ACL Sinfonion

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:54 pm

Hi guys,

since the Sinfonion project has been moved from Instruo to ACL (Audiophile Circuits League) I think it makes sense to start a new topic for the final version of this module. I invite you all for discussion and questions about the ACL Sinfonion here.

Here is a summary of the technical changes to the module in the move from Instruo to ACL:

1. For sake of flexibility the dedicated CV jacks for MODE and DEGREE have been converted into the two assignable CVs "CV3" and "CV4" (which can also be assigned to MODE and DEGREE of course)

2. The CHORDS section now has a new button "13TH". That way you can create any arbitrary chord from the current scale with up to four voices.

3. The ARPEGGIO now also has dedicated buttons for 11TH and 13TH. The functionality of the less important buttons SYNC and BEGIN have been combined into one button in order to save one button.

4. The button layouts of all five sections - including channel 3 - are now identical. This helps live improvisation a lot.

5. Last but not least we got two new pots POT1 and POT2, which can be assigned to all CV functions where this makes sense. So manual wiggling of such cool CVs as "chaotic detune", "harmonic shift" or "chords bend" does not need an external CV module nor wastes one of the CV inputs.

6. Alas - the module size has increased from 38 to 42 HP. Sorry for this. But the musical neccessity of the two additional buttons and the benefit from the two pots was so great so we could not resist.

Here are two mockups:

For what the face plate concerns: I know that not everybody of you is a fan of grey as opposed to black. Yes, the black Sinfonion looked really cool. I very much like the design of all of Jason's modules a lot. But I also found myself liking the sober, technical, industrial style of ACL more and more. Maybe it's the understatement that is appealing to me. And Martin from ACL has done a really great job in reinterpreting the Sinfonion in ACL style! Anyway - this change of color is just a coincidence and not the reason for the transfer to ACL

Of course for ACL it wouldn't make any sense to deviate from their design scheme for just one module.

Last but not least there will also be an increase in the price. I know that the new estimated price of 960,- EURO is a lot of money. I can understand everyone of you who thinks twice before spending so much money on just one module. But quality has it's price. The ACL Sinfonion will be manufactured in Germany - also the population of the PCBs. ACL explained to me that China is not an option for them. Even if their low prices are tempting - you can never be sure that they really mount the high precision parts that you have ordered.

And you can be sure that one Sinfonion is still much cheaper - both in money and in HP - than a bunch of loosely coupled quantizers and chord generators that try to mimick even a small part of its functionality.

For my part I am really looking forward to the time when the Sinfonion finally will be made available to all of you that are waiting for it and get all of your feedback - may it be critical or enthusiatic!

mdoudoroff · Post by **mdoudoroff** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:58 pm

Very excited!

hemeroscopium · Post by **hemeroscopium** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:04 pm

i'm on the buy list already and eagerly awaiting to unlock this beast

, 4x Ts-L from instruo will be my chords xD

mdoudoroff · Post by **mdoudoroff** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:06 pm

erenod raises an important question: will you be accommodating the waiting list that some of us believe we are on that began at Instruo?

Innerself2007 · Post by **Innerself2007** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:57 pm

Seeing the close up picture of this module, I think it looks pretty sharp. Has an almost ER-301 OD look to it. I like it!
I'm still on board for this, I need to start saving my pennies and space.
Its going to be a fantastic module I'm sure, looked great before now it just has more features. I will be waiting patiently.

Lunartransit · Post by **Lunartransit** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:20 pm

Do the square buttons actually light up so it's easy to see which intervals you chose? On these pictures they look like non-transparent. That would make it a lot more difficult to navigate (in the old Instruo demo they light up, which seems to work great).

peripatitis · Post by **peripatitis** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:23 pm

forget it

-S.L- · Post by **-S.L-** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:37 pm

this is the number one module on my wish list, since the begining of the project, and remains number one at this moment and very much looking forward to it.

I just can't wait !

RecycleYourPets · Post by **RecycleYourPets** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:44 pm

that gray panel is gorgeous!

Vokx · Post by **Vokx** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:55 pm

The more I look at it, the more I’m starting to like the design of this module.

For me, the biggest letdown is the price. I don’t have a huge system and it’s a bit hard to justify the cost. But that doesn’t mean I’m off board. I still want to be on the waiting list (I’m already on the Instruo list).

Now the biggest question is: When?

mrerdat · Post by **mrerdat** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:15 am

mdoudoroff wrote:erenod raises an important question: will you be accommodating the waiting list that some of us believe we are on that began at Instruo?

Definitely want to know the answer to this as well since I think I was one of the first people on the Instruo list. If not, sign me up for the new list

-S.L- · Post by **-S.L-** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 4:46 am

I was, I think the first

But I think ACL is a bigger company than Instruo (where Jason is doing everything, from design, soldering, distributing etc...) so I'm, confindent that they will not do these modules one by one, but there will be a first batch where there should be enough to coveer the first demand.

Vokx wrote:The more I look at it, the more I’m starting to like the design of this module.

For me, the biggest letdown is the price. I don’t have a huge system and it’s a bit hard to justify the cost. But that doesn’t mean I’m off board. I still want to be on the waiting list (I’m already on the Instruo list).

Now the biggest question is: When?

when : (early) 2019

Althou Sinfonion will work with any system, in your case, a small one, I think it will shine with big system with tons of synths voices.

