Synth Journal: Modular News from Make Noise, Erica Synths, and Doepfer
Synth Journal: Modular News from Make Noise, Erica Synths, and Doepfer · Source: Erica Synths, Doepfer, Make Noise
In this week’s Synth Journal, we check out a fancy new Eurorack case from Make Noise, a not-so-DIY drum machine from Erica Synths, and a slew of new 1U modules from Eurorack inventor Doepfer.
Synth Journal
Make Noise 7U 4 Zone CV Bus Case and CV Big Bus: A Big Upgrade for the Popular 7U Case
The new Make Noise 7U 4 Zone CV Bus Case pairs the manufacturer’s popular 208-HP 7U form factor with the new CV Big Bus, an evolution of the original CV Bus designed in 2013 for Alessandro Cortini’s system. Compared to the older model, the CV Big Bus offers twice as many channels (8 instead of 4). As with the previous CV Bus, these signals are conveniently distributed across the center of the system, allowing for quick and clean patching. Illuminated numerical indicators make it easy to keep track of what’s going where. According to Make Noise, the new system was designed to accommodate the higher modulation density of modern systems, such as the manufacturer’s own New Universal Synthesizer System (N.U.S.S.).
The new case is made of powder-coated metal and features updated mounting rails. The sliding nut design of previous versions of the case has been replaced with new black anodized tapped strips. The lid is removable and can be closed with the system fully patched. The bus boards have also been upgraded with shrouded power headers to prevent incorrect powering of modules.
The new Make Noise 7U 4 Zone CV Bus Case is now available from our partners Thomann* and Sweetwater*. The CV Big Bus can also be purchased separately, in case you want to upgrade your older 7U case.
Erica Synths KONSTRUKT-8: The DIY Drum Machine is now Available Fully Assembled
Earlier this year, Erica Synths announced KONSTRUKT-8, a DIY modular drum machine based on the designs from the EDU DIY series developed in collaboration with Moritz Klein. If you can’t be bothered to put the thing together yourself, you can now also purchase KONSTRUKT-8 fully assembled. Personally, I think that kind of defeats the purpose and takes much of the fun out of it, but if soldering isn’t your cup of tea and you just want a working modular drum machine, the fully assembled version is the way to go.
KONSTRUKT-8 includes the following modules:
- Kick Drum (analog bass drum based on a resonant bridget-T network)
- Snare Drum (analog snare drum with a tuned resonator and a burst of filtered transistor noise)
- Hi-Hat (metallic percussion module based on six dissonant square wave oscillators)
- FM Drum (versatile percussion voice with two interacting oscillators)
- 4-channel Drum Sequencer based on shift registers
- 4-channel Mixer with FX sends and a master insert
- BBD Delay with flanger and delay modes
- Compressor
You can get the assembled version of KONSTRUKT-8 with (€640) or without (€520) a matching case and a set of patch cables. The DIY version is also still available and costs €490. All prices exclude tax/shipping.
Doepfer’s 1U Modules Are Available Now
At Superbooth in May, Doepfer surprised everyone when the company embraced the increasingly popular 1U format. Now, the first set of 1U modules is shipping and ready to order. The following modules are now available to populate the 1U rows of your case:
- A-130-3(1U): 1U version of the A-130-3 Dual VCA
- A-138-6(1U): 6-channel mixer
- A-142-5(1U): Dual Decay/LFO
- A-142-6(1U): AD/LFO
- A-155-3(1U): Miniature Ratcheting Analog Sequencer
- A-190-7(1U): Micro MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface
Doepfer also has a new case to accommodate the new 1U modules. The A-100 Suitcase Version 7U Case is based on Doepfer’s popular basic A-100 6U case, but replaces the strips at the top and bottom with a new 1U row located in the middle.
You can order the Doepfer 1U modules and case from Thomann*.
*This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
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