Westlicht PER|FORMER Sequencer (DIY)

[theotteryears]

hi,
I have terrible audio noise on my output when using the Westlicht. This is worse when changing screens, with the step edit screen being the worst culprit. is there anything I can do?

Thanks

[sduck]

What kind of power supply are you using? And who built your performer? If you've got basically lousy power, it could be that adding this complicated digital module pushes it to its limits. Or it could be suface noise from leftover flux on the board - a good cleaning might fix that.

[theotteryears]

Thanks for the reply - I'm using a Doepfer LMB100 with these specs: two built-in A-100PSU3 : +12V/4000 mA, -12V/2400mA, +5V/8000mA

The performer is the only module in the LMB case (with all my other modules in a larger case above it) - as soon as I connect an output into the rest of my system I get this noise.

Will try cleaning it. I bought it from someone on eBay (will have to look up who it was) though they said they never had any noise issues.

[knifey]

Thanks for the reply - I'm using a Doepfer LMB100 with these specs: two built-in A-100PSU3 : +12V/4000 mA, -12V/2400mA, +5V/8000mA

The performer is the only module in the LMB case (with all my other modules in a larger case above it) - as soon as I connect an output into the rest of my system I get this noise.

Will try cleaning it. I bought it from someone on eBay (will have to look up who it was) though they said they never had any noise issues.

Could be a grounding issue, if you're connect the module from one case to modules in another case? I use 4 small skiffs and connect them all over, so I get noise sometimes, but I don't really care because my music is kind of noisy anyway (and once the music starts happening i really don't notice it)

[theotteryears]

Yes I thought that. Tried moving the westlicht into the main case- but still have the same noise problem. Think it’s to do with the screen, somethings not right but I don’t know what!

[knifey]

Yes I thought that. Tried moving the westlicht into the main case- but still have the same noise problem. Think it’s to do with the screen, somethings not right but I don’t know what!

Then it's probably something in the hardware. Check everything is connected nice and tight, if there are headers and things that connects more than one PCB together, make sure nothing is loosely connected. Something could have come a bit loose during shipping.

[sduck]

And try switching power cables

[theotteryears]

switching the power cable made things marginally better, but the noise is still there

[Electro Something]

So what’s the latest on obtaining a Performer? Just check Reverb daily and pray?

And for those who’ve used a Eloquencer as well, I guess you’re loving the Performer even more? I’m trying to decide between the two.

[theotteryears]

Performer is my favourite sequencer that I’ve tried!

[PolarIceCaves]

Has anyone thought of building an expander for this? Would love to have another 8 trig/cv outputs.

[knifey]

Has anyone thought of building an expander for this? Would love to have another 8 trig/cv outputs.

Hmm. How would that work? There's only 8 tracks of sequencing.

[PolarIceCaves]

Has anyone thought of building an expander for this? Would love to have another 8 trig/cv outputs.

Hmm. How would that work? There's only 8 tracks of sequencing.

Guess I should word that a bit differently.
I wonder if Simon or another coder has thought of modifying the firmware to allow for an expander to be created to allow for more gate/cv outs.

[KittenVillage]

Has anyone thought of building an expander for this? Would love to have another 8 trig/cv outputs.

Hmm. How would that work? There's only 8 tracks of sequencing.

Guess I should word that a bit differently.
I wonder if Simon or another coder has thought of modifying the firmware to allow for an expander to be created to allow for more gate/cv outs.

You could build a second one, sync the clocks and swap sd cards...

[PolarIceCaves]

Thank you lol

[Kattefjaes]

So what’s the latest on obtaining a Performer? Just check Reverb daily and pray?

And for those who’ve used a Eloquencer as well, I guess you’re loving the Performer even more? I’m trying to decide between the two.

Have used both. Currently have the Performer in the rack, Eloquencer in the cupboard. Some points as they occurred to me, personal impressions only:

The Eloquencer has much nicer industrial design. The ergonomics are fancier too- the big friendly buttons that light up. That grid pattern display is awesome. Because of the interface layout it's more immediately obvious how to use the Eloquencer, you can grok the basic sequencing functions without a manual. It's friendly and fun. You can map a bunch of external MIDI controller stuff to control functions of the device, if you have the MIDI expander ("EME"), which also adds some useful buttons that improve the UI. The Eloquencer has a bunch of outstanding bugs- the one where the MIDI command to clear focussed pattern but doesn't remove ties, necessitating a long-press on each really pisses me off when trying to record in from a keyboard. The Eloquencer has not seen a firmware update since the start of 2020 lockdowns. The developer is still alive, is very friendly and posts on his support forum, but development seems pretty stagnant.

