Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if this setup would work well in practice.

My idea is to use 2x Flame Q-Slider together with 2x Doepfer A-130-8V as a hands-on performance volume-control section before an Expert Sleepers ES-9.
The signal flow would basically be:
Audio source → A-130-8V audio input → A-130-8V output → ES-9
while the control signal would be:
Flame Q-Slider output → A-130-8V CV input

So the Q-Sliders would of course not be in the audio path. I want to use their outputs to control the VCAs, allowing me to perform volume changes with the sliders.
I would use the M-IN / MAX settings on the Q-Sliders to set the useful volume range, and then use the physical sliders for live volume performances.
For stereo signals, I’m thinking that I could simply stack the Q-Slider output and send the same CV to two VCA CV inputs, so that one slider controls the left and right channels together.

My questions are:
Does this work as I’m imagining it?
Is the Q-Slider output suitable for controlling the CV input of the A-130-8V in this way?
Would this give me a useful and reasonably smooth range for manual volume performances?
Are there any problems with using the Q-Slider's M-IN / MAX settings to calibrate the VCA range?
Does anyone use a similar setup in practice?

The idea is basically to create a compact performance-oriented VCA/mixer section before the ES-9, rather than using a conventional audio mixer.
Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I am aware that this is basically a €1,150 mixing console with no EQs whatsoever, plus a healthy amount of spaghetti cables, and then I still have to find somewhere sensible to put all of this in the rack without making the whole thing a nightmare to handle. 😄
But for now, let’s forget about whether it makes economic or ergonomic sense — I’m really just interested in whether the idea itself works.

Is the Q-Slider output suitable for controlling the CV input of the A-130-8V in this way?

I don't know of the module's output voltage but I'd say yes, it looks like it should be working flawlessly

Would this give me a useful and reasonably smooth range for manual volume performances?

Again if both modules share the same vlt in/out, nothing to be worry about

Are there any problems with using the Q-Slider's M-IN / MAX settings to calibrate the VCA range?
Does anyone use a similar setup in practice?

No, not at all, it is the purpose of VCAs

Lets wait for another/more experienced user than I am to input his words...

EDITED Sep 22nd, 17:56

thanks... I am just dreaming of having a beautiful rack like this for relaxing after work... without any need of using midi controllers. I just want to look at the laptop monitor for mixing purposes, being sure nothing is digitally clipping and having some nice multitrack session... not using a mouse at all...

Juniper is by far my fav' mod source (with Neo Trinity), Dark Matter is a one of a kind I had pleasant time with (and most of Bastl' stuff). I would replace the eloquencer (which is very good, actually) by that one (I know both of them very well) : https://modulargrid.net/e/westlicht-per-former

EDITED Sep 22nd, 18:21

Nice one! I also thought about Hermod+. As I am planning my rack, I am thinking of patching some modules fix with the sequencer outputs. I would fix the patch cables around the case, so the sequencer has to be at the right side of the case... ;) I never had any eurorack system, so I cannot have any experience with modules / sequencers, but I think it would be overwhelming and it would be one of the last longing hobbies I think one can imagine. I am really really thinking of starting with modular :-D

Welcome to the deep (deep) rabbit hole man, it's a hole I try to get out (I come from a double big system to only 2 very tiny cases now : 60HP and 40HP), which I consider a cure :D

yeah! let's stay inside the rabbit hole. instead of buying a new car, let's buy a used one AND a modular system!

ah ah ah, yeah, I never bought a car, I hate that industry so much, so if I would have to choose, I'll go for a full house made of modules :D ah ah ah !

We're on the same wavelength here. That industry is a bitch. They're xxxxing us with oil price and gas and taxes and insurance and and and all we have is one hour more or less per day of living free time.

Not to mention each and every single war it created here and there... And most of all, they destroyed the planet and are like "who ? uh ? what ? no, it is safe" while they knew since day one what the industry will involve (what we are in, now, this summer in France was not only an isolated episode, it's a true sign of a real tipping point...

