Malekko Heavy Industries Voltage Block

[Gringo Starr]

Im considering getting the VB but I’m wondering if it would be overkill. I’m not interested in using it for melodic sequences. I’m wanting to use it more for modulation. Anyone else use it mainly for this purpose?

[celestial tomes]

For sure, great modulation source. Probably better for that than sequencing pitch because you really need an attenuverter to get more control over the frequency range.

[Ivo Ivanov]

Im considering getting the VB but I’m wondering if it would be overkill. I’m not interested in using it for melodic sequences. I’m wanting to use it more for modulation. Anyone else use it mainly for this purpose?

That's what most people use it for: modulation. For pitch sequencing, it's a bit of a bear because of the 0-5v limit and those short sliders. That and the lack of visibility over what's happening on any of the channels (other than some blinking LEDs which don't help much) bugs me the most in regular use. That said, I think the VB is a rad module and I seem to find a use for it in every other patch.

[Gringo Starr]

This is a module for some reason I never looked too closely at until recently. My sequencing duties are fulfilled so I was just curious about this. Thanks for the responses. I think I’m gonna give this a shot.

[Gambeat]

Its good for many things, especially with modules with many CV in like Basimilus Iteritas Alter

[Hovercraft]

Not sure if this is common knowledge, because I stumbled on it by accident--Malekko has posted a firmware update for the new version VB's on their website.

https://malekkoheavyindustry.com/voltage-block-updates/

It seems to have fixed a few issues noted earlier in the thread, and there's now an octave restrict function per step--which should be a big improvement for melodic sequences.

[Fedor]

Ah, mine is too old, 1.2 But I've been doing doing pitch sequencing with it regardless. Its fun to mix 2-3 channels into a quantizer.

[Treibstoff]

I have a dark blue PCB not red. I dont have any Revision on that PCB. So this is not the new one and no possibility to upgrade the firmware? Maybe someone with the new PCBs can take a picture of it and post it here?

[HelmutGeist]

Not sure if this is common knowledge, because I stumbled on it by accident--Malekko has posted a firmware update for the new version VB's on their website.

https://malekkoheavyindustry.com/voltage-block-updates/

It seems to have fixed a few issues noted earlier in the thread, and there's now an octave restrict function per step--which should be a big improvement for melodic sequences.

Great! Wouldn't have found this otherwise! Thanks dude!

[funeralcake]

Hm... I might have to try to sell my too-old one to help pay for one that can actually be updated, particularly since I use it so often for melodic sequencing. Even more now, since getting a Trigger Riot.

By the way, a cool "some day" update would be a way to backup saved banks by outputting a data stream from one jack, which could be recorded and subsequently reloaded the same way the firmware is loaded on newer versions via the clk/cv input... It's obviously not the most elegant solution in 2020, but if it's possible to make it work with the jack output/input interface, I'm happy to use it. I don't expect it to ever happen, though... or maybe it's already possible and I was just too lazy to read the whole manual...?

[BlinkyLights]

I love mine for modulation.

Would never use it for melodic sequences, myself.

[Gringo Starr]

I have a dark blue PCB not red. I dont have any Revision on that PCB. So this is not the new one and no possibility to upgrade the firmware? Maybe someone with the new PCBs can take a picture of it and post it here?

Are the new PCB’s suppose to be red?

Ahhh just looked. It should be black and say v1.5

[Treibstoff]

I have a dark blue PCB not red. I dont have any Revision on that PCB. So this is not the new one and no possibility to upgrade the firmware? Maybe someone with the new PCBs can take a picture of it and post it here?

Are the new PCB’s suppose to be red?

Ahhh just looked. It should be black and say v1.5

No, red pcbs are probably the very first version of VB´s. I have a dark blue one and had the hope that its one of the the new ones, but it isnt unfortunately :(

[Raindeer]

I’m thinking of using VB for both melodic sequencing and modulation across the different channels. Looking at alternatives to Varigate for gate sequencing.

I have some 1U space... so would Steppy 1U be good for this and has anyone tried the VB-Steppy combo?
Cheers

[Polyterative]

I’m thinking of using VB for both melodic sequencing and modulation across the different channels. Looking at alternatives to Varigate for gate sequencing.

I have some 1U space... so would Steppy 1U be good for this and has anyone tried the VB-Steppy combo?
Cheers

I'm about to. Got a VB now waiting for a steppy 1U (6 months in waiting list, sigh...)

[jschussler]

Has anyone successfully upgraded their firmware? I've tried both straight out of the iPhone and via a headphone amplifier at high gain, but no joy.

If you got it done, please share your setup....

[Joey P.]

Has anyone successfully upgraded their firmware? I've tried both straight out of the iPhone and via a headphone amplifier at high gain, but no joy.

