quadrature LFO, A-140 Envelope Generator, A-149-1 Quantized/Stored Random Voltages, A-133 Dual VC Polarizer and A-183-2 offset generator. The mixed output of the VCO-2RM runs through a STG Soundlabs Sea Devils filter and in part through a Synthrotek Echo. Enjoy!

Ladik Modules Review + Demo (Youtube Video): K-010 Utility CV Keyboard, K-011 Trigger to Keyboard and S-030 4Ch Clockworks4

Modular synthesis, especially the Eurorack format, has seen a great revival in the recent years. Frequently new companies enter the market trying to participate in the Eurorack gold rush. One of these relatively new outfits is Ladik (ladik.ladik.eu), a one-man company from the Czech Republic. I first learned about him while browsing for analog drum synths on eBay a while ago when he was offering his Synare 3 drum synth clone. Meanwhile Ladik has been busy developing literally dozens of Eurorack modules sporting everything from oscillators, modulators, filters, clock and MIDI utilities and many more useful CV processing tools. A very prolific developer indeed. 

Now since Ladik mentioned in his eBay auctions that he could make custom modules on request I got the idea to suggest creating a tool that would be damn useful but has been strangely absent in the Eurorack world:

A mini CV/Gate keyboard for the Eurorack. Sometimes I just want to play a little melody or transpose a sequence or program my old Roland CSQ-600 CV/Gate sequencer. A small 8HP module with one octave of keys and CV and gate outputs would be such a practical tool for that. Why hasn't anybody come up with this idea before? I approached Ladik with my idea early in 2015 and from then on had a very inspiring Email conversation with him. He agreed to develop the keyboard module and even came up with an idea for an extension module allowing to remote-control all keys of the CV keyboard. So yesterday, only 5 weeks after I voiced my idea, I received a package from the Czech Republic containing the Ladik K-010 CV Utility Keyboard, Ladik K-011 Trigger to Keyboard Extension and Ladik S-030 4ch Clockworks4 clock divider module. That was quick!

Ladik K-010 CV Keyboard

Let me give you a tour of the K-010 CV Keyboard module. We have one octave range of keys from C to C. When you press a key, the corresponding CV is output at the CV out jack. Additionally, a gate signal is present at the Gate Out jack as long as you press the key. When you release the key, the gate turns off but the CV is still present at the CV output. Each note key has its own LED which lights up fully when pressed. When the key is released the LED becomes half-lit. This way you can still tell which key was pressed last and likewise which CV you are still outputting. Very practical! A pair of octave up / down switches allows for a range of 5 octaves. The octave LEDs give you visual feedback about which octave you are in. LED off means: You are in the center octave. Octave up LED half lit means: One octave up. LED fully lit: Two octaves up. Same with octave down respectively. Now since I didn't want the octave switch to transpose my CV immediately upon button press, I requested a mode where the octave change becomes active only after you press the next key. So Ladik implemented this option for me and it works like a charm! You can even skip several octaves before pressing the next note key and it still works like it should. Nice! Alternatively you can have the octave buttons act immediately when you press them. Another mode is called "Octave Temp" and means that when pressing the octave key the transposition takes place immediately AND when releasing the octave key it instantly jumps back to the middle octave. In this mode however you only have 3 octaves at your disposal. 

Furthermore you can select high or low note priority which determines which key takes precedence if more than one key is pressed simultaneously.

There are 2 trimpots on the K-010 allowing you to set the V/oct scaling and offset of the module. It took me about 1 minute to calibrate my K-010 to my liking. Piece of cake!

Ladik S-030 4Ch Clockworks4, Ladik K-010 CV Keyboard and Ladik K-011 Trigger to Keyboard Eurorack modules

Now for the K-011 Trigger to Keyboard extension module. This is basically a remote control for all the buttons on the K-010, even the octave up / down keys! It is connected to the K-010 via two ribbon cables and draws its power from the K-010 as well. You can mount both modules in whatever order you like, the ribbon cables are long enough both ways. It accepts trigger or gate signals, activating the corresponding notes (CV and gate) on the K-010 CV Keyboard module as long as the trigger / gate input is high.

Now what do we get out of this combo? Well, first of all we have a freakin' mini CV keyboard in our Eurorack which is absolutely amazing! Second, we can use the K-011 extension to sequence the keyboard on "note level" via trigger signals, divided clocks, random gates or whatever you choose to throw at it. The results you are getting can be very musical and possibly ever-evolving and never repeating if you please. 
As you can see (and hear) in my demo video, you can get really creative and come up with very simple but charming little melodies. Possibilities are endless!

