We have an extreme excess of Multi panels (do to a series of unfortunate events!).
Rather than toss them, perhaps someone out there can figure out a module that would use *only* the existing holes (we can strip and rescreen the printing).
There are 5 jack holes and one pot hole. You can look at the panel here:
http://www.blacet.com/multi.html
You don't have to draw up any schematics; just figure out the general purpose and label the panel.
I don't know what the prize will be yet but it will be something good, depending on the "brilliance" of the concept.
I reserve the right to forget the whole thing if no one comes forth with anything useable!
Send entries to blacet@blacet.com with "Blacet Contest" in the subject line. You can send a .jpg and/or a written description.
Everyone really deserves credit for a lot of great ideas! We had about 50 entries and it was hard to choose just a few winners.
There were 17 ideas that were of the "scanner/switch" type module, so that really begs for a new product.
Two other modules, phase shifted waveforms and sample/holds also were popular.
In the end, I had to pick some intriguing modules that made me wonder what they would do or even if they were possible.
The Grand Prize ($100 Blacet Gift Certificate) goes to KH's "Phase Spread Module".
The Runner Up ($50 Blacet Gift Certificate) goes to D's "SHHH, Sample and Hold and Hold and Hold Module"
Honorable Mentions ($25 Blacet Gift Certificate) goes to:
PL's "Haaspertame Module", MMG's "Xpander Module", PW's "Clocked Random Pulse Generator Module",
M's "Three Input Scanner Module", and CC's "Headphone Amp Module".
The winners are also noted below.
These Certificates are good until the end of 2006. Just mention them when your place an order.
Thanks again to everyone!
Fun idea for a contest.
How about:
A simple phase inverter
O = Input
O = same signal, 90 degrees out of phase
O = same signal, 180 degrees out of phase
O = same signal, 270 degrees out of phase
Knob = dial in a specific amount of phase difference for bottom output
O = output based on knob setting
Thanks for your patience....--GR
This looks PERFECT for a gate delay type of thingy. The lowest jack is the GATE IN, but if there is nothing connected to it then the POT is the RATE of the internal gate. The other four jacks are /1, /2, /3, & /4 delays (the / reads as “divide by”)
<>That would be cool!--MM
No JPG, sorry, but I have a few ideas. I am not an engineer and some of
this may not be possible, but *I* think these ideas are useful :)
1. Materioptikon (Phase anti-cancel)
o One input
o static 45 degree phase shift output
o static 90 degree phase shift output
o static 180 degree phase shift output
o knob for variable phase shift output
o variable phase output
Sort of like the "Dual Filter" module is a no-CV minimal version of your
other filters, this could act as an inexpensive, minimal phasor that one
dedicates to solving phase cancellation issues. It may be particularly
handy for live performance, where you may not have a handy "flip phase"
button on the house mixer (or where no such house mixer exists and you are
on your own).
Honorable Mention
2. Haaspertame (Haas effect stereo sweetener)
o Left (or mono) input
o Right input (if you want to make a stereo image "Wider")
o Left Output
o Right Output
o knob for "amount of stereo spread"
o CV input for variable sweetness
About the only thing I use my Lexicon Vortex for is the Haas effect built
into the Choir patch. I barely understand what it does, but I know I like
it :) Ok, make it a dedicated module for turning little mono signals into
big sprawling stereo monstrosities. Amount of stereo width set by a knob
or modulated by CV. In an ideal world, I guess you'd have an attenuator
for the CV; perhaps is should be built so that when you plug a cable into
the CV input, the spread knob magically becomes an attenuator (did I
mention I am not an engineer?).
3. Source of only a little certainty, or "Wogglito"
o Rate CV in
o Step Clock CV in
o Disturb in
o Smoothed output
o "Clustering" knob (as in the Wiard)
o Stepped audio out
Totally out of my depth here, but take a WoggleBug or SOU module and
extract a minimal set of controls for creating random voltages. Feed it
a few LFO signals for clock, rate, and disturb, then one knob to set the
output range within possible 0-10V, and smoothed and stepped out.---PL
I'd be very happy to buy from you to add to my setup.