If you got it done, please share your setup....

Used my audio interface (line level) into Intellijel case i/o board and 1U i/o module. Line level was very hot....just below peaking the i/o input LED indicator. So output of that into VB was basically eurorack level....in other words, needs to be HOT.

[jschussler]

Finally got it to work. Ran the iPhone out into the WMD Performance mixer, turned the channel gain all the way up, the master all the way up, all the things all the way up...and it worked.

That's not "hot," that's "surface of the sun" hot.

[Polyterative]

Yeah i've tried like 20 times before cranking the volume up. Needs to me hotter than-3dB(0dB @10V for reference) pretty much.
It's sensitive but the update works and I have to encouter a bug to date. The old hardware revision with the red pcb was freezing often, the 1.5 works as intended.
Would love more direct communication from malekko tho, buying a used VB is risky is you don't know about the PCB and upgradability thing

[Polyterative]

I’m thinking of using VB for both melodic sequencing and modulation across the different channels. Looking at alternatives to Varigate for gate sequencing.

I have some 1U space... so would Steppy 1U be good for this and has anyone tried the VB-Steppy combo?
Cheers

I'm about to. Got a VB now waiting for a steppy 1U (6 months in waiting list, sigh...)

Okay steppy came in so I played with it for a couple of days now.
It works nice with the VB, I enjoy being able to clearly see the steps as they are about to fire on the steppy and the voltages on the VB.

The only thing to keep in mind is the reset, you need to find a way to reset them simultaniously because if you use different measures on the two they can go out of sync easily (for examble 6 steps on the steppy and and 8 on the VB).
I am doing it with a syncronized pulse from my Batumi, but you need to think about this is you want to use the VB and steppy together. If I want to play with the reset i wire up my Falistri which has a manual button that fires a pulse. Multing the pulse then does the trick.

So yeah good experience so far.

[Conatus]

Hi all, I tried looking up posts regarding my question but wasn't lucky… If this doesn't belong here or it has been asked before please let me know!

I recently got myself a VB to accompany my Varigate 4+ & Basimilus and modulating the BIA is fun like this. I do run into some problems though and I'm hoping that someone can point me in the right direction

The thing is, VB in slave mode works fine as long as Varigate functions as the main clock, i.e. as it sends a clock out to my other rack where my 4ms QCD disrtibutes clock signals to the rest, and clock to VB through the busboard. So far so good.
The Varigate however is only controlling the BIA and I don't want to have that running the whole time.

When I use the QCD as my main clock and send a clock to the Varigate, the Voltage Block doesn't listen to the Varigate very well. It runs, but it keeps running when I stop the Varigate, only resetting when the Varigate is being stopped.

This way it's quite impractical to start a drum sequence at any given time…

Varigate, VB and BIA are in the same skiff. My main rack has the QCD and there's a Mother 32 (standalone) and a Matriarch in the system too.

My question is, is this normal behaviour or am I missing something?

ps. the VB has blue pcb's and serial #VB4638

[dekeship]

Hey Conatus,

I don’t have any experience with the QCD, but I’ve run into a similar problem when I tried to clock a VB to another 4ms module, the Dual Looping Delay. On the DLD, the clock runs constantly, regardless of whether or their modules are running or stopped.

Easiest fix is to use Varigate as the master and slave the VB and QCD to it. If you need to use the QCD as the master clock, don’t slave the VB, patch it into one of the 4 clock outs on the QCD and patch the RESET OUT from the Varigate -> the RESET on the QCD channel where the VB is patched. It won’t stop the VB, but the VB will at least start on the 1.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[1n]

Im considering getting the VB but I’m wondering if it would be overkill. I’m not interested in using it for melodic sequences. I’m wanting to use it more for modulation. Anyone else use it mainly for this purpose?

It's the most accessible unit I've used for modulation - had to sell a couple of years back and found different ways to do some of the things it does. If I had space and cash, I'd get another.

[Conatus]

Thanks, really appreciated!
Unfortunately this doesn't work. Seems like a mess with Malekko

Using the Varigate as a master clock will stop the rest of my system when I stop the drums.

Giving Varigate a clock in, will transfer the clock to the VB and keeping it running the whole time. The VB only resets on stopping the Varigate, pressing play does not affect the VB at all.
The reset on the Varigate is an input unfortunately (I did try if it would send out a reset too, but no )

I've tried with all diff setting on the VB (clk/slave) and it appears not to work

Let me rethink this whole thing one more time here!

[Iskar]

I have an issue with a dead channel, It is not muted itjust doesn´t record anything. The led on the slider turn red when I move it, but nothing happens on the top led of that channel after that. Any workaround to reboot/flash the whole module somehow? The total silence from Malekko is not of any help. So please if you have any ideas then I am all ears.