Monday, 28 July 2025

UNO Synth Pro

 A demo of the UNO Synth Pro.

...
Thanks for holding the meeting last Tuesday Ed.
We met Chris Steller, product specialist with Sound & Music. 
Chris has a wealth of industry experience as a presenter and trainer in hardware and software music technology.

Wednesday, 23 July 2025

Buchla 156

 The  Buchla 156 is a very early example of a CV processor .... possibly the earliest.


It was developed to enable more flexibility in the 
Buchla 100 system.

Most of the early 100 modules (such as the Buchla 158 VCO) didn't have a any way to attenuate /offset voltages entering their often single CV inputs. 
So the 156 was developed to do this.
In the later 200 series Buchla added CV processors into modules like the 258 VCO. (see pics below)

As Buchla evolved, new CV processor modules were invented such as the 256, 257 & the Verbos 254v but the 156 is the grand daddy of them all.

The module consists of two independent CV processors.... left (A) & right (B).

Left CV processor (A)
The left CV processor has two inputs. They feed into a mixer (bottom knob) .
The centre knob (offset) adds a + voltage
offset to the input (0V-15V range). 

If you are using this in a 200 system the voltages will probably be in the range of 0-10V.


The top knob mixes between the external signals and the internal voltage offset . 
The output is at the top 

Right CV processor (B)
The right processor is similar to the left one except it has one inverting input. 























Buchla 158 & 144 VCOs
 didn't have many CV inputs so the 156 was useful in manipulating CV voltages from keyboards and sequencers before they touched the VCO.

The 258 incorporated CV processing circuits into the module.


other Buchla CV processors:

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Verbos 254v (buchla format)

 This is essentially two Buchla 257 modules in one.....
 with an additional CV in. 


Great for smaller systems where in one panel space 
it can do most of the scaling , 
adding and modifying of voltages you would ever need. 


Each section has 4 inputs.

Input 1/2:  Inverts/attenuates and scales voltages 
                 from the input .... allows for -12 to zero 
                 to +12V control of whatever is plugged 
                 into the jack

Input 3/4 : The voltages can be crossfaded with 
                  the knob or a CV at the banana input 
                  between.

 V(Offset):  Adds a DC offset to the final output.
                   The offset knob's range of output is
                   -12 to +12V
                   (12'oclock is 0V if nothing is plugged 
                    into any inputs)
                   

Friday, 4 July 2025

Moog modular - Friday night Jam

 A impromptu jam last might. 
My mate Ed and I decided to play with the old Moog.
This hasn't been used in a while so it was good to see most things worked.



The old VCOs drifted a lot so it was a battle to keep things in tune.

This is the old moog:

Above are some Synthesizer.com sequencers / modules
and other misc 5U modules

Patch notes:
The two 960 sequencers are synced.
The right is the master.
They control various filters, VCAs etc of Moog 
I'm using one sequential switch to add variation to the sequences
Its triggered from the 1st 960 and the Klee 


-------------------------

Two Q960 sequencers can be synchronized or used independently to create complex sequences. They can be patched together to create longer sequences, or one can be used to modulate parameters of the other. 

Here's a more detailed explanation:
1. Synchronization: 
To run two Q960 sequencers at the same speed, the clock output of the first sequencer can be patched into the shift input of the second.
Ie; Use the osc of the 1st sequencer to shift the osc of the second sequencer.

To create a slower tempo on the second sequencer, you can use a clock divider (like the Q962) to reduce the clock speed before patching it into the second sequencer.

2. Creating Longer Sequences:
By patching the step output trigger from the first sequencer into the shift input of the second, you can create sequences that are multiples of the original length. 
For example, chaining two 8-step sequencers in this way can create a 16-step sequence, or even a 24-step sequence by using the three rows of the Q960 

3. Independent Use and Modulation:
One Q960 can be used to transpose the sequence of the other, by patching the first sequencer's step output to the second sequencer's shift input and using its CV output. 
You can also use one sequencer's CV output as a modulation source for another, controlling parameters like filter cutoff or VCA. 
One sequencer can control the gate of another to create rests or shorter phrases within a longer sequence. 

4. Additional Tips:
The Q960 has a reset input, and the reset can be triggered at any point in the sequence, allowing for complex rhythmic patterns. 
The Q962 sequential switch can be used for various purposes, including dividing the clock, muting sounds, and controlling the sequence direction.