Description
All the surface mount components come pre-soldered in this kit, it’s just a case of soldering pots, jacks, switches, power header and LEDS. A good beginners project with a full video build document.
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.
- 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.
The module is 24mm deep.
Build Guide is here – https://www.thonk.co.uk/control-build-video/ | Control @ Music Thing
