Sync24 to Monotribe, Volca, new Electribe

Following on from the last post I decided that an external Sync24 (aka dinsync) converter would be a better idea, mainly because I have Volcas and other gear that I might want to sync to my vintage Roland gear or my Elektron Analog Four.

So basically the idea is that the box has a sync input which will be converted from 96 pulses per measure (24ppqn) to 8 or 16 pulses per measure (2 or 4ppqn) the outputs are on 3.5mm sockets and are available at the same time of course. In addition the pulses are only sent when the sync master is running, and on stop the pulse resets to zero, so that on each start everything lines up.

The output pulses are 5v and 5ms duration, so they work as clock for lots of different devices and also triggers for modular or CV gear.

It will run from AA batteries or 9V DC power supply.

I expect to have some of these ready for sale in early 2015, pricing will be around £55

I have tested it with these devices as master TR606, MC202, TB303, Analog 4, and it works very well.

I have tested Monotribe, Volcas, MS20mini, Doepfer Dark Energy, so far.

Design and features might be subject to change, but not drastically.

Here is a picture of the first prototype, final version will look nicer, a video will follow at some point, so stay tuned if interested.

Any interest in Sync24 (dinsync) internal input mod?

I have long been a fan of Roland din sync gear, TB-303, TR-606, MC-202, TR-808 etc and decided it would be cool if the Monotribe could be synced to them without for example using MIDI or a trigger output from say a TR-606.

So I am in the process of prototyping a dinsync to Monotribe (or Volca etc) converter, basically it takes a sync24 output, and divides it down so that the Monotribe can sync to my TR-606. It works very nicely across the whole tempo range of sync24 and I am thinking that I might offer a finished version for sale.

As per usual I will get proper PCBs made and before taking the plunge wanted to check if there is any interest, so if you are interested let me know either by email (link at top) or in the comments.

Pricing will be around £40 for an internal version, I might consider an external version but it will cost more due to extra parts, possibly £55-60.

Current stock

Mute boards have all gone now, I might do another batch in the future but not for a while, plenty of MIDI kits left, a few VCO and a few Drum mods currenly available, CV/Gate boxes almost always in stock.

Prices

MIDI £40 - includes optional free click reduce.

Drum £40

VCO £55

CV/Gate £20

Shipping by tracked airmail £9 charged per parcel not per item, so if you have 2 or 3 mods you still only pay £9 as long as you order them together.

All payments in GBP and by paypal, to order email me from the link up at the top right of the screen.

All kits are simple enough to fit for a beginner, some soldering experience and use of drill is required, kits come with drill stickers to ensure accurate holes, and instructions are sent by email.

As always if you have any questions please ask, although note that I do not have schematics available for any of the kits, if you are into DIY then there are plenty of great resources for Monotribe mods on the internet, some of which I have contributed to.

Mute boards available (finally!) now includes drum output.

Mute boards are available to buy now, I have also added a drum mix output, they come fully assembled, you just drill the holes and solder one end of the 7 wires to the Monotribe PCB. Quite easy to fit and with instructions and drilling guide sticker as with all my kits.

Basically what it allows you to do is turn off each drum sound or the VCO individually, handy for jamming. Note that the snare has 2 switches, one for the shell and one for the noise, quite handy if you have my drum mod board as it allows a few extra sounds like hats, clap, rim and conga type sounds depending on the position of the drum mod and mute switches. For example with the noise turned off and the drum mod snare set to high it sounds like a conga etc. The VCO mute allows you to do filtered noise or external input without hearing the VCO. Operation is simple, when switches are down they are off, when up the sound will be heard.

The drum mix out provides a separate output for the drum section, it is independant of the drum volume control, meaning that the drums can be turned down but still available at the drum mix output, so that you can have external fx on the drums or synth section separately, or if you want you can run the drums back into the audio in for filtering.

Please note the drum output is not quite as loud as the main output, but when you run into a mixer it is not a problem. Price is £30GBP plus postage, if you want to order get in contact by email link at top right of page.

Here is a picture

VCO mod status

VCO mods run started, this will be the final lot, I make them in batches of 3 or 4, extremely ltd edition so if you want one holla! Currently 3 are ready to ship.

£55 plus shipping

UK £5

World £9.75

TB-303 vs Monotribe

For fun I thought I'd hook up a Monotribe to a TB-303 using my CV/Gate box, and do a quick comparison, I set the Monotribe as close as possible and made some Vines of the result. Nothing serious just a bit of fun, but I think it shows that the Monotribe can sound nice and squelchy with the right filter settings.

https://vine.co/v/M1tzBDKYiDw
https://vine.co/v/M1tz06WMjpe

https://vine.co/v/M1t7jrB5TWD

https://vine.co/v/M1tm9pT5F61

Looking to sell your Korg Monotribe? Broken or working. Also repairs.

I sometimes get asked if I can supply pre-modded Monotribes, and I also get asked if I can do repairs, so if you have a broken or working Monotribe that you are looking to sell, then I may be interested in buying it, I am based in the UK so probably only makes sense for guys within Europe. Contact by email link at the top of the page.

Similarly, if you have a broken Monotribe then I might be able to fix it provided I have the spare parts.