Toppobrillo Sport Modulator 2 – how to use?

[Black]

We all may have read about this patch that uses a Make Noise Maths to create a kind of complex oscillator similar to Mannequins Mangrove.

To get a better understanding of the new Sports Modulator 2: Will it be useable in the same way? If not – where are the differences?

[oldenjon]

That patch uses Maths trigger input, aka one-shot mode which Sport Modulator doesn't have. I don't think you will be able to get frequency division without a proper one shot mode, but you could find a setting that gives you a convincing one shot AR envelope from the Master VCO's Pulse output and then patch rate to track with the VCO's frequency. You can also do this with cycle mode, do things like patch the END output to the rate input to vary the skew of rise/fall, or use the VCO's PWM with SM2's gate input to do something like Mangrove's variable pulse width. None of this will work exactly like the Maths patch, and even less like Mangrove but could still sound cool. This is all off the top of my head just FYI. I obviously haven't played with SM2 so might be a better question to ask once it's out in the wild, or one you could direct towards Toppobrillo.

[The Junglechrist]

The Sport Modulator is more close to the Serge SSG than Maths, wich sort of a rebuild of the DUSG.
You can check some great patches with the SSG here :

[wrecksmoondee]

Here's an illustrated patch guide for the Sport Modulator (possibly with some errors): viewtopic.php?t=63175&highlight=

[toppobrillo]

I'll post a couple clips of the new SM2 as a sound source soon, the gate input is a kind of sync- and sounds super cool used as such !it's very easy to use as a 'burst generator' and you can kinda program one section as a one-shot- so I would imagine ya could get somewhat similar results

[toppobrillo]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTjTgjKA ... _copy_link
here's a quick thing, I recorded more much stranger sounds i'll post more later

[grrrwaaa]

The other thread on SM2 is ridiculously long and hard to find the actual information about differences from SM1.

Here are the relevant posts I found:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=245542&p=3592396#p3592396
viewtopic.php?p=3581484#p3581484
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=245542&p=3528854#p3528854
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=245542&p=3506720#p3506720
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=245542&p=3500304#p3500304
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=245542&p=3498986#p3498986

[Black]

Thanks a lot. Good basis to start the work on the new module (once it has arrived in Europe…)!

The other thread has today 923 entries, and 99% of them are talking about availability and how much people are longing for it… it will be impossible in two or three months to find something there thatb is still relevant.

So I would very much appreciate to continue the discussion about its usage here.

Thank you : - )

[He_lium]

So I would very much appreciate to continue the discussion about its usage here.

Thank you : - )

Excellent idea! I can't wait to learn more about SM2 (received a few days ago )

[mdoudoroff]

We need to update the old illustrated patch guide for the new module as soon as possible, with extra care on switch positions and how the controls and inputs affect the underlying patch idea. The new features have to be factored in.

I’ve whomped up a layered photoshop file that could be used as an illustration basis for a new patch guide. Each switch and control can be easily rotated or flipped as needed. I think the faceplate drawing is vastly preferable to an actual photograph of the module for this documentation purpose.

https://mdoudoroff.s3.amazonaws.com/spo ... ator-2.psd

[Black]

Actually, I did not expect the module is being sent without a user guide. Josh did ask for volunteers to help him proof reading, didn't he?

[chai baba]

This is the base (beside the other videos that already have been posted) and the few new tweaks/functions that are mentioned on the first few pages of the other thread.

[Bath House]

When I flip the switch between the triangle wave and “CYC” I get no audio out of the output or any other obvious behavior. What am I missing? The mk1 manual implies this should drone an audio output but I have silence. The triangle one works fine but when I flip down to cyc, silence.

[sellanraa]

One setting is cycling and the channel becomes an oscillator. For some reason that is the setting of MM for me. I'd think it'd cycle when the toggle is down and pointing to cycle. I'm assuming the label underneath of each toggle is less pointing to what the down position setting is and more a label of the overall toggle function. Regardless, if it's not cycling it's waiting for an audio input to process and won't do anything. Basically, it's a choice of whether you want it to provide it's own CV with the cycling or feed it something from an external source.

Hope this helps. Loving this update. The GATE input is a super spiffy feature, but I'd have bought it for the two color bipolar visual feedback if nothing else

[Bath House]

Having played with it more, I think you’re right. MMM/up is “on” and “CYC/down” is off. I think this is very confusing panel labeling - it absolutely looks like you’re flipping between MMM and cycle, not that MMM IS cycle.

[toppobrillo]

Having played with it more, I think you’re right. MMM/up is “on” and “CYC/down” is off. I think this is very confusing panel labeling - it absolutely looks like you’re flipping between MMM and cycle, not that MMM IS cycle.

I just posted in the main thread - I guess the transition to a cleaner thread with more quick info makes sense, so I will start to do so.

