Moog Music Forum

Hi,
I'm thinking about getting a Slim Phatty.
I've read through the manual online and I can't figure this out after reading it.
I'm used to synths where the VCA has an "initial gain" control where you can get a sound out of the synth without the VCA being triggered by ADSR and just let the synth drone away.
How is that done on the Phatty?
Thanks!

There is a gate cv in. You could use a foot switch or insert a short patch cable hooked up to nothing (completes the circuit and opens the gate). The envelope does fire but stays at sustain.

Roland FS-5L Latching Footswitch is an easy way to deal with this - this is what I use - plugged into gate cv in as sir nose mentioned.

Thanks for the reply, Sir Nose and EarSmack.
Does that method enable you to attenuate the signal that comes out, as you would be able to do with an initial gain pot? Or at this point you control volume with the main output of the Phatty?

The footswitch will just play the note last played, with envelope again firing from beginning of the Attach stage but staying at Sustain volume (and filter cutoff for that matter). Remember, OSCs run (produce output) all the time.

The Boss latching footswitch specified has a switch on it (two in fact) that will set either momentary or latching, and set polarity negative or positive.

To answer your question (adjusting volume), surely you can change the master volume out on the Phatty panel, or use a Midi CC, or adjust the sustain stage of the envelopes, each of which require fiddling with buttons and knobs. If you are playing another instrument and just want the drone, best would be a simple EP-2 expression pedal plugged into the Phatty VOL CV input.

And if you desire an "on until pressed", you can set the Boss switch (they make a single and dual version) with the opposite polarity and as soon as you plug it in the gate will fire/open; pressing the footswitch momentarily (or holding on it) will close the gate.

so is the gate s-trig? and if so would using the old transistor in the jack trick to make an s-trig responf to gate voltage work?

i only ask since the gate opens when a jack is inserted and i'd like to use it with my eurorack modular

phono1337 wrote:so is the gate s-trig? and if so would using the old transistor in the jack trick to make an s-trig responf to gate voltage work?

i only ask since the gate opens when a jack is inserted and i'd like to use it with my eurorack modular

It might work with out the transistor in the jack. I have been able to trigger the gate using an envelope folower, and I believe I was also successful with using an lfo. Other people have had problems with the gate not working with some signals though.

phono1337 wrote:so is the gate s-trig? and if so would using the old transistor in the jack trick to make an s-trig responf to gate voltage work?

i only ask since the gate opens when a jack is inserted and i'd like to use it with my eurorack modular

Not s-trig! If you want to use your Eurorack with your LP then you should be fine but don't forget that some of the Euro module's gate and CV outs run hot (i.e. higher than 5V). Attenuate if necessary but I don't think any voltages in Euro will kill the LP if applied to the right place... That being said make sure that your Euro case has good grounding alongside your LP.