Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Everything Werkstatt.
Post Reply
Struble
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 3:20 pm
Contact:

Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Struble » Fri Dec 12, 2014 3:26 pm

Okay. I have a question. Forgive me, I'm a novice with this stuff so this might be obvious to anyone other than me. I appreciate any hand holding you can give me.

I've followed the instructions to set it to one volt per octave:

Step 1: Press the low C button on the Werkstatt. (took me forever to realize they meant ON THE WORKSTATT when they said play Low C in the manual)
Step 2: Set the VCO frequency knob to 12 o'clock.
Step 3: Play C0 on the keyboard outputting the CV. (In this case, my Microbrute)
Step 4: Play C3 on the output keyboard.
Step 5: Adjust VR5 pot until the pitch of C0 and C3 equal the same note 3 octaves apart.

However, when I do this, most of the other notes are close to centering on the note they're supposed to be. Some can be as close to being almost a half semitone off. Some notes it's Sharp, some notes it's flat.

Is this because I'm doing it wrong? Or is this just the nature of the Werkstatt's oscillator and something I'm just going to have to live with?

Like I said, I'm a novice, so I'm not sure what I'm up against. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.
http://DepressedBoy.com

Equipment: Moog Werkstatt; Arturia Microbrute; Syntecno TeeBee; Elektron Sidstation; Korg Volca Keys, Electribe ER-1, Monotron; MidiNES; Teenage Engineering PO-12; Roland Boutique JP-08; BeatStep Pro; GameBoy

Control_Voltage
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:59 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Control_Voltage » Tue Dec 16, 2014 3:42 pm

Hi there,

It may be easier to help you trouble shoot this issue over the phone, as the Micro and Minibrute are technically 1v/octave but they have a center position difference and are not necessarily always compatible with Moog CV's. It could also be a calibrations issue, and perhaps I can help you sort it out.

Please contact me at 1-828-251-0090 xt. 221

Thanks!

Andy Hughes
Tech Support Manager
Moog Music, Inc.

Struble
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 3:20 pm
Contact:

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Struble » Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:18 pm

Andy,

Thank you so much. I figured it out. It is because I'm a novice. For some reason I was expecting perfect tracking. But after comparing it to my other analogs (Microbrute and a Syntecno TeeBee) as well as the button keyboard on the Werkstatt, I've learned there is always some wiggle room of plus or minus ten cents. That figured out, I recalibrated and I'm no longer getting twenty or more cents off on the Werkstatt.

I feel silly, but I've never had to calibrate the tracking on a synth before. Didn't know what to expect.

But now that is figured out, I can love my first Moog.

Sh.

Ps, just to check if the tracking was the Arturia's fault, I also tried the CV out on the TeeBee, and the tracking was similar.
http://DepressedBoy.com

Equipment: Moog Werkstatt; Arturia Microbrute; Syntecno TeeBee; Elektron Sidstation; Korg Volca Keys, Electribe ER-1, Monotron; MidiNES; Teenage Engineering PO-12; Roland Boutique JP-08; BeatStep Pro; GameBoy

natallica
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri May 10, 2013 4:14 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by natallica » Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:29 pm

Control_Voltage wrote:Hi there,

It may be easier to help you trouble shoot this issue over the phone, as the Micro and Minibrute are technically 1v/octave but they have a center position difference and are not necessarily always compatible with Moog CV's. It could also be a calibrations issue, and perhaps I can help you sort it out.

Please contact me at 1-828-251-0090 xt. 221

Thanks!

Andy Hughes
Tech Support Manager
Moog Music, Inc.
I need to do a calibration and was planning on using the MiniBrute. Would using a QuNexus work better?

Just as a side note, for us newbies to calibration it would be great if Moog could put out a quick tutorial video showing how to calibrate the WS.

User avatar
muksys
Posts: 434
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:05 am
Contact:

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by muksys » Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:22 pm

I'm working on putting all of the mods I've done into a DIY package. I'll be making a bunch of vids detailing everything. Calibrating is one of em. Hopefully I'll have everything up and running by next weekend.

Keep and eye out here

User avatar
facon
Posts: 194
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:06 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by facon » Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:16 pm

muksys wrote:I'm working on putting all of the mods I've done into a DIY package. I'll be making a bunch of vids detailing everything. Calibrating is one of em. Hopefully I'll have everything up and running by next weekend.

