Befaco Muxlicer

[mntbighker]

You can set the range of that voltage by holding down the SPEED DIV/MULT button and flipping the Play switch up to increase the voltage, or down to decrease the voltage. (I tested it and it works.)

As far as I can tell the range doesn't change for me at all. Can anyone tell me what the high and low voltage ranges are supposed to be? Are you holding the encoder pushed and holding the play switch up or down? Or does each actuation of the switch increment the range? Regardless mine never seems to vary.

[gnsk]

0V - 9.73V
Holding the encoder, push and *hold* the switch. Each actuation seems to no effect.
hope this helps.

[mntbighker]

0V - 9.73V
Holding the encoder, push and *hold* the switch. Each actuation seems to no effect.
hope this helps.

I just performed the following test. Nothing connected to Mux. Connected Com I/O to CV input of Intellijel VCA. Stopped sequence on channel two. Did the encoder push / play switch dance. NO change in voltage range was apparent on the slider going up or down with the switch. The CV range opening the VCA remained constant no matter what I did. Am I in the wrong Muxlicer mode to see any change happen?

[mntbighker]

From Befaco:

Hi Mark,

The Range of the output of muxlicer is 0-10v, and the adjustement doesn't work on steps, is continuos.

Hope this solves your question.

Best,

Mattin

I'm not sure what that even means.

I'll have an O'tool scope in a few days to get a better idea exactly what's happening.

[gnsk]

i think, that steps mean not work each switch actuation, but *hold* switch, so continuos.
scope;
https://toobnix.org/videos/embed/f22c95 ... 163153235f
smooth wave is from slider after range change.
you could hear the switch click with speaker volume up.

[mntbighker]

i think, that steps mean not work each switch actuation, but *hold* switch, so continuos.
scope;
https://toobnix.org/videos/embed/f22c95 ... 163153235f
smooth wave is from slider after range change.
you could hear the switch click with speaker volume up.

Thanks for the vid.

[danishchairs]

0V - 9.73V
Holding the encoder, push and *hold* the switch. Each actuation seems to no effect.
hope this helps.

I just performed the following test. Nothing connected to Mux. Connected Com I/O to CV input of Intellijel VCA. Stopped sequence on channel two. Did the encoder push / play switch dance. NO change in voltage range was apparent on the slider going up or down with the switch. The CV range opening the VCA remained constant no matter what I did. Am I in the wrong Muxlicer mode to see any change happen?

Hmm ... I can get a change on my VCA when I hook it up as you have.

Perhaps there’s a different way of hooking things up to see if it’s working for you:

• Connect the Com I/O of the Muxlicer to the CV in of a VCO. (Set up your VCO so you can hear it’s output.)
  Start the Muxlicer moving through its sequence via its internal clock.
  Move all the sliders up about half way. Make some of them a little lower and some higher.
  You may already hear different pitches on your VCO.

If you don’t hear any pitch changes, the Muxlicer’s internal voltage may be set to zero. You should be able to change the internal voltage by the following two steps.

• Push and hold the SPEED DIV/MULT control.
  While continuing to hold the SPEED DIV/MULT control, push and hold the PLAY switch up for one or two seconds.

If all goes well, you should hear different pitches from your VCO as the Muxlicer moves through its sequence.

Be aware that pushing the PLAY switch sometimes engages its Start and Stop function, even when all you’re trying to do is control the voltage.

[mntbighker]

Hmm ... I can get a change on my VCA when I hook it up as you have.

Perhaps there’s a different way of hooking things up to see if it’s working for you:

• Connect the Com I/O of the Muxlicer to the CV in of a VCO. (Set up your VCO so you can hear it’s output.)
  Start the Muxlicer moving through its sequence via its internal clock.
  Move all the sliders up about half way. Make some of them a little lower and some higher.
  You may already hear different pitches on your VCO.

If you don’t hear any pitch changes, the Muxlicer’s internal voltage may be set to zero. You should be able to change the internal voltage by the following two steps.

• Push and hold the SPEED DIV/MULT control.
  While continuing to hold the SPEED DIV/MULT control, push and hold the PLAY switch up for one or two seconds.

If all goes well, you should hear different pitches from your VCO as the Muxlicer moves through its sequence.

Be aware that pushing the PLAY switch sometimes engages its Start and Stop function, even when all you’re trying to do is control the voltage.

Connected to Dixie II V/Octave. No change in pitch results whatsoever. The sequence plays, and the notes shift according to slider position. But push Speed / push hold Play up or down result in no change in pitch range. I know the encoder button works because tap tempo works.

[danishchairs]

Hmm ... I can get a change on my VCA when I hook it up as you have.

Perhaps there’s a different way of hooking things up to see if it’s working for you:
...

