Elby Designs EURO-SERGE Manual
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Elby Designs EURO-SERGE Manual

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EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES
CONTENT
1.
2.
3.
d. ES05 - Noise Generator
e. ES06 - 1973 Envelope Generator
4.
d.
ES04 - VC Multiplier 1 (i)
e.
ES17 - VC Multiplier 2 (i)
f.
ES18 - VC Multiplier 3 (i)
i.
ES78 - VCA (i)
j. ES09 - Positive Slew Generator
k. ES19 - Negative Slew Generator
l. ES75 - Voltage Controlled Slope Generator
m. ES07 - 1973 Voltage Controlled Filter
5.
b. ES30 - Stereo Panner Module
c. ES31 - Stereo Output Module
6.
b.
ES12 - Triple Bi-Directional Router (i)
c.
ES14 - Voltage Processor (i)
d.
ES15 - Smooth & Stepped Generator (i)
e. ES09 - Positive Slew Generator
f. ES19 - Negative Slew Generator
g. ES75 - Voltage Controlled Slope Generator
(i)
NB: Click on the
elby-designs@bigpond.com
(i)
to go to our web-based datasheet
ELBY Designs - Laurie Biddulph
9 Follan Close, Kariong, NSW 2250, Australia
(i)
(i)
(i)
(i)
(i)
(i)
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http://www.elby-designs.com
1 of 42
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Summary of Contents for Elby Designs EURO-SERGE

  • Page 1: Table Of Contents

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES CONTENT The Overall Design of the Euro-Serge System Signal Sources Control Voltage Sources ES01 - Random Voltage Generator (i) ES16 - Extended ADSR (i) ES27 - Transient Generator (i) d. ES05 - Noise Generator e. ES06 - 1973 Envelope Generator Audio Processors a.
  • Page 2 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Fast-Forward and Rewind The Introduction (Book 1) Self-Teaching Patches #1 (Book 2) The Theory of Electronic Music (Book 3) Self-Teaching Patches #2 (Book 4) So What Does It Sound Like? (Book 6) Euro-Serge Catalogue (Book 7)

  • Page 3: The Overall Design Of The Euro-Serge System

    THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE EURO-SERGE SYSTEM With this last STEP all three kinds of voltages and all four major types of modules found on the Euro-Serge have been used, so to summarise: The three kinds of voltage: 1. AC VOLTAGES: Black/White/Grey jacks. 20Hz to 20kHz. Output voltage typically -2.5V to +2.5V.
  • Page 4 Once the concept and basic principles of these five types of modules are understood, an infinite array of new "instruments" can be made or "patched" out of the modules available on the Euro-Serge. New modules, once their basic type is determined and their internal workings understood can be easily added to existing modules.

  • Page 5: Signal Sources

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES SIGNAL SOURCES OSCILLATORS: All the Euro-Serge oscillators have the ability to generate audio frequencies. They all also have an input labelled [SYNC]. This input allows two VCOs to be locked together so that they will not drift apart in frequency.
  • Page 6 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Pink noise is like White noise except that it sounds lower, more like a waterfall. The low frequencies have more amplitude. Figure 5.2.3 - White noise (top) and Pink noise (bottom) !!! CHECK YOUR SPEAKER VOLUME FIRST !!! RINGING FILTER.
  • Page 7 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES This technique can be used when other signals are applied to the [INPUT] of the filter to produce a wide range of interesting sounds. SLOPE GENERATOR. As already discussed, the ES114 can be patched to trigger itself to produce a VCO. The frequency is set by adjusting the [RISE] and [FALL] time either with the pots or with a control voltage.
  • Page 8 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.2.6 ELBY Designs - Laurie Biddulph 9 Follan Close, Kariong, NSW 2250, Australia elby-designs@bigpond.com http://www.elby-designs.com 8 of 42...

  • Page 9: Control Voltage Sources

    In particular it sounds more "animated" to have timbre of an electronic sound slightly changing in a random or non- consistent manner. The Euro-Serge provides three kinds of random control voltage: stepped, smooth and pulse. These are diagrammed below: Figure 5.3.1 The [RATE] pot determines the overall rate of change, a function which can be voltage controlled.
  • Page 10 Figure 5.3. If your Euro-Serge system has more than one random module it is possible to use a random control voltage to control the rate of the second random voltage. The pulse output can be explored using the following patch to provide a random rhythm: Figure 5.3.4...