Keep and eye out here
Looking forward to this!

natallica
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri May 10, 2013 4:14 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by natallica » Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:18 pm

muksys wrote:I'm working on putting all of the mods I've done into a DIY package. I'll be making a bunch of vids detailing everything. Calibrating is one of em. Hopefully I'll have everything up and running by next weekend.

Keep and eye out here
Very nice. Thanks!

Yavn
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Yavn » Sun Feb 22, 2015 2:21 pm

Another new user here as well. Sorry for the basic questions....

I'm useing a Beatstep as a MIDI to CV interface with the Werkstatt (with the CV expansion). I have the Gate Out to the VCA In, and the CV Out to the VCO EXP FM In. They Beatstep is being controlled by Digital Performer, connected via USB. The end goal is to control the Wekstatt from Digital Peformer as well as connect it to just the Beatstep as a stand alone sound source.

Should I follow the steps above?

Additionally I have a Slim Phatty and Doepfer Dark Energy 2 - Would that impact how the Werkstatt should be calibrated and hooked up?

Thanks,
Yavn

Jimothy66
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri May 29, 2015 11:11 pm

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Jimothy66 » Sat May 30, 2015 12:02 am

Not having luck with this process. The instructions tell you to apply various signals, but they don't tell you how to do this. I tried using a Minibrute. With the Werkstatt unplugged and CV pitch out on Minibrute to VCO EXP FM IN connected, I play C0 on Minibrute while I power up the Werkstatt. I hear a blip from the Werkstatt and then play a low C on Moog buttons and adjust VCO Freq. The only time I can get the Minibrute to change the pitch of the Werkstatt is when I press a Moog button down first and then play the Minibrute keys. Regardless, whenever I try to set the VCO EXP Trim while playing C3 on the Minibrute, I don't get any sound and can never complete this step. What am I doing wrong? Where can I get educated on how to apply the signals to the Werkstatt in order to calibrate it. I appreciate having the CV Expander available, but need more guidance in using it. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim

Wesley
Posts: 66
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:00 am
Location: Waukegan, IL

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by Wesley » Sat May 30, 2015 10:09 am

Do you have the gate out of your Minibrute (MB) connected to the VCA in of the Werkstatt (WS)? You will need that to play the WS from the MB.

You can also try turning the VCA mode on the WS to "ON" to get a constant output to calibrate.

User avatar
muksys
Posts: 434
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:05 am
Contact:

Re: Having trouble setting up one volt per octave

Post by muksys » Tue Jun 09, 2015 2:51 pm

My process for calibrating 1v/oct:
  • Turn on and let sit for 5-10 minutes
  • Turn VCA Switch to ON and connect a CV source to VCO EXP. I use the Qnexus.
  • Turn the VCO EXP Trimpot to the center.
  • Connect the Werkstatt output to a guitar tuner. Anything will do really. We aren't calibrating this for the Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • With the Qnexus set to the middle octave (oct up and down LED's on solid) press the Low C. Then I tune the the Werstatt to a fairly low C. This is because the Werkstatt is not designed to track over many octaves. If there were so there would be additional calibration for the higher frequencies, so keep this in mind when you are playing up in the higher octaves.
  • Next I play C, 1 octave higher. With the EXP trimmer, I turn it until the VCO is set to C one octave higher.
  • Go back and play the initial C and retune the VCO to C.
  • Keep repeating this process until you get the 2 C notes one octave apart. It takes a bit, but it works.
  • Once you get an octave calibrated, press C, 2 octaves up and adjust the trimmer for C. Then, press the initial C and retune if needed. Keep doing this until you can get 2 octaves calibrated. Then, play C, 3 octaves up. Chances are it will be good to go, but if not, just keep repeating the process. You may find that there will be a bit of drift of a couple cents, but it won't be noticeable one you are playing the Werkstatt in a musical setting.
All of the Werkstatt's I've calibrated have worked out, but I just did one today that I could not get calibrate. I ran out of trimmer, but was still flat by a half a note. I ended up soldering a 100k resistor on top of R46 (changing it from 68.1k to 40.5k). This allowed a bit more wiggle room.

Post Reply