Shades as offset for modulating Slim Phatty?

Eurorack
#1

Hi, I’m a Eurorack noob. Been lurking here, on Muffwiggler, and a few other places. Caved in today, ordered a Peaks, a Frames, a MIDI/CV interface, and a HEK, all just to modulate a Microbrute and a Minibrute (for now, at least).

I will probably soon also buy an offset, so I can modulate a Slim Phatty safely, and I want to know if Shades can do that.

I’ve patched my Microbrute’s LFO to control the Slim’s filter, and that sounded good, but the SP manual says it wants -5/+5V CV.

Yves Ussont said on the Arturia forums that the Minibrute takes 0-10V input (although in practice it can handle something more like -5V to 12V). So I’m assuming the Microbrute puts out 0-10V as well. I’ll be borrowing a voltmeter soon to check this out, but the Microbrute CV drives the Minibrute perfectly, so it seems a safe bet.

Assuming this is correct, can I use a Shades to offset 0-10V down to -5/+5V? That’s the impression I get from the “Offset generation” section on the module’s page. Although it also seems to imply that the offset capability only works on channel 2, so if I want to offset multiple CV signals for use with the Phatty, I might need more than one Shades.

Also: what CV range do Peaks and Frames put out?

My guess: -5/+5V for LFO modes, and 0-8V for ADSRs. Which would suggest that I should attenuate any ADSR signal from Peaks before patching it into my Moog, but I don’t have to worry about the LFOs.

My reasoning: as far as I can tell, Doepfer set the Eurorack standard, and this Doepfer page says the A-100 LFOs run -2.5/+2.5V, while its ADSRs run 0-8V.

And this Muffwiggler discussion says that a lot of manufacturers will diverge from these standards from time to time, but 0-8V is normal for ADSRs. No definitive answer re LFOs but it looks like -5/+5V is more common than -2.5/+2.5V.

#2

Whoops, sorry - Peaks output range was answered in another thread.

#3

going to agree with the person in that thread who said it’d be useful for to have this stuff in the user manuals online, btw.

#4

First thing to know: unless the product is designed by lunatics (or beginners), an out of range voltage on a CV input will not cause any damage - it’ll just clip. At the very worst it could push an oscillator or filter out of its nominal range and cause it to behave strangely, lose self-oscillation… but never destroy parts.

It’s very likely that an analog LFO will output a bipolar voltage - so I suspect the range of the microbrute LFO is /- 5V or/- 8V.

Frames’ CV outputs are either 0 to 5V or 0 to 10V depending on the jumper on the back of the module.

Also: John Barth

#5

Oh dear! I wish I hadn’t looked at this thread. I can see a copy of Goat-Boy on my shelves from here - I have now been tasked to re-read it. And it is 800 pages long…

#6

Thanks Olivier! Well, what made me anxious was a post in the Moog forums about gate input:

Theoretically, the Slim’s Gate jack should be robust enough to handle +15v. However, I don’t recommend doing this for prolonged periods of time. If you plan using this setup regularly, then a CV attenuator is an excellent idea. Anything below +6v or +7v, should be safe.

But that was about gate, not CV.

Also, sorry if my name is trolling you guys. It’s just an ancient nickname from high school. People have bought me copies of Giles Goat-Boy as a joke, because my name’s Giles and that’s a rare name in the US, but I have to confess I’ve never actually read it. Partly because it’s 800 pages long. :slight_smile:

#7

It’s a great book, a minor masterpiece, I think, but you do need to be into post-post-modernism. Barth was definitely before-his-time, and then he went quiet for decades, and consequently is not that well known.

#8

I actually got a Kindle sample and started reading it. it’ll have to be like a side-side-project though.

#9

Oh god you finally gave in after all? Welcome. :slight_smile:

#10

@thijs I thought that might be you! yeah, I decided I just didn’t have enough gear. also hello other Giles. I suppose we can manage some cheerful insanity even in the absence of a Fripp.

#11

I took it off the shelf last night to remind myself what it was like. Very clever, but very heavy going. Then I put it back on the shelf.

#12

My name is Giles as well. It gets confusing since people assume they’re the only one around :slight_smile:

#13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLukUKA1khM

#14

ok, for the record, I’m about 300 pages into Giles Goat Boy now. I feel marginally more erudite than previously.