Toppobrillo Sport Modulator 2 – how to use?

[gogurt]

I have a very newbie question about my SM2. I was playing around with the basic "Random source" patch where I have:

-CUPL switch up
-Top rate fully clockwise
-Bottom rate ~9 o'clock
-All switches down except for the top MODE switch up

I've noticed the module sometimes "freezes" or stays latched onto a specific value when I turn the bottom rate knob to the right past a certain point. Or, at times it happens just in the course of the random voltages fluctuating. Once it's latched, turning knobs doesn't do anything, although flipping the CUPL switch down and back up will reset the behavior. I have a theory for why this is happening, but I could use some SM expert's explanation of what's going on behind the scenes.

Theory: I have a white noise signal coming in from a Manikk Noise module. The output seems pretty hot based on the documentation, >17v pp. Could it be that when the voltage exceeds a certain level, it causes the SM2 to lock up? I tested this by running the Noise output through an attenuator, and it seems like when I attenuate it down roughly by half then I pretty much never see this behavior.

[toppobrillo]

I have a very newbie question about my SM2. I was playing around with the basic "Random source" patch where I have:

-CUPL switch up
-Top rate fully clockwise
-Bottom rate ~9 o'clock
-All switches down except for the top MODE switch up

I've noticed the module sometimes "freezes" or stays latched onto a specific value when I turn the bottom rate knob to the right past a certain point. Or, at times it happens just in the course of the random voltages fluctuating. Once it's latched, turning knobs doesn't do anything, although flipping the CUPL switch down and back up will reset the behavior. I have a theory for why this is happening, but I could use some SM expert's explanation of what's going on behind the scenes.

Theory: I have a white noise signal coming in from a Manikk Noise module. The output seems pretty hot based on the documentation, >17v pp. Could it be that when the voltage exceeds a certain level, it causes the SM2 to lock up? I tested this by running the Noise output through an attenuator, and it seems like when I attenuate it down roughly by half then I pretty much never see this behavior.

internally, the comparator swings from about -11V to +11V- so if this input source you're using exceeds these thresholds, which it sounds like it may momentarily at times, it could cause it to latch up in this patch, solution would be as you have attenuate the input a bit, or turning down the top section's rate knob will help also- but it won't guarantee that it won't be able to climb up there eventually.

[gogurt]

Thanks for the explanation! Makes a lot of sense.

[SMSHFFLD]

Sport Mangrove

Panel settings:

• Both channels CYCLE switch up/on, CUPL and MODE switches down/off
• Patch CH 2 OUT into CH 1 GATE
• Patch pitch sequence into CH 2 CV2 to emulate Mangrove's CONSTANT FORMANT mode.
• Mult that same pitch sequence into CH 1 CV2 to emulate Mangrove's CONSTANT WAVE mode.
• Monitor CH 1 OUT for a hard-synced triangle wave, similar in this patch to the FORMANT output of Mangrove.
• Monitor END for a square wave.
• Adjust CH 2 RATE to set the main/reference/overall pitch of the oscillator.
• Adjust CH 1 RATE to set the timbre and/or frequency division of the outputs

Notes

• CONSTANT FORMANT = formant frequency not connected to pitch CV. CONSTANT WAVE = formant frequency connected to pitch CV. Mangrove handles this with a panel switch that connects the v/8 pitch CV to ; you could patch a multed copy of pitch CV via a switch (e.g. a channel of Joranalogue's Switch 4, or Tesseract 8x8/12x12 Matrix) to gain the ability to enable/disable this without patching.
• The architecture here is different to Mangrove - there's no independent slope control, and there's no VCA/overdrive on board. This means there's a lot of unexplored territory. Experiment!
• Some things I'd like to try: mult Out 1 and/or Out 2 to their respective CV 1 inputs for exp/log waveshaping; monitor and/or self-patch CUPL OUT + CH 2 END into various inputs.

Thank you for this! I've been using it recently and it sounds so great!

[toppobrillo]

published a User's guide- please check it out. I aim to add patch sections to both this and the MF2 manual shortly, thanks for the patience!

https://toppobrillo.com/pages/support

[bisquick]

Nice to see this. Cheers!

[InteBra]

published a User's guide- please check it out. I aim to add patch sections to both this and the MF2 manual shortly, thanks for the patience!

https://toppobrillo.com/pages/support

Great!
Page 2: 15 and arrow to Cupl Led is missing on the pic.

[joncharliefeathers]

[robotfunk]

published a User's guide- please check it out. I aim to add patch sections to both this and the MF2 manual shortly, thanks for the patience!

https://toppobrillo.com/pages/support

[oder]

thank you - this is great!

[Jumbuktu]

published a User's guide- please check it out. I aim to add patch sections to both this and the MF2 manual shortly, thanks for the patience!

https://toppobrillo.com/pages/support

Thanks! Between this and the illustrated patch manual, there is already probably more useful documentation than most modules. I still have to scratch my head to understand what the comparator does, but this helps.

[toppobrillo]

published a User's guide- please check it out. I aim to add patch sections to both this and the MF2 manual shortly, thanks for the patience!

https://toppobrillo.com/pages/support

Thanks! Between this and the illustrated patch manual, there is already probably more useful documentation than most modules. I still have to scratch my head to understand what the comparator does, but this helps.

yeah! thanks, I hope this clarifies things that weren't up to this point. I also have a block diagram I may add.. but it reads like a schematic basically. I have some cool patches to add that I don't think ? have been covered up to this point.. cheers! thanks for looking.

