Midweek Modular: Buchla to Eurorack and back again
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Tiptop Audio squeezes out Buchla Model 245t into Euroack while 1979 stretches the Mutable Instruments Plaits into Buchla. This and more in this episode of Midweek Modular.
But before you do anything else, you should check out the Detournetable from Victoria Shen. It’s a magnificent work of Eurorack art. Read more about it here.
Tiptop Model 245t
The latest release in the Tiptop Audio official Buchla Eurorack 200 series is the Sequential Voltage Source, also known as the Model 245t. It is a generator of pulses and a storer of voltages that can be released sequentially.
Tiptop Buchla 245t · Source: Tiptop
The Pulser stage generates a control pulse which can be used to advance the stages in the Voltage Stage section. It produces an initial pulse of 10v followed by a 5v gate whose length is determined by the Pulse Length knob within the context of the Internal Time knob. Internal Time can be set from milliseconds up to 10 seconds, and so you set the length to be a percentage of that. Still with me?
Meanwhile, over in the Voltage Stage section, you essentially have a 5-step sequencer. Each step (or stage) has 4 voltage knobs with individual outputs A-to-D. This means you have 4 channels of 5 steps being advanced by the Pulser.
Each stage has a gate output that can fire other things, and you can jump into any stage using the Stage Select inputs at the bottom. This is one of the models that give Buchla modular its unique flavour. It’s the source of the cascading and intertwined sequencing that defines the bleepy-bloopy character. It’s the sort of module that could bring fun times to any modular system.
Tiptop Audio has managed to source enough parts for the first batch that is being shipped to dealers. Preorders for $245 should open soon.
1979 Algorithmic Oscillator
What we have here is the movement of a modern classic Eurorack module into the Buchla format. 1979 has taken the Plaits firmware from Mutable Instruments and transformed it into a beautiful Buchla module. It’s the best-looking Plaits clone I’ve ever seen, but then Buchla modules are a work of art that 1979 has interpreted perfectly.
Inside are the 16 algorithms from the Plaits running through a high-fidelity 48kHz, 16bit core. It has the expected features such as the secondary output, the internal VCA with triggerable and adjustable LPG mode and the four control knobs for Timbre, Harmonic, Morph and Amplitude.
1979 has added a few enhancements, which include a voltage-controlled decay envelope, a pitch quantizer, envelope output and inverting attenuators.
If you were ever looking to kick start a Buchla modular system, this would be a great way to do it.
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The 1979 Algorithmic Oscillator is available now for $775.
D&D Modules Wire Station
A very tidy mixer module from D&D Modules that’s now available with a black or white front panel. Wire Station is a 4 channel mixer that functions very much like a regular mixing desk. And while that seems a bit obvious, it’s also the strength of this module because mixers in Eurorack often have a slightly different emphasis, whereas this knows exactly what it is and what it’s trying to achieve.
D&D Modules Wire Station · Source: D&D Modules
Each of the 4 mono inputs has a mute switch, a cue function to route it to the headphones and an auxiliary send control. The aux send bus has a stereo return with a dedicated level knob. It has a stereo output, a proper headphone output and a useful LED VU meter.
I really like the neatness of it. The inclusion of a master mute button is fantastic, and it’s both compact and easy to access. The only slight snag is the lack of any panning. Otherwise, it’s an awesome little mixer and output controller for a small system.
Wire Station is available for €288.
- D&D Modules website.
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