Doepfer

I'm completely new into modular synths ... until I bought a new 
prebuild A-100 BS2 (thus with the A-190 midi module) a few days ago :-
)
Although it took some time to find my way around, I have been able to 
construct some own patches with decent results.

But now I wanted to use the A-160 in combination with the A-161 for 
the first time.
For one reason or the other, I seem not to be able to get anything 
out of these two modules.
So I'm starting to think that the A-160 module is broken or wrongly 
connected inside the enclosure.

When I plug in a LFO (square) into the trig-input of the A-160, are 
the LEDS of that unit not supposed to start blinking at several 
different rates, depending on the clock division ?
In my case nothing blinks, although the LFO is doing it's job 
(checked that by plugging that LFO into the gate input of an ADSR).
When I connect one of the sub-divisions, for example /4 into the gate 
of an ADSR, that gate is not triggered, so obviously nothing is 
coming out of that /4 output (led also not blinking).
Is also the A-161 not supposed to start "running" through the 8 steps 
(so leds blinking in sequence) when the A-160 is triggered ?
I also tried plugging the A-118 random out into the trig of the A-160 
and also the gate-out of the A-190 midi module.
Nothing seems to be able to trigger that A-160.

By the way, is it possible to try out the A-161 without the A-160 ?
As far as I understand, this is not possible since it needs it's 
clock input from the A-160 ?

Since I have nothing to compare with, I'm not sure what I should 
expect. Maybe I'm doing something completely wrong, but after reading 
the modules manual several times I have the impression that there is 
definitely something wrong with that A-160 module.

Can someone give me some advise on this ?

Hi Patrick,

Try removing the A-160/161 modules and see if there's a ribbon cable
connecting the A-160 module to the bus board. In addition there should
be a cable connecting the A-160 and 161. Also, make sure the polarity
is correct - that generally means that neither of these cables should
be twisted.

/Silas

On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 2:02 PM, wouterspatrick
<patrick.wouters4@telenet.be> wrote:

>
>
>
>
>
>
> I'm completely new into modular synths ... until I bought a new
>  prebuild A-100 BS2 (thus with the A-190 midi module) a few days ago :-
>  )
>  Although it took some time to find my way around, I have been able to
>  construct some own patches with decent results.
>
>  But now I wanted to use the A-160 in combination with the A-161 for
>  the first time.
>  For one reason or the other, I seem not to be able to get anything
>  out of these two modules.
>  So I'm starting to think that the A-160 module is broken or wrongly
>  connected inside the enclosure.
>
>  When I plug in a LFO (square) into the trig-input of the A-160, are
>  the LEDS of that unit not supposed to start blinking at several
>  different rates, depending on the clock division ?
>  In my case nothing blinks, although the LFO is doing it's job
>  (checked that by plugging that LFO into the gate input of an ADSR).
>  When I connect one of the sub-divisions, for example /4 into the gate
>  of an ADSR, that gate is not triggered, so obviously nothing is
>  coming out of that /4 output (led also not blinking).
>  Is also the A-161 not supposed to start "running" through the 8 steps
>  (so leds blinking in sequence) when the A-160 is triggered ?
>  I also tried plugging the A-118 random out into the trig of the A-160
>  and also the gate-out of the A-190 midi module.
>  Nothing seems to be able to trigger that A-160.
>
>  By the way, is it possible to try out the A-161 without the A-160 ?
>  As far as I understand, this is not possible since it needs it's
>  clock input from the A-160 ?
>
>  Since I have nothing to compare with, I'm not sure what I should
>  expect. Maybe I'm doing something completely wrong, but after reading
>  the modules manual several times I have the impression that there is
>  definitely something wrong with that A-160 module.
>
>  Can someone give me some advise on this ?
>
>

Silas, you were right !
The cable that had to go to the "bus" was unplugged.
Or they forgot to plug it in while assembling or it came loose during 
transport.
The two modules seem to work now.

Btw, I was very doubtful to buy myself a modular synth.
After so many years of using digital and virtual analog ones, I 
always had the idea that it would take an immense amount of time to 
make a decent sound on such a synth and I was afraid of the fact that 
a modular has no memory for patches.
Also, the crap sounds on the youtube movies I watched, did not make 
me more confident in buyin such a modular.
Boy, was I wrong !
It seems that whatever sound I make, even in a few minutes, is 
usable :-)
And the fact that I can route in every sound from my other equipment 
in whathever module I want, is something I really underestimated.

I know where my money is going to the next years :-)

Thanks Silas for the help !



--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com, "Silas Johansen" <sijodk@...> 
wrote:
>
> Hi Patrick,
> 
> Try removing the A-160/161 modules and see if there's a ribbon cable
> connecting the A-160 module to the bus board. In addition there 
should
> be a cable connecting the A-160 and 161. Also, make sure the 
polarity
> is correct - that generally means that neither of these cables 
should
> be twisted.
> 
> /Silas
> 
> On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 2:02 PM, wouterspatrick
> <patrick.wouters4@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm completely new into modular synths ... until I bought a new
> >  prebuild A-100 BS2 (thus with the A-190 midi module) a few days 
ago :-
> >  )
> >  Although it took some time to find my way around, I have been 
able to
> >  construct some own patches with decent results.
> >
> >  But now I wanted to use the A-160 in combination with the A-161 
for
> >  the first time.
> >  For one reason or the other, I seem not to be able to get 
anything
> >  out of these two modules.
> >  So I'm starting to think that the A-160 module is broken or 
wrongly
> >  connected inside the enclosure.
> >
> >  When I plug in a LFO (square) into the trig-input of the A-160, 
are
> >  the LEDS of that unit not supposed to start blinking at several
> >  different rates, depending on the clock division ?
> >  In my case nothing blinks, although the LFO is doing it's job
> >  (checked that by plugging that LFO into the gate input of an 
ADSR).
> >  When I connect one of the sub-divisions, for example /4 into the 
gate
> >  of an ADSR, that gate is not triggered, so obviously nothing is
> >  coming out of that /4 output (led also not blinking).
> >  Is also the A-161 not supposed to start "running" through the 8 
steps
> >  (so leds blinking in sequence) when the A-160 is triggered ?
> >  I also tried plugging the A-118 random out into the trig of the 
A-160
> >  and also the gate-out of the A-190 midi module.
> >  Nothing seems to be able to trigger that A-160.
> >
> >  By the way, is it possible to try out the A-161 without the A-
160 ?
> >  As far as I understand, this is not possible since it needs it's
> >  clock input from the A-160 ?
> >
> >  Since I have nothing to compare with, I'm not sure what I should
> >  expect. Maybe I'm doing something completely wrong, but after 
reading
> >  the modules manual several times I have the impression that 
there is

> >  definitely something wrong with that A-160 module.
> >
> >  Can someone give me some advise on this ?
> >
> >
>