EDITED Sep 22nd, 19:21

Yes, they destroyed our environment. There is no escape. And people think it's normal that everywhere there are standing around cars and cars 22 hours per day. They're just standing around. Imagine!!!
We're still a little bit more lucky up here in germany with temperatures. But during one heat wave this summer I was really cooked by my fan. I agree, these tipping points will follow and follow. And I am having fear. Wars... hunger... it is so sad and horrifying :-(

EDITED Sep 23rd, 06:21

And I am having fear. Wars... hunger... it is so sad and horrifying :-(
-- lexy82

yeah totally, I couldn't sleep that summer because of the brain thinking too much, fortunatly I could rest a lot since..

EDITED Sep 22nd, 20:44

Does this work as I’m imagining it?
Is the Q-Slider output suitable for controlling the CV input of the A-130-8V in this way?
Would this give me a useful and reasonably smooth range for manual volume performances?
Are there any problems with using the Q-Slider's M-IN / MAX settings to calibrate the VCA range?
-- lexy82

Yes, that will work as you describe, though you will have to make adjustments to the A-130-8. The QSlider outputs either 0-10V or +/-5V. The A-130-8 expects 0-5V "out of the box", but it has trimmers on the back that you can adjust to get 0-10V instead. So you would set the QSliders to 0-10V and then adjust the A-130-8 to match. That would do exactly what you want.

Does this work as I’m imagining it?
Is the Q-Slider output suitable for controlling the CV input of the A-130-8V in this way?
Would this give me a useful and reasonably smooth range for manual volume performances?
Are there any problems with using the Q-Slider's M-IN / MAX settings to calibrate the VCA range?
-- lexy82

Yes, that will work as you describe, though you will have to make adjustments to the A-130-8. The QSlider outputs either 0-10V or +/-5V. The A-130-8 expects 0-5V "out of the box", but it has trimmers on the back that you can adjust to get 0-10V instead. So you would set the QSliders to 0-10V and then adjust the A-130-8 to match. That would do exactly what you want.
-- Replicant2501

Thanks a lot, maybe in the future, I will build this thing, even if for the same amount of money, a digital mixer console may be better...

Welcome to the deep (deep) rabbit hole man, it's a hole I try to get out (I come from a double big system to only 2 very tiny cases now : 60HP and 40HP), which I consider a cure :D
-- -ADR-

What do you think are the most interesting fx modules around?

What do you think are the most interesting fx modules around?
-- lexy82

I kept 3 of them :

• FXAid : I fed it with only reverbs and it's on my send/return bus of my SSL mixer
• MFX of ALM : samo, it is used for the second S/R of my console
• Esu's trifecta a nice multi FX (3 can be stacked) for my HW synths or Eurorack ones

then I have quite a few analog FX in diverse forms, Euro (Orion) and pedals..

EDITED Sep 23rd, 14:01

Interesting! I always think those bigger and hyped fx-reverb modules like plexiphon are a must have or sth...
If I had to pick only 4 modules for the beginning, I'd choose Juniper, Melodicer, Shakmat Ballista Blast and Mimeophon.

Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if this setup would work well in practice.

My idea is to use 2x Flame Q-Slider together with 2x Doepfer A-130-8V as a hands-on performance volume-control section before an Expert Sleepers ES-9.
The signal flow would basically be:
Audio source → A-130-8V audio input → A-130-8V output → ES-9
while the control signal would be:
Flame Q-Slider output → A-130-8V CV input

So the Q-Sliders would of course not be in the audio path. I want to use their outputs to control the VCAs, allowing me to perform volume changes with the sliders.
I would use the M-IN / MAX settings on the Q-Sliders to set the useful volume range, and then use the physical sliders for live volume performances.
For stereo signals, I’m thinking that I could simply stack the Q-Slider output and send the same CV to two VCA CV inputs, so that one slider controls the left and right channels together.

My questions are:
Does this work as I’m imagining it?
Is the Q-Slider output suitable for controlling the CV input of the A-130-8V in this way?
Would this give me a useful and reasonably smooth range for manual volume performances?
Are there any problems with using the Q-Slider's M-IN / MAX settings to calibrate the VCA range?
Does anyone use a similar setup in practice?

