freqBox

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hughyg
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freqBox

Post by hughyg » Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:23 pm

Hi
Would addind a freqbox to my LP make it a three osc synth. Is it the same osc as in the lp?

Amos
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Re: freqBox

Post by Amos » Thu Jun 24, 2010 9:28 am

sort-of, and sort-of. :-)

The oscillator in the freqbox is basically the same as in the Voyager and Little Phatty. The freqbox version is a little stripped-down; for instance it does not have any temperature compensation so it is more likely to drift with changes in temperature.

If your LP does not have CV outputs, then the Freqbox will only "track" the pitch you are playing on the LP if the freqbox is in Sync mode. So, you will always have a sync'd oscillator in this arrangement... but it means the two LP oscillators can be free-running and tuned however you like. This can create some very fat sounds.

If your LP does have CV output, or if you have a MIDI/CV convertor (like the MP-201, for example :) ), then you can play the freqbox just like any modular synth oscillator, and get some truly obese and amazing sounds in combination with the LP. I personally love the sound of the freqbox oscillator combined with the LP; it's very raw, in-your-face and funky...

-Amos

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_DemonDan_
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Re: freqBox

Post by _DemonDan_ » Thu Jun 24, 2010 2:39 pm

Amos wrote:If your LP does have CV output, or if you have a MIDI/CV convertor (like the MP-201, for example :) ), then you can play the freqbox just like any modular synth oscillator, and get some truly obese and amazing sounds in combination with the LP.
Video example at 4:04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkm-2OuIOhI
_ :twisted: _DemonDan_ :twisted: _

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Agostino
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Re: freqBox

Post by Agostino » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:07 pm

with a cable which converts a midi female do a jack 1/4" could I connect an MF-107 like a third oscillator for a Little Phatty?
maybe I didn't explain well: the cable is a cable that on one hand is MIDI like this Image , and the other side is 1/4" Jack Image...
excuse me, I'm not English and not even American...I'm Italian...

Sir Nose
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Re: freqBox

Post by Sir Nose » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:37 pm

No!

Some older German, Czech, and Soviet synths used a 5-din jack for audio out. That's is why you find what looks like a midi to 1/4 inch TS or TRS audio cable. It is not, it is just for connecting an instrument with that type of audio out to typical modern equipment. The 5 din type plug was also adopted by MIDI for transport of information.

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Agostino
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Re: freqBox

Post by Agostino » Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:43 am

and this? http://www.doepfer.de/mcv4.htm can this one convert the MIDI In of the Little Phatty in a 1/4 Jack, for controlling the MF-107 "Frequency"?

Sir Nose
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Re: freqBox

Post by Sir Nose » Fri Jul 09, 2010 1:13 pm

Yes! That's a midi to CV converter. I do not know how reliable the doefer unit is. There seems to be some art and not just science in the production of converters. More so the other way around, CV to midi. Many people swear by Kenton. Hopefully someone with experience with a particular unit they have used with the LP and the Freq box will post something with more detail.
Here is a link with some general info: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~concuss/mcvbeg.htm

I am not sure how practicle it is for you, but I would definately go with the CV out mod. If you have other equipment other than the LP you might use the converter with or if it not possibole for you to send your LP in to get the mod done, you might want to go with a converter.

Nillerbabs
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Re: freqBox

Post by Nillerbabs » Fri Jul 09, 2010 2:36 pm

I have a question regarding use of the Freqbox with the LP (or any other audio source, for that matter). When plugging the audio out of the Freqbox into the audio in, does its signal it add to the audio flow along with the LP oscs, or does it cancel the LP oscs?

Thanks

EMwhite
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Re: freqBox

Post by EMwhite » Fri Jul 09, 2010 11:40 pm

Nillerbabs wrote:I have a question regarding use of the Freqbox with the LP (or any other audio source, for that matter). When plugging the audio out of the Freqbox into the audio in, does its signal it add to the audio flow along with the LP oscs, or does it cancel the LP oscs?