All of them are designed with the Multi panel "Upside Down", so
that the pot is closer to the top. Additionally, two of the designs
also incorporate adding a small 2-position toggle switch, like the
one on your VCO or your Final Filtre, which I think there is ample
space on the Multi panel layout for. However it would of course
involve drilling one hole in each of the panels, so I don't know if
that fits your requirements or not.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the ideas. I'll describe each
one 'top-down' starting with the uppermost jack, then the pot, then
the remaining jacks in descending order.
#1: MultiTap Splitter
----------------------------
Multi-tap a single gate input into multiple cascading gate outputs!
Like a multi-tap delay, but for gate signals. Handy toggle switch
lets you use it as a simple multi-tap delay as well.
- Top jack is CV In for 'Time', which is also adjustable by the pot.
- Pot adjusts 'Time'
- Toggle switch mounted below pot, toggles the unit to process
'Gate' or 'Audio'
- Next jack down for 'Input'
- Next jack down for Single divisions out
- Next jack down for half divisions out
- Next jack down for quarter divisions out
Honorable Mention
#2: Xpander
-----------------
Use your modules in external effects chains, OR use external
processors within your modular. Instrument or line level.
- Top jack is CV In to control Blend (Wet/Dry), also adjusted by the
pot.
- Pot adjusts Blend (Wet/Dry)
- Toggle switch mounted below pot, toggles the unit between
Instrument/Line levels for the external send & return
- Next jack down for "In from Modular"
- Next jack down for "Out to external"
- Next jack down for "In from external"
- Next jack down for "Out to Modular"
#3: Simple S&H
---------------------
S&H of incoming waveform, as well as internal sinewave.
Seperate outs. Bonus feature: can be used as simple sinewave lfo.
- Top jack is CV control of 'Rate', also adjusted by the pot.
- Pot adjusts 'Rate' (both the rate of the internal sinewave, and the
rate of the S&H's sampling)
- Next jack down: 'Waveform Input' (Normalled to internal sinewave
when nothing plugged in here)
- Next jack down: 'Output of Sampled Sinewave Only'
- Next jack down: 'Output of Sampled External Wave Only'
(identical to the previous jack if nothing is inserted into 'Waveform
Input' jack)
- Next jack down: "Output of Pure Sinewave, unsampled"
#4: Simple Ringmod
---------------------------
The name says it all. Perhaps 'Frequency Shift' (or something like
that?) is a better candidate for the CV and the Pot, than 'Blend'?)
- Top jack is CV control of Blend, also controlled by the pot below.
- Pot adjusts wet/dry blend. Maybe it should be freq.shift or
something else instead?
- Next jack down: Audio In
- Next jack down: Carrier In (maybe normalled to some interesting
internal waveform?)
- Next jack down: Output
- Next jack down: 100% wet out? shifted frequency out? hmm.
#5: Simple VCO
----------------------
Again, it's all in the name with this one. Fairly fixed frequency
range, outside of what the 'Fine' knob can get you to.
- Top jack is obviously gonna be CV In, v/oct.
- Pot is 'Fine' so you can tune the thing. Maybe it's possible to
slightly adjust the range as well.
- Next jack down: Sinewave output
- Next jack down: Saw wave output
- Next jack down: Square wave output
- Next jack down: Noise? Maybe half osc. rate output?
Maybe mount a toggle switch to get from LFO to audible
frequencies, so it's usuable as a simple LFO also?
--MMG
Or, you could always just do the opposite of a multi and offer a 4-into-1 merger unit/unity gain mixer --MMG
Here's my idea: 4 in 1 out or a 1 in 4 out selector. The top 4 jacks can be
inputs or outputs and the bottom jack can be the common jack. A rotary
switch can do the selecting. See the attached jpg file. This is the simplest
idea I can come up with. --D
A module with five jacks and one pot? My first choice
would be a VC Quadrature Generator. From top to bottom
on the Multiple FP: four LFO phases Out, an Initial
Frequency knob, and a CV In (or maybe it'd work better
if you flipped the panel ;) . It'd be a small and
simple, yet pretty useful little module, and a natural
match for your Quad VCA for a cool VC quad
auto-panner. ---SR
Honorable
Mention
I have a
suggestion: A clocked random pulse generator.
