Buchla Music Easel: Q & A

chrisso · Post by **chrisso** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:13 pm

There's a lot to be said for a slightly grainy, monophonic spring reverb.
Especially in combination with an audio input.

Enkidoo · Post by **Enkidoo** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:53 pm

chrisso wrote:There's a lot to be said for a slightly grainy, monophonic spring reverb.
Especially in combination with an audio input.

+1

Interested to know if there are other spring reverbs around than the one described above... never came across one.

If I'm not wrong there is just one knob for reverb on the Easel: I like it. Need some space? Turn this knob.

And then if you need transparent kitsch stereo reverberations instead, use your stompbox or laptop (I use a Pioneer RMX-1000 for my digital reverb and it is not only kitsch but also vulgar).

chrisso · Post by **chrisso** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:14 pm

The reverb in my CBS System is likely very similar.

Enkidoo · Post by **Enkidoo** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:19 pm

chrisso wrote:The reverb in my CBS System is likely very similar.

What I meant was: are there any spring reverbs that are not grainy and monophonic?

550b · Post by **550b** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:43 pm

Enkidoo wrote:What I meant was: are there any spring reverbs that are not grainy and monophonic?

The AKG BX-10 and BX-20 are stereo, and sound much more like a plate reverb than units built around standard reverb tanks (Accutronics, etc).

However, it would be tough to fit one inside an Easel.

chrisso · Post by **chrisso** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:31 am

Yep, the AKG, and I think there is a pretty nice Demeter one.

sascha.victoria · Post by **sascha.victoria** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:17 am

I've heard some great spring reverbs like the Buchla 190, EML 200, AKG BX10, Swart, and a few others. Just because it's a spring doesn't mean it needs to sound dark, springy, or be a one trick poney. A great circuit design can make a spring sing.

captnapalm · Post by **captnapalm** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:45 am

robot909 wrote:The manual looks great!!! thank you!
It will be a great read.

Are there any photos of the actual circuit board inside the easel?

Do you mean the original Easel?

monokit · Post by **monokit** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:09 am

Enkidoo wrote:
chrisso wrote:The reverb in my CBS System is likely very similar.
What I meant was: are there any spring reverbs that are not grainy and monophonic?

Vermona Retroverb lancet is stereo and not so grainy.

I think Eventide does a great Spring Rev emulation.

sersch · Post by **sersch** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:55 am

Would be a nice modification to have an 1/4" insert jack right before the Easel's spring reverb. So I could have my BBD echo going into the spring reverb.

Morley · Post by **Morley** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:12 am

I had a 208 and a 227 and the reverb in the 227 sounded much fuller IIRC.

blindoldfreak · Post by **blindoldfreak** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:11 am

Morley wrote:I had a 208 and a 227 and the reverb in the 227 sounded much fuller IIRC.

It's true, although they both share the same tank and circuit.
I think the difference is in the fact that the 227 has a send on each channel and a master reverb knob.
The 208 has only a knob that mixes between dry and 100% wet. The amount of signal going to the reverb is always the same, and all the user can do is to change its volume in relationship to the dry signal.

We also have to keep in mind what Rick said about the wrong resistors being stuffed on the 208 reverb circuit...that might contribute to the differences in sound. I had mine "rectified" but it's still very different from the 227's.

I brought this up with BEMI...we'll see if they can do something about it.

A.

madcap · Post by **madcap** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:41 am

Having never touched an easel... How does the touch plate sensitivity compare to the make noise pressure points?

Morley · Post by **Morley** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:21 am

blindoldfreak wrote:
Morley wrote:I had a 208 and a 227 and the reverb in the 227 sounded much fuller IIRC.
It's true, although they both share the same tank and circuit.
I think the difference is in the fact that the 227 has a send on each channel and a master reverb knob.
The 208 has only a knob that mixes between dry and 100% wet. The amount of signal going to the reverb is always the same, and all the user can do is to change its volume in relationship to the dry signal.

We also have to keep in mind what Rick said about the wrong resistors being stuffed on the 208 reverb circuit...that might contribute to the differences in sound. I had mine "rectified" but it's still very different from the 227's.

I brought this up with BEMI...we'll see if they can do something about it.

A.

Thanks for the info!
I often wondered if my 208 reverb was not working 100%. Just couldn't get as wet or loud as the 227 (which is a GREAT module)
I think however that one that is new and working fully in the Easel (as in loud enough!), would be fine for what is needed. Kind of like upgrading a VCS3 reverb. Why would you do it!? It's the character that is needed.

Slabwax · Post by **Slabwax** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:23 am

sersch wrote:Would be a nice modification to have an 1/4" insert jack right before the Easel's spring reverb. So I could have my BBD echo going into the spring reverb.

+1 True words!

djangosfire · Post by **djangosfire** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:31 am

captnapalm wrote:
sersch wrote:Thanks much, but isn't a page missing after page 26? The last sentence "A resistor ofÃ¢â‚¬Â¦" is not continued on the next page, and "Figure 14" is missing (compared to my b/w copy).
Thanks for letting me know. New file here now with page 27!

Thank You!!!!!

Guidotoons · Post by **Guidotoons** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:45 pm

blindoldfreak wrote:
Morley wrote:I had a 208 and a 227 and the reverb in the 227 sounded much fuller IIRC.
It's true, although they both share the same tank and circuit.
I think the difference is in the fact that the 227 has a send on each channel and a master reverb knob.
The 208 has only a knob that mixes between dry and 100% wet. The amount of signal going to the reverb is always the same, and all the user can do is to change its volume in relationship to the dry signal.