The idea is basically to create a compact performance-oriented VCA/mixer section before the ES-9, rather than using a conventional audio mixer.
Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I am aware that this is basically a €1,150 mixing console with no EQs whatsoever, plus a healthy amount of spaghetti cables, and then I still have to find somewhere sensible to put all of this in the rack without making the whole thing a nightmare to handle. 😄
But for now, let’s forget about whether it makes economic or ergonomic sense — I’m really just interested in whether the idea itself works.
-- lexy82

I would rather get a WORNG SideCar. Awesome module!

Thanks for pointing me towards SideCar! I think this might actually be exactly what I was looking for. I want to mix some of my Eurorack audio signals before they go into the ES-9, mainly so I can make better use of the available inputs for parallel multitrack recording.
This module seems to make much more sense for this particular purpose. I hadn't considered it at all, so this is a really useful suggestion.

The only thing is, I am missing one more stereo channel :-D .. 2 Stereo Channels are good, and 4 Mono Channels. But I need one more Stereo channel. So I could use a Ladik U-081 Fader together with a Divkid Stereo Strip XD

EDITED Sep 24th, 02:00

Aîkido (mixer/VCA/Side Chain/feedback and more) of Bastl does a lot in this vein, I used it as a swiss army knife and it pairs fantasticly with Dark Matter, it can do side chain, VCA, env. follower, it has clickless mute buttons, can do feedback too.. And their small but powerful Waver (not in production anymore but maybe in the second hand market) mixes too, and add wavefolding and "break" (another way to feedback and break the signal) to the equation..

Oops I forgot, Aîkido can do submix too, super practical so you could apply FX on a given couple of signals, then it's side-chained (for example)...

Not to mention the guys there are very very kind (and funny, actually).

look here :

darkmatter & waver :

Dark Matter video manual

You'll need to activate the subtitles unless you speak French !

https://bastl-instruments.com/eurorack/modules/aikido

https://bastl-instruments.com/eurorack/modules/waver

Interesting! I always think those bigger and hyped fx-reverb modules like plexiphon are a must have or sth...
If I had to pick only 4 modules for the beginning, I'd choose Juniper, Melodicer, Shakmat Ballista Blast and Mimeophon.
-- lexy82

Yeah I've been watching a lot these big FX modules, like what Intellijel does, or yes Make Noise too, but I prefered to keep my FX "small and packed", but that is only me, I prefer to spent time on writing/composing (my prefered part in music producing) instead of being lost in such rich but sometimes time consuming modules (and here you could say "yes but Eurorack is made for that -I very often know what I want to do, so being lost for hours into contemplation is not how I make my things). But honnestly Intellijel and MN do great and fantastic modules.

Did you check Xaoc ? these guys know what they do !

EDITED Sep 24th, 07:13

You'll need to activate the subtitles unless you speak French !

https://bastl-instruments.com/eurorack/modules/aikido

https://bastl-instruments.com/eurorack/modules/waver
-- -ADR-

J'ai eu Francais comme(s?) cour(s?) principal(e?) à l'école :-D :-D :-D (il y a 25 années)
NIIIIICE modules... great sounding! Feedback is goooooooood. Perhaps better have 1 Dark Matter instead of 2 Mimeophons? ;-)

Did you check Xaoc ? these guys know what they do !

-- -ADR-

Yes I think Odessa with Hel Expander and an instruo harmonaig would be nice for an unmusical person like me. I'd be curious to hear those Xaoc modules.

Yeah I've been watching a lot these big FX modules, like what Intellijel does, or yes Make Noise too, but I prefered to keep my FX "small and packed", but that is only me, I prefer to spent time on writing/composing (my prefered part in music producing) instead of being lost in such rich but sometimes time consuming modules (and here you could say "yes but Eurorack is made for that -I very often know what I want to do, so being lost for hours into contemplation is not how I make my things). But honnestly Intellijel and MN do great and fantastic modules.

I would absolutely be lost in contemplation! But I would record everything on different tracks all the time. So, once maybe I could use some of these tracks to produce some music.

For a longer time, I have tried to produce technoid music with ableton, but I was lost and lost and lost in rabbit holes like designing kicks or listening through omnisphere libraries. After a while, I realised that it's stupid what I'm doing and it was no more fun. I guess playing with this hardware would be another dimension of fun. Might be that I wasn't stupid enough to realise this?