The bottom hole
is input. Inside there is a unit that on random or pseudo random base
put out
some of the signals in the jack above. The probability of it is decided
by the
pot. The third, fourth and fifth jacks from the bottom has a frequency
divided
signal, for example 0,75 0,5 and 0,25 of the pulse rate of the second
output. When
a signal appears in two outputs at the same time, the one with the
fastest rate
is always suppressed.
At fast LFO
level, it would be a device for rhythm, triggering noise or metal
sounds, high
hat if you like. At low LFO rate, could be used for triggering
different parts
of a complex patch. At audio range, with low setting of the
probability, it
would be a bit like a random controlled pulse oscillator and a
frequency
divider with a lower fifth added to the two sub octaves, a true
fattener of the
VCO. I am not sure about the ratio of 0.75 is correct for the fifth,
but that
can be checked out.
Another
refinement is to use one of the five jacks as CV input for the
probability
function. Then there would be one pulse input, and three outputs for
random
signals with different time signature. It would increase flexibility,
but is
not necessary.
I guess that it
could be built around off the shelf digital counters and logic
processors.
The name could be
"The Dice man" or something like that. I think it would fit together
with your other modules, like the Binary Zone and the audio/clock
divider.
In my setup, run
a combination of Doepfer/Analogue Systems/Metasonix/Analogue Solutions
modular together
with the Clavia G2 virtual modular. I frequently use the clocked random
generator
of the G2 for many purposes. But I have not seen a correspondent gear
in the
real modular world yet. And making it the way I suggest would make it
more
versatile than the clocked random pulse generator of the G2.
Can you make an external patchable module device that will work with
the 5 jack holes and have it stick out like a wart. Blacet wart module?
1 part just hangs on little 1 in cords but has the other knobs you need
for the other half of the module. It has to be ugly. Have a very nice
day. Im cold. bye --J
nice idea with the contest :-)
here are my first suggestions, maybe i send some more next week.
1.
how about an octave switch module for your vco's?
- one rotary switch to select the octaves (probably -3 to +3).
- two inputs for pitch cv's (unity gain precision mixer)
- two outputs holding the (buffered) mix of all inputs + rotary switch
- another output which holds only the voltage from the rotary switch,
or probably a third pitch cv output (same as the other two outputs)
2.
a simple s/h module with lag
- knob for slew time
- two sample inputs (mini multiple, only one real input)
- clock input
- sampled output without lag
- sampled output with lag
3.
a quantizer
- a knob to determine the scale
- two inputs for pitch cv's (mixed internally)
- three quantized outputs
4.
a dual quantizer
- a knob to determine the scale for quantizer 1
- input for quantizer 1
- two outputs for quantizer 1
- input for quantizer 2
- output for quantizer 2 (fixed 1/12 volts steps)
5.
a buffered version of the multiple
- same as the passive multiple, but active
- maybe the knob could not only attenuate, but also amplify (2:1)
6.
an octave switch module with built-in 1/12v quantizer
- same as suggestion 1, but with a simple built-in quantizer
---IZ
I hope *multiple* entries are OK!
(I should get bonus points for that one)
My Lag Generator and Differential JPGs are attached --AS:)
Here's one of my ideas (I hope you'll accept more than one entry per
person since I have a few more kicking around, too!). A
straightforward 3-stage shift register. I inverted the panel so the
pot was near the top. The top jack is an external clock input that
would override the internal clock. The pot controls the rate of the
internal clock. The next jack is the input, and the bottom three
jacks are the three output stages of the shift register. --CC
Micro Frequency Divider:
Input
Divide 1.5 Out
Divide 2 Out
Divide 3 Out
Divide Amount Select Knob 2,4,8,16
Selectable Divide Out
Micro VCO:
Saw Out
Square Out
Sine Out
CV In
Mod Amount Knob
Mod CV In
Simple LFO:
Saw Out
Square Out
Sine Out
Triangle Out
Frequency Knob
Sync In
Ring Mod / Attenuator:
X In
Y In
Ring Out
In
Attenuator
Out
Noise / Sample & Hold:
External Source In (Normalled to Noise)
Noise Out
S&H Out
External Clock In (Normalled to Internal Clock)
Frequency Knob
Internal Clock Out
Multi / Lag Generator:
Multi 1
Multi 2
Multi 3
In
Lag Amount Knob
Out
Stereo VCA:
In Left
In Right
Out Left
Out Right
CV Amount Knob
CV In
Invert / Crossover:
In
Invert Out
In
High Out
Frequency Knob
Low Out --MK
Call it a selector, the one input goes sequentially to
the other 4. (or vice-versa). Knob for speed.
