Elektron-Users

Just a few months ago I was in a peaceful and boring digital world of lifeless virtual analogues and software sequencing. One day a friend came to me with a monotron. Had an analogue epiphany and in a week got me an a4, that delights me every day.
But this damn thing has CV outs, and I started to look at things to control with. That's how I dipped my nose in modular world and got involved in the worst GAS-inducing dependence, something like crack for musician (beware candid souls..).
Is there anyone using a4 to interact with modulars?
I mean to start as slowly as I can manage.
I am building a case, and just ordered a doepfer DIY kit and a VCO (Intellijel Rubicon ). Initially I mean to control the VCO with CV/gate from a4, and send VCO's output to a4's EXT IN for modulation and processing, while I wait for the next modules to come.
Is it doable or am I missing something?

Cheers

Poldenstein, I guess great minds think alike.

I recently had the biggest gas inducing epiphany of my life; I realized the my current setup of just an OT and A4 offerers so much potential awesomeness that can be unlocked by pairing it with a basic modular system that I would be stupid not spend some $ on one, regardless of my current financial situation.

So I plan on testing the waters by building a small eurorack drum machine. I think my initial investment is going to be a one of TipTop Audio's Happy Ending Kits, their 909 drum modules, a clock divider/mult, a 4 to 1 mixer, and some audio outs to route it back into my OT or A4.

That comes in at just under $1k, and I believe it should provide me with the most awesome and versatile 909 drums ever, and the modules for the 808 drums is just a relatively small $ add-on i could do down the road.

Now because I'm a modular/cv noob what I'm not totally sure on is what added functionality the cv from the A4 provides. I'm hoping that between the 4 cv outs I'll be able to pipe in clock, and some LFOs/ENVs. But I'm not totally clear on is if the A4's CV capabilities could replace dedicated EG and LFO modules later when I want to add a VCO/VCF.

So to answer your question, I'm still a little foggy on how CV/Gate works in a system to confidently give you an answer. In the system your describing I'm not sure if the Gate signal can go into a CV on the VCO (if your trying to gate the VCO) i think that it may be that you need to run the Gate signal to a VCA which would have the VCO audio running to it... or alternatively to an EG and then use the EG's env to control the VCA.

Not sure about this but in that scenario I think that ideally a basic system with an A4 should be like this:

A4 - CV out to VCO for controlling pitch
A4 - Gate out to an VCA

With the audio path looking like VCO->VCA

Yes it works beautifully. I have a small modular system and don't have a modular sequencer.... I use the A4's CV track.

The way I have it set up is...

CVA - assigned to pitch and patched into my VCO
CVB - assigned to gate and patched into my VCA
CVC - assigned to clock and patched into my Echophon

The Rubicon is a killer VCO by the way. I suggest pairing it with the Dixie II if/when you expand your voices.

CV gate advice for the Rubicon in particular... try patching that into the "index" jack on the Rubicon

@Poldenstein: yes you can do that. I dont have an A4 but used to do loads with the monomachine/OT along with a midi to CV.

@Chevchelios: You need to think about how you are going to gate each module- you can use a combination of your clock divider and the A4's gate outs, though that is 3 channels of gates, and one for clock. ie you will soon run out of gate sources. You might be able (and I think you can) to trigger a couple of the modules by sending a pulse out sample of the OT. The OT would be a better option for you here (imo at least- it depends how you like your rhythm section) since you have a more flexible sequencer. I would strongly recommend the Analogue solutions MT9 midi to trigger/gate convertor, which would free up your A4 for CV stuff.

Yeah right, how came I did not realize it? No vca equals no gate.
I guess I'll do a lot of legato parts for the first months...
It seems I've already come to realize the meaning of the old modular adagio "you can't have too many vcas"
A Dixie II is already planned, but maybe I'll get a vca first.
@ orangehexagon the index patch point seem to control the vca of the tzfm signal, but I'm not exactly shure of what would that mean sonically.
The ecophon must be amazing, I'll definitely get some make noise stuff in the future.

You can run back into the a4's inputs and use the VCA, filters, envs and effects in there.

Thank tiB for the tiP
That was my intention, indeed. I did not consider closely how to actually do it.
Now it's more clear. No need to send gate.
I should sequence V/oct on CV track and sequence accordingly a synth track with osc set to EXT IN

the a4 sequencer cv was one factor in my choice to get a Pittsburgh modular,,,,, i was out of my mind a few weeks ago when i even contemplating selling or trading it...... i was just frustrated vy other things,

Another question for modular users.
Where did you get the insert cable (1/4 TRS jack to 2 1/8 mono jack) needed to use all four a4's CV outs? A suggestion on a good shop to buy cables from possibly in Europe would be much appreciated