"When the CYCLE switch is in the UP position, the Sport Mod will begin to oscillate, the INPUT is ignored- The default range is +/-4V (8Vp-p). When the switch is down, the INPUT is active. "CYC" is just labelling the switch, the triangles indicate ya get oscillation in that position."

"cyc", like "mode" is telling you what the switch is- and the triangles indicate that flipping it UP will cause it to cycle.

[wrngtrls]

Having played with it more, I think you’re right. MMM/up is “on” and “CYC/down” is off. I think this is very confusing panel labeling - it absolutely looks like you’re flipping between MMM and cycle, not that MMM IS cycle.

The switches are similar in feel to the delta-v: up/MMM is self-cycle, or self-oscillation with the RATE being the frequency knob; down/CYC is CV-over rate, so just pop a pulse wave in the input and you get a similar thing.

What''s cool is using the CYC mode to slew pitch frequency (into input), patch in a gate or clock (into gate), and patching the the END cycle to another module to trigger a drum/rhythm envelope. The rate knob's sensitivity/calibration is such that I can slew the rate down the the left, so smoother, and and you'll also get a rhythmic variation with dropped gates sent to the envelope trigger. So the rate knob is BOTH doing subtle portamento slewing and dividing clocks (actually not sure if I'm shaving gates because I've slewed the threshold, or if its indeed dividing, or some other math I'm ignorant of). All very useful, fun stuff!

Off to figure out the magenta CUPL section!

[toppobrillo]

Having played with it more, I think you’re right. MMM/up is “on” and “CYC/down” is off. I think this is very confusing panel labeling - it absolutely looks like you’re flipping between MMM and cycle, not that MMM IS cycle.

The switches are similar in feel to the delta-v: up/MMM is self-cycle, or self-oscillation with the RATE being the frequency knob; down/CYC is CV-over rate, so just pop a pulse wave in the input and you get a similar thing.

What''s cool is using the CYC mode to slew pitch frequency (into input), patch in a gate or clock (into gate), and patching the the END cycle to another module to trigger a drum/rhythm envelope. The rate knob's sensitivity/calibration is such that I can slew the rate down the the left, so smoother, and and you'll also get a rhythmic variation with dropped gates sent to the envelope trigger. So the rate knob is BOTH doing subtle portamento slewing and dividing clocks (actually not sure if I'm shaving gates because I've slewed the threshold, or if its indeed dividing, or some other math I'm ignorant of). All very useful, fun stuff!

Off to figure out the magenta CUPL section!

In the interest of trying to avoid confusion around the language, there is no "cyc" mode as you describe it. cycle switch DOWN means the SM is not self-cycling, it's now listening to it's INPUT and will process (slew etc) any source input there. This is the same functionally as the Serge DUSG, maths and the 100 other clones/ work-alikes in eurorack.

Here is a block diagram of what's goin on! I hope this helps clarify things.

[itsmeaflo]

A-ha! thanks for the diagram. I’ve asked this in the other thread, but it looks like the middle jumper on the back is for WARBLE. will have to pay more attention when viewing the scope with this setting enabled. Thank you!

[toppobrillo]

A-ha! thanks for the diagram. I’ve asked this in the other thread, but it looks like the middle jumper on the back is for WARBLE. will have to pay more attention when viewing the scope with this setting enabled. Thank you!

yes. Warble adds some extra hysteresis to the comparator. This causes the Smooth side (bottom section when the CUPL switch is engaged) to overshoot the Stepped side (top section in this patch) by quite a bit- the effect is that the Smooth side wiggles around the stepped value and you get a nice wobbly rhythm going too, it's pretty great!

so yeah, with all toggles DOWN, enable the CUPL switch- patch a noise source or another LFO maybe into the TOP section's input (you can even set the top section to Cycle ) switch the warble jumper over and you'll be able to see the effect that this has- then patch it and hear what it does , its a simple and nice variation that imo makes that patch alot cooler... the real cool thing is this happens at the flick of a switch instead of under a small plate of spaghetti

[mdoudoroff]

Rough draft: Sample & Hold

Comments?

[mdoudoroff]

Rough draft: Track & Hold / Lag & Hold

Comments?

[Jumbuktu]

I don't have one yet - not even past the first email, but thanks so much for starting this thread. I agree that a good place to start is to update all the version 1 patch book examples to the new module, and then move on to some new examples that utilise the new features.

[inner_light]

Yes! Fully on board here- excited to shed some light onto this mysterious gem

[medium Rob]

this is somewhat off-topic--my apologies. i'm wondering if there's any overlap between the (analog) Sport Modulator, which can function as a comparator (?), and something like the Joranalogue Compare module, which is a digital "dual window comparator", and is also useful for a variety of applications. would the two modules compliment one another at all?