I haven't mentioned it on this blog yet: I bought a second-hand Beatstep Pro from Arturia. Beatstep Pro Beatstep Pro is a triple sequencer: two melody sequencers and a dedicated drum sequencer. It has MIDI and USB inputs and outputs, but above all CV/gate/modulation and trigger outputs, which are useful for driving a modular synthesiser. My now-ancient Korg SQ-1 pales in comparison. The Beatstep Pro can be used as the master sequencer in my setup. This machine is cool, very playable and goes perfectly with a modular synth. Not much else to say about it. Synth setup Here's ..read more

This Random module, with its noise generators and sample&hold, is one of the first modules I made in 2017.  It's based on a design by Yves Usson for his Yusynth. For some time, I had been under the impression that the output of the sample&hold had no influence on the modulations I assigned it to. After some investigation, it appears that the input jack is at fault.  This jack has a switch so that if no plug is connected then the internal noise feeds the sample&hold. When a plug is connected, it opens the switch and the input signal feeds the sample&hold function. &nb ..read more

Percall is a percussive oriented module that will shape four different sound sources into percussive sounds. Percall has four VCAs with dedicated decay envelopes and a mixer so that you can prepare a percussion submix.  (Source : befaco.org) Freshly finished As soon as Befaco introduced this module about 2 years ago, I wanted to have one. However, at the time, available space in the suitcase and other priorities forced me to hold off. Using my need for a new VCO and my choice of the Pony VCO, I upped my order to Befaco with a Percall kit. This kit is qualified as "high grade ..read more

Befaco Pony VCO I decided to replace my two Mammouth Boutique modules with two new Befaco kits. The wooden front panels are very cool, but they contrast a bit with the rest.  Besides, if the modules are okay, I wanted something else. After much hesitation, I decided to replace the oscillator with the new Pony VCO from Befaco. The other alternatives were two completely different modules: Make Noise STO and Klavis Twin Waves. One for its clean sound and simplicity, the other for its possibilities. In the end, the Pony VCO was chosen for its size (only 4 HP) vs its possibilities. A ..read more

At the end of 2022, I took part in a giveaway organised by Thonk, an online shop for modular synthesizer products. The goal was to raise money for a charity for Pakistan. The prize was a Plinky, an out of the ordinary synthesizer with a very peculiar interface. Thonk also had the good idea to include 2 modules from Music Thing Modular. I was lucky to be among the 4 people who won this giveaway. And I am now the proud owner of these two modules: Startup and Twin Drive. Unboxed Startup includes a clock generator in the upper part, with a tap tempo and a split control. The lower part is ..read more

I bought this module kit from Mammouth Boutique before the shop closed. So it's been a while. I finally put some time into it at the end of 2022 to start building it. Finished Avalanche   The kit Avalanche is a rather imposing module with 42 HP (21 cm long). It consists of 8 oscillators with a filter, an envelope generator, an internal clock, a sample&hold and an effect processor.  The latter is based on an FV-1 SMD chip and is pre-soldered onto the board. It's semi-modular, so you don't need any cable to produce a sound. But you can take advantage of the rand ..read more

The curtain has fallen.  Since December 2022, Mutable Instruments has ceased its activities. It had been a while since Emilie had announced that she was stopping. No one is taken in by surprise. As stocks are running out, I found this last module second hand. MI Veils 2020 I enjoyed the previous version of this quadruple VCA.  The 2020 version offers the same features in a smaller footprint and a nice look. I've fallen for it. This will probably be my last Mutable Instruments module. Thanks for everything Emilie ..read more

Here is a short sample of what you can do with Ornament & Crime (OCP) module. I know, I was not very prolific producing music these past months. Here goes. Jay F. · Some Drums Some Bass   OCP euclidian rhythm params This five-track piece was recorded on a single session.  No detailed patch today but a light description with the links to the modules I used. Ornament & Crime with the Pique application generates the three envelopes for the drums using the included euclidian rhythm patterns.  Kick is Ripples filter pinged and modulated by OCP envelope number 1. Lig ..read more

Ornament and Crime is one of the Eurorack modules constantly recommended in modular synthesizers forums, along with Math from Make Noise, Batumi from Xaoc or Clouds from Mutable Instruments. If we add that it is basically an Open Source project, that it exists mainly as a kit and that there are several variations of the firmware, it goes without saying that I needed one.  Front side I decided on the Plum Audio version, a kit available from the Thonk online shop.   This improved version has input control in the form of attenuverters with LEDs, output voltage adjustment ..read more

I'm no stranger to participate to some Internet forum challenges or contests.  Some of them are being illustrated in this very blog.  I participated in about ten One Synth Challenge sessions, some other KVR contests and more than my share of Audiofanzine contests.  Lots of these can be found in this Soundcloud playlist. But this was different. Some admins from the site ModWiggler decided to have a contest between them to create an odd meter track.  The challenge here was be to ‘remix’, or ‘re-mangle’, or ‘reimagine’ the winning track (whatever that means) and use at least t ..read more