We also have to keep in mind what Rick said about the wrong resistors being stuffed on the 208 reverb circuit...that might contribute to the differences in sound. I had mine "rectified" but it's still very different from the 227's.

I brought this up with BEMI...we'll see if they can do something about it.

A.

Could this be as simple as balanced vs. unbalanced levels?

I always felt every era Buchla had some issues with actual audio signal levels in that regard.

synthomaniac · Post by **synthomaniac** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:18 pm

megamaeng wrote:... Anyway I'll use this opportunity to ask a question. Some in the request thread mentioned wanting a ground plug and I notice that the synovatron CVGT1 and low-gain's banana to 1/8" boxes have ground plugs as well. Not knowing too much about what is involved, do you think the Easel be able to interface well with euro? Mainly sending cv out and patching audio in. Thanks!

The ground socket is there because when two synths connect to each other they need a common reference or a return path (to complete the circuit). Usually you would connect a synth to a mixer, say, using a 1/4" jack lead where the signal is on the centre pin and the return is via the screen connection (usually with no problems). With a banana connection it is only the signal that is connected so it needs the return path adding. Patching on the same synth via bananas is ok because the return is internal, called ground, 0V or common.

The CVGT1's ground connector allows a Buchla and an Eurorack synth to have a return path for the signals they share - it is not always needed especially if there are audio patch leads (e.g. Tiny-Jax to to 3.5mm jacks) between the two doing that job (via the screened cable of the jack lead).

I may be wrong but from what I can see there is no dedicated ground connector on the Music Easel. If this is the case then one way I could offer a solution is to replace the CVGT1 ground banana with a ground 3.5mm jack. Then you could use a TipTop Audio Stackcable between the CVGT1 and one of the Music Easel's Tiny-Jax connectors (e.g. Signal Outputs or Signal In) for the common ground - the centre pin would be left open on the CVGT1 allowing the the other end of the Stackable to be used as an input or output socket still. Of course you could just connect the two synths via audio patch leads. If this is of interest then I could make a CVGT1 variant for Music Easel owners; please let me know your thoughts.

Check out this thread about Buchla and Eurorack integration viewtopic.php?t=77371

Cheers
Tony

Enkidoo · Post by **Enkidoo** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:39 pm

synthomaniac wrote:
megamaeng wrote: Not knowing too much about what is involved, do you think the Easel be able to interface well with euro? Mainly sending cv out and patching audio in. Thanks!
I may be wrong but from what I can see there is no dedicated ground connector on the Music Easel. If this is the case then one way I could offer a solution is to replace the CVGT1 ground banana with a ground 3.5mm jack. If this is of interest then I could make a CVGT1 variant for Music Easel owners; please let me know your thoughts.

I would especially favor a ground connector on the new Easel.. sounds like the simplest solution..

I was thinking of using a CVGT1 to interface the Easel (ordering one <-> ordering the other) with other gear and it would be great, if needed, if a special version was made. What the best solution is then is however totally not clear to me. I hope you'll get some interesting input from others. Learned a few things reading your post that I didn't realize at all yet, thanks.

synthomaniac · Post by **synthomaniac** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:11 pm

Enkidoo wrote:
synthomaniac wrote:
megamaeng wrote: Not knowing too much about what is involved, do you think the Easel be able to interface well with euro? Mainly sending cv out and patching audio in. Thanks!
I may be wrong but from what I can see there is no dedicated ground connector on the Music Easel. If this is the case then one way I could offer a solution is to replace the CVGT1 ground banana with a ground 3.5mm jack. If this is of interest then I could make a CVGT1 variant for Music Easel owners; please let me know your thoughts.
I would especially favor a ground connector on the new Easel.. sounds like the simplest solution..

I was thinking of using a CVGT1 to interface the Easel (ordering one <-> ordering the other) with other gear and it would be great, if needed, if a special version was made. What the best solution is then is however totally not clear to me. I hope you'll get some interesting input from others. Learned a few things reading your post that I didn't realize at all yet, thanks.

On this thread viewtopic.php?t=76767 there are lots of requests for a ground socket so hopefully that'll happen but if not then the audio patch lead seems to me the least grief method of ensuring the two get a common ground.

amnesia · Post by **amnesia** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:30 pm

Easel to 200e to CVGT1 to euro but I prefer the simplest option.

blindoldfreak · Post by **blindoldfreak** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:19 pm

Every Buchla cabinet has come with ground banana plug, so i don't see why the final easel would be different.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:24 am

Or just connect the two chassis via an alligator clip cable and be done with it.

fluxmonkey · Post by **fluxmonkey** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:06 pm

Juanjocov · Post by **Juanjocov** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:25 pm

Hi Alessandro! Thanks for doing this!
Is there any way to sync the Easel (sequencer or modulation oscillator as an LFO) via an external trigger(s) from my eurorack? Also, would it be possible to trigger the LPG and the EG via an external trigger?
I read the manual but what I understood from it is that you can only trigger the Easel via the pulser or the keys (please correct me if I'm wrong).
By the way, amazing performance at the Trash Audio Party, truly inspirational!

Juan

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Buchla Music Easel: Q & A