Patch #12
Earlier this year, Doepfer announced its new Basic System 3 (BS3), the latest in its line of complete, pre-configured Eurorack systems aimed at beginners, experts, explorers and purists alike.
To accompany the system, Doepfer — in collaboration with Stromkult — has designed a comprehensive Patchbook with fourteen different patch ideas for the BS3. Every patch comes with custom-made patch diagrams and a step-by-step-patching manual, making it easy for anyone to recreate and play with these patches.
While the patches were specifically designed for the BS3 and its configuration, most of the patches revolve around basic "building block" modules such as VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, mixers, envelope and LFOs and thus should be able to be recreated on a variety of systems — above all, we hope these patches may inspire you!
You can download the full PDF of the patchbook with all of the patches here (link goes to Google Drive).
Every individual patch is divided into an introductory overview of the patch, a section for the audio path, a section for the control voltage path and a final "play the patch" section with ideas on how the patch could be further tweaked and iterated upon.
PATCH OVERVIEW
This is a “West Coast” style drone patch, meaning it utilizes no filters and instead additively builds from sine waves towards a complex sound by utilizing the system’s A-137-1 wavefolding (“wave multiplier”) module.
With additional audio rate modulation from the A-171-2 VCS, the patch can take on some very interesting formant (vocal) characteristics. Also, unlike our other patches, this is a pure drone patch that does not utilize any CV/gate tracking or sequencing!
AUDIO PATH
(this patch diagram is for both the audio and CV paths)
As our sound sources we use two sine waves from our A-110-1 oscillators that both go into the A-138b mixer. The mixer’s output goes into the A-137-1, and from its output to our headphones or
speakers.
CONTROL VOLTAGE PATH
We modulate the CV inputs of the different parameters on the A-137-1 that determine how the signal is folded with the A-147-4 Dual LFO and the A-171-2 VCS. The A-171-2’s output goes into the “CVF” input of the A-137-1. The VCS is set to “cycle” mode, meaning it will continuously generate a constant modulation function even without an input, like an LFO, or at higher rates like an oscillator.
The first sine wave LFO on the A-147-4 goes into the “CVS” input on the A-137-1, the second sine into the “CVH” input. The pulse wave of the A-147-4’s first LFO goes into the input of the A-160-2
clock divider. The divided “4/3/3” and “16/7/5 “outputs are attenuated and mixed, creating a stepped modulation pattern that goes into the “exp CV” modulation input on the A-171-2.
PLAY THE PATCH
Even though this is a drone patch, you can also turn it into a fun lead sound by tracking the oscillators and patching the output of the A-137-1 into an envelope-controlled VCA!
Adjusting the level and gain controls on the A-138s and the A-137-1 has a big impact on the overall sound, since the character of the wavefolding is heavily dependent on the level of the input signal
going into the A-137-1.
By playing with the rise control (the knob with the “arrow up”) on the A-171-2, you can create very interesting audio rate modulation tones. The patch is set up to dip into audio rate modulation
occasionally, but it might be fun to go even further!