Connected to Dixie II V/Octave. No change in pitch results whatsoever. The sequence plays, and the notes shift according to slider position. But push Speed / push hold Play up or down result in no change in pitch range. I know the encoder button works because tap tempo works.

Sorry to hear. Sounds like most everything is working except being able to change the internal voltage range. (I’m assuming that there’s no cable inserted into the ALL IN jack, or any of the MUX I/Os. A cable in the ALL IN jack would disable the internal voltage range function.)

If you’re handy with electronics, it might be time to check out the internals. Here’s a link to the schematic.

There are a few components (including one op amp) between the microprocessor and the ALL IN jack. (When nothing is plugged into the ALL IN jack, the microprocessor provides a voltage to all the sliders.) Perhaps one of the connections is unconnected (cold solder joint?), or one of the components has gone bad. There’s also a diode (D14) in that circuit. If it were installed the wrong way around, that might well stop the voltage range from working.

Best!

[mntbighker]

Sorry to hear. Sounds like most everything is working except being able to change the internal voltage range. (I’m assuming that there’s no cable inserted into the ALL IN jack, or any of the MUX I/Os. A cable in the ALL IN jack would disable the internal voltage range function.)

If you’re handy with electronics, it might be time to check out the internals. Here’s a link to the schematic.

There are a few components (including one op amp) between the microprocessor and the ALL IN jack. (When nothing is plugged into the ALL IN jack, the microprocessor provides a voltage to all the sliders.) Perhaps one of the connections is unconnected (cold solder joint?), or one of the components has gone bad. There’s also a diode (D14) in that circuit. If it were installed the wrong way around, that might well stop the voltage range from working.

Best!

Yeah, and I built the module so

I notice Befaco seems to have stopped including the board layout in the build notes. And they are gone from the web site on every one I have looked for lately. I still see the layout in the build notes at least on Muxlicer. I have asked Befaco what my options are and where to start looking.

[Michelob]

Hi everyone,

Just tell me if this is the wrong place for this info :

To upgrade the Muxlicer firmware, you can remove the ATMEGA from the Mux, plug it on an Arduino Uno board, and upload the Befaco sketch. Then just put it back in place when it's done.

Doing this, no need for a programmer or UBASP connector.

Please don't laugh at me , maybe this is obvious to a lot of people here, but I lost so much time, as I had not UBASP at home, trying to use an Arduino as a programmer, without any success. Maybe I did something wrong while burning the bootloader, or something else, I don't know.

But I think this worth being mentionned for anymone that could probably meet some similar difficulties.

Cheers,

Michel

[mntbighker]

Is that really the only way Befaco provides to update the firmware? That seems odd to me. Though I haven't looked at updating mine yet.

[Michelob]

Hi,

I think Befaco recommends using this :

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/5173-USBASP-USB ... 2082973854

This fits the onboard ICSP 6pins.

That's probably a simpler way if you haven't ever use Arduino. But if you did, uploading the firmware onto an Arduino board looks elegant to me

Michel

[djdiscord]

I just put one of these together and have another waiting to build. I noticed the "Serial" Gnd Tx and Rx unused connections, and I'm wondering if this is a way to hook up multiple Muxlicers, perhaps better than simply using EOC from one to the other...? The build as it is now, has you solder faders over these connections on one side. Does anyone know how to use these? Also... is there any information on the mysterious "expansion port" in the middle of the board...?

This thing is like a Nintendo 64, haha.

[mtts]

Just built one of them. It's a fairly easy build (certainly less cramped than the Rampage I built before it) except for the 8 pins you need to solder that are all but flush against the power connector. And like someone else said on this forum: check for shorts BEFORE you solder on the pots and connectors because once you've done that there's no way to get to the components underneath them.

[modwiggler]

I have a Muxlicer and I wonder if it is safe to use stacking cables on the outputs when using it in the "slicing direction" – i.e. when I have some input to the COM I/O port. Or if i need to joint them with OR-gates or a mixer (depending on the kind of signal sliced).

When using it in the other direction it is natural to use stacking cables to give the same input to different steps, but what about when reversing it? Usually stacking cables should not be used to join outputs, but from a logical point of view these things are "the same output", just sliced. Typically I would like to do this with trigger signals to, say, fire the same drum on multiple steps.

[hel1]

I don't see why this could be a problem, I do this all the time, using plankton ninja stars instead of stackables.

[Hek]

What happens if you take the sequence CV out and put it in the Adress CV in? Would its sliders be able to control the pattern of the gate outputs?

Im looking for a way to use the muxlicer as a more controlable drumsequencer for example.

[Triscus]

What happens if you take the sequence CV out and put it in the Adress CV in? Would its sliders be able to control the pattern of the gate outputs?

Im looking for a way to use the muxlicer as a more controlable drumsequencer for example.

Putting the cv into the gate mode would do this.

