Doepher Dark Time or Beatstep Pro Or Minilogue

[HookedOnSonics]

Trying to decide whether i need Dark Time or a Beatstep Pro to accompanying my three mothers and H9 Max. With getting the three mothers this week, am i over doing it with Dark Time or Beatstep Pro. I guess i'm looking for feedback if you only had one choice, would it be Dark Time or Beatstep Pro. And for those that got the Minilogue, is the honeymoon over or are ya still have fun?

[HookedOnSonics]

So i think after reading endless challenges with the Beatstep Pro and CV / Gate 10v, i'm staying away from that, and i think the Minilogue is cool, but have those sounds covered with ARP/Kronos II/ VoyagerXL / Mother32x3, so now it just down to the Dark Time, with three Seq in total between the mothers, would DT just be overkill?

[jsharpphoto]

I don't see why everyone keeps getting hung up on the 10v output of the beatstep pro. Just use midi. It's not rocket science. Get a midisolutions quad midi box, since your mothers only have midi in. Midi out of the beatstep pro, into the quad splitter. Then to each synth and one open port to send to the H9 for clock.

Done. The quad and the beatstep together will run you $300. That's less than HALF of the dark energy, and you get exponentially greater sequencing capabilities.

The only modern Moog that won't work with the beatstep without the use of attentuators is the werkstadt, because it has no midi.

[HookedOnSonics]

Ok, you seem pretty strong about Beatstep Pro, i noticed ya had two so we figure ya like um. Sooooo, we took your suggestion and order the BSP and the Quad Solution Midi.

Is the 10v gates something our friends in France did because of the US/Europe power diffs? Is the norm 5v on gates? Appreciated your logically backed response, thanks!!!

[jsharpphoto]

Ok, you seem pretty strong about Beatstep Pro, i noticed ya had two so we figure ya like um. Sooooo, we took your suggestion and order the BSP and the Quad Solution Midi.

Is the 10v gates something our friends in France did because of the US/Europe power diffs? Is the norm 5v on gates? Appreciated your logically backed response, thanks!!!

They did the 10v CV so it can trigger ANYTHING. modular, classic synths and modern synths. You can always attentuate voltage down, but if your sequencer only send 5v and your modular needs 10v, you're out of luck.

[HookedOnSonics]

Hi JSharpPhoto,

Thanks for you insight and advice. I have some questions when it comes to MIDI, i'm a real ROOKIE/Novice. I have a Korg ARP with MIDI in. When the mothers and quad come next week, how does the integration of the quad work with the BPS?

So the KARP direction say By connecting the ODYSSEY to a computer or external MIDI sequencer, you can
control the sound generator of the ODYSSEY from an external device. Use a commercially available MIDI cable to connect the ODYSSEY’s MIDI IN connector to the MIDI OUT connector of your external MIDI device (see “Connections” on page 14).

MIDI IN connector: This receives MIDI messages from other MIDI devices. Connect this connector to the MIDI OUT connector of the other device. Note messages (velocity is ignored) are the only type of MIDI messages that the ODYSSEY can receive via its MIDI IN connector. The range of notes that can be received is 012 (C0) – 127 (G9). MIDI channel MIDI has sixteen channels, 1 – 16. If you connect an external MIDI device, you must set the MIDI channel of the ODYSSEY to match the MIDI channel of your external MIDI device.

What is the best way to hook up the KARP to the BSP / Qaud, and if possible, the Eventide MAX H9. And with the Mothers also having the MIDI in option, would it be the same setup. Finally, can you talk about how you hooked up the XL to the BPS. again appreciate any and all insight and FEEDBACK!!!

[jsharpphoto]

You will go out of the Beatstep Pro using one of the 1/8th to midi "pigtail" connectors. This will connect to the "input" of the midi solutions Quad. Then you will connect each of the 4 outputs to your devices. So you'll need five individual 5-Pin midi cables.

In regards to your devices, you need to determine which you want to actually sequence, and which you just want to send midi clock too. Good news about the H9, is that it has Midi Out/Thru, so can daisy chain it and get 5 devices hooked to your quad.

so, before i make specific recommendations about your setup, I need to know exactly what you want to do with your 3 mothers and your Odyssey.

[HookedOnSonics]

Hi JsharpPhoto,

Thanks to you the lights are staring to come on ... . So we like the whole daisy chain idea with the Max 9. We also have six Moogers, two with Midi. We really don't have a game plan, really drinking from the fire-hose on advise from you folks. Incredible group here. We really liked the BSP from the start, saw Nick over Sonicstate present it with a rep from Atruia and we thought it was SLICK!!!. We just got tangled up and concerned when we read other folks concerns about 5v to 10v. We think the gates/cv stuff is very cool and did not realize that MIDI could also be an alternative with equip that is 5v only.

So lets see if we got this... we go MIDI out from BSP to MIDI in QUAD. Then one MIDI in QUAD goes KARP MIDI in, one goes MIDI in QUAD goes to Mother MIDI in, one MIDI in QUAD goes to VoyagerXL MIDI, one MIDI in QUAD goes to MaxH9 MIDI? How can we insure everything would past through MaxH9 for effects like reverb etc...

When we was looking around on youtube for examples, i saw this guy using 1/8 direct to mother, bad idea?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVARl_yRV8

We just want to make sure we don't FRY anything, or wife will be FRYING me ...

[jsharpphoto]

Don't connect Cv to your mother. Bad idea. Your midi connection sounds correct

Beatstep Pro Midi Out to Quad Midi In

Quad Midi out #1 - Arp Odyssey
Quad Midi out #2 - Mother32
Quad Midi out #3 - Voyager XL
Voyager XL Midi Thru - Moogerfooger
Quad Midi out #4 - H9 Midi Input
H9 Midi Thru - Moogerfooger

If the Arp Odyssey has Midi Thru, you can add another device there as well.

[HookedOnSonics]

JSharpPhoto,

Thanks BIG TIME for your insight and advice. I'm sold on the MIDI, but wanted to see if you could shed some light on Attenuators? With attenuators could we bring the 10v down to 5v. If that's the case curious how we might do that with BPS and a Moog product. Also, is Moog the only folks that out/in gates and cv's at 5v. Finally, do you use attenuators, if so by who and for what product.

[jsharpphoto]

I use midi for all of my note on/note off Signals. The BSP sends midi and cv simultaneously. That means that if you DID have attenuators you could use the "Velocity" CV jacks on the BSP to modulate things like filter cutoff, or anything, really. I use the attenuators on board the voyager XL and my cp-251. You can also use attenuator cables made by koma electronic. I specified using the "Velocity" for CV because I don't think attenuators work well/precise enough to track pitch voltages.

Send your notes via midi. Send some modulation that's less critical via attenuated CV.