BATTLE diy kit with PROFADER
€219,- (ex VAT)
PROFADER will be available after mid February, you can order already but have a little bit of patience.
The BATTLE is a two channel mixer, inspired by the battle mixers of the hiphop scene. The BATTLE is not just a regular two channel mixer; it takes the concept of using a mixer as an instrument, and extends it for Eurorack, with CV inputs and CV and gate outputs.
The PROFADER is one of the most sturdy and smooth faders available on the market. Instead of the usual carbon it has two gliding rails and runs on conductive plastic making it very durable and dust resistant.
Although it almost looks like a regular dj mixer it is not! I designed it with a different goal in mind. I am adoring the concept of patching in an eurorack setup on itself and the idea for the BATTLE is more based on the freedom of patching and creativity inside a rack than it is based on DJ-ing. So instead of a vinyl with drumloops I am more thinking about a patch on one side and a record for scratching on the other side... or a sampleslicer or wathever you imagine of course... that's the fun of modulars.
Demo video of the BATTLE (using the prototype version)
A brief description of all the features of the BATTLE:
Inputs A and B
These are the audio inputs. Input A relates to the left side of the crossfader, while input B links to the right side. The inputs are normalised to
each other, that means that if nothing is plugged into input B then the signal connected to input A will also appear there, and vice versa. That's very useful when using inserted effects (see below).
GAIN A and B
These knobs determine the gain for input A and input B. Set these to get the desired signal gain and to avoid clipping. If you'd only like to use a single input, and don't want the normalisation mentioned above, then you can turn the gain on the side you're not using all the way down, to mute that side.
Effect loops
Both inputs have an effect loop. You can send input A or B into another module, for example a delay or a filter, and take the treated signal back into the BATTLE. This will create an effect on that channel. It's important to note that the signal is send out after applying the crossfader. The advantage of this structure is that -for example- the decay of an inserted delay effect won't be cut off by the crossfader; the fader will only affect what is send to such a delay. This means the effect on a channel will continue even when the crossfader is set all the way to the other channel. Thanks to the normalisation between inputs A and B, mentioned above, you can also crossfade between a "clean" and a "wet" signal, for example by only supplying an audio signal to input A, and inserting the effect into side B. This is quite different from how effect loops work on other mixers, but with a bit of experimentation you'll find it works very well for using the BATTLE as an expressive instrument.
The Fader
The fader allows you to transition between inputs A and B.
CF (CrossFader) input
This CV input allows you to use external modulation sources to fade between inputs A and B. The signal has its own attenuator. The value of the signal is added to the position of the fader. This CV input accepts a bipolar signal, with a positive signal fading towards input B, on the right, and a negative signal towards input A, on the left.
The Curve
The Curve determines whether the crossfader transitions smoothly and linearly between inputs A and B, or whether a sharper, more "cutting", transition is used. If you turn the Curve knob all the way to either end, the transition is very sharp on that side. With the knob in the centre you'll get a linear transition. This affects the combined value of the fader and the CF CV input.
VCA, BASS and TREBLE functions
The BATTLE has a VCA and EQ for Bass and Treble, all applied to the overall sound. Each of these functions has a dedicated knob. And each also has an attenuated CV input. These CV inputs accept a bipolar signal, attenuated by the corresponding trimmer. This signal gets added to the position of the knob, to determine the final value of the function.
OUT A+B
This is the output of the audio part of the BATTLE; a mix between inputs A and B (as set by the crossfader) and affected by the EQ and VCA.
The gate outputs and the Position knob
Each side of the fader has a gate output connected to it. You can use these gate outputs to trigger or send gate signals to other modules. For example to trigger a sample or envelope each time you "open" the fader, or to reset an LFO. When the fader is on the left side, the left gate output will be high and vice versa. The Position knob sets the threshold between the two sides. There are two leds above the fader, that show which of the two gates is currently high.
CV output with switch
The CV output reflects the position of the fader. The CV output voltage is zero volt on one side of the fader, and a maximum voltage at the other. With the switch you can set which side want to be 0V and which side will be maximum voltage. There is a trimmer on the back of the module with which you can set what the maximum voltage should be. This is not affected by the Curve setting or the CF input. By not being affected by the Curve setting, the CV output is still useful as an expressive modulation source, even while mixing audio using
a steep curve.
Technical details
Width: 16HP
Depth: 35mm
+12V: 62mA
-12V: 60mA