PATCH #6
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 pad sound patch that tunes two oscillators and an LFO (at audio rate) to a paraphonic chord.
The LFOs in the Basic System are configured to go up to audio rate so you can use them as additional oscillators!
This patch requires a tuner (software or hardware) to tune the chord. The modulation in this patch follows the pitch of the oscillators. Low notes will cause slower modulation while higher notes will result in faster modulation.
AUDIO PATH
This patch has a parallel audio path. The first path consists of a pulse wave from our second A-110-1 VCO that is tuned to an Eb and goes into the A-138 Mixer. The mixer also receives a falling ramp wave at audio rate, tuned to a G, from the first LFO of the A-147-4 dual VCLFO.
The output of the A-138 goes into the A-121-2 VCF. The lowpass output of the filter goes into the bottom VCA of the A-132-3 DVCA. The output of the DVCA goes into the second input of the A-131 VCA, and from there to our speakers.
The second path consists of a pulse wave from our first A-110-1 that is tuned to a C and goes into the A-108 VCF8. Its “48db LP” output goes into the upper VCA of the A-132-3. Both outputs of the DVCA are being summed using the A-131 and then go to our speakers.
Control Voltage Path
We track our oscillators with keyboard/sequencer CV. We also send keyboard/sequencer CV to the “CV” input of the first LFO on the A-147-4, since we are using it as a third oscillator in this patch.
The second LFO on the A-147-4 is used for modulation. It is retriggered from our keyboard/sequencer gate. We send its second triangle output to the “PW CV2” input of the first VCO for pulse width modulation.
We send its second sine output to the A-180-2 Multiple. One copy goes to the “CV2” input of the A-108 for filter modulation, the other goes to the “CV2” input of the A-131 VCA to create tremolo.
We trigger the A-140-2 Dual ADSR with keyboard/sequencer gate. The first ADSR’s two outputs go to the “CV3” input of the A-108 for a filter envelope and the upper VCA of the A-132-3 for a volume envelope.
The second ADSR’s two outputs go to the “FCV2” input of the A-121-2 (filter envelope) and the bottom VCA of the A-132-3 (volume envelope).
The envelopes are set to a slow attack for a soft, rising pad-like contour. This patch is intended to be played at a speed of about one medium length note per bar.
"PLAY THE PATCH"
You can turn off the tremolo modulation by turning down the “CV2” knob on the A-131. You can also increase or decrease its speed with the “F” control on the second LFO on the A-147-4.
Using a tuner, you could tune the three oscillators to a different paraphonic chord. In case a polyphonic keyboard, sequencer or MIDI/CV interface is available, you could play the patch fully paraphonically, sending individual pitch CV’s to each of the three oscillators.