PATCH #8
Earlier this year, Doepfer announced its new Basic System 3 (BS3), the latest in its line of complete, pre-configured Eurorack systems aimed at beginners, experts, explorers and purists alike.
To accompany the system, Doepfer — in collaboration with Stromkult — has designed a comprehensive Patchbook with fourteen different patch ideas for the BS3. Every patch comes with custom-made patch diagrams and a step-by-step-patching manual, making it easy for anyone to recreate and play with these patches.
While the patches were specifically designed for the BS3 and its configuration, most of the patches revolve around basic "building block" modules such as VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, mixers, envelope and LFOs and thus should be able to be recreated on a variety of systems — above all, we hope these patches may inspire you!
You can download the full PDF of the patchbook with all of the patches here (link goes to Google Drive).
Every individual patch is divided into an introductory overview of the patch, a section for the audio path, a section for the control voltage path and a final "play the patch" section with ideas on how the patch could be further tweaked and iterated upon.
PATCH OVERVIEW
This is a kick drum patch based on a “pinged” A-108 filter acting as our sound generator. With the adjustment of just a few parameters, this patch can create a variety of kick drum sounds.
AUDIO PATH
We “ping” the A-108 by feeding its audio input with a slewed keyboard/sequencer gate signal from the A-171-2 VCS. This makes the filter spit out a percussive, tonal sound that forms the basis of our kickdrum.
The A-108’s bandpass output goes into the input of the A-131 VCA and from there to the input of the upper VCA on the A-132-3 and then to our headphones or speakers.
The input of the bottom VCA on the A-132-3 receives white noise from the A-118-1. Then it goes to the “CV3” input of the A-108. This audio rate modulation of the filter gives our kick sound some “noisiness”.
CONTROL VOLTAGE PATH
The A-171-2 receives keyboard/sequencer gate into its trigger input, making it function as an attack/decay generator. Using the rise parameter we can precisely adjust the attack of the generated sound.
The A-140-2 receives keyboard/sequencer gate. The first ADSR goes to the “CV” input of the bottom VCA on the A-132-3 and modulates the time during which the noise signal is able to modulate the filter cutoff. The upper VCA on the A-132-3 receives the second ADSR controlling the overall output.
The A-140-1 also receives the keyboard/sequencer gate and its output goes to the “CV2” input of the A-108 to create a filter envelope that is acting as a pitch envelope in this patch.
The A-140-2 receives keyboard/sequencer CV, passing through the A-138j (set to inverted) into its envelope rate “CV” input. This way the pitch CV controls the noise-envelope.
"PLAY THE PATCH"
The A-108’s parameters have a big influence on the sound of the patch. The filter cutoff frequency determines the base pitch of our kick drum, the resonance (“Emph.”) determines the initial amplitude and length of its decay. The “CV2” knob determines the amount of envelope pitch modulation and the “CV3” knob the amount of “noisiness”.
Try to have other parameters controlled by the pitch CV!
This patch already works quite well using only the A-171-2 to excite the filter and one envelope to modulate the filter’s cutoff.