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:00 am

Lunartransit wrote:Do the square buttons actually light up so it's easy to see which intervals you chose? On these pictures they look like non-transparent. That would make it a lot more difficult to navigate (in the old Instruo demo they light up, which seems to work great).

The square buttons will be illuminated as well, of course. You are right, this is very important. In the mockup image you cannot see this, you are right. But real ones will, in two different brightness levels. That way you can distinguish between the selected notes and the currently played one.

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:04 am

mdoudoroff wrote:erenod raises an important question: will you be accommodating the waiting list that some of us believe we are on that began at Instruo?

Yes, we really want to make sure that everyone that is on Jason's list will get the chance to buy one Sinfonion of the first batch. The exact way of distribution is not decided yet, however. It might be the case that ACL will deliver directly or via your local dealer - depending on your country (USA, Europe, Japan, etc.). We're currently checking this out.

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:10 am

erenod wrote:i'm on the buy list already and eagerly awaiting to unlock this beast , 4x Ts-L from instruo will be my chords xD

4 Ts-Ls seem to me like giving a really fat and rich sound. A good companion for chords is also the Doepfer A-111-4. This is based on four CEM3340 chips and tracks very well over a wide range of octaves. Good tracking VCOs help a lot in a patch with many voices. Furthermore it has the best ratio of VCOs per HP that exists in Eurorack i guess. Even better is two of them - doubling up each of the voices with one octave distance. Believe me, I know what I'm speaking of

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:19 am

Vokx wrote:Althou Sinfonion will work with any system, in your case, a small one, I think it will shine with big system with tons of synths voices.

Of course, you can never have too many VCOs

But seriously - even if you have just one or two voices: You can think of the Sinfonion as a kind of next generation uber-quantizer: Indepentantly playable intervals for each channel, tons of CVs, sequencing, clever tuning mode, global transposition, internal routing matrix for inputs and outputs (new), top precision bypass at a single button press, just intonation, display, octave switches for each channel, glide detection, note selection based on downbeat / offbeat and so much more.

There is just one danger: after having played the Sinfonion for a couple of months you will hardly be able to make music without one anymore

-S.L- · Post by **-S.L-** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:31 am

Supermathi wrote:
There is just one danger: after having played the Sinfonion for a couple of months you will hardly be able to make music without one anymore

....and will want a second one

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 11:47 am

-S.L- wrote:
Supermathi wrote:
There is just one danger: after having played the Sinfonion for a couple of months you will hardly be able to make music without one anymore
....and will want a second one

... which is actually quite fun. I'm using indeed two linked Sinfonions in my modular. Using a simple patch cable for communication they create a master/slave setup. The slave Sinfonion always follows the master in all musical parameters like root note, scale, transposition and so on. You can have any number of slaves by using multiples.

This is also a way for jamming with your friends in a very musical way. Like a band that always plays in the same key - with the one difference that the master can change chords / scales any time he likes and everybody will immediately follow. Just throw over one longer patch cable to your mate and here we go...

astrodislocate · Post by **astrodislocate** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:38 pm

I'm not personally much into melody-centric sequencing, but I've gotta say this looks unbelievably sexy form a visual standpoint.

hemeroscopium · Post by **hemeroscopium** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 5:27 pm

@Supermathi thanks for suggestion! Might actually go that way

.
for VCOs i'll have Omega Phi, Verbos CO, R*S NTO so its already pretty heavy. Maybe the doepfer instead of Ts-Ls makes sense (cheaper for sure ;P)

gummyboy · Post by **gummyboy** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:50 pm

Sorry if this has been answered. I can't find it.

Can you CV control "inversion", "voicing", or "diatonic" like Harmonaig?

It looks like I can do the "diatonic" manually with the pad on ACL Sinfonion.

Big thanks!!!

jsco · Post by **jsco** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:34 pm

sigh. wishlisted. this is exactly what i keep trying to achieve with a bunch of loosely coupled quantizers and chord generators.

Lunartransit · Post by **Lunartransit** » Tue Sep 11, 2018 12:15 am

Supermathi wrote:
4 Ts-Ls seem to me like giving a really fat and rich sound. A good companion for chords is also the Doepfer A-111-4. This is based on four CEM3340 chips and tracks very well over a wide range of octaves. Good tracking VCOs help a lot in a patch with many voices. Furthermore it has the best ratio of VCOs per HP that exists in Eurorack i guess. Even better is two of them - doubling up each of the voices with one octave distance. Believe me, I know what I'm speaking of

Two Klavis Twin Waves would also work great, they are small and will also give you a lot of different sounds

Der Mann mit der Maschine · Post by **Der Mann mit der Maschine** » Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:33 pm

Hi all,

I've just uploaded another demo of "Sinfonion Music" to Soundcloud. Sequencers are just used for a simple bass line and for the melody theme - both quantized with the Sinfonion into the correct chord situation.

This has been recorded in one single stereo track without any overdubbing nor any effects. The only editing in the DAW was for trimming the start.

Two linked Sinfonions control more than 20 VCOs.

https://soundcloud.com/dermannmitdermas ... s/melodies

-S.L- · Post by **-S.L-** » Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:58 pm

absolutely insane.

I want mine now.

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

ACL Sinfonion

ACL Sinfonion