Ladik S-030 4Ch Clockworks4

The Ladik S-030 4Ch Clockworks4 is a 4 channel clock divider with adjustable division ratio and trigger length per channel. We have have two pairs of channels. Each pair is clocked by a common input. Both inputs are normalled so you only have to connect one clock signal if you want all 4 channels to receive the same clock. Alternatively you can feed both pairs of channels with individual clock signals. You can even feed the output of one channel to the input of another channel to receive even greater division ratios. Speaking of division ratios: Each channel has 2 knobs. The first knob selects the ratio you wish the incoming clock signal to be divided by. Available factors are 1 to 12. You can tweak the division knob on the fly, changing the division ratio as you go. This of course makes it tricky to "hit the spot" when trying to align your divided signal with the original signal the way you want. But on the upside this gives you complete freedom over where "in time" your divided trigger signal is. The second knob adjusts the length of the resulting trigger signal. That's very handy since you now have complete control over the "pulse widht" of the resulting trigger or gate signal. This is especially useful when you are working with ADSR envelope generators since these want a longer trigger in order to reach their sustain stage.

Now what if you set the channel's trigger length parameter to a length greater than the incoming clock intervals? Well, in that case all incoming triggers are skipped until the end of your channel's trigger has been reached. This way you can use the trigger length parameter as an additional clock divider if you like.

The S-030 Clockworks4 is an extremely useful, feature-packed tool that I am sure will be essential for my clocking duties in the future. Build quality is great by the way. Knobs are firm and smooth, jacks are firm enough and easy to operate. And I really like the design which is utilitarian but very pretty.

It is a strange thing that Ladik, given his wide range of over 60 (!!!) cleverly designed and useful modules, has not achieved more popularity. I hope that anyone interested in modular synthesis reads this review, watches this demo and goes about discovering the colorful world of Ladik Eurorack modules!

Arp Axxe & Roland CSQ-600 (Youtube video)

Celebrating my freshly repaired Arp Axxe's resurrection, I hereby present to you this little demo jam. A Roland CSQ-600 sequencer is driving the Axxe with CV and gate information (a 32 note loop). Watch me manipulate the Axxe's controls as the sequencer is rolling on. Just a bit of Korg SDD-1000 delay and Roland RSP-550 chorus added to spice up things.

When I was first offered my Axxe a year ago, upon first inspection it was in a somewhat pitiful state. A good friend of mine offered to repair it so I decided to buy it from its former owner for a good price and have it fixed later. All good. However, following last year's move, my Axxe started having trouble staying in tune; its pitch would fluctuate by +- 30 cents, even after hours of operation. So I handed it over to my buddy Tobi Tubbutec who repaired it by replacing its power transformer with a new one so it can now return in full splendor.

I don't want to repeat any of the Axxe's well-known specs as you can find them all over the internet. It is true that being a stripped-down 1-osc synth the Axxe cannot hold up to its older brother Odyssey's grandeur feature-wise. However, it does have THAT powerful Arp sound due to its massive oscillator and filter. Speaking of filter, this Axxe has the Timothy Smith filter mod that fixes a design flaw in the original filter circuit preventing the filter to open up completely. With this mod the filter works as intended and has improved response. Anyway, playing the Axxe is pure joy. It's so simply laid out that you can't get lost even if you try. You can build a new sound within a minute. Admittedly I am not a huge fan of the Axxe's PPC pitchbender as I have to press really hard in order to bend a semitone but it sure gets the job done. Another one of Axxe's quirks is its strange Sample and Hold feature. When turned on, pitch drops to the lowest C on the keyboard when you release the last key. Strange. Summing up, the Axxe excels at basslines and leads and actually quite a lot in between (effects, sequencer lines, percussive sounds, noise sweeps etc.). Sure I can imagine eyeballing its bigger brother, the Odyssey, but for its price I think the Axxe is a great alternative if you want that big ballsy Arp Sound.

Arp Axxe

The Roland CSQ-600 is a fun sequencer. It hails from the early 80s and has a strikingly familiar design. Sure enough it's from the same era as the TR-808 and has probably even been designed by the same person. For today's standards its 600 notes memory does not sound like much but I bet in 1980 it was a huge thing. And huge the CSQ-600 is, by all means (physically, I mean). It has great build quality, its buttons are a joy to push and it is ridiculously easy to operate, making sequencing other analog synthesizers a real breeze.

Roland CSQ-600

Sit back and enjoy this demo featuring two great vintage pieces of studio equipment and keep in mind: Never underestimate the Arp Axxe!