Thanks
It adds to it, but unlike the Voyager or Old School, there is no mixer or attenuation so you must mix first if you want to temper the output. You can also (obviously) control the output from the Freq itself.

So the Phatty's 2 OSCs, the signal which is plugged into the Phatty 1/4" "INPUT", and any Filter resonance, etc. are all mixed together (also obvious, you can control the output volume of OSC 1 and OSC 2 so that the Filter and Modulation acts upon the Input alone. In a crude way, you can control the relative balance of the sound in that fashion.
.
'76 Minimoog, Taurus 3, Oberheim FVS + Son of 2-voice; Sequential ProOne; Juno 106; Moog Model 15; Kurzweil 250; Hammond M3; and a handful of Fender Basses Flickr!

XikwriNeyrra
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Re: freqBox

Post by XikwriNeyrra » Sat Jul 10, 2010 1:41 pm

Nillerbabs wrote:I have a question regarding use of the Freqbox with the LP (or any other audio source, for that matter). When plugging the audio out of the Freqbox into the audio in, does its signal it add to the audio flow along with the LP oscs, or does it cancel the LP oscs?

Thanks



It adds to it, but unlike the Voyager or Old School, there is no mixer or attenuation so you must mix first if you want to temper the output. You can also (obviously) control the output from the Freq itself.

So the Phatty's 2 OSCs, the signal which is plugged into the Phatty 1/4" "INPUT", and any Filter resonance, etc. are all mixed together (also obvious, you can control the output volume of OSC 1 and OSC 2 so that the Filter and Modulation acts upon the Input alone. In a crude way, you can control the relative balance of the sound in that fashion.
.
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So, with CP-251 can i add and contoll it like a 3rd VCO perfectly???

EMwhite
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Re: freqBox

Post by EMwhite » Sat Jul 10, 2010 2:49 pm

You can (via 251), but you'll only be using the Attenuator to reduce the 'volume' of the signal should you want quite a bit less as compared to the onboard OSCs. The Attenuators built into a VX-351 or a plain old mixer can also be used. (note that I'm talking about attenuating the 'audio' output or "OSC OUT" of the FreqBox before it goes into the Phatty or Voyager audio input. If you attenuate the CV-out from Phatty or Voyager CV Pitch out before it gets to the Freqbox, you are, in effect, changing the Frequency (tuning it) in a similar way to the 'coarse' tuning offered through the FREQ. pot in the VCO section of the 107.

One thing that doesn't quite 'map' correctly, however is pitch bend. For some reason the CV-out for Pitch on the Phatty is prior to the bend wheel for some reason. I never bothered pursuing why this is but at least on mine (one of the early CV-out conversions from last summer) this is the case.

One other bit of caution, is that you should use a short a cable (and of decent quality) as possible. Before I rewired my studio, I had a very long cable between my Foogers and my Voyager and found that I lost quite a bit of signal across distance which screws with tuning. It's not a major issue to lose some signal when driving voltage coming from an LFO but when precise cents/tenths of a volt are required you'll find variability from one range of the scale to the other. There are procedures to 'tune' the FreqBox depending on what range you will be playing in... circumstances depending, you might find some slight drift between the highest and lowest notes/frequencies in less than ideal conditions.

Otherwise, barring what Amos mentioned above (hard SYNC), the slight drift will actual help phatten the sound in a desirable way.

As with most things, I've recorded footage of all sorts of demos of how to wire these things together, the implications and options, etc. but have never gotten the spare time to edit them together for publishing on YouTube and the like. It's fairly straight forward once you start messing with it though.
.
'76 Minimoog, Taurus 3, Oberheim FVS + Son of 2-voice; Sequential ProOne; Juno 106; Moog Model 15; Kurzweil 250; Hammond M3; and a handful of Fender Basses Flickr!

EricK
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Re: freqBox

Post by EricK » Sun Jul 11, 2010 1:25 pm

If you are using the Freqbox Osc Out, to the LP audio in, the 107's output level adjustment won't reduce the volume.
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