  • Page 11: Es16 - Extended Adsr (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES16 Extended ADSR: The ES16 is an envelope generator that can produce multi-segmented envelopes of a more complex variety than USG is able to provide. In certain kinds of synthesis this is necessary, since few natural envelopes are a simple rise and fall.
  • Page 12 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES16 has five pots, each with an associated control voltage input jack. These control voltages affect the same segments as the corresponding pots. The [DELAY (T1)] pot/control sets the length of the delay between receipt of the trigger pulse and the onset of the envelope.
  • Page 13 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Using both inputs, more complex envelopes are possible. For example, during the sustain time set up by a GATE pulse, a trigger received at the [TRIGGER] will cause a new attack to start. While in the sustain mode of an envelope, the...

  • Page 14: Es27 - Transient Generator (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.3.10 The [VC TOUCH] output is a voltage proportional to the amount of pressure applied to the keyboard with the finger. When used to control a VCA, it can act much like an expressive envelope generator simulating the ‘piano-forte’...
  • Page 15 ES14 Processor module to generate complex envelopes. Note that in this patch diagram, the [END OUT] to [IN] connection is shown with a dotted line, this is because the EURO-SERGE banana sockets have a unique feature commonly known as ‘normalising’ in which a ‘default’ signal is internally patched to the jacks ‘signal’...

  • Page 16: Audio Processors

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES AUDIO PROCESSORS There are four major paths to analogue electronic music synthesis: 1. ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS: Since any sound can be shown to be made of sine waves, it is possible to construct any sound by adding the appropriate sine waves together.

  • Page 17: Es33 - Vcfq

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES the processors dealt with have been mixers, voltage controlled amplifiers and filters. ES33 VCFQ. The VCFQ has all the functions of a regular VCF plus a few unique features.  NOTCH OUTPUT. This output allows all of the frequencies for the input signal to pass EXCEPT those in a band directly around the setting of the [FREQUENCY] pot and control voltage.

  • Page 18: Es22 - Resonant Equalizer (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES system and cause distortion. The AGC keeps the output gain constant at the cut-off frequency and is activated by inputting the signal in to the [AGC] input. The regular input ([IN]) does not have an AGC, but does have a [GAIN] pot associated with it to attenuate the signal to desired levels.

  • Page 19: Es10 - Triple Waveshaper (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES10 TRIPLE WAVESHAPER. The ES10 module contains three identical devices which can be used to convert sawtooth waves in to sine waves and can provide a wide range of other forms of sound and timbre modification.
  • Page 20 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES04 VCM ES04 is the simplest of the trio. It has a switch for two different settings characteristics. In the [OVERDRIVE] position, ES04 acts to moderately "square up” or soft clip the signal. The soft clipping is amplitude dependent, producing changes in timbre as the loudness increases.
  • Page 21 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES18 VCM 3. Like the ES17, ES18 also has two independent (but identical) inputs. Both inputs are AC coupled. The general effect of the module is that of a full-wave rectifier for audio signals, which means that negative voltages are "flipped"...

  • Page 22: Es114 - Universal Slope Generator (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES114 UNIVERSAL SLOPE GENERATOR. The ES114 can function as a non-linear low-pass filter essentially by softening the slopes of the [IN] signal. Generally speaking, the less steep the slope of a waveform the fewer high frequencies it contains. To accomplish this the RISE and FALL items must be set quite fast.
  • Page 23 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.4.11 To create an ENVELOPE FOLLOWER it is not desirable to exactly follow the voltage, for that will simply reproduce the wave itself, perhaps with a slight delay or softening of the slopes. Rather, an envelope follower should follow the rising voltages as closely as possible, but have a very slow FALL time.
  • Page 24 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES If the ES114 is set with a fast FALL time and a slow RISE time, the ES114 will follow the negative peaks of the sound. Usually these peaks are almost identical to the positive ones, but not necessarily always. The negative envelope can be used directly to "shut down"...

  • Page 25: Es11 - Triple Comparator (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES If the processing pot of the ES114 is turned to the right, the feedback has the opposite effect: the envelope becomes a sharper and sharper spike, useful for creating short percussive envelopes. Figure 5.4.15 ES11 TRIPLE COMPARATOR.
  • Page 26 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES This device can be used to create rectangular waves of various duty-cycles. By inputting a sawtooth wave in to the "-" input and inputting a control voltage in to the "+" input, a voltage controlled pulse width generator can be created.
  • Page 27 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES ES78 VCA. The ES78 has an audio input, a voltage control input, an output and a [GAIN] pot. These are logarithmic VCAs and are useful for putting envelopes on sounds, and for Amplitude Modulation. Figure 5.4.19 – 2-VCA RING MODULATOR...

