Muff's Modules & More

radiokoala · Last edited by radiokoala on Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

Okay, I updated my monotribe and DIY'd a CV/gate sending cable, and here's how it sounds:

[s]http://soundcloud.com/radiokoala/monotribe-fun-times[/s]

Sputnik DWG as a modulator. Osc1 sends CV/pitch information, and Osc2 gates the envelopes. In other words, it is frequency modulation by Osc1 since voltage is continuous, and it makes it sound more interesting than sending note values. Some cross-modulation between two oscillators as well.

For receiving CV I used Hz/V mode, and for gate an inverted trigger mode, because in usual mode I had no luck triggering the gates with a VCO. (Even though with square waveforms not in CV/gate mode it worked!)

Oh, and almost forgot: yes there is delay/reverb, for added liveliness, but it is an output of a monotribe only, nothing else. (No VCO to audio in or anything...)

Regarding the patch itself, overall it looked something like that:

Enjoy.

felixer

radiokoala

felixer

radiokoala

crippletoe · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:20 pm Post subject:

hey radiokoala,
can you explain a little what exactly did you do in order to be able to send in cv/gate signals?
did you have to modify the monotribe or is it some new firmware feature?

oscillateur · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 6:33 pm Post subject:

It's a new firmware update. No mods needed.

crippletoe · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 7:06 pm Post subject:

is that the 2.0 firmware update? what possibilities does it give exactly? couldn't find anything on the korg site...

oscillateur · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:33 pm Post subject:

It's OS 2.11 but it's only on the Japanese version of Korg's website so far (probably hasn't been translated yet) :

http://www.korg.co.jp/Product/Dance/monotribe/version2.html
http://www.korg.co.jp/Support/Download/Update/monotribe/

You basically get CV/Gate input using a stereo minijack in the Trig In input.

Edit : I think it's actually a 4 poles mini jack that is needed

radiokoala · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:12 am Post subject:

Yes, correct, a 4-pole mini jack. I DIY'ed my own, it's two mono patchcords on one side and a single plug on the other that is inserted in the monotribe.

When you download a firmware, despite manual is in japanese, inside pdf there is a pinout. Tip is for gate, ring 2 CV, sleeve is ground. Ring 1 is not used, but I have a madman idea that maybe in the future they will add a filter CV?! MY ASS IS BLEEDING

Regarding the possibilities of new firmware, in 2.0 there is a plenty (sample&hold, 16 steps for synth...etc), and 2.11 only adds CV/gate mode.

Oh, and last: update procedure is identical to 2.0, just read it in a guide that comes with 2.0 (it's in English). To enable CV, after updating you need to power on monotribe holding SN and GATE. Then press step 1, it turns on CV/gate mode. Last, to save settings press REC. Switching between Hz/V and V/Oct mode is step 2, and trigger/inverted trigger response is selected by a step 3. That's pretty much it. thumbs up

crippletoe · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:34 am Post subject:

wonderful!
of course a standard camcorder has the CV ring wired to ground so those cannot be easily used... puh... still i am so impressed by KORG for doign this!
in fact, i suspect that they did not come out internationally with this yet because the next update should (hopefully) feature a CV/GATE OUT functionality (coordinated with the release of the new ms20 of course ...)

grin

either way, GOOD NEWS!

rockwoofstone · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject:

I've just thrown together the appropriate cable and performed the update, and there's a couple of minor changes you need to make to radiokoala's process to get this to work with standard Eurorack kit.

Assuming you've successfully installed the Monotribe v2.11 update, go into the appropriate setup mode as radiokoala describes by turning on whilst pressing SN and GATE.
You need to make sure that step 1 is lit to enter CV/GATE mode.

This is when things need to be a little different....
Set step 2 and 3 to be UNLIT, which selects V/OCT and the appropriate gate mode for Eurorack (i.e. high gate = note on).

You finally need to calibrate the Monotribe to your input. Easiest way is to use a MIDI module in your rack, so you know exactly what you're feeding in....

Set the VCO Octave on the Monotribe to 16' (I can't tell if you need to do this now, but as it is recommended for when you are doing CV/GATE playback, you may as well do it here just in case).

Select KEY or NARROW range on the Monotribe.

Play note C4 on your keyboard, ensuring your new cable is plugged into the Monotribe (i.e. CV & GATE are both being sent). Whilst holding that note, press PLAY. The LED on the PLAY button will light for around a second then fade out.
Next, play note C5 on your keyboard, and again, whilst holding that note, press PLAY on the Monotribe and wait a second for the LED to fade out.

At this point, you have successfully calibrated the Monotribe, perfectly aligned with an exact 1V/Oct range, and effectively tuned to your system (assuming standard tuning ;-).

Press REC to save the settings, and you're ready to go.

Hope that helps!

One final thing to note is that the MT doesn't appear to be able to respond to any form of envelope, but is limited to it's own three internal envelope shapes, with the second and third picking up a sustain stage in line with the gate length you send. The first envelope has it's own decay, but that cuts off abruptly when the gate closes. Still, better than nothing!

rockwoofstone · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:47 am Post subject:

Of course, as an addendum to the above, that all only applies if you want a "vanilla" approach to controlling your Monotribe. If you want to be somewhat crazier with your sounds, the videos radiokoala is churning out have some great approaches in them!

radiokoala · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:02 am Post subject:

rockwoofstone · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:10 am Post subject:

Hehe!

The quantising idea got me thinking that as the facility is there to calibrate the MT, you could force some further transposition which isn't full-octave focussed by calibrating at something other than C4-C5.

In other words, you can set the 1V/OCT scale to be whatever you like by just substituting C4-C5 calibration to be whatever you'd like 1V to represent, based at whatever note you desire.

radiokoala · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:22 am Post subject:

hamildad · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:53 am Post subject:

when using the Monotribe MIDI mod, there is significant clicking as the internal envelope gate cannot sync with the incoming midi note on/off, this means its fine when filter resonance is high, but dial it down and the clicking is noticable and unwanted.

How is the monotribe when using the CV/gate for sequences/keyboard?

sounding nice?

cant believe the functionality that this unit has, I had written off another firmware update after 2.0.

rockwoofstone · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:55 am Post subject:

@hamildad It can be a bit clicky, very dependent on the envelope selected, so judicious setting of the knobs is in order to minimise that. I got some reasonably usable output.

phono1337 · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:33 pm Post subject:

awesome thread guys, just added cv/gate jacks to mine, quick video

some pics of the solder points on my blog thumbs up

Cozmic023 · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 5:57 am Post subject:

Wicked news guys, I've still got my thoughts on getting a desktop module like the Monotribe.

They are very tweakable, and can be modified for midi. (And now CV)

I'm still undecided, but i'm looking at either:
Korg Monotribe
Doepfer Dark Energy (and maybe Dark Time too?)
MFB Nanozwerg
MFB Dominion X

I do own a Blofeld desktop synth (which i love, and is great sounding.) But want something CV synth based that can be used with the modular.)

Cheers
Lee

Edit: Bought a Monotribe this week, great little box!! SlayerBadger!