Euromod splices your phone into Eurorack
5,0 / 5,0 | 
The Bluesxp Euromod combines an Android app with a 32hp Eurorack module to splice your smartphone into your modular system. It’s not just an interface, it magnetically secures your phone on the front panel and generates a whole load of Eurorack-compatible audio and control signals. It’s just landed on Indiegogo and is looking for €8000 to cover the cost of the first 50 units. But it doesn’t support all Android phones…
Euromod
The Euromod module contains a magnetic dock for your phone, which will also charge it (that’s handy). Then above and below the phone are a number of interesting controls for Eurorack integration.
There are 4 high-resolution audio inputs with attenuating gain knobs and a line/headphone output. So it becomes a 4-channel mixer but one where the phone’s touch screen has now become a row of faders, with mute and solo buttons. You can record the audio directly into the phone, or you can record the movements you make on the phone to automate what you’re doing.
Euromod diagram of how it integrates with Eurorack · Source: Euromod
On the output side the Euromod can generate 4 CV outputs, either from live fiddling with the phone, stored performances or via the external MIDI input.
Both the audio mixer and the MIDI-to-CV components can still function without the phone being present.
Apps
Along with the mixer page there are three other views within the app. CV Font sets the global scale, quantization and range of the CV outputs. Pads gives you 12 note pads to play tunes on. This can be configured to output modulation to each CV output in turn, or to play monophonically. And then there’s the Mod page with up to 4 synchable oscillators, with 4 waveforms as well as rate and phase controls.
Moto Mods
Now here’s the kicker. All this is made possible via the Moto Mods technology of the Moto Z phone. This is an expansion facility that allows different peripherals to snap onto the back of the Moto Z. So all you iPhone and Samsung users are dead out of luck – this is just for the Moto Z. You can get Moto Mods like a proper zoomable camera, a projector, JBL have made some speakers for it.
It’s actually very cool and I’m wondering why I haven’t heard about it before. Of course, the appeal of the Euromod is limited, namely only to owners of the Moto Z. In an already niche market, how many Eurorack fiddlers are going to be Motorola customers? With a device this interesting, could you be persuading people to pick up a Moto Z phone? Well, they start at around $400 so it’s no small investment.
I think the whole thing is a really cool idea and an interesting use of the technology. The only flaw is that I doubt there are enough Moto Z-owning modular people out there who would want to take advantage. Obviously, this should support the iPhone and Samsung devices, but I can see how Motorola’s unique mod technology has lent itself perfectly to this application. It’s a bit weird sticking your phone on the face plate of your Eurorack but I confess to kinda liking it. Maybe there’s a way to utilise the concept and the module but have a more general USB connection and maybe even a holder for a phone like you’d stick onto your car dashboard. Anyway, I’m sure David Castellá, who created the project, will be considering all sorts of things if he gets the funding.
There are 5 Euromods available for the €150, after that the early bird price is €160 plus shipping – this, of course, does not include the phone.
Check it out on the Euromod Indiegogo page.
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