Buchla 200 in Euro format (Tiptop)

[Brave]

This is extremely disappointing after building the system over the past year and patiently waiting for this module. Thonk in the UK sell vactrols and - is there any other vactrol based module that’s not available in EU / UK?

Pure speculation but maybe they are having trouble with consistency and it’s the perfect excuse to switch to some non-vactrol variant and limit the vactrol wastage if outside tolerance?

[Ebolatone]

One does not simply
use Xvive vactrols in an LPG

[SynthBaron]

They could leave the UK/EU ones socketed...and then maybe someone outside those countries can sell the "good" nuvactrols as replacement parts, thus bypassing the rules.

[Brave]

One does not simply
use Xvive vactrols in an LPG

I see. Presumably then, all the other current modules with vactrols don’t use the banned material, hence they are a available in EU/ Uk?

[cbm]

This is extremely disappointing after building the system over the past year and patiently waiting for this module. Thonk in the UK sell vactrols and - is there any other vactrol based module that’s not available in EU / UK?

Pure speculation but maybe they are having trouble with consistency and it’s the perfect excuse to switch to some non-vactrol variant and limit the vactrol wastage if outside tolerance?

I think that synth manufacturers generally get away with flying under the radar. I think the fact that there has been no legal crackdown is largely a side effect of being a small market.

There's a reason that once he moved to Berlin Mark Verbos re-designed the Amp & Tone so that it doesn't use Vactrols. The Rabid Elephant Natural Gate is Vactrol-free. SSF's new Steady State Gate doesn't use Vactrols. Pittsburgh Modular has a couple LPG designs that don't use Vactrols. These circuits prove that Low Pass Gate circuits don't really need them. They are a convenient gain element, but they're not magic.

If I was still designing stuff for manufacture, I would stay away from Vactrols, if at all possible. Don't get me wrong, I love my Vactrol-infested Buchla stuff, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

[Brave]

This is extremely disappointing after building the system over the past year and patiently waiting for this module. Thonk in the UK sell vactrols and - is there any other vactrol based module that’s not available in EU / UK?

Pure speculation but maybe they are having trouble with consistency and it’s the perfect excuse to switch to some non-vactrol variant and limit the vactrol wastage if outside tolerance?

I think that synth manufacturers generally get away with flying under the radar. I think the fact that there has been no legal crackdown is largely a side effect of being a small market.

There's a reason that once he moved to Berlin Mark Verbos re-designed the Amp & Tone so that it doesn't use Vactrols. The Rabid Elephant Natural Gate is Vactrol-free. SSF's new Steady State Gate doesn't use Vactrols. Pittsburgh Modular has a couple LPG designs that don't use Vactrols. These circuits prove that Low Pass Gate circuits don't really need them. They are a convenient gain element, but they're not magic.

If I was still designing stuff for manufacture, I would stay away from Vactrols, if at all possible. Don't get me wrong, I love my Vactrol-infested Buchla stuff, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

It’s still a massive let down, especially with a potentially further long wait for the redesigned module. They should have just made one non-vactrol version that’s released to everyone ‘Winter 2022’.

[axm311]

Testing and churning through various LPGs for “that sound” has been one of the more pointless money wasting exercises I have delved into in Eurorack.

With that said, the sound of the 208C LPG is my favorite, so if this is a collab with Buchla hopefully 292t sounds like that.

[luketeaford]

This is extremely disappointing after building the system over the past year and patiently waiting for this module. Thonk in the UK sell vactrols and - is there any other vactrol based module that’s not available in EU / UK?

Pure speculation but maybe they are having trouble with consistency and it’s the perfect excuse to switch to some non-vactrol variant and limit the vactrol wastage if outside tolerance?

I think that synth manufacturers generally get away with flying under the radar. I think the fact that there has been no legal crackdown is largely a side effect of being a small market.

There's a reason that once he moved to Berlin Mark Verbos re-designed the Amp & Tone so that it doesn't use Vactrols. The Rabid Elephant Natural Gate is Vactrol-free. SSF's new Steady State Gate doesn't use Vactrols. Pittsburgh Modular has a couple LPG designs that don't use Vactrols. These circuits prove that Low Pass Gate circuits don't really need them. They are a convenient gain element, but they're not magic.