[paarasat]

Eurorack and contemporary performance synthesizers suffer from a lack of block diagrams.
Heck, ARP put them on the front panel ;-)

[greyscales]

I did another patch guide on the Sport Modulator 2, this time a little deeper. Thought I would try to supplement some of the information in the user guide. There's a couple of oscilloscope shots (from VCV rack) on the audio waveforms when doing feedback-based wave shaping, FM, and the synced Mangrove-esque patch. Hopefully these visuals are as helpful to others as they were for me.

Apologies for it being 24 minutes but there are chapters so it is fairly easy to jump around.

I've barely gotten into the comparator aspect of the module, so that's a whole different rabbit hole to go down one day.

[fastlanestranger]

I did another patch guide on the Sport Modulator 2, this time a little deeper. Thought I would try to supplement some of the information in the user guide. There's a couple of oscilloscope shots (from VCV rack) on the audio waveforms when doing feedback-based wave shaping, FM, and the synced Mangrove-esque patch. Hopefully these visuals are as helpful to others as they were for me.

Apologies for it being 24 minutes but there are chapters so it is fairly easy to jump around.

I've barely gotten into the comparator aspect of the module, so that's a whole different rabbit hole to go down one day.

Really enjoyed both of the SM2 videos you posted here. Thanks a million.

[joncharliefeathers]

Some really good groove you got there greyscales in some of those patch ideas.

[toppobrillo]

[media][/media]

I did another patch guide on the Sport Modulator 2, this time a little deeper. Thought I would try to supplement some of the information in the user guide. There's a couple of oscilloscope shots (from VCV rack) on the audio waveforms when doing feedback-based wave shaping, FM, and the synced Mangrove-esque patch. Hopefully these visuals are as helpful to others as they were for me.

Apologies for it being 24 minutes but there are chapters so it is fairly easy to jump around.

I've barely gotten into the comparator aspect of the module, so that's a whole different rabbit hole to go down one day.

nicely done!

[Byzero]

Does anyone have the input and output voltage range specs to hand?

[Black]

Does anyone have the input and output voltage range specs to hand?

Well, RTFM…

The manual (a draft, as I understand) says: The IN(1) jack […] accepts any signal within a +/-12V range.

I did not find anything about the output, though.

[Durdee]

Output range of cycle mode depends on position of jumper per channel on the back of the module. It’s either 0-10v or +\-5v…

Honestly now that I’m thinking of it maybe I’ll just attach the jumper headers to SPST switches so I can switch between unipolar and bipolar on a whim! Maybe I’ll email Josh to see if this would harm the module in any way (although I cannot think of why it would)

[Byzero]

Output range of cycle mode depends on position of jumper per channel on the back of the module. It’s either 0-10v or +\-5v…

Thanks! This is super helpful, I had no idea. More convenient to have a larger voltage range and attenuate than the other way around (for my usecase at least).

Well, RTFM…

The manual (a draft, as I understand) says: The IN(1) jack […] accepts any signal within a +/-12V range.

Yes, I was aware of this thanks.

Interested to know about the CV inputs also.

[megarat]

Honestly now that I’m thinking of it maybe I’ll just attach the jumper headers to SPST switches so I can switch between unipolar and bipolar on a whim! Maybe I’ll email Josh to see if this would harm the module in any way (although I cannot think of why it would)

I’m curious to hear how this works out for you. I’m having a hard time seeing where a switch can be mounted on the panel, given that the module’s PCB takes up the whole footprint, but you can mount the switch elsewhere (blank panel, case housing, etc.).

[greyscales]

Output range of cycle mode depends on position of jumper per channel on the back of the module. It’s either 0-10v or +\-5v…

Honestly now that I’m thinking of it maybe I’ll just attach the jumper headers to SPST switches so I can switch between unipolar and bipolar on a whim! Maybe I’ll email Josh to see if this would harm the module in any way (although I cannot think of why it would)

Small correction: cycling range is 8v, not 10v. For reference it is on page 5 of the user guide. You can set it to either +/-4v or 0-8v.

[Black]

I’m having a hard time seeing where a switch can be mounted on the panel, given that the module’s PCB takes up the whole footprint, but you can mount the switch elsewhere (blank panel, case housing, etc.).

• http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=948

• https://www.modulargrid.net/e/schenk-wo ... nterruptor (currently not available – maybe it comes back in the future..)

[Durdee]

I’m curious to hear how this works out for you. I’m having a hard time seeing where a switch can be mounted on the panel, given that the module’s PCB takes up the whole footprint, but you can mount the switch elsewhere (blank panel, case housing, etc.).

I’ll definitely let you know! I have a couple of 3hp blanks I made at home for this purpose in particular that I think will work nicely.

Small correction: cycling range is 8v, not 10v. For reference it is on page 5 of the user guide. You can set it to either +/-4v or 0-8v.

Oh shit, good catch!

• http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=948

• https://www.modulargrid.net/e/schenk-wo ... nterruptor (currently not available – maybe it comes back in the future..)

Ahh, Ladik with the great ideas yet again. If I didn’t have the parts to make a breakout at home already I’d definitely pick one of those up.