Behringer 1033 Dual Envelope Generator ~ review & envelope basics

This video is about the Behringer 1033 dual envelope generator, which is part of the Arp 2500 series. Also explains some basics about envelopes and their different forms.
0:00 intro
1:25 basics of envelopes
4:14 module outline
4:46 a few sounds w/ manual gate
6:12 outputs
6:46 external gate input
7:46 trigger input & multiple mode
10:00 quality & thoughts
10:52 demo #1: 1033 modulates two VCFs
12:53 demo #2: 1033 w/ SQ1
13:38 demo #3: 1033 modulates VCF & ModAmp
14:31 demo #4: 1033 modulates VCF, gate from lfo
15:10 outro
Scope from the video is a VPME ZeroScope.
Thanks for watching and stay tuned!

[@andewprod]

I really love your videos! Very informative, interesting.. and the jams at the end were beautiful!

[@dreamy_man_pixelizer]

Wow ! Thank's for this video

[@returnofthenative]

Thank you.

[@davelordy]

Great video ! If Behringer ever manage to get some oscillator modules into the shops I'd definitely love to own a 2600 system, more than the 100 . . . I check all the stores every few weeks but the oscillator modules are always 8-12 weeks away, some have it as not available until Feb 2022 !

[@synthesizer83]

No doubt the oscillator is great (and also no doubt about Behringers insane backorders), but the System 100 is also very nice - in fact, if I had to decide now which one to keep, I would probably stick to the System 100. It is more complete, more compact and has a nice, warm, analog character that is immediately pleasing. But a bit less experimental...

[@davelordy]

@@synthesizer83 _"I would probably stick to the System 100"_ Do you mean the whole system, or are you just referring to the oscillator ?

[@synthesizer83]

@@davelordy The oscillator is outstanding in the Arp 2500. But in a global view, the System 100 gives me a bit more options right now (sequencer, phase shifter, mixer).

[@davelordy]

​@@synthesizer83 Cheers for the reply, yes agreed . . . every video I've watched on the System 100 where the phase shifter was involved sounded really good, in fact (to me at least) it sounded nothing like a phase shifter, it just made everything sound 3D/alive/great ! . . . . mmmm . . . 2500 or 100 !?

[@synthesizer83]

​@@davelordy That unanswerable question made me end up with both of them.

[@zuur303]

It's crazy that this module is a full 30 euros more expensive than the year you did this review.

[@seansnyder7744]

I wonder how easy it would be to mod the unit to have an actual 1/8 input jack replacing the manual gate button for the right channel? It really does bug me that so much rack space is taken up by a module that technically only does one triggered envelope. The best utilization is to use one envelope for the VCA and the other for a different adsr for a filter. Probably the first module to be replaced in my rack since I now have more oscillators and VCA's than I do envelopes.

[@synthesizer83]

Yeah that would be worth a try. Perhaps you can measure what goes into the pushbutton (i.e. the voltage), when it's somewhere in the standard gate range, your idea might work.

[@seansnyder7744]

@@synthesizer83 I did recently buy an oscilloscope, I'll try and remember to test the manual button's voltage. Good idea!

[@madmaxamali9699]

Hello , I am Max, I have a 2600 vco, behringer 902 vca, one 1003 adsr, one Cm1a, a kassutronics ladder filter and i play with my keyboard ( motif, studiologic, korg ) via midi, the suond goes on without release, maybe i need a cv gate converter because the adsr it doesen't seem to work . Can you explain to me how to make it work because behringer doesn't explain to me? Many thanks

[@synthesizer83]

Hey, you'll need some midi to cv converter to get going. Plus, the 1033 is picky when it comes to the gate input, needs a real gate to work (not sure if 5V or more).

[@TheEyeIllusion]

hi noob here.....do i place this one before or after an synth...and can the seqeuntial controllers make it active?????? i got 2 from behringer.....the 182 and 960

[@synthesizer83]

Yes the sequential controller can trigger it. The envelope output is a cv which you feed into filters, VCAs, to modulate them. It is not an audio module.

[@jennoscura2381]

It's too bad the envelopes are tied together they way they are. It would be awesome if each envelope had it's own gate. But aside from that; it looks like a good module.

[@synthesizer83]

That's truly a downside.

[@jlindborg1105]

Yes I agree. One thing positive is that you can free up som multiples when using 2 envelopes for the same gate work. Less cabling.

[@and7barton]

There is a conversion mod. Trouble is, I can't find it now.