I know what a metal error is like.. once got a
few grand of boxes folded INSIDE OUT!!
That would have required a major redesign!
In fact, now i think a bit, you could rig it so that
at full anticlockwise you had low speed
sequential, then at 12 oclock, full speed sequential
(in the audio range) then switch to random selection
going on to slow random selection. --PP
Honorable Mention
Hello. My suggestion is a 3 input scanner module.
The top 3 holes will be the inputs.
* The 4th hole will be an input for voltage control (*with a logic circuit).
The 5th hole will be the output.
* If there is NO input to the 4th hole (mod input), then the knob functions as manual control over the
selection of the input mix scanner (1 to 2 to 3). It would be fantastic if there was a way to wrap the
value back to 1 (from 3). So the panel around the knob will show positions for 1,2,3,1.
* If there is an input to the 4th hole (voltage control input), then the knob functions either as the amount
of voltage control applied to the scanner, or maybe simply as a position offset for the start of the
modulated scanner position. In the case of the latter, maybe no logic circuit is necessary.
It will be nice too, if this module can function either for audio signals or control signals.
The obvious variation on this idea would be to make it a VC router where holes 1,2,&3 are outputs,
and hole 5 is the input.
Forgive me, I am not an electrician. I am a musician/composer/sound designer (and analog synth enthusiast)
that can only afford to own Reaktor. So I am taking this idea from my experience of tinkering with a
software synth. When I eventually do own an analog modular, I know that I will find a module like this
very useful. --M
Here's my suggestion for the contest: a quadrature LFO module. From top to
bottom:
---------------------
0 degrees output
90 degrees output
180 degrees output
270 degrees output
Rate pot
Rate CV input
---------------------
Perhaps if nothing is plugged into Rate CV In, the Rate pot is a manual rate
control, but if something is plugged into Rate CV In, then the Rate pot acts
as a CV attenuator?
It's up to you whether it's a triangle or sine LFO (I'd vote for sine). --LS
Here's 2 ideas: (jacks/knob from top-down)
#1 SAMPLE AND HOLD MODULE:
inverted s/h out JACK
normal s/h out JACK
clock out JACK
clock in JACK
rate KNOB
input signal JACK
#2 CV PROCESSOR
rectified out JACK
inverted out JACK
normal out JACK
cv control of attenuation/inversion JACK
attenuation/inversion knob (-/+) JACK
input signal JACK
Of course a re-ordering of a few of the jacks would be fine. --CE
how about keeping the passive attenuator on the bottom part the same, and making the top three jacks a passive ring modulator, like the one on kevin lightner's site. x in, y in, and output. --G
A little idea for the multi panel : you could turn it in a "automatic
switching mixer".
Let me explain :
- the upper plugs are inputs A B and C.
- the middle plug is the trigger input.
- the lower plug should output the A B C input signals, switching
between them ( ... A B C A B C A B ... ). Switching rate is controlled
by the signal fed into trigger input
- the pot controls cross-fading between the input signals ( slow
crossfade or abrupt switching )
Possible use cases :
- you could connect three audio signals to A B and C, then some slow
LFO signal to trig, and set for a slow crossfade to get evolving
textures ( is this some kind of simplified vectorial synthesis ? )
- same inputs with a audio rate trigger might give something
reminiscent of granular synthesis
- now connect two CV and one audio signals and use the output to
modulate filter cutoff or osc pitch for wierd cycling modulation
one last thing - the module should have an internal switch to change
the ABCABCAB behaviour in ABCBABCBA ...
voila ! Hope you'll like the idea ---DB
OK, that's it. The Jury will now deliberate.......