  • Page 28: Output Mixing

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES OUTPUT MIXING For three million years, in fact up until the early 1900's, EVERY sound heard by a man or a woman was integrally associated with its source. The sound of a lion implied a lion, the sound of a snapping twig implied a snapping twig, and the sound of somebody calling out your name implied somebody calling out your name.

  • Page 29: Es08 - Audio Mixer (I)

    EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES  A MIXER is a module that adds together a number of different sounds and sends the mixture to one or more outputs. A MIXER can be categorized by the number of inputs and outputs it has ...

  • Page 30: Control Voltage Processors

    The simplest of these devices have already been explored - the control voltage Processors that are found on the control voltage inputs of many modules on the Euro-Serge system. These processors enable the user to amplify, attenuate and/or invert the control voltage.
  • Page 31 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES instance, would have a slow Rise and a very fast Fall time. Because the ES114 is voltage -controllable, it is a voltage-controllable slew. Figure 5.6.2 ES12 BI-DIRECTIONAL ROUTER. This unique triple module can be used in two ways: 1.
  • Page 32 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.6.3 While in the above patches audio voltages are being routed about, control voltages can be routed in much the same way. However, any time there is an instantaneous change in voltage there will be a click.
  • Page 33 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.6.5 ES15 SMOOTH AND STEPPED GENERATOR. THE SMOOTH FUNCTION GENERATOR SLEW LIMITER. The Smooth Function generator serves as a voltage controlled Slew limiter on its input. The slope of the slew (both positive and negative) is determined by the manual [RATE] pot and a VC input associated attenuation pot.
  • Page 34 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES HOLDING the present output voltage level until the [HOLD] input goes low. If the [RATE] is set very fast so that the Smooth Function Generator follows its input closely (that is, tracks the input), the receipt of a pulse train at its [HOLD] input will produce a staircase-like series of voltages.
  • Page 35 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES When the Smooth Function Generator is patched to cycle, the [HOLD] function remains operative to be able to produce up and down staircase- like voltages. Figure 5.6.9 THE STEPPED FUNCTION GENERATOR SAMPLE AND HOLD. A Sample and Hold is a device which produces a discrete stepped waveform from a changing input voltage.
  • Page 36 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.6.10 CORRELATION. The [RATE] pot and the VC input with its associated attenuation pot control the "correlation" of one voltage output level to the previous voltage output level. In the stepped voltage as correlation increases, each step must be closer and closer to the previous step.
  • Page 37 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES When the [RATE] pot is at a middle position, and the input is a random voltage such as the [S/H SOURCE] on the ES01 Noise Generator, the output approximates the function called 1/F. 1/F is a random-like function that describes the shape of, for example, natural coastlines, cloud movements and many kinds of music.
  • Page 38 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES RANDOM VOLTAGE GENERATOR. It is sometimes desirable to create random voltages to control the various devices on the Euro-Serge, or, if the system already has a random voltage generator, it is sometimes desirable to have a second. Using the [COUPLER] output on the ES15 and the [S-H SOURCE] on the ES01 Noise Generator it is possible to patch the ES15 to become a random voltage generator.
  • Page 39 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Figure 5.6.15 ES28 TOUCH SEQUENCER. It is useful to think of the ES28 as composed of two separate parts: The Sequencer and the Touch Pad Controller. 8-Stage Sequencer. Only one stage can be on at any given instant. Each stage controls a specific column of pots, so that if Stage #7 is on, it activates all four pots in Stage #7.
  • Page 40 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES In the above patch, to get the ES28 to RESET to Stage #1 you must first touch Keypad #1. The number of stages clocked advanced before resetting is determined by the ES27 Transient Generator which is triggering the [RESET].
  • Page 41 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES One of the many uses to which this device can be put is that of producing chords and arabesques from a monophonic keyboard input. The patch in Figure 5.6.2 illustrates this use. Figure 5.6.2 ELBY Designs - Laurie Biddulph 9 Follan Close, Kariong, NSW 2250, Australia elby-designs@bigpond.com...
  • Page 42 EURO-SERGE - SYSTEM MODULES Chapter 6 What Does It Sound Like ELBY Designs - Laurie Biddulph 9 Follan Close, Kariong, NSW 2250, Australia elby-designs@bigpond.com http://www.elby-designs.com 42 of 42...

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