EDITED Sep 24th, 09:49

ah ah ah, I told that to many of the students I teach to : scrolling an endless list of VST's wont make you a better producer :D I did a lot of records with only a MPC1000 and (plenty) of HW synthesizers. It is clever to know (your enemy lol) your gear instead of buying more while thinking "it will make my music better". most of the time, it's an illusion, one can't replace inspiration and skills by "just another synth/module/vst and so on".

Man did I mention the Aikido has bipolar VCAs ? so you could also use it as a four quadrant mod / ring modulator ?

ah yes great ! French language is beautiful, I don't say that because it's my natural language, but because it is truly rich and subtil!

If you ask, it would be : J'ai eu francais (no caps, you need a cap on "f" only for the land : France) comme (unvariable, it never takes an "s") cours (cours in this case always take an "s") principal (cours is masculine, so principal doesn't need a "e", if you have wrote "école" then "principale needs an "e" in the end). End of the course, lol :D

EDITED Sep 24th, 10:23

Ahhhh, thank you. So after 25 years, I finally get my French grammar lesson. I agree, French is a beautiful language with a very particular combination of precision, richness and subtlety. I promise I'll do my homework :o)
I’m still at the stage of figuring out how to get my signals properly mixed and routed into the ES-9 for multitrack recording, and you're already telling me about four-quadrant modulation and ring modulation. :-D
Perhaps I'll spend 15 K on gear, and then I’ll probably use it to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

Perhaps I'll spend 15 K on gear, and then I’ll probably use it to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
-- lexy82

Thank you for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" I didn't know this lullaby inspired by an old english Jane Taylor's poem!
Well, the most important here is probably "don't forget to have fun" !

ah ah ah maaaaaannnn I am DYYYIIIINNNGGGG now :D I didn't get it, never heard/seen that !!!

I'm dead, don't call me for a beer, it is too late :D

EDITED Sep 24th, 15:08

I have to live abstinent due to bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms, sorry man but cheers (got Cola Zero)! *****XD

EDITED Sep 24th, 15:28

a few modifications to my object of desire

EDITED Sep 24th, 16:20

good luck with your -5v/+5v (bipolar, uh ?) issue :D

EDITED Sep 24th, 16:29

uh? where please? ... besides I think I'll switch from eloquencer to hermod+ and add one flame qslider.. yeah
aaaahhhhhhh i check you mean bipolar okok XD
... I'm fine with good medication, thx ... it is about -1v/+1v, very smooth, little random from time to time

here :

due to bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms

:)

yup I know of that disorder, ppl I know has to deal with it..

EDITED Sep 24th, 16:42

Yeah, it’s that damn chicken-and-egg question. What came first: the addiction or the illness?

As far as I’m concerned, all I can say is that I probably would have needed the medication already during puberty. I wouldn’t have stood a chance against weed back then.

I’m watching Kikzilla 2 by Björn Torwellen / SINEE right now, and this thing is seriously cool for rumbles.
And this is exactly why I love software: imagine having all those sounds and processing chains packed into a Eurorack module, basically as a giant preset machine. Just load it, scroll through the presets, and boom — instant rumble.
A ridiculous idea, but I’d absolutely buy that module.

I guess Ohmforce Bohm Groove is doing sth. like that?

Aîkido (mixer/VCA/Side Chain/feedback and more) of Bastl does a lot in this vein, I used it as a swiss army knife and it pairs fantasticly with Dark Matter, it can do side chain, VCA, env. follower, it has clickless mute buttons, can do feedback too.. And their small but powerful Waver (not in production anymore but maybe in the second hand market) mixes too, and add wavefolding and "break" (another way to feedback and break the signal) to the equation..

Oops I forgot, Aîkido can do submix too, super practical so you could apply FX on a given couple of signals, then it's side-chained (for example)...

Not to mention the guys there are very very kind (and funny, actually).

I think this is also a very interesting module: Neo Trinity from Bastl Instruments https://modulargrid.net/e/bastl-instruments-neo-trinity Have you ever used it?

EDITED Sep 26th, 10:08