Music Thing Modular - Control
Product information "Music Thing Modular - Control"
Control is a 18hp Eurorack controller module designed to improve the ergonomics of a modular system. Control allows the user to provide precise but also creative manual control voltage over many elements at once.
Control has four big knobs that output voltages. Connect those voltages to modules, and you have high-precision, intuitive control. Connect those voltages to several modules, and you have interesting, repeatable confusion.
Features:
• The first two channels (top two knobs) are also attenuators if something is plugged into the leftmost sockets.
• The voltage on each channel can be adjusted via the switches: 0–5v (middle), 0–10v (up), or -5v to +5v (down). When using a channel as an attenuator, keep it in 0–5v or you’ll get weird gain or offset (which you may want).
• There are two extra outputs. The Change output will output just the changes as they happen. If a knob is turned quickly to the right, it will output a little burst of positive voltage. If a four-handed performer turns all four knobs quickly anti-clockwise, it will output a chunky pulse of negative voltage. Patching Change into an input creates a primitive clock.
• Diff is a difference rectifier, inspired by NonlinearCircuits, but with a slightly different circuit. It compares the difference between 1&2, and between 3&4, and will then finally output the difference between those two differences. The aim with this output is to create a bumpy, unpredictable positive only voltage between 0 and 10v. It’s not random, but it’s not easily predictable, either.
• Each knob has its own bi-colour LED to provide visual feedback on how much voltage is being output. There are also LED indicators for the Change and Diff outputs.
The circuit is a stack of LM324 op amps, and the pots are nice high quality TT Electronics P260T – as used in SynthTech modules and many 5U synths. They have steel shafts bolted to the front panel and they feel great.
DIY-Kit-Type:
SMD-Kit-1. This is a Do-It-Yourself kit, not an assembled module. The kit includes all parts to build the module. All SMD parts are pre-soldered, only trough-hole parts to solder. For build guide, more info, videos etc. please check the buttons below.
Control has four big knobs that output voltages. Connect those voltages to modules, and you have high-precision, intuitive control. Connect those voltages to several modules, and you have interesting, repeatable confusion.
Features:
• The first two channels (top two knobs) are also attenuators if something is plugged into the leftmost sockets.
• The voltage on each channel can be adjusted via the switches: 0–5v (middle), 0–10v (up), or -5v to +5v (down). When using a channel as an attenuator, keep it in 0–5v or you’ll get weird gain or offset (which you may want).
• There are two extra outputs. The Change output will output just the changes as they happen. If a knob is turned quickly to the right, it will output a little burst of positive voltage. If a four-handed performer turns all four knobs quickly anti-clockwise, it will output a chunky pulse of negative voltage. Patching Change into an input creates a primitive clock.
• Diff is a difference rectifier, inspired by NonlinearCircuits, but with a slightly different circuit. It compares the difference between 1&2, and between 3&4, and will then finally output the difference between those two differences. The aim with this output is to create a bumpy, unpredictable positive only voltage between 0 and 10v. It’s not random, but it’s not easily predictable, either.
• Each knob has its own bi-colour LED to provide visual feedback on how much voltage is being output. There are also LED indicators for the Change and Diff outputs.
The circuit is a stack of LM324 op amps, and the pots are nice high quality TT Electronics P260T – as used in SynthTech modules and many 5U synths. They have steel shafts bolted to the front panel and they feel great.
DIY-Kit-Type:
SMD-Kit-1. This is a Do-It-Yourself kit, not an assembled module. The kit includes all parts to build the module. All SMD parts are pre-soldered, only trough-hole parts to solder. For build guide, more info, videos etc. please check the buttons below.
| Current draw +12 V [mA]: | 52 |
|---|---|
| Current draw -12 V [mA]: | 35 |
| DIY Level: | Easy |
| Depth [mm]: | 24 |
| Width [HP]: | 18 |
| Format: | 3U |
| Panel / Color: | Silver Alu |
Manufacturer "Music Thing Modular"
Eurorack Modular Synth format. They are designed in Herne Hill, London by Tom Whitwell.
I’m a former journalist and magazine editor (Mixmag & The Face). In the noughties I ran the Music Thing blog, before working at The Times. Got into DIY electronics after attending a workshop with Tom Bugs, reading Handmade Electronic Music, playing with Arduino and building guitar pedals.
Contacting me directly is rarely a quick way to get help with a project or a technical problem. GitHub issue lists are a good place to start (Turing Machine, Radio Music), a search of MW DIY will often find answers, as will looking at the Facebook Synth DIY group.
You can read more about Music Thing Modular and open source in this article: Why Open Source Music Hardware works for Music Thing Modular.
Login