Korg Mono/Poly vs. EHX 8-Step Sequencer & Doepfer Modular Skiff (Youtube video)

Today I wanted to try out how I could spice up a simple 3-note arpeggio on my Korg Mono/Poly by sending some CV modulation to its filter CV input. So what you are hearing here is the Mono/Poly with its lowpass filter cutoff frequency being externally modulated by a small modular rig. I just added some delay and reverb from the Korg SDD-1000 and Dynacord DRP-20.

Running on its internal arpeggiator the Mono/Poly sends out a gate signal for every note. I took this gate signal and used it as a clock source to synchronize an Electro Harmonix 8-Step Program analog sequencer and a Pittsburgh Modular Cell 48 case with 5 Doepfer Eurorack modules.

Korg Mono/Poly

Electro Harmonix 8-Step Program Sequencer

Doepfer A-143-9, A-151, A-138m, A-133 and A-140

My latest modular acquisition is the Doepfer A-138m 4x4 matrix mixer. It really doesn't look flashy at all nor does it have a fancy name. But looks can be deceiving. This IS a highly versatile and mighty tool. What does it do? Well, the principle is simple: It has 4 inputs and 4 outputs. You can route any input (arranged in horizontal rows) to any output (arranged in vertical columns) with whatever level you like. One really useful feature is that you can set each output column to "bipolar mode", meaning you can turn each level knob to the center position for no signal or clockwise for positive and counter-clockwise for negative (inverted) signal. That's a great thing for CV signals, but you can also use it for audio signals for example in order to change the characteristics of a filter or for M/S processing of a stereo audio signal.

So here you can see (and hear) the A-138m in action. The A-143-9 VC Quadrature LFO is providing the Mono/Poly's filter with some nice audio-rate FM while the A-140 ADSR Envelope Generator modulates the amount of LFO signal going through the A-133 Dual VC Polarizer. You can clearly spot the effect of the ADSR in the youtube clip as it creates those "a-u" and "u-a" vowel sounds. The A-151 Sequential Switch is a real funky tool, too. It can be used to cycle through 4 independent signals by routing 4 inputs to 1 output or 1 input to 4 outputs at a time, making for some very interesting rhythmical modulations. You can use it both on CV and audio signals. Hey, you can even build a sequencer with it but I will go into this another time.
This skiff really is a fun little toolbox with lots of functionality in such a small space. Enjoy the demo!

Oberheim DMX Demo / Jam Session (Youtube video)

On a late August sunday afternoon me and a couple of good friends met at Astro Chicken studio for a jam session. We recorded about 4 hours of material with my Oberheim DMX, Korg Mono/Poly, Arp Axxe, Roland Juno-60 and SH-09. We moved through various styles and moods of electronic music together. It was truly inspiring. This Youtube video shows you some of the greatest moments of this 4-hour improvised jam session. Enjoy!

Let's go through the technical details:

We wanted to use the DMX's internal sequencer so we could edit the DMX's patterns on the fly. In order to do that we had to run the DMX in record mode. Additionally we wanted to slave the Mono/Poly's arpeggiator to the DMX. Since the DMX cannot be the slave when in record mode we had to make the DMX the sync master for this jam. I patched the DMX's MIDI out into an MFB Megazwerg's MIDI input. The Megazwerg is capable of converting MIDI clock to analog clock pulses (96 or 16 pulses per measure). I set it to 16 and routed the clock pulses through Megazwerg's inverter to feed the Mono/Poly negative clock pulses (the Mono/Poly's arpeggiator triggers on the falling edge of a square wave). So we managed to slave the Mono/Poly to the DMX's clock which is great fun! Arp Axxe, Juno-60 and SH-09 were all played by hand. 

Oberheim DMX

Korg Mono/Poly

Arp Axxe

Roland Juno-60

Roland SH-09

We routed the DMX's single outputs into an Ibanez RM80 mixer for EQ'ing and effects routing. The RM80's aux sends were routed to different effects processors. The Soundcraft Spirit M12 mixer was used for more signal and effects routing. We used a Korg SDD-1000 digital delay for long dubby delay effects. In some parts of the jam you can hear the delay time being modulated by the SDD-1000's internal LFO which makes it slowly vibrate in pitch. Yes, a simple and often used effect, but superb-sounding nonetheless. The long reverb tails are from a Lexicon LXP-1, possibly one of the greatest underrated cheap FX processors out there. And we got a Korg DRV-3000 taking care of some atmospheric chorus & delay work.
Note that we recorded the whole jam session as a finished stereo track into Ableton Live. No further effects were added! Just some dynamic processing and EQing with Waves plugins.