If I was still designing stuff for manufacture, I would stay away from Vactrols, if at all possible. Don't get me wrong, I love my Vactrol-infested Buchla stuff, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

It’s still a massive let down, especially with a potentially further long wait for the redesigned module. They should have just made one non-vactrol version that’s released to everyone ‘Winter 2022’.

Just speculating: I think it will still be possible to get a vactrol version if you must have one. We have to jump thru hoops to get CL instruments here in the states but it works out all right for a little bit extra import fees. In the more likely scenario, the vactrol free version sounds as good or better and you won't notice a difference.

[JSHG]

My Sputnik LPG sounds great. I think its suppose to be really close. I bet the tiptop will sound almost the same

[soundular]

I'm surprised by the price of the 292. I thought it would be in the same range as the other modules so far.

[BLogic12]

Testing and churning through various LPGs for “that sound” has been one of the more pointless money wasting exercises I have delved into in Eurorack.

With that said, the sound of the 208C LPG is my favorite, so if this is a collab with Buchla hopefully 292t sounds like that.

I just recently bought a 208c and was actually a little disappointed in the LPG! It rang out a little too long for my taste, i couldn't get super tight snappy percussion. I highly prefer the vactrolless lpg's Natural Gate and Steady Stage SSG that let you dial in the response and i think they sound outstanding and i actually like the sounds i get out of them more, even in terms of tone. I do love my vactrol Tokyo Gate LPG too though, it has a great dampening circuit that shortens the decay and has a really nice sound. I was excited about the 292 at first but I realized it dosnt really get any better then the lpgs i have in my system already, for my use.

[SynthBaron]

I'm surprised by the price of the 292. I thought it would be in the same range as the other modules so far.

It's one of those "because they can" things, and at least the parts engineering that went into it is a little justified.

[DukeOfPrunes]

I'm surprised by the price of the 292. I thought it would be in the same range as the other modules so far.

It's one of those "because they can" things, and at least the parts engineering that went into it is a little justified.

87.50/gate doesn’t seem too outrageous to me.

[Matthew360]

Oh man, there is no way that I'm passing out on the 292T now. I will have to order one from the US.

/European Citizen

[DirkB]

Thomas White quad then

[nectarios]

How odd that there is an issue with the vactrol based 292t but there is no issue for the plethora of Make Noise products that use vactrols?
In any case, after listening to Steady State Gate and NG and having gone through a bunch of vactrol based LPGs, I am of the (unpopular) opinion where I actually prefer the non vactrol based, circuits

[cbm]

How odd that there is an issue with the vactrol based 292t but there is no issue for the plethora of Make Noise products that use vactrols?

As I understand it, it's the importer who has to ensure that the products they import meet the requirements of the law.

If a company is big enough to do their own distribution into the EU / UK they are responsible for following the law.

I have no idea about TipTop's business structure (or Make Noise, for that matter) but TipTop clearly made the decision to not try and do an end-run around the RoHS requirements.

In any case, after listening to Steady State Gate and NG and having gone through a bunch of vactrol based LPGs, I am of the (unpopular) opinion where I actually prefer the non vactrol based, circuits

I like some Vactrol based LPGs, and I like some non-Vactrol based LPGs. For flexibility, the non-Vactrol ones win.

[PressAnyKey]

Good to hear non vectrols are just as good. To bad the release is somewhere in the summer instead of next month

[GOM]

All the best Eurorack LPGs don't use vactrols...

Just saying.

[enzyme00]

Thomas White quad then

Don't unless you are throwing down for vintage vactrols. I recently built one. The design responds like poop to DIY vactrols and the xvive ones are shit.

[Sysagent]

The UK/Euro news hits my Tiptop Buchla OhhhCeeeDeee gene hard!!!! Guess I will have to splash a shit tonne of $$$$ to get one over here in the UK…

Not great, but I need the current final piece of the puzzle.

[erstlaub]

On a technical note, how do you make vactrol style smoothness/character without them? The only things I've come across that felt nice were the MI emulations which I think were done with a microprocessor and sort of modelled which the 292t isn't going to do right?

[DoctorBlacks]

I'm surprised by the price of the 292. I thought it would be in the same range as the other modules so far.

We been sucked in gently, now we have to start splashing the cash.

[noctambulance]

I'm not bothered about the price. The pricing on the other modules is great, and TipTop was very straightforward in communicating that the 292 required a lot of R&D investment.

[nectarios]

This will be the most expensive 200t module yet. I think the prices will keep rising, the demand is there for sure.