[@odinmp5]

Is it me , or that behringer oscillator has more soul that any other eurorack oscillator? That muffled texture kind of bassy filtered takes me to other worlds.

[@vyvhope-scott]

The question for me is: for those of us with several envelope generators, will the 1033 really add anything? I suspect not. Could it be that the oscillator, multimode filter and ringmod/VCA are what make the essential 2500 sound character?

[@synthesizer83]

Perhaps if you miss a gate delay, the 1033 is worth thinking about, or if you're obsessed with uniform module series and want the full 2500. Otherwise, you don't need it. There are better ones out there with two independent gate inputs like the dual envelope from Doepfer.

[@barnabascee1889]

I bought a 1033. I'm a newbie so I don't know if it's just my own ignorance/stupidity, but I can't get it to do anything. I've looked at the thin user manual on Behringer's website. I've watched every video I can think of. It produces an envelope if a push the "manual" button. It doesn't do it any other time. Can anyone help a clueless newb figure out what I'm doing wrong?

[@synthesizer83]

This one is really picky when it comes to the gate / trigger inputs - most signals don't work. However, if you use some proper gate or clock from a sequencer or a keyboard (I use the Keystep from Arturia), it should work. Other signals (LFO, VCO) usually do not work with the 1033.

[@barnabascee1889]

@@synthesizer83 Thank you for the reply. I tried the gate and the trigger from a Hydrasynth. It only worked if I held the manual gate button down while playing (kinda useless). I tried it with an old Future Retro Mobius and it suddenly worked fine. I don't own a Keystep, but had thought about getting one. Maybe I will. I really appreciate you getting back to me on this!

[@synthesizer83]

@@barnabascee1889 You're welcome! I sat there like you wasting my time while this 1033 just ignored all the triggers I threw at it.

[@emdotambient]

@@synthesizer83 The specifications say the 1033's gate and trigger voltages are required to be between +4 and +12 volts. So it won't get triggered if you're using, say, a VCO that's bipolar with a peak-to-peak voltage of 5 volts because you'd only be getting +2.5 volts maximum (voltage range would be -2.5 to +2.5). You should be able to make them work if you run the VCO through a CV mixer and add in a fixed voltage offset. Typically Eurorack VCOs, I think, are 10v peak-to-peak (-5v to +5v), but maybe they aren't remaining at above +4v long enough to trigger the 1033? In any case, I would think the voltage offset trick should work.

[@emdotambient]

@@barnabascee1889 Look on Page 89 of Hydrasynth's user manual. You can set its Gate Voltage to 3v, 5v, or 10v. I don't know what it's defaulted to, but you should set it to either +5v or +10v to trigger the 1033 since the 1033's gate/trigger are supposed to accept anything from +4v to +12v. Also make sure the Hydrasynth's gates are set to V-Trig mode, not S-Trig. With the correct settings it looks like it should have no issue triggering the 1033.

[@texacomann]

Leider kann man nur ein gate anschließen, aber nicht wirklich schlimm

[@synthesizer83]

Ja das ist eigentlich schon blöd, zumal wohl beim Original anders. Aber gut, das Original hatte auch ein komplett anderes Patchsystem. Trotzdem hätte hier wohl noch irgendwo eine zweite Gate Buchse Platz gefunden...

[@texacomann]

@@synthesizer83 vielleicht gibt es ja noch irgendwo im Netz einen Freak der ein entsprechendes Mod schon gemacht hat und es beschreibt. Aber ehrlich gesagt, die meisten Anwendungen sind ohnehin 2x adsr für vca und Filter, man spart sich das multiple. Trotzdem schade drum. Da ich genug andere adsr I. System habe ist mir das hier wurscht.

[@GravelVoice30]

Wow. You really don't know much about vintage synthesizers (I bet you make all your "music" using sequencers). The gate input to the ADSRs is the continuous voltage output by a keyboard when a key is pressed. You DO NOT put a gate signal into the trigger input. The trigger is a very narrow pulse that is sent out from a keyboard when a key is held down and other keys are pressed, thereby re-triggering the ADSR. In other words, even though the gate signal stays on, the multiple trigger signals will reset the ADSR back to the attack and decay stage. It's so sad how ignorance can make someone look like a fool (don't try to teach what you don't know).

[@synthesizer83]

Wow. You really don't know much about the way I make music. I bet you make all your "music" on a vintage modular with keyboards all over the place. Anyway, appreciate the gate / trigger explanation.