[Tarocco]

I'm looking for a sequential switch and all the extra functions of the Muxlicer are appealing. I've also built a few Befaco kits and really enjoyed the process. One application I'm interested in is using it as a 4in/1out sequential switch for 1v/oct signals. Essentially using the outputs from Ornament and Crime Sequins to generate arpeggios. Anyone know if it will track accurately? Those sliders make me nervous that it isn't going to be accurate enough and I'd need to quantize again which would be annoying. Thanks!

[BlinkyLights]

Can the EOC on a Muxlicer be used to chain multiple Muxlicers together for more steps total, somehow?

I sold mine but want another. Will two chain together? Seems like this can be patched. Maybe?

[grrrwaaa]

Short answer: yes, pretty much, but it might be under-using what Muxlicers can do.

Here's how:

Route clock out of first to clock in of second to sync them.
Put both into one shot mode (the default when they start up I think?). Connect EOC of each to the Play of the other, so they play back to back: when one gets to the end it starts the other.

If you are muxing multiple ins or just the sliders to one out:
Connect the Common Out of the first to the All In of the second. Now you can use the second module Common Out as your shared out. If you are just using the sliders and no muxing, you'll get them all here too.

If you are muxing one input to all the stage IOs, you can mult the source to both Common IO jacks (use a buffered mult if you want to maintain levels/pitch).

Same roughly goes for the address and ratchet CVs, if you are using them: mult the same signal to both modules.

I don't think there's a way to share the gates, but you can route both module's All Gates to an OR module or a mixer/adder.

So yes, it is more or less possible, and at most just needs mult and OR/mixer utilities (a MI Links would solve those, for example).

BUT, I'm not sure if this would be my first choice to build a 16 step sequencer, or the most interesting thing to do with two of them.

If I had 2 muxlicers, I'd be cross patching them in different ways to get more complex dynamics; sequencing sequencers can be really fun. Maybe the sliders of #1 are modulating the ratchets of #2. Maybe the all gates of #2 are clocking #1. Maybe certain steps of #1 reset the position of #2, etc. Maybe slider outs of #2 go to the address of #1 (works well, because sending 0v let's muxlicer play forward step by step normally, but higher voltages will make it jump to a new step). This kind of feedback patching can quickly move between stable and chaotic with just a few adjustments.

[BlinkyLights]

Short answer: yes, pretty much, but it might be under-using what Muxlicers can do.

Here's how:

Route clock out of first to clock in of second to sync them.
Put both into one shot mode (the default when they start up I think?). Connect EOC of each to the Play of the other, so they play back to back: when one gets to the end it starts the other.

If you are muxing multiple ins or just the sliders to one out:
Connect the Common Out of the first to the All In of the second. Now you can use the second module Common Out as your shared out. If you are just using the sliders and no muxing, you'll get them all here too.

If you are muxing one input to all the stage IOs, you can mult the source to both Common IO jacks (use a buffered mult if you want to maintain levels/pitch).

Same roughly goes for the address and ratchet CVs, if you are using them: mult the same signal to both modules.

I don't think there's a way to share the gates, but you can route both module's All Gates to an OR module or a mixer/adder.

So yes, it is more or less possible, and at most just needs mult and OR/mixer utilities (a MI Links would solve those, for example).

BUT, I'm not sure if this would be my first choice to build a 16 step sequencer, or the most interesting thing to do with two of them.

If I had 2 muxlicers, I'd be cross patching them in different ways to get more complex dynamics; sequencing sequencers can be really fun. Maybe the sliders of #1 are modulating the ratchets of #2. Maybe the all gates of #2 are clocking #1. Maybe certain steps of #1 reset the position of #2, etc. Maybe slider outs of #2 go to the address of #1 (works well, because sending 0v let's muxlicer play forward step by step normally, but higher voltages will make it jump to a new step). This kind of feedback patching can quickly move between stable and chaotic with just a few adjustments.

That was great, thanks much.

I have one specific use case in mind where one Mux shined and I only ever wanted more of the same so I'll grab a couple of used ones as I see them to play.

Thanks again.

[Befacosynth]

Hey Everyone!
Muxlicer has bee naded to VCV Rack, and it is coming with its expander: MEX!

MEX is releasing the 27th October, but yo ucan test it in VCV now!!

https://library.vcvrack.com/?brand=Befaco

Here a demo during superbooth:



Hope you enjoy it!!

[Phitar]

Hey Everyone!
Muxlicer has bee naded to VCV Rack, and it is coming with its expander: MEX!

MEX is releasing the 27th October, but yo ucan test it in VCV now!!

https://library.vcvrack.com/?brand=Befaco

Here a demo during superbooth:



Hope you enjoy it!!

Hell, expander... Too much! like the try before buy approach using VCV rack. Nice!