Idea for a frames expander, technical advice please

#1

So the classic serge programmer has stage select gate inputs, right?
This is quite cool as it allows the user to select steps in a sequence using trigger outputs.
The programmer becomes something like a note and preset bank.
Now frames has the capability to act as an intuitive and quick programmer but it naturally lacks stage select inputs, instead you have to use voltage to select a stage.

Im imagining a small module with 4-8 gate inputs, each with a potentiometer to set a voltage -5 to +5 volt and a single output.
Now if you patch a gate signal to one of the inputs and the gate goes high, the selected voltage is present at the output until a different input receives a gate (or trigger)
This would allow the user to select keyframes according to a triggers from e.g. the six grids outputs.
If two inputs are triggered at the same time, the lowest-order gate will have the priority.

Basically, you can program six preset keyframes using frames and use them to set up six different sounds in a patch, then play this patch like you would play the sounds on a drum machine.

Im not technically inclined so I’ll ask you guys for advice on the practicability of this, yay or nay?

#2

A sequencer with stage select, like the Sputnik here, would do what you want. A bit overkill, but maybe there are similar seq’s.

#3

Get a 2-HP mix. Set each gain knob to a different level. Patch the mix output to a S&H clocked by the same clock as Grids (or get a second mixer or OR module to OR all triggers together). Patch the output of the S&H to the FRAME CV input of Frames.

#4

yeah, it would for sure but then its 20 something hp for something doable with frames. thanks for the suggestion though :slight_smile:

#5

thanks, you even taught me this technique before haha
However for this to work with lets say 6 keyframes, id need:

  • a six channel or combiner
  • a six channel mixer
  • a sample and hold
  • a six channel multiple

Its quite a lot of patching and eating utility modules like cake. My question was maybe worded a bit clumsily, I was curious about expert opinion on the feasibility of breadboarding a circuit like that. Like “sure, you can do it yourself its super simple” or “yeah kinda, get your electrical engineer friend” to “forget it man, you need NASA level tech skills for this”

#6

I talked about a module to do this exact thing a while ago, as it happens.

I had a slightly different use-case, though. My idea was to use it as an interface between a multi-channel trigger sequencer like Grids, and a sample-player like Radio Music, that uses CV to select different samples to play.

As @pichenettes says, there are ways of doing this by combining several other modules, but I still think there’s a case for a single, simple module to do the job.

I hadn’t thought of using it with Frames, but it would work equally well, in fact.

#7

I would do that with a 4051 - just selecting which of the pots is routed to the output. The logic side could be done with a few IC (some OR gates or latches and a priority encoder), though it might be simpler and cheaper to just go with a simple 8-bitter.

Relatively easy project.

#8

That’s what I thought: ATMega + transistors, pots.

#9

Would be easy to create an app for Ornament &Crime to do this, with 8 gate inputs (the 4 hardware gate inputs plus the four CV inputs used as gate inputs) and 4 CV outputs in the -3.5V to +6.5V range. No new hardware needed, just a bit of coding, US$120 or so to DIY or about US$220 or less pre-built, and you’d get 10 or so other useful apps as well.

#10

That is a brilliant idea!

#11

I still think a dedicated module, with a pot for each channel would be cool.

I think the main obstacle would be finding the best way to handle multiple triggers happening at the same time, or in very quick succession.

#12

Would you really need pot for each channel? Maybe if each channels had a fixed value, it would still work.

And I would add another trigger input, who could be used to switch between each values.

So you could either trigger a specific CV value, thus a specific frame, or circle through them, like a sequencer.

#13

You’d need pots to be able to use it to select specific samples in different sized banks of samples in eg a Radio Music.

#14

i dont know, fixed values seem to impair the “jamability” of the module and also kind of make it hard to deal with if youre not exactly hitting the value you need on e.g. a sampler.
the step through gate input seems like a cool idea although youre getting close to a traditional programmer this way while also probably requiring more panel space.

#15

Totally. I had this idea thinking about an expander for Frames. I didn’t think about other sampler like Radio Music, or Disting.

It should required just the space of a jack socket on a panel.

#16

I though maybe 6x pairs of jack trigger inputs and pots next to each other (probably with those plastic shaft pots with no knobs, like the small ones used on lots of MI modules), plus output CV and trigger/gate, maybe with pot for gate-length.

Should be easily possible in a 5HP width.

#17

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Verbos Sequence Selector will do that for a lot of money.

#18

I know now that the question was about a DIY solution, but…
Wouldn’t it actually be possible to do this with a Stages, 4 segments in looping HOLD mode and then just a passive mult on the four outputs. That would only be about 8 hp :slight_smile:

#19

But wouldnt that result in 4 mixed dc offsets?

#20

Been looking at it but honestly the astronomical prices mark is charging keep me from buying an of his stuff