The Performer has a more fiddly physical layout. The little buttons aren't as comfortable/sturdy, and the tiny LEDs not as bold and clear when you're busy. Some of the UI can be somewhat cryptic and depends on some secret handshake combos. It doesn't need an expander to talk MIDI. It works incredibly well with a MIDI keyboard. It has slightly weird but entirely awesome Launchpad support- didn't support the Launchpad Pro Mk 3, but I picked up a Mini Mk 3 and it was absolutely worth it- made it a lot more playable. It has incredibly powerful internal routing/modulation, and supports things like conditionals which can be nice. Some elements of the UI can be cryptic and the manual is a little strange- but enthusiastic users have made some good youtube videos which can help a great deal.

Right now, if I had my time again and had to pick one, I'd be leaning towards the Performer, but I have also really enjoyed using the Eloquencer- especially having it generating tons of variation on a single pattern to produce surprisingly complex results, it's a very good time.

Sequencers in Euro are a very subjective thing, sometimes it's hard to know unless you actually try something in your system. If you do see a Performer floating by, I couldn't honestly say that it's not worth a try, if it looks at all like your sort of thing. Do try the Launchpad support too.

[Electro Something]

Have used both. Currently have the Performer in the rack, Eloquencer in the cupboard. Some points as they occurred to me, personal impressions only:

Cool thanks for sharing all that! Which do you prefer for randomization, probability, creative melodies, and jamming?

[knifey]

I've only tried the Eloquencer at a store I used to work at, and also at a client's house. Thing is, as much as I used to avoid working with modules with screens, I connected with the large screen on the Performer much more than the small screen + light grid on the Eloquencer. Especially with the Curve tracks on the Performer, the screen is essential.

Also, you can do CV recording/looping on the Performer with its curve tracks, and note tracks as well - you can record incoming LFOs or other signals into "quantized" sequences on note tracks. THAT is amazing for jamming - I've tried connecting just the output of a voltage offset (off anything like Blinds, Shades, Triatt, etc) into a CV in of the Performer, and when you activate Record on a Curve track, and move the offset knob, you're basically manually drawing in complex modulation shape into the Performer, and you turn off Record and that loops back and you can send that out to anything. And you can repeatedly do that to continuously update your modulation loop. If you do that with a Note track, you're sort of recording new melodic loops every time you record incoming CV.

[dooj88]

I've only tried the Eloquencer at a store I used to work at, and also at a client's house. Thing is, as much as I used to avoid working with modules with screens, I connected with the large screen on the Performer much more than the small screen + light grid on the Eloquencer. Especially with the Curve tracks on the Performer, the screen is essential.

Also, you can do CV recording/looping on the Performer with its curve tracks, and note tracks as well - you can record incoming LFOs or other signals into "quantized" sequences on note tracks. THAT is amazing for jamming - I've tried connecting just the output of a voltage offset (off anything like Blinds, Shades, Triatt, etc) into a CV in of the Performer, and when you activate Record on a Curve track, and move the offset knob, you're basically manually drawing in complex modulation shape into the Performer, and you turn off Record and that loops back and you can send that out to anything. And you can repeatedly do that to continuously update your modulation loop. If you do that with a Note track, you're sort of recording new melodic loops every time you record incoming CV.

its fun to play live loops with a keystep!

[Bachelard]

Here's a demo using an EG or function generator to modulate the Westlicht's tempo, and then using one of the Note CV outputs to modulate the envelope. CV feedback patch, if you will. Not restricted to this sequencer, of course; just something I wanted to try last night.

[Artaos]

Does anyone on here would like to recommend a builder that DIY’d their Westlicht Performer?

[rayultine]

https://github.com/westlicht/performer/ ... ag/v0.1.40

Bachelard,
A few of our big requests have been fulfilled!

[vasculator]

Does anyone on here would like to recommend a builder that DIY’d their Westlicht Performer?

There are 4 Westlicht Performers in the 'used' section at Ctrl Mod right now. I bet they will tell you who made them if you ask and that they aren't used. Psyched for this 1.40 release!

[Electro Something]

Does anyone on here would like to recommend a builder that DIY’d their Westlicht Performer?

There are 4 Westlicht Performers in the 'used' section at Ctrl Mod right now. I bet they will tell you who made them if you ask and that they aren't used. Psyched for this 1.40 release!

...make that 3 in Ctrl Mod right now. Yoink! I'm psyched to join the Performer party!

[vasculator]

Does anyone on here would like to recommend a builder that DIY’d their Westlicht Performer?

There are 4 Westlicht Performers in the 'used' section at Ctrl Mod right now. I bet they will tell you who made them if you ask and that they aren't used. Psyched for this 1.40 release!

...make that 3 in Ctrl Mod right now. Yoink! I'm psyched to join the Performer party!

that's awesome. it's by far my favorite sequencer w/ a screen. i highly recommend picking up a launchpad 2 mini to go w/ it!